John Plahovinsak
Events are happening at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faster than one can comprehend. Three (3) new events have occurred that have made news that impact veterans. They are:
Reduction of Claims Backlog: On May 22, 2025, the VA announced that it had reduced the backlog of disability compensation claims by twenty-five (25%) percent, falling below 200,000 for the first time since March 2023.
The largest total of backlogged disability compensation claims occurred in March of 2013, when there were more than 600,000 claims more than 125 days old in the system.
Since January 20, 2025, the backlog has decreased from 264,717 claims to 198,378 claims. The VA said the reduction was possible due to several “record-breaking production milestones.”
The VA indicated that it processed one (1) million disability claims during a single fiscal year faster than ever before. In April of 2025, the VA achieved the highest monthly production rate in its history, processing 256,178 claims.
On May 20, 2025, the VA marked the highest daily production rate ever recorded—over 15,000 claims processed in a single day.
There are 6.2 million veterans who earned and receive disability benefits from the VA. Compensation offers tax-free monthly benefits for those with disabilities resulting from diseases, events, or injuries sustained or worsened during active military service.
The disability compensation program also provides monthly payments to surviving spouses, dependent children, and parents to recognize the financial loss caused by a service member’s death during military service or due to a service-connected disability after being discharged.
Suicide Prevention Program Funding: On May 22, 2025, the VA announced that it was making available more than $52 million in grants for veterans’ suicide prevention programs.
The VA stated, in a 2024 comprehensive report, that there were 6,407 suicides among veterans in 2022, the latest year for which data is available.
According to Stop Soldier Suicide, 140,000 service men and women have died this way since 2001, and the suicide rate among veterans ages 18 to 34 has more than doubled. Veterans are also at 58 percent higher risk of suicide than those who have not served in the military.
The $52.5 million in funding is now available to support community-based organizations focused on suicide prevention and emergency clinical services for veterans at risk of taking their own lives.
Eligible organizations can apply for individual grants of up to $750,000, with the opportunity to renew awards annually throughout the life of the program.
According to the VA, since its launch in 2022, the VA’s Staff Sgt. Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program has awarded more than $157 million to nearly 100 organizations across 43 states, U.S. territories and tribal lands.
VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a press release: “Reducing veteran suicide starts with reaching Veterans when and how it’s most convenient for them. One of the best ways to accomplish this mission is by working with community-based organizations. We look forward to ensuring these funds are put to use helping Veterans in need across the nation.”
Two New National Holidays: On May 1, 2025, President Donald Trump designated May 8th and November 11th as new national holidays to commemorate U.S. victories in the Second and First World Wars.
President Trump said the two dates represented major moments in U.S. history: November 11th, the World War I armistice in 1918, and May 8th, Victory in Europe Day in 1945.
Despite the declaration, no executive order has been signed to implement the changes, and it remains unclear whether Congress will consider formal legislation to establish these as federal holidays in the future.
The administration clarified the intention was to layer new commemorative observances on top of the existing ones. “We are not renaming Veteran’s Day,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavit. “It will just be an additional proclamation that goes out on that day.”
My Opinion: It is good to see the disability compensation claims backlog reduced. Each disability claim is not only a piece of paper, it represents a service member, who is seeking compensation for an injury incurred while on active duty.
However, it would be more beneficial to see the number of disability claims approved and disapproved. Each disapproved claim can be appealed to the Board of Appeals and it would be interesting to see the statistics of these claims pending.
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran, who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio’s Hospital Chairman and Adjutant of Chapter #63 (Clermont County.) He can be reached at: [email protected].
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