Marine corps veteran: VA won't be reformed unless it starts on the inside

The Veterans Administration was forced to rehire Brian Hawkins after the Merit Systems Protection Board determined he was wrongly terminated. Hawkins failed to inventory medical supplies totaling $150 million, allowed unsanitary conditions, and “failed to provide effective leadership at the medical center” in Washington, D.C., per a VA report in April.

Marine Corps vet Sherman Gillums, Jr. of the Paralyzed Veterans of America said, “This issue isn’t abstract for me” on “The Chris Salcedo Show” today -- because he’s interacted with Hawkins. He told Chris Salcedo that he’s personally talked to President Donald Trump and VA Secretary David Shulkin about the issues facing veterans.

Gillums said that the culture of the VA needs to change from the inside, with the administrators and staff deciding to change it. He felt they need to eliminate the many ways people have exploited the Merit Systems Protection Board.

He said on balance, for a 380,000-person system, most are very good -- but a few have been able to hurt the VA and those who utilize it very deeply. He pointed to Hawkins as an example, claiminging, “He wasn’t qualified to be a hospital executive.”

To see more from Chris, visit his channel onTheBlaze and listen live to “The Chris Salcedo Show” weekdays 3–5 p.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network