VA Secretary James Nicholson told Washington Post reporters that the additional 2005 and 2006 funding was prompted by “this surge in demand from people coming back from the theater, plus a real increase in demand from veterans of other eras.” Asked if VA is now prepared to handle the load, Nicholson said, “We’re working on it for ’07 now.”
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.