Jim Nicholson Nominated to Head VA

Army, Feb 2005

As we went to press, the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs was scheduled to hold its confirmation hearing for Jim Nicholson, President George W. Bush's nominee for the next secretary of Veterans Affairs, on January 24. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Nicholson, who was nominated by the President on December 9, will replace Anthony Prinicipi, who has held the position since January 2001.

Nicholson has been serving for the last three years as U.S. ambassador to the Holy see, a post in the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church in Vatican City, Rome. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served on active duty as an Army officer for eight years, including a combat tour in Vietnam. Upon completing active duty, he entered the Army Reserve and retired as a colonel 22 years later. As a civilian, he is a lawyer and a businessman. He owns Renaissance Homes, a nationally known firm that builds custom homes.

Charged with ensuring that veterans receive health care and other benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs has more than 230,000 employees. Today, there are about 25 million American veterans. The department's budget last year was $64 billion.

Rep. Buyer Becomes Veterans' Committee Chair. Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) replaced Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) as the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Veterans' Committee in the first week of January.

Rep. Buyer, a colonel in the Army Reserve with 24 years of military service, said he plans to "ensure that we honor our veterans," but he also said he has a "different vision" of how to integrate health care systems for active service members and veterans. In the past, he has criticized the reforms created in 1996 that expanded the number of veterans eligible for VA healthcare and the types of treatment they receive.

Franks, Tenet and Bremer Earn Freedom Medals. On December 14 President George W. Bush bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, on Gen. Tommy Franks, U.S. Army retired; former director of the CIA George Tenet; and Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III at a White House ceremony. The President said the three men "have played pivotal roles in great events ... [their] efforts have made our country more secure and [they have] advanced the cause of human liberty."

Gen. Franks, who commanded U.S. Central Command, was given his award for the campaigns that defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan and destroyed Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. The President credited him with helping to "liberate more than 50 million people from two of the worst tyrannies in the world." President Bush also called Franks' race to Baghdad in less than a month, "the fastest, longest armored advance in the history of American warfare."

Bremer served as Iraq's civilian administrator between the war and the handover of sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government. "When America and our coalition needed a seasoned diplomat and a manager to help the people of Iraq emerge from decades of oppression, I knew where to turn," Bush said. "The job was demanding, requiring personal courage, calmness under fire and hundreds of decisions every day," he added.

Army Assists at Inauguration. As we went to press, the U.S. Army was scheduled to provide operational support for the 55th Presidential inauguration.

President George W. Bush requested that the military play an even more prominent role than it had during his first inauguration, and that all branches of the military be represented. The Army Herald Trumpets were scheduled to perform, soldiers to march in the pass in review in front of the U.S. Capitol and Army Maj. Gen. Galen Jackman, the commander of the Military District of Washington, to escort the President during the ceremonies.

The Joint Task Force-Armed Forces Inaugural Committee coordinated military ceremonial support, including logistics, ushers and street cordons. To aid in security, the Army National Guard provided 500 screeners from Virginia and West Virginia. The Massachusetts Army National Guard provided medevac helicopters and crews to assist the D.C. Guard.