Obama Overhauls Veteran's Services

Ever since The Washington Post broke the story on the wretched care at Walter Reed hospital, officials have been scrambling to improve the bureaucratic labyrinth that left so many wounded soldiers in limbo. Today, Obama announced a major improvement for Veteran's Services that will eliminate the hurdles in place when making the shift from being on active duty to being a veteran. The Associated Press reports that because of the bureaucracy involved in the current system, there is a "a six-month backlog in disability claims at (Veteran's Affairs)." Obama pledged more money to strengthen "a commitment that begins with enlistment and must never end" to the more than 1.6 million soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, 33,000 of whom have been wounded. Spending on health care for veterans will grow by $47 billion next year, according to the White House.