Statement on the appointment of Dr. David Sulkin as Secretary of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs

President-Elect Trump has announced his intent to appoint Dr. David Shulkin, the current Under Secretary for Health, as the Secretary of the VA. Military-Veterans Advocacy and The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association (BWNVVA) congratulate Dr. Shulkin on this appointment. He is a good choice who has tried to make a difference in the Veterans Health Administration. Changing the VA will not happen overnight. Military-Veterans Advocacy and BWNVVA pledge our personal support to assist Dr. Shulkin to accomplish the goal of Making the VA Great Again.

We call on Dr. Shulkin to immediately designate a center of excellence to review the effects of toxic exposure on veterans and their descendants. We ask that he immediately rescind the VA policy that denies the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange to veterans serving in the bays, harbors and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam. We further call for a review by the center of excellence of reported Agent Orange exposure in Guam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Panama and other areas. We further call on the center of excellence to review and recommend benefits for other toxic exposures including PCBs, mustard gas, asbestos, radiation, burn pits, depleted uranium and other toxic substances that have negatively affected the health of veterans who were exposed while on active duty.