Florida veterans hoping this time will be different

This reflects more on what we've been talking about all this time. "It will help, but it should have never gotten this way. They knew 10 years ago what was going on." and it was said by an Iraq veteran. They knew and veterans were made promise after promise by members of Congress as they faced crisis after crisis.

Brevard vets like VA bill as first step to agency upgrades
FLORIDA TODAY
R. Norman Moody
August 8, 2014

Brevard County veterans see the VA reform bill signed into law this week as a step in the right direction but said they will have to wait to see how well the reforms actually work.

The bill will allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire more doctors and nurses and allow veterans who live more than 40 miles away from VA facilities to get care outside the VA healthcare system. It also gives the VA secretary more authority to fire poorly performing officials.

The bill calls for $16.3 billion in additional spending for the VA.

"That has been needed for a long time," said Vietnam veteran Ed Caron, of Merritt Island.

Caron, a retired lawyer who is a service officer for Disabled American Veterans Chapter 123, said more veterans are being added to the mix at the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the government has for years not provided the resources to meet the demand.

"We have more troops that are coming home," he said. "Congress changed the rule to say you can now get five years' treatment after you get out of the service. There is only so much work they can do with the doctors and nurses they have. They need more."
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