There’s often a misconception among Veterans about VA employees and who they are.  But the fact is, VA employs over 100,000 Veterans—about 30 percent of our work force.  And with rising unemployment among America’s younger Veterans, it’s important that we bring that number even higher. That’s why Secretary Shinseki recently announced a goal to increase the ratio to 40 percent.

For many Vets, we know this is important. Sometimes you just want to know that your health care provider served in the same branch as you; or that the person on the other end of the line was once in the front-leaning rest right next to you; that they left their families for deployments; and they were part of the one percent who served—without hesitation—like you.

So for Veterans Day, we wanted to show that. We wanted to do something that would demonstrate, viscerally, that our Department has many employees who served alongside you; that they served in all eras and had a range of experiences, giving them the ability to connect with Veterans in the VA system.

We asked our employees to submit photos of themselves in uniform. And we got them—over 1,500 in all published in a permanent collection on Flickr.

Click on the photos below to take a look at our hundreds of photos of VA employees in uniform, find some you know (they’re loaded alphabetically!), and let us know what you think.

Happy Veterans Day!

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11 Comments

  1. Chris November 17, 2011 at 15:41

    These photos are great! I especially love the older photos.

  2. M Chavez November 15, 2011 at 09:46

    I would like to say that I am where I am today due to VA programs. I would also like to say that I do what I do because I am a Veteran and I have a strong belief in giving back to our Nation and to our Veterans who serve it. I have worked in corporate positions, but they do not provide a sense of purpose for me. Since I have been at the VA, I have felt like I am contributing and doing what I can and should to award the benefits that the great men and women that have served our country have earned through their duty and committment to our country. Thank you Veterans, for all that you have done and for what you will do.

  3. Trish November 12, 2011 at 17:13

    Real nice idea. I enjoyed looking at the photos.

  4. Eric Grandon November 12, 2011 at 01:35

    I thank God for those who work at the VA. I have always been treated with the up-most respect, and I never waited more than 15 minutes for an appointment. I received CPT about 2-3 months ago and have PTSD symptom free for about 2 months. I spent 20 years of my life fighting this and have failed the VA therapies before. I was just interviewed tonite on blog talk radio, a 2 hour show. I shared my long battle with PTSD through out some downloaded information, from the VA website. I told my story about the mistakes I made and how it has run my life the last 20 years. Then I shared information on CPT and the way it changed my view on everything. I’m living proof the VA has given us the help and hope we need. Thank you Dept of Veterans Affairs for all you do for Veterans all over this great country.

  5. G. B. Clark, II November 10, 2011 at 22:35

    What a crock. I guess the picture I submitted wasn’t worth looking at. 30 years of service, forced into “retirement” for which I won’t get paid for another nine years, and still being crapped on. Don’t know why I bothered, don’t know why I care.

    • Kate Hoit November 14, 2011 at 12:02

      G.B. Clark,

      I’m not sure what happened to your photograph. Have been going through emails all morning. If you’d like, please submit your photo again to the same email address and I’ll have it posted today. Sorry!

  6. Gerry Buck November 10, 2011 at 15:26

    But I don’t blame the VA, the primary responsibility rests with out gov’t.
    We were an embarrassment to them [whether we were in country or no] and they just wanted to forget it all happened, at the veterans expense, naturally.
    Right now, the VA is doing the best it can with what it has. I don’t think anybody expected this, and the military didn’t help by denying everything.

  7. Gerry Buck November 10, 2011 at 15:18

    Don’t feel bad.
    After Vietnam was finished, everybody swept us under the carpet.
    Took over 25 years for that to change.

  8. Charles T. Cauthen November 10, 2011 at 13:58

    THANK YOU, the best thing I’ve heard out of the VA yet. I’ve been e-mailing everybody in Gov. about hiring vets in the VA, I e-mailed the WH. I’d like to see 70%. Vets will have a sense of purpose, knowing they are working for fellow vets. The VA can only serve it’s purpose from within with people who care. Vets know what it’s like to be a VET. We need Vets in management and upper levels. A cut and dry system would be nice too. Get rid of the tons of beaurocratic crap we have to go thru.

  9. James Laubler November 10, 2011 at 12:00

    Oops. Stress makes this much WORSE.

  10. James Laubler November 10, 2011 at 11:58

    Good. Then they KNOW Gulf War Illness is real. Many of us have been trying to find out why we feel unhealthy the last 16 years.

    It makes me wonder why those who process us can’t give us the PRESUMPTIVE decision. We may be the first to apply. But, then, we’ve been chasing this for a long time. We finally have an idea of what’s going on (or at least why).

    We’re going broke out here folks. And, stress makes this better.

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