Veterans Affairs Open Government Initiative

 Okay, a general theme of the Open Government thing is that people in the private and public sectors can work together, sometimes using some new tech. That way, taxpayers get more effective service from the government, better customer service, ultimately getting what we pay for.

That's a really big deal for all Americans, particularly when it comes to helping out troops who risked everything for us, often taking a bullet for us. Some good news is found in the commitment from the current Administration who's serious about supporting the troops, helping the Department of Veterans Affairs get results in improving veterans' services.

You can find a lot more at the VA Open Government site which shows how they intend to deliver on improved services, like:

Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record: VLER will enable Veterans to have a seamless transition from active duty to Veteran with a single file, easily transferred from one agency to another. This major collaboration effort between DoD and VA will also reach out to other partners, including Department of Health and Human Services and private health care organizations.

Veterans' groups tell me that's a really big deal, expedites getting medical and educational benefits, since they need their service records handy for that.

I personally testify that this is way more than fine words and good intent, having worked with the people who are making this happen.