Policy Implications of Demographic Changes in the VHA Veteran Population Following OEF/OIF

The US Department of Defense (DoD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are the two institutions responsible for the medical care of military personnel and Veterans. DoD’s major policy and operational personnel changes impact the VA by modifying the characteristics of Veterans presenting at the VA for medical health care. The challenges to VA resulting from DoD’s changes over the past four decades include managing the large influx to the VA of aging Veterans; accommodating the Veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF); responding to the expanded role of female service members in DoD; accepting increased numbers of National Guard and Reserve Components resulting from extended deployment and expanded operational role.