Following three days of fact-finding visits and public meetings in Tampa, Florida, Managing Commissioner Harry N. Walters said that, “the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans has taken major strides towards its goal of developing a vision and plan for how this nation can best deliver needed benefits and services to our veterans far into the future.”  The centerpiece of the Tampa visit was an open, public “town hall” meeting held on Wednesday night in which hundreds of Florida residents (some all the way from Miami) were able to speak directly to the Commission about their experiences with VA today and their hopes for its future.  This “town hall” meeting, called “Conversations on the Future for America’s Veterans”, was also webcast live over the Internet.

“Our Commission was able to hear the heart-felt views and insightful ideas of Tampa Bay veterans, caregivers and supporters of veterans, as well as leading medical professionals working to improve veterans’ lives,” said Harry Walters, who previously served as Administrator of Veterans Affairs under President Ronald Reagan.  “We are grateful to all the Floridians who cared enough to come to our meetings, take us on tours, and provide expert testimony to the Commission.  Our Commissioners heard them loud and clear, and we will make sure that their ideas become part of this Commission’s work,” Walters said.

Over the past week, the Commission conducted comprehensive tours of the VA nursing home at Bay Pines and the polytrauma and spinal cord injury units at the Haley VA hospital in Tampa.  The Commission also heard several hours of expert testimony about the future of VA research, academic affiliations, and information management and technology.  On Wednesday, the Commission was joined by retired General Norman H. Schwarzkopf, himself a Tampa resident, who is supporting the Commission as a member of its National Leadership Council.  Schwarzkopf praised the Commission for its work to fulfill America’s obligation to care for those men and women who defend our nation.

Among the experts who spoke to the Commission were: Dr. Steven Scott, Medical Director, Tampa Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center; Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA Chief of Research and Development; Dr. Paul Tibbits, VA Deputy Chief Information Officer; Dr. Malcolm Cox, Chief Academic Affiliations Officer; Dr. Jordan J. Cohen of the American Association of Medical Colleges; Dr. Lynn Wecker, Associate Dean for Research at the University of South Florida College of Medicine; and Mr. Gary Ewart, Director of Research at Friends of VA Research.

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans (www.future4vets.org) began operating in September 2006 as a private, independent, analytical body to examine the needs of veterans 20 years in the future, and develop recommendations for how the federal government should meet those needs.  Over the next 15 months, the Commission will continue holding meetings and conducting research to develop and deliver recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the America public by Memorial Day 2008.  The Commission was created by the Veterans Coalition, an organization that includes The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Blinded American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, and  Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The Commission is currently engaged in a multi-state tour entitled “Conversations on the Future for America’s Veterans”, actively seeking input from military veterans, veterans’ experts, and other Americans interested in supporting veterans.  The “Conversation” began at Charleston, West Virginia in January, continued this week in Tampa, Florida and next goes to San Diego, California at the end of May, and then on to Cincinnati in July.