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INSIDE THE WIRE
Our blog features original analysis and commentary from members of the National Command Council, addressing healthcare, regulation, legislation, and the evolving policy issues that directly impact combat veterans and their families.
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Vets Affairs Dept Advisory Committee on Veteran Readjustment Is Meeting March 10th & 11th—And You Can Attend
Vets Affairs Dept Advisory Committee on Veteran Readjustment Is Meeting March 10th & 11th—And You Can Attend

Combat Veterans of America
3 days ago2 min read


CVOA Announces the Appointment of Jon Williams, CEO of War, Inc., to National Command Council
Combat Veterans of America, Inc., a registered 501 c 19 nonprofit corporation, today announced the appointment of combat veteran and defense industry executive Jon Williams to its National Command Council and Board of Directors.

Combat Veterans of America
Feb 192 min read


U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Issues Dangerous New Interim Disability Adjudication Rule
Veterans Affairs Department Issues Dangerous New Interim Disability Adjudication Rule 38 CFR 4.10

Combat Veterans of America
Feb 177 min read


PACT Act in Motion: VA Launches Review of Toxic Exposures and Neurodegenerative Disease—Don’t Sit This Out
The Department of Veterans Affairs just opened a formal public comment period and announced its annual PACT Act listening session under 38 U.S.C. § 1172. This is the regulatory machinery that decides whether future veterans get presumptive service connection—or spend the rest of their lives fighting denials.

Matthew Feehan
Feb 103 min read


The Veteran Community Has a Structural Problem
Effective reform requires institutions that are accountable for delivery, not theory alone. It requires feedback from organizations responsible for outcomes and present in veterans’ daily lives. Advocacy without implementation does not close gaps. Implementation without policy reform cannot scale.

Brandon Michael Barron
Feb 52 min read


Congress Upgrades the GI Bill® Comparison Tool, a Student-Veteran 'Feedback' System
The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs GI Bill Comparison Tool is scheduled to receive a significant upgrade following enactment of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act in early 2025 (Public Law 118-210).

Combat Veterans of America
Feb 35 min read


30,000 GWOT Veterans Have Died After the War. Four Times the Number Killed in Combat.
It is a hard truth that veterans of the Global War on Terror, those who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and related operations, experience a shortened lifespan compared with the general U.S. population and with less severely affected veteran cohorts. War takes its obvious toll downrange, but the deeper toll often shows up years later, through the slow math of stress physiology, chronic injury, isolation, and preventable deaths that never make the evening news.

Combat Veterans of America
Jan 205 min read


No Longer Invisible — Why the Jax Act Matters for Women Who Served
As a woman veteran, I know what it feels like to serve in a world where our contributions are often minimized or overlooked. But this isn’t my story alone, it’s the story of hundreds of women whose combat experiences were never fully acknowledged by the Departments of Defense (War) and Veterans Affairs. A quiet injustice echoes throughout our veteran community, one that too many carried during training, overseas, and even after deployment—in silence: some women served side-by

Marianeth Crockett
Dec 4, 20253 min read


Combat Veterans of America Welcomes New Board Member & Legislative Director: Marianeth Crockett
Combat Veterans of America Welcomes New Board Member & Legislative Director: Marianeth Crockett

Combat Veterans of America
Nov 13, 20253 min read


U.S. Department of Education Names Matthew Feehan, J.D., Primary Negotiator for Student Veterans and Service Members
U.S. Department of Education Names Matthew Feehan, J.D., Primary Negotiator for Student Veterans and Service Members

Combat Veterans of America
Nov 11, 20254 min read


Your Hidden Benefits at 0% VA Disability
A 0% rating means the VA agrees that your injury or illness was caused or aggravated by your service, even if it does not yet meet the threshold for monthly compensation (VA.gov). It is not symbolic. It is legal recognition, and it forms the foundation for nearly every veteran benefit system in existence.

Brandon Michael Barron
Nov 5, 20253 min read


Happening Now: Despite Shutdown, Education Department Staff Press Forward with Negotiated Rulemaking
Happening Now: Despite Shutdown, Education Department Staff Press Forward with Negotiated Rulemaking. Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee. The RISE Committee represents a broad coalition of perspectives across the higher-education and lending landscape. Its membership includes representatives of student loan borrowers—including those in repayment, deferment, or default—alongside veterans and military-service organizations, such as Student Veterans of

Matthew Feehan
Nov 4, 20254 min read


Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing Called After Washington Post Launches Vicious Broadside Against Disabled Veterans and Their Families
Dr. Daniel M. Gade calls upon the U.S. Senate to reduce VA disability compensation.

Matthew Feehan
Oct 29, 20259 min read


Combat Veterans of America Response to Washington Post’s Skewed Portrayal of Veterans
Combat Veterans of America Response to Washington Post’s Skewed Portrayal of Veterans

Combat Veterans of America
Oct 29, 20251 min read


What Is a Combat Veteran?
Ask ten agencies to define a “combat veteran,” and you’ll get twelve answers. Ask ten combat veterans, and you’ll get one feeling: that nobody ever asked them to define it themselves.
For all the medals, speeches, and programs built around military service, the phrase “combat veteran” remains legally undefined. It appears on license plates, nonprofit banners, and campaign ads, but not in any section of Title 38 of the U.S. Code.

Brandon Michael Barron
Oct 29, 20253 min read


Why The 2026 VA Disability Increase of 2.8% Fails Veterans
When policymakers say benefits “keep up with inflation,” they mean inflation as measured by a population that does not represent veterans. That gap compounds each year, producing an illusion of fairness while purchasing power quietly deteriorates.

Brandon Michael Barron
Oct 28, 20258 min read


Veterans’ Disability Appeals Survive Government Shutdown after Appeals Court Denies VA Motion
Veterans’ Disability Appeals Survive Government Shutdown after Appeals Court Denies VA Motion

Matthew Feehan
Oct 25, 20255 min read


Outsmarting Sleepless Nights: A Veteran’s Guide to the New Class of Sleep Meds—DORAs
dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORA) for treatment of insomnia in veterans population

Matthew Feehan
Oct 23, 20257 min read


Why the Modern Veteran’s Risk of Suicide Remains Stuck — and What We’re Ignoring
Despite decades of effort, billions of dollars spent, and national attention, the suicide risk among post-9/11 veterans remains alarmingly elevated. Research shows that veterans who served in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and subsequent campaigns face higher rates of suicidal behavior than many previous generations. One compelling answer lies at the intersection of moral injury, neuropsychiatric harm (linked to deployment logistics such as mandatory prophylactic drugs), a

Combat Veterans of America
Oct 22, 20255 min read


How a Rebuilt MSPB Under James Woodruff II Could Change Due-Process for Veterans
After years of gridlock, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) —the independent federal agency that hears appeals from civil servants who believe they were unfairly disciplined, fired, denied reasonable accommodations, or retaliated against for whistleblowing—finally has a quorum again. For close to a decade, thousands of federal employee appeals have sat idle and have been teased by politicking because the Board lacked the three members to issue final decisions. But foll

Matthew Feehan
Oct 20, 20255 min read
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