Posted on Sep 15, 2016
Should we take the VA out of civilian hands and put it under military control?
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I personally think it's time to take the VA out of civilian hands and put it under military leadership. It's apparent civilians no more understand veterans needs than they do civilian healthcare. The crisis we have now is directly related to the last 2-3 generations with no family members ever having served. Seriously could this have happened if there was a military Chan of command instead of the political chain of command that exists today?
Posted in these groups: 
Healthcare
Government
Healthcare Government
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 16
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I disagree. The military medical system was quite lacking when I was in. Just because it's free, doesn't mean it's good. The VA standard practice would be to throw 800mg motrin at people just like the military does. Now I do think that the VA should be staffed mainly by veterans. I think that would go a long way in fixing things.
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SGT David T.
LCpl (Join to see) - Laws can be change with the stroke of a pen. There is a precedent for absolute preference in hiring that they can use as a template. The secretary is a political appointee and cannot be everywhere at once. This needs to be a bottom up effort not a top down one.
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LCpl (Join to see)
SGT David T. - I'm not saying all military staffed, I'm saying "controlled" by the military leadership. Over the past 4 years of issues and problems they haven't changed the laws. Under the military, it would be a bottom up change by puttig the various departments under a military chain of command just as they have now starting at the Company level with 0-2 & 0-3's s responsible for smaller areas in the VA, Hospitals maybe a Bird Colonel. After the Corps, I joined the Army and stationed at TRADOC HQ, Finance. Ft. Monroe. 80% were GS employees with a handful of us. The Financial Analyst in the department, around 55 of them had a high level GS type as liaison in the department who reported to a Colonel,. Army TRADOC was huge!. The Data Center had operators and programmers (1970's), all GS scale with Sgt.Maj for the day-to-day and a Major as CO. Same at Ft. Ben at the time, it was a huge Finance base with majority of GS employees. Again, move the whole VA under the military, lock, stock and barrel ( alwayswanted to use that phrase)
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SGT David T.
LCpl (Join to see) - Honestly, I don't trust the military leadership any more than I do the VA. All part of the same system. Military hospitals are controlled by military officers too and I haven't seen any better care from them. There are certain applications where military leadership is preferable, my own organization (USACE) is a good example. Maybe I'm just jaded, but my experience with military hospitals has been less than positive. I got better care from the VA when I used that system before I got normal health insurance.
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LCpl (Join to see)
lol, ok but the alternative is what we have now which is unacceptable. At the very least, someone in the military would be more sympathetic to veterans than the mjority of civilians we have at the VA. thanks bro
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I'd prefer to see the military remain focused on how to dominate and destroy our adversaries. It would make more sense to merge the VA with Medicare and let them run it. One less bloated bureaucracy for Americans to sustain.
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This is what I have said for a long time now and I know nobody serves a Veteran better than another Veteran. At least try this idea for a year, and there will be an improvement in moral because the needs of the Vet will be met.
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