Support veterans who served and defended this country

About 1,500 more U.S. troops will be heading to Iraq in the expanding campaign to turn back the ascent of the Islamic State extremists.

Several hundred troops have been deployed to West Africa to aid in the battle against the Ebola virus.

And thousands of U.S. forces remain on duty and alert around the globe, serving a nation that truly appreciates those who sacrifice on its behalf.

We haven’t always shown it. Far too many veterans returning from war are finding it difficult to get jobs. And witness the scandal that erupted this year in the Department of Veterans Affairs, yet another road bump for an agency that has long suffered from colliding issues of funding, bureaucratic chaos and overwhelming need.

It now seems clear that veterans have a true and capable champion on their side. Robert McDonald, who took the reins of the agency in July, has already taken bold moves. On Monday he announced his plan to oust as many as 1,000 VA employees who he said violated the agency’s value of integrity.

He has vowed to turn a personal recruiting campaign into an effort to hire 28,000 new medical professionals and 2,500 mental health specialists to better serve veterans’ needs. Legislation prompted by the disclosure of waiting-list scandals at VA hospitals provided $15 billion to help fund his mission.

A veteran and a longtime business executive, McDonald also appears to be committed to transforming his department from an atmosphere of fear to one that embraces transparency, self-criticism and, especially, a primary focus on the millions of veterans who benefit from and sorely need the VA’s care.

It’s a tall order. And a very necessary one, if Americans want to honestly say we support our veterans through thick and thin.

This story was originally published November 10, 2014 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Support veterans who served and defended this country."