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Senate Confirms New VA Secretaries for Benefits and Memorial Affairs
Yesterday, the Senate confirmed BG Allison Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits and Mr. Steve Muro, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.
Brigadier General Allison A. Hickey, USAF (Ret.), Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs
Brigadier General Allison A. Hickey, USAF (Ret.) currently serves as an executive in Accenture’s Human Capital Management practice leading Defense and Intelligence Agencies programs. In 2007, General Hickey retired from the Air Force after 27 years of service. Prior to her retirement, General Hickey served as the Air Force Director for Future Total Force (Total Force Integration), Assistant Director of Air Force Strategic Planning and Chief of Air Force Future Concepts and Transformation. Prior to these positions, General Hickey also served as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau Strategic Initiatives Group and the Chief of Operations for the Air National Guard Productivity and Quality Center. She currently serves on the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Technology Insight-Gauge, Evaluate and Review; as a Trustee for the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation, an organization committed to providing scholarships to those seeking admission to the Academy through preparatory schools; and on the Board of Advisors for Academy Women, an organization that provides mentorship to military women. General Hickey holds a M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College and a B.S. in Behavioral Science from the United States Air Force Academy.
Steve Muro, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
Steve Muro serves as Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to this role, he served as Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs from 2008 to 2009, and Director of the National Cemetery Administration Office of Field Programs from 2003-2008. Mr. Muro also served as the Director of the Memorial Service Network V from 2001 to 2002. Mr. Muro served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972, including two tours of duty in Vietnam. In 2008 he received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award. Mr. Muro received an Associate’s Degree from Mt. San Antonio Junior College.
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=108347
Posted by Veterans Today on May 27 2011, With 0 Reads, Filed under Editors Picks, Vet News, Veterans Affairs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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I don’t think it matters who they appoint. Collectively this agency has an agenda that allows veteran’s claims to fall into a black hole or at least the most conveniently located shredder. If they wanted the system fixed, it would have already happened.
Get a few IRS employees in there who know how to “expedite” the process.
This whole VA matter is a slap on the face of every American who put their live on the line. When a problem arises hire somebody else. It makes the maze even harder to go through. The American people expect better from our government when it comes to their children and loved ones. What a shame the VA has instill to the country that we fought for. The claims processing has become epidemic and grossly incompetent. Stupidity breeds stupidity. I mean if you have people that do not know what they are doing and they are training new people what do we expect? Consider the people they hire with no real down to earth veterans who understand the problems in the lower ranks. The OIG is a prime example of the problem. They go out and audit the VARO and sure enough they are for the most part lacking in all areas of the claim processing. A slap on the wrist and it off to doing the same thing again. I truly believe that it is the responsibility of every veteran to demand accountability. These audit reports are sent to non-veterans department like the Committee on Veterans Affairs. Yes, it goes to the secretary first and yes it falls on Shinseki who has turned his back on all veterans whom he is supposed to look out for. The blind leading the blind. Every night does not go back when as I am lying in bed every wound that I received in Vietnam makes it a point to remind me that it still hurts with physical pain. The new guys are no different they need the help now and not when the VA is ready. The real reason why is the VA does not want to caught up with the claims backlog is because they are making the system. Hiring a billion people will not make it go down. Maybe hiring new people that really cared would help. OPM indicated in a meeting in DC that 1 of 4 people that are hired for government jobs are veterans. I told this man that it should be 3 out of 4. After all, who was the one that put their neck on the line? The other reason is that some workers do not feel that any veteran is deserving of benefits. Less they forget why they have a job. I have suggested that veterans should mail their medals to the DVA, since these medals hold no value. Maybe they can melt them and makes a statute of Obama since the buck stops with the Commander-In-Chief. The OIG as soon the they turn away the VARO continue the same practice of denying with no end in sight. Speak up my friend because we are drowning in our own tears.
It doesn’t matter who the aprove of, the bottom line is still deny, deny until they die especialy the Cleveland VA. Breaking the law is top proity to VA officals and destroying veterans lives and hurting their family is the VA way.