• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military and Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Amazon Prime Discounts
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Five Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor: Benefits, History and Facts
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • VA Loan Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • 2022 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
  • Money & Finance
    • 2022 Military Pay Charts
    • 2022 Defense Budget
    • 2022 Military Pay
    • COLA Watch 2022-2023
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits
Zero Down Home Loan Eligibility

Home » Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs leads the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for administering veteran benefits, memorials/cemeteries, and health care. The Secretary of the VA is a cabinet-level position, and while there is no formal requirement to lead the agency, most of those who have held the position have been military veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is an important federal agency. It manages “the largest medical education and health professions training program in the United States,” according to VA.gov.

Secretary of Veterans AffairsThe VA is affiliated with over 100 medical schools, more than 50 dental schools and 1200 other higher education institutions nationwide.

Some 83,000 health professionals are trained every year in VA facilities. VA.gov claims that over half of the physicians practicing medicine in America have had at least “some of their professional education in the VA health care system.”

The VA medical system is available to the Defense Department during national emergencies and as “a federal support organization” in times of major disaster.

» MORE: Veterans Can Buy a Home with $0 Down

A Brief History Of The VA

In 1776,the Continental Congress needed incentives for new recruits–the American Revolution was fought by soldiers who were promised a military pension should they become disabled during the war.

It was the start of a very long journey toward what we understand today as the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some five years later in 1881, America saw the creation of its first federal medical facility for veterans.

Veteran benefits would get another look with the United States involvement in World War One. Improved benefits at the time included insurance, disability payments, and vocational rehab.

Some sources report that the VA began as the Veterans Administration in 1930.

However, the VA itself reminds, “Congress in 1921 created the Veterans’ Bureau to consolidate veterans programs managed by three agencies — the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, Public Health Service and the Federal Board of Vocational Education.”

By 1924 the bureau had been reorganized into six focus areas:

  • Medical and rehabilitation
  • Claims and insurance
  • Finance
  • Supply
  • Planning
  • Control

In 1929, President Hoover proposed a more streamlined version of the agency and in 1930 Veterans Administration was created in response to that. Three separate agencies were united under the VA banner:

  • Veterans’ Bureau
  • Bureau of Pensions
  • National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers

Frank Hines was named as the very first administrator of veterans affairs, and under Hines’ leadership, the agency came into a new era thanks to the passage of the GI Bill in 1944.

» MORE: Check your VA home loan eligibility with today's top lenders

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was officially established as a Cabinet-level department on March 15, 1989, by President George H.W. Bush.

The Mission Of The Department Of Veterans Affairs

The VA mission statement reaches all the way back to the Civil War as a way to meet the expectations created by President Abraham Lincoln who promised that in return for military service, the federal government should “…care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans.”

The Secretary Of The Department of Veterans Affairs

Legal authority for the position of Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs is found in Title 38 of the United States Code, Section 301, which states:

“There is a Secretary of Veterans Affairs, who is the head of the Department and is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”

The Secretary of the VA is charged with, “the proper execution and administration of all laws administered by the Department and for the control, direction, and management of the Department.”

In the Office of the Secretary of the VA the following entities work under the Secretary:

  • The Veterans Health Administration
  • The Veterans Benefits Administration
  • The National Cemetery Administration
  • The Board of Veterans’ Appeals
  • The Veterans’ Canteen Service
  • The Board of Contract Appeals
  • Other offices and agencies established or designated by law or by the President or the Secretary

Additionally, the office is supported by:

  • Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Under Secretary for Health
  • Under Secretary for Benefits
  • Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
  • Assistant Secretaries
  • Deputy Assistant Secretaries
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Chief Information Officer
  • General Counsel
  • Inspector General
  • Director of Construction and Facilities Management

In cases where the Secretary of Veteran Affairs post is vacant, the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs may serve in the top position; the job may also be filled temporarily by the President.

These are Acting Secretary jobs until the position can be formally filled via Presidential appointment and confirmation. In 2021, there were eleven people who served as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


Related Articles
VA Loan Benefits for Disabled Veterans State Veteran’s Benefits
10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About Best States with Veteran Benefits
How to Apply for Disability Pay VA Aid & Attendance

Military + Veteran Discounts

Want 30+ Mil/Vet discounts to use today? Enter your email for updates and we'll send it!
Name(Required)

VA Home Loans

Popular Articles

2022 VA Disability Rates

2022 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

VA Loan Calculator

2022 BAH Rates

Search Veteran.com

Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Copyright © 2022 Three Creeks Media, LLC

Veteran.com is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither Veteran.com nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The content on Veteran.com is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on Veteran.com should not be attributed to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs , the Dept. of Defense or any governmental entity. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. The content offered on Veteran.com is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumer’s specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

Advertising Notice: Veteran.com and Three Creeks Media, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on Veteran.com; For any rankings or lists on this site, Veteran.com may receive compensation from the companies being ranked and this compensation may affect how, where and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. No tables, rankings or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on Veteran.com may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of Veteran.com.