Who we are:

The Veterans’ Coalition was established in June, 2006 as former Veterans Administrator Harry Walters brought together five of the largest Veterans’ Service Organizations—American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and AMVETS—to address strategic issues affecting the veterans community in healthcare, services, benefits and related areas. Since then, a number of additional veterans and military service associations have joined the Coalition, making it one of the most representative organizations in the nation.

Our mission:
To create a sustainable national system for benefits, care, and services that will ensure all veterans have the maximum ability to become healthy, productive citizens following their military service to our country.

Our plan:
A primary strength of the Coalition is in its ability to develop and examine important veterans-oriented concepts and work to implement them through stakeholders in the public and private sectors. The Coalition has developed programs to address issues utilizing two different approaches:

Sponsorship of an independent, non-partisan Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans, focused on developing a long-term strategic plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Commission brings together a number of highly qualified individuals and research organizations to study the challenges facing VA today and to make major recommendations for needed structural change for the Department. The Commission will issue its report in summer, 2008.

Creation of a Veterans Coalition Innovation Center (VIC) to address specific issues affecting veterans today. The VIC brings the speed and efficiency of the private sector to analyze areas that need to be dealt with for veterans in the near future. Individual problems are brought to the VIC and projects are established that bring together experts in ways that offer rapid solutions that can be implemented in weeks and months, not years. The VIC provides an “honest broker” capability to help implement change quickly, effectively and very meaningfully for veterans who need help today.