A new federal partnership (DOJ/VA) clears the legal path to protect incapacitated veterans—and opens a critical role for VSOs at every stage.

COMBAT VETERANS OF AMERICA LAUNCHES RATEYOURVSO.COM THE FIRST VETERAN-DRIVEN PLATFORM TO GRADE THEIR VSO REPRESENTATIVES

EPS eliminates the need for multiple calls and faxes – making the patient scheduling process easier – and includes the authorization referral number for your convenience. — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Vets Affairs Dept Advisory Committee on Veteran Readjustment Is Meeting March 10th & 11th—And You Can Attend

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.

Veterans Affairs Department Issues Dangerous New Interim Disability Adjudication Rule 38 CFR 4.10

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Dr. Daniel M. Gade calls upon the U.S. Senate to reduce VA disability compensation.

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

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.

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.

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