The VA wants to let all the veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF - OIF) that they are here for them in their time of need. All of the injured and ill soldiers of these missions have been contacted and received an offer to appoint a care manager to work with them if they did not already have one. These care managers make sure that the veterans receive appropriate care and know everything they need to about all the benefits they have to take advantage of. The VA feels as though the calls they are making are making progress in the health of the soldiers.

Their next wave of calls will be to the 500,000 OEF-OIF veterans who have been discharged from active duty but have not contacted the VA for health care. The VA has help from the contracted "Combat Veteran Call Center" to make all the initial calls on the behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The new wave of calls will go to those that have not yet received medical care. The content of these calls will consist of the worker telling the veteran what options are available and all the services being offered and which ones they can benefit from. Additional veterans should have received information about the VA benefits when they left active duty and the VA has sent every veteran a letter with information about benefits and services after their discharge.

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Part of the services offered to veterans who have been discharged will be that they have special access to VA health care for five years after their discharge. These special services include screening for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Other VA personnel have been deployed and transferred to some of the military's major medical center to care for wounded veterans and assist their families during their transition back to civilian life. "VA is focused on getting these veterans the help they need and deserve," said Secretary Peake. "I expect these calls to make a real difference in many veterans' lives."

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