When a soldier joins the United States Army, he promises to serve and protect our nation, risking his life to help keep America at Safe. Unfortunately, when they finish their service they unknowingly enlist in another war: to receive adequate healthcare from the VA. Things like long wait times, understaffed facilities and few care options for veterans in rural areas are just the beginning of the problems plaguing VA health care. Terrifying problems that are killing our veterans are beginning to emerge, such as employee falsification of documents, the spread of disease in outdated facilities, and patient abandonment; all while top VA officials continue to go to great lengths to cover things up. Our government must act quickly to fix the growing problems with VA health care so that our veterans receive the care they were promised and should receive. “The VA's unchecked incompetence has gone on long enough; veterans should no longer be forced to suffer or die while the government fails to fulfill its obligations.” (Williams) Caring for our veterans is a cost of war. Our country spends trillions of dollars each year to send our men and women to war, but only a few billion each year on VA healthcare. "Treatment of war wounds has been a legal guarantee for soldiers since Abraham Lincoln was president, and the law was strengthened in 1998 to promise free treatment for any medical condition, even if the condition is not attributable to military service ." (Williams)What is VA? How do service members apply? The Department of Veterans Affairs, also known as the VA, is a government-run benefits program established on July 21, 1930. The VA is responsible for three major programs for our veterans: Medical Care, Burial and Benefits.... at the center of the document......death. Newton: Questax Media Group LLC, 2014. ProQuest Web. “Survey Shows Patients in Many Cities Wait Weeks for Appointments.” Medical Economics 91.4 (2014): 15. ProQuest. Web. July 22, 2014.Thompson, Mark. “Damaging Data in VA Waiting List Report.” Time.Com (2014): 1. Academic Research Completed Web. July 24, 2014. Williams, Carol J. “Veterans Administration Does Not Provide Adequate Services for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” Ed. Susan C. Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. In question. Rpt. from “Court Orders Major Overhaul of VA Mental Health System.” Los Angeles Times May 11, 2011. Opposing Views in Context. Network. June 8, 2014.Zezima, Katie. "Everything you need to know about the VA and the scandals that are engulfing it (posted 05/22/2014 at 19:34:29)." TheWashington Post, May 22, 2014. ProQuest. Network. 16 July 2014.