National Commander Message

Coleman Nee, Commander

Continued advocacy will secure victories for veterans

The end of 2025 saw the longest federal government shutdown in history—reminding us once again that political gridlock in Washington is alive and well, and veterans are not immune to the repercussions. That only underlines the importance of our 2026 advocacy efforts to ensure victories for veterans and protect our benefits in the coming year.

With the 119th Congress now in its second session and midterm elections approaching in November, the upcoming 2026 DAV Mid-Winter Conference in Arlington, Virginia, offers one of our best opportunities to show our elected officials and policymakers that veterans’ civic engagement is a force to be reckoned with.

We see the work our members do every day in their communities—rolling up their sleeves, sharing their stories and pressing lawmakers for change. Your grassroots advocacy is not just policy talk in Washington but real action by DAV members and supporters to improve veterans’ lives.

A prime example of the effectiveness of DAV’s advocacy is the inclusion of a finding from our latest report on women veterans, Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness, in the Building Resources and Access for Veterans’ Mental Health Engagement (BRAVE) Act of 2025 (S. 609/H.R. 6024). The report highlights that the Department of Veterans Affairs REACH VET initiative was not considering additional mental health risk factors prevalent among women veterans, including survivors of military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence. The BRAVE Act seeks to rectify this oversight.

We will also continue pushing hard for the passage of the Major Richard Star Act (S. 1032/H.R. 2012). This bipartisan legislation would authorize concurrent receipt of Department of Defense retired pay and VA disability compensation for those injured in a combat zone and medically retired.

Finally, we will continue our advocacy efforts on behalf of the Caring for Survivors Act (S. 611/H.R. 680), which would increase the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) amount from 41% to 55% of the veteran’s monthly compensation rate. H.R. 680 would also reduce the existing 10-year eligibility requirement for DIC benefits to five years.

These are just a few pieces of legislation DAV hopes to bring across the finish line, which is why I urge you to join me at this year’s mid-winter conference, where I’ll present our legislative agenda to Congress and we can coordinate our efforts to ensure our nation’s ill and injured veterans and their families receive the benefits they’ve earned.

I look forward to continuing to serve you as we pursue more victories for veterans. The road won’t be easy, but together we will get it done. Let’s get to work.

If you want to find out more about the National Commander, you can find his biography here.