MOBBS: Finally, A Real Reformer At The Department Of Veterans Affairs

Veterans don’t want sympathy. They want competence.

For too long, the Department of Veterans Affairs has offered neither. A system designed to serve those who served has become a bloated bureaucracy where process takes precedence over people — and too often, those who wore the uniform are the ones paying the price.

That’s why Secretary Collins’ push to overhaul the VA matters. He’s not interested in optics or vague promises. He’s focused on fixing what’s broken by streamlining care, cutting through red tape, reducing backlogs, and holding the system accountable. Finally, someone is treating this like the urgent, moral, and managerial crisis it is. (RELATED: Servicemembers Come Home Only To Find Themselves In A New Hell — The VA’s Cold Bureaucracy)

And make no mistake: the goal isn’t to build a system based on sentiment. It’s to build one rooted in reality.

We owe our veterans something better, not because they’re victims, but because they upheld their end of the bargain. They took an oath and honored it. What they deserve now isn’t a blank check or endless deference. They deserve a system that works: one that is responsive, efficient, and grounded in outcomes, not good intentions.

For years, the disconnect between the Veterans Health Administration and community providers has left veterans trapped in a confusing maze of duplicated tests, delayed treatments, and conflicting protocols. That’s not care. It’s chaos. Especially for a community that experiences a suicide rate 72% higher than that of non-veteran U.S. adults. For, those dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or toxic exposure, these aren’t just bureaucratic slip-ups, they’re dangerous failures.

Secretary Collins understands this. He’s working to align systems, eliminate redundancies, and ensure that veterans don’t have to be experts in paperwork just to access the benefits they’ve earned. This is what real reform looks like: not just talking about modernization, but actually delivering it.

That same no-nonsense approach extends to disability compensation. Nearly a third of disabled veterans aren’t receiving what they’re owed because the process is too slow, too complex, and too often wrong. Collins isn’t proposing handouts. He’s focused on ensuring that those who qualify actually receive what they’re due—without having to fight a second war to get it.

He’s also taken on one of the system’s most uncomfortable truths: that veterans with other-than-honorable discharges have been left out in the cold, many of them struggling with service-connected trauma that went unrecognized or untreated. Collins is right to ask whether some of those doors should now be reopened. This isn’t about erasing standards — it’s about acknowledging context, and offering accountability alongside care.

In addition, too many VA providers are not adequately trained to identify and address the specific health challenges that veterans face. Whether it’s exposure to toxic chemicals, military sexual trauma, or the heightened risk of suicide, the VA system has often failed to properly address these issues. Many veterans report that their healthcare providers are not equipped to handle their unique needs, which leaves veterans in a state of constant uncertainty and distress.

That includes veterans in rural areas, where access remains a serious challenge. A brick-and-mortar clinic three counties away might as well be on the moon. Telehealth and mobile units aren’t luxuries — they’re necessities. Collins’ focus on reaching these veterans without breaking the bank is both smart policy and sound stewardship. (RELATED: Trump Admin Reportedly Cutting 80,000 Jobs From Veterans Affairs)

And nowhere is urgency more critical than in mental health. The current system — slow, under-resourced, and too often reactive — isn’t just strained. It’s failing. We’ve all seen the headlines. We’ve all buried someone we shouldn’t have had to. Secretary Collins is treating this like the emergency it is, and he’s right to do so.

The Trump-era MISSION Act opened the door for more flexible, community care, and it was the right move. But a law is only as good as its implementation. What Collins understands — and what Washington too often forgets — is that reforms aren’t measured by how they sound. They’re measured by whether they work.

That means being disciplined, not expansive. Thoughtful, not reactive. The answer to a broken system isn’t endless spending or empty promises. It’s targeted reform, grounded in what actually helps. That’s what Secretary Collins is offering.

Veterans don’t need to be coddled. They need to be respected. That starts with a system built on dignity, accountability, and results. We’ve carried the weight of war. We shouldn’t have to carry a broken system, too.

Meaghan Mobbs, PhD, is the Director for the Center for American Safety and Security at Independent Women’s Forum. She is also the Military Advocacy and Policy Liaison for the Coalition for Military Excellence.