What do you think are the largest issues facing the Veteran community?

The fight you have to go through when it is obvious that you have a service-connected disability. They still give you hell making you go through appeal after appeal in hopes of getting the veteran to give up. Unfortunately, it works with some. Veterans shouldn't have to be put through this crap.

The other thing is this business that you have to be 100% to get dental services. When they claim that dental can cause lots of health issues including heart conditions why wouldn't they want to avoid this or are they hoping you will kick the bucket so they don't have to provide services to you?

Appointments take too long to get it. The only recourse is to go to the emergency room when all you need is to see your primary care physician for a short visit to take care of the issue.

Consistency across the board, to include quality care... Each VA Healthcare System does not function the same way as the next one. This could be hospitals in the same VISN or in different VISNs. I understand, smaller VA's may not have the ability to serve veterans in the same capacity as larger ones, but ALL VA's no matter the size should be held to the same standards & should all have the same processes. There should be consistency from one VA to the next. It also should be easier for the VA's to get access to health records from non-local VA's, DOD & civilians

The ever-expanding population of veterans who have to wade through denial after denial before they finally get the benefits they deserve. Some of those denials take years. This time frame needs to be reduced significantly. Also, I feel every veteran should have full dental and eye care regardless of their disability rating. My birthday was always in a month my unit deployed to major training exercises or off to war. In my 8+ years in the Army I was never allowed to go to dental during my birth month. Now that I am finally 100% DAV. I finally can go, nearly 40 years late.

Not enought vets working at the VA. It should be mandatory that most if not all VA employees are fellow vets. If you've never walked a day in our boots, how can you know us?

Lack of information and misinformation.

It's great that we have all these programs and resources but throwing a bunch of pamphlets at people is a pointless waste of money. There should be a liaison at every VA hospital that learns and knows every program offered to veterans and is available to call or go in and see at any point in time for information. That person could even have a list of all the veterans connected to that hospital or care center and a system that checks in with people based on who hasn't been in or made contact. I don't know if it's just my area but it's like pulling teeth to find out any information from anyone because nobody knows. I have spent hours and hours researching online and still randomly come across things I've never heard of before. How many veterans haven't put in the time I have researching and have just lost out on these services when they really could have used them? To me this is a very serious problem. We might as well get rid of all these services if no one is making the effort to share them with the veterans who probably need them the most.

Aside from the obviously problematic partisan divide, I would argue our biggest issue is dealing with this sick society of ours, which has become more interested in arguing about pronouns than they are in giving our elected officials a much needed reality check. These politicians won't start working for the electorate, until they fear and respect "We The People" once again. Although, that would require some semblance of a spine, which the American Civilian is clearly lacking.

Semper Fidelis

veterans, as servicemen were trained and socialized organizationally as servicemen, much different and much more meaningful than civilian socialization which could make it difficult resocializing to civilian society( as if they would want to). point >socializing with fellow vets should be much easier
and better organized! VA meeting places-canteens-lounges-et al.Vets identify with military and each other.

The biggest issue facing Veterans right now is Healthcare. The facilities are just not providing adequate care. My local VA Hospital has NO dentist on staff. It actually took me 3 months to have a waiver sent to Marion, get approved for contractor care, get notified, schedule the appointment, and I still did not get all the dental work I needed. I actually cringe when I have to call or go to the VA hospital because it's such a hassle to get anything accomplished. It shouldn't be this hard!

So many. Delay in determining veterans and survivors claims, mistakes on determinations at the VA, suicide awareness training INSTEAD of fixing the root cause, the income limit for veterans and survivors pension which is different from compensation (very unrealistic with todays inflation rates), the high denial rate for the VA Caregiver program.

Accessing health care services in a timely manner.