Department of Veterans Affairs
Pages | 348-362 |
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS*
810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420
Phone, 202-273-4800. Internet, www.va.gov.
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS R. James Nicholson
Chief of Staff Thomas G. Bowman
Deputy Secretary Gordon H. Mansfield
General Counsel Tim S. McClain
Chairman, Board of Contract Appeals Gary Krump
Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals James P. Terry
Vice Chairman, Board of Veterans' Ron Garvin
Appeals
Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Scott F. Denniston
Business Utilization
Director, Center for Minority Veterans Lucretia McClenney
Director, Center for Women Veterans Irene Trowell-Harris
Director, Office of Employment Discrimination Charles R. Delobe
Complaint Adjudication
Assistant to the Secretary, Office of Regulation Robert C. McFetridge, Policy and Management Acting
Inspector General George J. Opfer
Veterans' Service Organizations Liaison Marvin Gillette
Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Michael J. Kussman
Administration
Deputy Under Secretary for Health Gerald M. Cross
Deputy Under Secretary for Health William F. Feeley
for Operations and Management
Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Daniel L. Cooper
Administration
Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits Ronald R. Aument
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, National Richard A. Cemetery Administration Wannemacher, Jr., Acting
Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Richard A. Affairs Wannemacher, Jr.
Assistant Secretary for Management Robert J. Henke
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Rita A. Reed
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Daniel A. Tucker
Budget
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Edward J. Murray
Finance
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Jan R. Frye
Acquisition and Materiel Management
Assistant Secretary for Information and Robert T. Howard
Technology
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Steve Warren
Information and Technology
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Cragg
for Information Technology
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (vacancy)
for Policies, Portfolio Oversight, and Execution
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Shyshka
for Information Technology Operations
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Sally Wallace
for e-Government/Records Management
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (vacancy)
for Cyber and Information Security
Deputy Chief Information Officer for Joe Nosari
National Cemetary Administration
Deputy Chief Information Officer for (vacancy)
Veterans Health Administration
Deputy Chief Information Officer for Don Williams
Veterans Benefits Administration
Director, Austin Automation Center Linda Voges
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Patrick Dunne
Preparedness
Deputy Assistant Secretary for (vacancy)
Policy and Planning
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Karen W. Pane
Planning and Evaluation
Director, Office of Emergency Kevin Hanretta
Management
Deputy Assistant Secretary for John H. Baffa
Security and Law Enforcement
Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Paul Hutter
Administration
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Gary A. Steinberg
for Human Resources and Administration
Director, Office of Administration Constantine G. Verenes
Deputy Director, Office of Catherine Biggs-
Administration Silvers
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Susan C. McHugh
Diversity Management and Equal Employment Opportunity
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Willie L. Hensley
Resources Management and Labor Relations
Associate Deputy Assistant for Human Barbara Panther
Resources Management and Labor Relations
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (vacancy)
for Human Resources Management and Labor Relations
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Meghan Flants
for Labor Management Relations
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rafael A. Torres
Resolution Management
Assistant Secretary for Public and Lisette M. Mondello
Intergovernmental Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for (vacancy)
Public Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for William W. McLemore
Intergovernmental and International Affairs
Director, Center for Faith-Based and Darin S. Selnick
Community Initiatives
Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Thomas E. Harvey
Legislative Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Christine O. Hill
Congressional and Legislative Affairs
\*\Editorial note: Updated information for this Department's activities and programs was not submitted in time for publication.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs operates programs to benefit veterans and members of their families. Benefits include compensation payments for disabilities or death related to military service; pensions; education and rehabilitation; home loan guaranty; burial; and a medical care program incorporating nursing homes, clinics, and medical centers.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established as an executive department by the Department of Veterans Affairs Act (38 U.S.C. 201 note). It is comprised of three organizations that administer veterans programs: the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. Each organization has field facilities and a central office component.
Activities
Cemeteries The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is responsible for more than 120 national cemeteries nationwide. Burial in a national cemetery is available to veterans, their spouses, and dependent children. At no cost to the family, a national cemetery burial includes the gravesite, grave-liner, opening and closing of the grave, headstone or marker, and perpetual care as part of a national shrine. If a veteran is buried in a private cemetery, anywhere in the world, NCA will provide a headstone or marker. NCA's State Cemetery Grants Program provides funds to establish, expand, or improve State-operated veterans cemeteries. Presidential Memorial Certificates honoring the veteran may be requested from NCA.
Center for Minority Veterans The Center for Minority Veterans was established under Public Law 103-446 (108 Stat. 4645) and is responsible for promoting the use of VA benefits, programs, and services by minority veterans and assessing the needs of minority group members. The work of the Center focuses on the unique and special needs of five distinct groups of veterans: African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans, which include American Indians, Native Hawaiians, and Alaskan Natives.
Center for Women Veterans The Center for Women Veterans was established under Public Law 103-446 (108 Stat. 4645) and acts as the Secretary's primary adviser on women veterans issues and evaluates VA programs, policies, legislation, and practices to ensure that they are responsive and accessible to eligible women veterans.
Health Services The Veterans Health Administration provides hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care, and outpatient medical and dental care to eligible veterans of military service in the Armed Forces. It conducts both individual medical and health-care delivery research projects and multi-hospital research programs, and it assists in the education of physicians and dentists and with training of many other health care professionals through affiliations with educational institutions and organizations.
Veterans Benefits The Veterans Benefits Administration provides information, advice, and assistance to veterans, their dependents, beneficiaries, representatives, and others applying for VA benefits. It also cooperates with the Department of Labor and other Federal, State, and local agencies in developing employment opportunities for veterans and referral for assistance in resolving socioeconomic, housing, and other related problems.
The Compensation and Pension Service is responsible for claims for disability compensation and pension, T211657.027
specially adapted housing, accrued benefits, adjusted compensation in death cases, and reimbursement for headstone or marker; allowances for automobiles and special adaptive equipment; special clothing allowances; emergency officers' retirement pay; survivors' claims for death compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, death pension, and burial and plot allowance claims; forfeiture determinations; and a benefits protection program for minors and incompetent adult beneficiaries.
The Education Service administers the Montgomery GI Bill program and other programs which provide education benefits to qualified active-duty members, veterans, certain dependents of veterans, and members of the Selected and Ready Reserve. The Service also check school records to ensure that they comply with the pertinent law, approves courses for the payment of educational benefits, and administers a work-study program. Additional details are available at www.gibill.va.gov.
The Insurance Service's operations for the benefit of service members, veterans, and their beneficiaries are available through the regional office and insurance center (phone, 800-669-8477) in Philadelphia, PA, which provides the full range of functional activities necessary for a national life insurance program. Activities include the complete maintenance of individual accounts, underwriting functions, life and death insurance claims awards, and any other insurance-related transactions. The agency also administers the Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance Program for those disabled veterans who receive a VA grant for specially adapted housing and supervises the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Program and the Veterans Group Life Insurance Program.
The Loan Guaranty Service is responsible for operations that include appraising properties to establish their values; approving grants for specially adapted housing; supervising the construction of new residential properties; establishing the eligibility of veterans for the program; evaluating the ability of a veteran to repay a loan and the credit risk; making direct loans to Native American veterans to acquire a home on trust...
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