January 19, 2017

Bob McDonald’s legacy: Trying to fix the VA amid constant conflict

Featuring: Amy Schafer

Source: Stars and Stripes

Journalist: Nikki Wentling

One late night in August, Gulf War veteran Ron Brown was awake – restless - at his home in Roanoke, Va., when he received a call from a familiar number: (513) 509-8454.

It’s Bob McDonald’s cellphone number, which he famously made public during his first national news conference as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in September 2014. At the time – while taking over a scandal-ridden federal agency facing unprecedented public scrutiny -- McDonald promised to remain accessible to veterans, news reporters and politicians.

To Brown, at least, he’s kept that promise.

Read the full article at Stars and Stripes.

Author

  • Amy Schafer

    Former Research Associate, Military, Veterans, and Society Program

    Amy Schafer is a former fellow at the Center for a New American Security, where she focuses on civil-military relations, issues facing military families and veterans, and mili...