Department of Veterans Affairs

Pages346-360

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420

Phone, 202-273-4800. Internet, http://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 (vacancy)

Vice Chairman, Board of Veterans' (vacancy)

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 Richard J. Griffin

Veterans' Service Organizations Liaison Kevin S. Secor

Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Jonathan B. Perlin

Administration

Deputy Under Secretary for Health Michael J. Kussman, Acting

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 (vacancy)

Technology

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Pedro Cadenas, Jr., Information and Technology Acting

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Cragg

for Information Technology Enterprise Architecture

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (vacancy)

for Policies, Portfolio

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (vacancy)

for Information Technology Operations

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Sally Wallace

for e-Government/Records Management

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Pedro Cardenas, Jr.

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 Dennis Duffy, Acting

Preparedness

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dennis Duffy

for Policy and Planning

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Michael McLendon

Policy and Planning

Deputy Assistant Secretary for (vacancy)

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 R. Allen Pittman

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 Thomas J. Hogan

Resources Management and Labor Relations

Associate Deputy Assistant for Human Willie L. Hensley, Resources Management and Acting

Labor Relations

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (vacancy)

for Human Resources Management and Labor Relations

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Ronald E. Cowles

for Labor Management Relations

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Gary A. Steinberg, Resolution Management Acting

Assistant Secretary for Public and Lisette M. Mondello

Intergovernmental Affairs

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Scott A. Hogenson

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 Acting

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Christine O. Hill

Congressional and Legislative Affairs

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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, T206692.027

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 http://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...

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