Arlington’s national ceremony marked Veterans Day as the VA reported faster claims processing and expanded care, but available coverage offered little direct testimony from veterans about what remains unmet.
At Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, President Donald Trump joined Vice President JD Vance, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the Veterans Day wreath-laying and moment of silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Vance and Collins spoke before Trump delivered remarks, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
The ceremony’s solemn setting was also the scene of an awkward moment after it ended. Associated Press reporting published by Alaska Public Media said a military sentinel admonished Hegseth and members of his entourage after they appeared to laugh, talk and take photographs near the tomb. The incident drew attention to the expectation of respect at one of the nation’s most formal places of remembrance.
Available same-day coverage offered limited detail about local observances or what veterans themselves say they still need from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The clearest account of services came from the VA itself. Its Nov. 11 release highlighted the department’s reported progress but included no independent evaluation or interviews with veterans describing their experiences.
Collins said the VA opened 47 health-care clinics and reduced the benefits backlog by nearly 70% since Jan. 20, 2025. The department also reported a 46% reduction in average disability-claims processing time over that period. In fiscal year 2026, it processed 3.11 million compensation claims, 23.5% more than in fiscal year 2024. The VA said it granted more than 60% of filed claims with nearly 94% accuracy, and that about 3% of decisions were appealed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
Those figures describe the department’s output, but they do not show whether an individual claim was decided correctly or how long a particular veteran waited. The VA’s release did not include veterans’ accounts to compare with its systemwide measures.
The department said more than 330,000 veterans enrolled in VA health care in 2026. It reported completing 82.7 million direct-care appointments and 68.1 million community-care appointments in fiscal year 2026. The figures show the scale of care delivered through VA facilities and outside providers, but the release did not detail appointment availability or waiting times by region or treatment type.
The VA said it invested nearly $5 billion in facility modernization and repairs in fiscal year 2026. It also reported offering more than 3.5 million appointments outside normal operating hours since Jan. 20, 2025. Its electronic-health modernization effort was deployed at five sites in Ohio and Kentucky, four in Michigan, three in Indiana and one in Alaska.
Housing was another part of the department’s account. The VA said it housed more than 95,000 homeless veterans across fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The release did not specify how many remained homeless after receiving assistance or describe outcomes beyond the number housed.
The figures reflect the VA’s responsibilities in treatment, benefits, facilities and housing. They do not establish how evenly access is distributed or whether services are meeting veterans’ needs in particular communities. The reporting available for Veterans Day did not supply those missing voices.
“Delivering the care and benefits Veterans have earned through their service is our job at the Department of Veterans affairs, and under President Trump, VA is doing that better, faster and more efficiently than ever before,” Collins said in the VA release.
The VA directs veterans to its Ask VA system for questions about benefits and care, and to the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1. A fuller account of what veterans still need, however, would require more than the department’s performance totals.
Susan Carter serves as a Senior Correspondent for Just Right News, where she leads the network’s comprehensive coverage of Health, Medicine, and Public Policy. With a career dedicated to dissecting the complexities of the American healthcare system, Susan brings a principled perspective to the most pressing debates of the day. Her reporting is characterized by a commitment to individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, and a healthy skepticism of government overreach, making her a vital voice for audiences seeking clarity in an increasingly regulated landscape.
Raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Susan’s professional outlook is deeply informed by the values of the American heartland. Growing up in the Twin Cities, she witnessed firsthand the importance of community-driven solutions and the resilience of the individual. This Midwestern foundation instilled in her a firm belief that the best answers to public policy challenges often come from local innovation and personal responsibility rather than top-down federal mandates. Her background allows her to translate complex legislative jargon into stories that resonate with families who value common sense and local autonomy.
Now based in Baltimore, Maryland, Susan operates from a unique vantage point at the intersection of medical innovation and urban policy. Living and working in a city renowned for its world-class medical institutions and significant public health challenges, she has a front-row seat to the realities of the modern healthcare landscape. Her proximity to these hubs of research and policy allows her to scrutinize how government intervention affects the quality of care and the freedom of medical professionals. In Baltimore, she sees the tangible results of policy decisions, using the city as a lens through which to examine the broader national health debate and the impact of federal spending on local communities.
As the lead for the acclaimed feature series “The Cost of Care,” Susan dives deep into the economic realities facing patients and providers alike. Her work focuses on the necessity of price transparency, the benefits of market competition, and the preservation of the sacred doctor-patient relationship. She is a staunch advocate for the idea that a well-informed public is the best defense against bureaucratic inefficiency. Through this series, she has exposed the hidden drivers of rising medical expenses, always seeking to empower the individual consumer over the massive institution.
Susan’s reporting on public policy is characterized by a commitment to rigorous inquiry and a focus on constitutional limits. Whether she is analyzing new pharmaceutical regulations, investigating the impact of federal health mandates, or exploring the future of medical technology, her goal remains the same: to provide Just Right News audiences with the facts they need to navigate a complex world. By blending her Midwestern sensibilities with the insights gained from her base in Maryland, Susan Carter has become a trusted authority for those who believe that personal freedom and public health are inextricably linked. Her work continues to challenge the status quo, advocating for a system that respects the taxpayer and prioritizes the patient.