Category: VA

While there was an overall increase of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness across the country from 2015-2022, VA and its partners saw a 16% decrease in unsheltered homeless Veterans over the same period. Even with this success, there is still a significant need for systemic change in many regions nationwide to address this issue. On this…

This week, VA guaranteed its 28 millionth home loan. Originally created as part of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (which became known as “The G.I. Bill”), the VA home loan has been instrumental for countless Veterans and service members. Currently, over 3.7 million Veterans have active home loans guaranteed by VA. Home Loan expansion…

We often find ourselves performing the same motions each day, forgetting to move our joints and our bodies in all the ways they were designed to move. Stretching is known to improve joint health by increasing the range of motion in the joints, loosening tight muscles and ligaments, and resetting your posture. Stretching can help…

Health care. It’s an important topic, and one we hold in high regard at Blue Star Families. We make the needs of the military and Veteran community our #1 priority. Our annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey is an essential piece of our work to gauge what’s most important to those we represent: You! For example,…

Often, the success of a coach can be determined by the success of their athletes. This was exhibited at the 37th National Veterans Golden Age Games when the recipients of the George Gangi Award and the Veterans Canteen Service Challenge Award both hailed from St. Louis VA. Although both Veterans were recognized for their individual…

Law enforcement officers serve as first responders to many crises. Birmingham VA staff recently presented a series of training blocks to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The training sessions focused on suicide prevention, crisis intervention and domestic violence, and were part of the Sheriff’s Office’s Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) 40-hour course at their Fultondale, Alabama,…

South Texas VA hosted a Ukrainian medical delegation in May to show representatives from the war-torn country how VA treats its war-wounded Veterans and families. The collaboration between VA and the State Department brought the medical delegation to San Antonio, Texas, on a week-long visit to learn more about rehabilitation processes. The Ukrainians’ focus was…

Overton Brooks VA police recently assisted the Shreveport Police Department with the arrest of a local citizen. According to local police, the individual was in possession of 42 pounds of marijuana. The crime was covered by local TV and focused the community’s attention on the many duties and responsibilities of VA police officers. While the…

Dr. James T. Quann always knew he wanted to attend the Naval Academy. What he didn’t know was how that experience and his service as a Marine Corps officer would shape him as a surgeon who teaches surgical residents to care for his fellow Veterans. Quann, surgical residency program director at Central Iowa VA in…

As a Marine Corps administrative noncommissioned officer, Toni Williams was called “mama bear” for the care and support she gave to Marines experiencing sexual assault or on the verge of suicide. Afterwards, Williams continued to serve by providing meals to the homeless through the Salvation Army and resources to Veterans and their families through the…

The PACT Act, passed in August 2022, expands Veterans’ eligibility to benefits based on the addition of new presumptive conditions and toxic exposure locations. Presumptive conditions are ones VA assumes are related to military service, therefore making it easier for Veterans to connect certain conditions to their military service. As a result, more survivors are…

You can check the air quality where you are right now by entering your ZIP code on the AirNow web site. Exposure to air pollutants in wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, cause inflammation, alter immune function and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Exposure can also impact chronic conditions like asthma, COPD and…