Military Veteran & Retirees Discussion Forum Latest Topics

VA Secretary Collins Is Wrong About Veteran Suicide Prevention Funding

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:16:45 +0000

Since taking office as the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Doug Collins has harped on one point repeatedly: The VA spends too much money on its suicide prevention operations and gets too little in return. Seventeen veterans die by suicide each day—a number that hasn’t meaningfully changed for 15 years—despite an annual budget of $588 million for its prevention programs that Collins says are rife with “serious vulnerabilities for waste.” He advocates for “tak[ing] the programs, let’s take the outreach we’re using and maybe redirect that $588 million to suicide prevention programs that are working.”

Veterans group warns of eroding VA health services as private-sector coverage grows

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:04:58 +0000

WASHINGTON — The Disabled American Veterans’ top leader delivered a dire message to lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday, warning that a continued shift of resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the private sector risks “hollowing out the only health care system in the country that is purpose-built for veterans.”

Military Veterans Urge Legal Action Against ICE Agents

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 19:17:08 +0000

On February 5, an ice sculpture titled “Prosecute ICE” was displayed outside the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul by the veteran-led group Common Defense. The sculpture, which cost $7,000 and was created by a local artist, aimed to protest federal immigration practices. However, the piece was vandalized later in the day by Jake Lang, an individual linked to the January 6 insurrection, and was subsequently charged with a felony for property damage. [Context: The incident occurred during a planned move of the sculpture to a nearby business for a more permanent exhibit.]

Amid outcry, VA abruptly stops enforcing new disability rating rule

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:23:58 +0000

Make sure they stick to their word...

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday abruptly announced that it would stop enforcing a new rule requiring disability ratings to be calculated by how well veterans function on medication and not solely on the underlying condition or injury itself.

Vietnam War vets sue Trump over his beloved arch and claim he skipped congressional approval

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:39:48 +0000

Three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian have sued resident Donald Trump to stop the construction of his 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., claiming the president had not sought proper approval for it.

How Trump Put Veteran Care in Crisis

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:58:57 +0000

Thousands of staff have left the health care side of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and those who remain are approaching burnout.

Las Vegas veteran says wife detained by ICE despite legal asylum status

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:32:02 +0000

This is crazy...

A Marine Corps veteran says his wife was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during what was supposed to be a routine immigration interview in Las Vegas this week, raising questions about immigration enforcement in Southern Nevada.

VA Reports Little Change in Veteran Suicide Rates Despite Ongoing Concerns

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:26:37 +0000

A significant finding noted in the report is that nearly 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 had not received VA health care in the year leading to their deaths. Additionally, the suicide rate per 100,000 veterans reached 35.2, the highest figure since 2018.

Both male and female veterans experienced an increase in suicide rates, with female veterans rising from 13.7 to 13.9 per 100,000, and male veterans from 37.3 to 37.8 per 100,000. There is particular concern regarding veterans aged 18-34, who are noted to have elevated risk factors such as health issues, homelessness, and chronic pain.

‘I Felt Like a Factory Worker.’ Why VA Psychologists Are Burning Out

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:55:33 +0000

The number of veterans seeking mental health treatment continues to rise, but the number of psychologists at VA dropped last year for the first time in a decade

Democrats Deride VA Secretary Doug Collins for Repeating False Claims About Alex Pretti’s Killing

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:17:11 +0000

Doug Collins is not serving the best interests of Veterans - he's a trump acolyte...

Democratic lawmakers assailed Doug Collins, the Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary for repeating Trump administration’s claims on the killing of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse shot 10 times by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis, during a congressional hearing Wednesday.

Are you going to “correct your cabinet colleagues when they called him a terrorist?” Mark Takano, a Democratic representative of California and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs’ ranking member, asked Collins. The secretary declined to answer.

The VA says its reorganization plan won't hurt patient care. Some health care workers are skeptical

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:32:39 +0000

But VA workers and some lawmakers remain skeptical, pointing to ongoing staffing shortages across the system that were a problem even before the VA got rid of tens of thousands of workers last year.

A report released ahead of the hearing by Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the committee's top Democrat, said the VA lost about 40,000 workers over the past year, many through the so-called DOGE cuts. The report said nearly 90 percent of those departures were health care staff.

Homelessness and diagnosed head injuries elevated veteran suicide rates, new report shows

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 15:15:57 +0000

WASHINGTON — Veterans who were homeless or had a recent diagnosis of traumatic brain injury had sharply higher rates of suicide in 2023 than the rest of the veteran population, according to an annual report published Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Military Veteran Deported to Jamaica After 50 Years in US

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:09:57 +0000

A U.S. Army veteran who had lived in the United States for more than five decades was deported to Jamaica on Tuesday, according to his family.

Godfrey Wade, a Jamaican-born lawful permanent resident and military veteran, was taken into custody last year by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ultimately removed, despite appeals from his family and advocates.

Trump administration officials blocked FDA effort to fast-track review of psychedelic treatment

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:41:07 +0000

WASHINGTON — trump administration officials vetoed the Food and Drug Administration’s plan to fast-track the review of a psychedelic treatment for severe depression, STAT has learned, highlighting possible internal discord between senior leadership and the Make America Healthy Again movement.

Veteran Senator Kelly to ask judge to block Trump's 'retribution' campaign

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:12:23 +0000

WASHINGTON – Lawyers for Senator Mark Kelly will ask a federal judge, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, to block the Pentagon's proceedings to demote his retired Navy captain rank because he urged troops to reject unlawful orders.

The court hearing, set for 4 p.m. Eastern in Washington, is another test of President Donald Trump's historic campaign of vengeance against his perceived political enemies, which has drawn pushback from judges across the ideological spectrum.

Veterans Affairs personnel say ‘silence is deafening’ from leaders after Alex Pretti’s death

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:34:34 +0000

More than a week after federal immigration agents killed a Veterans Affairs nurse in Minneapolis, a staffer at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center says patients visiting the hospital have asked why there is nearly no sign that Alex Pretti worked there.

“I’ve had veterans a little surprised there was not something at the front entrance acknowledging Alex,” said a VA staffer at the hospital. “I understand the reasons local leadership feels they cannot respond, and it stings.”

Virtual reality offers hope for Veterans with chronic pain

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:41:02 +0000

Virtual reality offers hope for Veterans with chronic pain

VA Officials Tried to Block a Memorial Service for Alex Pretti

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:40:11 +0000

National leadership at the Department of Veterans Affairs initially blocked a memorial planned for Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse who was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.

In an email obtained by The New Republic, officials at the Minneapolis VA claimed that “local leadership was instructed to pause the memorial” for Pretti, initially scheduled for Tuesday at noon.

Bill signed to make it easier for disabled veterans to qualify for low-income housing

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:50:51 +0000

Thank you to the Lawmakers who introduced the bill
Washington, September 19, 2025
Reps. Gomez, Sanchez Introduce Bill to Protect Disabled Veterans Access to Affordable Housing

VA Employees in Shock Over Alex Pretti’s Death, Administration Response

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:46:11 +0000

Pretti was not only a nurse but an employee of the Veterans Health Administration who had dedicated his career to caring for military veterans. Interviews with VHA employees show that they have not only been devastated by the killing of one of their colleagues, but also by the administration’s response to it.

Sen. Blumenthal releases report detailing 'harm' on Veterans Affairs caused by Trump, DOGE

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:44:40 +0000

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Minority Member Sen. Richard Blumenthal has released a report detailing the "harm" inflicted on the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans by the Trump administration’s policies.

The report, "Breaking the Pact: Impacts of Trump, DOGE and Doug Collins’ Ongoing Assault on Veterans," was released ahead of the SVAC’s oversight hearing with Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins on Wednesday.

Alex Pretti’s union speaks out: ‘Disappointed’ with VA Sec. Collins’ reaction, calls for independent investigation

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:05:59 +0000

The union that represents employees of the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center is speaking out about the death of one of its own members.

AFGE Local 3669, a chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees, called the death of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti “tragic and senseless” and said it is “especially disappointed” with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins’ reaction, according to a statement released Monday.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins Blames Shooting on State, Local Officials

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:56:40 +0000

Alex Pretti, the protester murdered by ICE was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center...

“Such tragedies are unfortunately happening in Minnesota because of state and local officials’ refusal to cooperate with the federal government (lying sack of poop) to enforce the law and deport dangerous illegal criminals,” the Republican who represented the 9th District in Congress goes on to say, echoing what Trump and the Homeland Security Secretary are saying.

Secretary Doug Collins Declares the Va is a National Security Agency, Not a Healthcare Provider; Attacks Collective Bargaining Rights of Va Caregivers

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 01:13:39 +0000

Not good for vets that use VA health services...

Collins falsely claims the VA is not a medical and healthcare provider, but rather a national security agency, and therefore exempt from federal labor law under a so-called “national security” exception.

Free Technology Courses for Veterans

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:30:01 +0000

Veterans: The IBM SkillsBuild program offers more than 1,000 free online courses to help you start or advance your career. These courses are for both beginners and advanced learners, so you don’t need any subject-matter knowledge or experience before you enroll. Find out how to sign up for SkillsBuild.