Serving America's Veterans

Lawrence J. Korb, is Senior Fellow for Defense Information at the Center for American Progress. He served as Director of National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Director of the Center for Public Policy Education at the Brookings Institution, Vice President of the Raytheon Company, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations, and Logistics. Sean E. Duggan is a research associate for national security at the Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C. Peter M. Juul is a research associate at the Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C., specializing in military affairs.Max A. Bergmann is a research associate at the Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C.

• PrefaceChapter 1 IntroductionLawrence J. KorbChapter 2 The History of Veterans AffairsPeter M. JuulChapter 3 The Impact of Veterans on the American Political SystemMax A. BergmannChapter 4 Veteran Demographics: Today's Population, Tomorrow's ProjectionsSean E. DugganChapter 5 Administrative Barriers to Accessing VA Health Care and BenefitsSean E. DugganChapter 6 Multiple Epidemics in Veteran Mental HealthSean E. DugganChapter 7 ConclusionLawrence J. KorbIndex

"Korb et al. (defense information and national security, Center for American Progress) examine veterans’ affairs in the US, and the related infrastructural conditions, administrative and health care service challenges, and policy and political issues. They consider the history of veterans affairs; veteran demographics and their impact on the American political system; issues such as administrative barriers to accessing health care and benefits; and mental health problems, all of which have been affected by changes to personnel policies, unprecedented levels of National Guard and Reserve mobilization, changes to the length and number of tours, and the length of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other factors. The final chapter considers the challenges faced by General Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs." - Reference & Research Book News