Of the nearly 16,000 veterans who call Yuma County home, approximately 7,000 served in the 1990-2021 Gulf War.

Dennis McDonough, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs These numbers are only partial, as the area is a popular winter destination for retirees, and many of the retirees are also veterans who call the Yuma area home but rely on Veterans Services. I know

McDonough learned more about the cyclical nature of Yuma County’s veteran population during the tour. Yuma VA Clinic.McDonough speaks Arizona version of KAWC He’s proud of how local clinics are managing resources and staffing, given that demand fluctuates from year to year, but he says Yuma and other veterans’ facilities are facing shortages. He says he wants to find a way to solve it. The program at VA over the past few years has taught him some lessons, he says.

McDonough also said of a new law that seeks to address the health effects of toxins associated with burning pits used by the US military to destroy equipment, waste and trash in combat zones from 1990 to 2021. It conveys a specific message to Gulf War veterans.

For years, these veterans have been asking for their health to be recognized and guaranteed by the VA.

McDonough says he wants those veterans to apply for new insurance. Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Keeps Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxic Substances (PACT) Act.

McDonough discusses who is eligible and how the influx of potentially over a million new patients will impact wait times and claims processing.