I have been privileged to work for some of the most high-powered people in town. They pay me for my opinions, and I give those to them.
When an American veteran comes to VA, it is not up to him to employ a team of lawyers to get VA to say yes. It is up to VA to get the veteran to yes, and that is customer service.
Many of the issues I encountered as acting secretary were not with the quality of medical care but with getting our veterans through the door to reach that care.
My own life changed when my father returned from his second combat tour in Vietnam. When he came home after almost a year in Army hospitals, he weighed less than half of what he did when he left. I watched the agonizing recovery, and that experience was on my mind when I was asked to come to VA.
I learned at a very early age, listening to those around my family, that in order to be a commander, you had to walk your post.
As part of any new leadership organization, you come in with a team. You come in to assess. You come in to rearrange.
The last thing I will pay attention to is any of the usual Washington back and forth.
For the VA to thrive as an integrated health care network, it must be agile and adaptive.
The Bible that I will take my oath on reminds me of the 100th anniversary of the end of the war to end all wars. It was a Bible taken into battle by my wife's grandfather who had probably never ventured beyond three or four counties in North and South Carolina.
Constant rotation, based on a 19th century Army model, prevents spouses from putting down roots and gaining meaningful deployment.
Norman Hooten's dedication and commitment to serving his fellow veterans is what VA is all about.
I experienced what can never be duplicated in the private sector - the communal aspect of VA.