Lt. Col. Jim Whaley, chief executive of the veterans advocacy group Mission Roll Call, told Newsmax on Thursday that the Department of Veterans Affairs must become "more nimble" to help veterans who lack access to medical and psychological care.
Whaley said on "National Report" that Mission Roll Call is "the voice of the American veteran," noting that their membership includes "about 18 million veterans, about half of those are not associated with any veteran support organization or registered with the" department.
"We want to make sure their voice is heard," he continued, "especially this year in an important election at the national level, as well as elections across the country."
Whaley went on to note the difficulties that veterans face once they return home, particularly from post-traumatic stress and a lack of access to treatment.
"We have to make sure that veterans receive the care that they need when they need it, where they need it. So in some cases right now, veterans are suffering because they can't get to a VA hospital," he said. "[The hospital is] maybe hundreds of miles away and they don't have transportation to get there."
Whaley said the department must become "more nimble and can get to veterans where they need to be" so they can identify post-traumatic stress and other issues "very early in the process."
He went on to say that people "have to understand" how the lack of access to medical and psychological services for veterans "affects a variety of different things, such as homelessness, such as suicide, such as the transition to civilian life."
"All these are interlocked together, and we need to make sure that organizations such as ourselves are working with the government to make sure that veterans' voices are heard," Whaley said.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.