Veterans appreciate hearing White House Press Secretary Jay Carney say, in response to a reporter's question, that the president is 'deadly serious' about reducing the VA disability claims backlog -- because this is deadly serious to the veterans community.

Yet, the hundreds of thousands of brave...

For thousands of veterans across America, life during the holidays is going to be tough this year.

After fighting for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, they're coming home to high unemployment rates and a broken VA system. They're dealing with physical and emotional injuries unprecedented in complication -- from...

There are news cycles and then there are news cycles. From Hurricane Sandy to the 2012 Election, the past few days have felt like a marathon to many Americans. (Thankfully not like the New York City one, which was wisely cancelled to commit resources to hurricane recovery efforts.) But as...

In a segment last week on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart highlighted the absurd employment market veterans come home to. Hosting a mock job interview for two former Army medics with combat tours in Iraq, Stewart emphasized the challenges veterans face when transitioning to the civilian workforce --...

Alone in a guard tower 6,800 miles from her home in Longview, Wash., Specialist Mikayla Bragg took her own life last December. Bragg's commanding officers at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, had no idea that in the months prior to her deployment the 20-year-old Army specialist had multiple...

With one debate down and only 28 days to go until the election, it's time the candidates get serious about veterans issues. Last week, President Obama and Governor Romney squared off, but when it came to our newest veterans, the silence was deafening. If care and support for the 20...

Yesterday, against the backdrop of the Army's service-wide stand down for suicide prevention, the Army released its suicide numbers for August.

It's not good news.

They reported 25 potential suicides: 16 among active duty soldiers and nine in the reserve component. So far in...

For 99% of Americans, this Fourth of July marks yet another annual tradition of barbecues, block parties and fireworks. It's the halfway point of a long hot summer. A day to celebrate freedom, 'Merica, and being born in the U.S.A.

But for the other one percent? The war still

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans were treated and appreciated by their nation."

Those words may seem contemporary, but they're not. It's a quote from our first president, George Washington. His words may be from...

There are 12,000 lobbyists in Washington. They represent anything and everything from big tobacco to Styrofoam. And they have Congress' ear every day of the year. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that kind of political pull. And neither does our veterans' community -- even though they deserve it. That's...

On Monday night, Dr. Drew did us all a big favor. He covered the Kandahar shooting incident on his HLN cable show in such a sensationalized way, that it should serve as a powerful example for how the media should NOT cover an issue -- particularly one as devastating...

A White House Dinner symbolizes a grateful country--but it's only a start.

In December, after eight years of combat, 32,000 Americans wounded, and 4,400 lives lost, the President told America that the Iraq war was over. And civilians nationwide began organizing parades--most notably, one for 100,000 people in St. Louis....

The ticker-tape parade is a slice of Americana as old as the Statue of Liberty. It's an honor reserved for a select few (sort of), from astronauts returning from space to military heroes to beloved politicians like Teddy Roosevelt. It's also happened for baseball player Sammy Sosa, and even...

If the NFC and AFC title games from this past weekend reminded us of anything, it's that America loves clutch performances. The first three quarters are great for backdrop, but it's performing when the pressure is at its highest that creates the best memories and the biggest stars. A quarterback...

Our troops are many things to many people. Heroes, parents, diplomats, victims, villains, victors. But as the GOP Primary races roll through New Hampshire this week, there is one thing that all of America must understand they're not: political props.

And that's not just my opinion, it's the law.

This is why...

"Service members enlist. Their families are drafted."

That familiar refrain has been uttered time and time again on American military bases across the globe during these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's a lot of truth found in it, and such a reality rarely ends when a service member returns...

Stephen Colbert, Brian Williams, Norah Jones and... Aaron Mankin?

In a night full of stars, it was the humble kid from Arkansas who stole the show.

In 2005, Retired Marine Corporal Aaron Mankin was seriously wounded in Iraq when an IED destroyed his vehicle, fatally wounding six other Marines.

Inspired by Tuesday's Huffington Post Game Changers Awards and the success stories of some of my fellow Game Changers, I woke up Wednesday eager for progress in the veterans' employment movement. For once, I didn't have to wait very long.

"We ask our men and women in...

"If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming. If you can oversee millions of dollars of assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home," President Obama said in August when announcing his veteran...

I was at Ground Zero ten years ago and remember it well. Too well, really. I remember the blue sky. I remember a gigantic plane engine sitting calmly on a street corner like a piece of modern art. I remember the rubble. I remember the bucket brigades. I remember the...