The Voice for Chaplaincy - Chartered by Congress - Serving Since 1925
Weekly Newsgram - January 18th , 2017

DVA
Fair Winds 
and 
Following Seas

     In the midst of the preparations for the inauguration this week, outgoing Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Bob McDonald, invited representatives of the nation's leading MSOs and VSOs to join him and Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson for a final meeting at VA Headquarters. Yesterday morning, I was pleased to be included in this gathering with these two public servants who have led the way in transforming the VA over the last three years.

     Both McDonald and Gibson are graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point and brought with them to the VA a dedication to caring for veterans. They also brought business experience and a great deal of enthusiasm for accomplishing what some saw as an impossible task - changing the culture of a moribund institution.

     Yesterday McDonald and Gibson presented to us some of the metrics revealing the real change which has come to VA during their tenure. Some examples:
97% of veterans seeking care are ween within 30 days.
90% of veterans report their care was received in a timely fashion
Unemployment among veterans has been cut by 50% over the last five years with unemployment among Post-9/11 veterans cut by 70%
The Veterans Benefits Administration now answers 99% of calls - most within 2 minutes
$227 million dollars in costs were avoided through new consolidated med-surg supply purchasing in 2016 alone
The National Cemetery Administration and the VA Mail Order Pharmacy were both ranked among America's best for customer satisfaction for the 6th and 8th year in a row respectively by JD Power. 

     You can read more of the accomplishments and the plans set in place to continue improving the veteran's experience at VA at the two attachments - Putting Veterans First and Caring for Those Who Have Borne the Battle. You may also view a presentation of these documents given by McDonald and Gibson earlier this month. 

     In December, the MCA signed on to a letter along with 19 other organizations urging the Trump administration to retain McDonald in his role to keep the transformation going. Even though not retaining McDonald, President-elect Trump picked David Shulkin who has been with McDonald and Gibson through the transformation and has been part of this new direction in the care of America's veterans.

     As McDonald and Gibson greeted each attendee at the gathering yesterday, I took the opportunity to thank them both for the support they gave to the VA chaplaincy service during their tenure. McDonald's response was, "I love our chaplains."
     We thank Bob McDonald and Sloan Gibson for their service and offer prayers for Dr. Shulkin as he assumes this critical role.

Lyman Smith
Executive Director

Annual Member

Chaplain Joseph Breault
Captain, USAF
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Salt Lake City, UT

Congratulations on a Century of Service
"Chaplain for Life"

Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Ivan Peacock celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday, the 6th of January. Still active as a chaplain, Peacock continues to attend CAP meetings and teaches a character development class to young cadets on the core values adopted by the Civil Air Patrol. 

Peacock is a member of the "greatest generation" having served in the Pacific in World War II. Coming from a non-combatant tradition, Peacock served on a medical team and was twice spared from certain death -once during the Battle of Leyte Gulf when a Japanese bomb landed on the deck directly above his head but, miraculously, failed to detonate. Following the war he served as a missionary in such far flung places as Iran, Honduras, Thailand, and Canada. 

Now residing near Portland, TN, Peacock was honored by the cities of both Portland and Gallatin for his service and his example. We are proud to count Chaplain Peacock as a member of the MCA and give God praise for his long, dedicated, sacrificial, and productive service. 

The Military Chaplain

March Issue

On Being a Professional Military Chaplain

What are your thoughts on being a professional military chaplain? As we put together the next issue of The Military Chaplain I invite you to submit your articles on what it means to you to be a professional. What has helped form you in your journey and what advice would you give to others? As we continue to explore this aspect of our service, your thoughtful comments will be greatly appreciated. 

You may send your submissions to us at [email protected] . Thank you. 



MCA National Institute 2017
October 23 - 26, 2017
Newport News, Virginia

Please plan to join us!
Visit our  website. There you will be able to update your contact information, join or pay your dues, make donations,  file ministry reports, contact our supporters, read The Military Chaplain magazine and otherwise connect to resources.

If you missed the December 21st  edition of the Newsgram      click here    
SUPPORTING CHAPLAINCY IN AND OUT OF UNIFORM: Active, Retired and Former Chaplains of the  United States Army,  United States Navy,  United States Air Force, Department of  Veterans Affairs, and  Civil Air Patrol

AND THOSE THEY SERVE: military members, veterans, and their families  at home and around the world

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