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Meet David Cox: Dr. “No” of VA Reform

Meet J. David Cox, who many consider “Dr. No” of badly needed reforms within the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA’).

J. David Cox is President of the American Federation of Government Employees and is the person most likely to block any meaningful reform within the VA.  SFTT has had an eye on Mr. Cox who in the run-up to last year’s Presidential election, threatened the previous secretary of the VA with physical violence:

Cox was “prepared to whoop Bob McDonald’s a – ...

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SFTT Military News: Week Ending May 12, 2017

Found below are a few military news items that caught my attention this past week. I am hopeful that the titles and short commentary will encourage SFTT readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.

If you have subjects of topical interest, please do not hesitate to reach out. Contact SFTT.

Military Code-Breaking Project Inadvertently Compromised
In early December 2016, an NYU student came across a server inside New York ...

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Whistleblowers and the Department of Veterans Affairs

On April 27th, President Trump signed an Executive Order to create the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”).

According to the AP, VA Secretary David Shulkin said the office will help identify “barriers” that make it difficult for the department to fire or reassign bad employees. Another function of the office will be to help shield whistleblowers from retaliation.

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Will the VA Provide Better Service to Veterans?

With much fanfare, Dr. David Shulkin, the new Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), has moved quickly to address some of the recurring problems at the VA.

Dr. David Shulkin, VA Secretary

As the first VA Secretary without a military background, Dr. Shulkin appears committed to resolve several pressing concerns:

– Speedier processing of Veteran benefit claims and,

– Eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and artificial constraints on “out-of-network” support for ...

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Will Much Change at the VA with David Shulkin as Secretary?

Much was made during the election campaign over the failings of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”) to serve our Veterans effectively.  While President-elect Trump had vowed to overhaul the VA, his selection of Dr. David Shulkin, an Obama administration holdover, as his nominee raises questions over what may change within the VA.

Dr. David Shulkin, VA Secretary

Indeed, the initial Senate confirmation hearings suggest a “love fest” according to Quil ...

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