We should all want GROUND TRUTH–and we sure aren’t getting it from our legacy media

By Lt. General Rod Bishop, USAF ret, USAFA ’74
STARRS Board of Directors Chairman Emeritus

See the above headline in a recent Veterans Administration email: “Trust in VA Soars to All-Time High.”

I would add “just like trust in our military–at long last.”

And also would add: “trust from wanna be military members too”–as we now have the highest recruiting numbers in a very long time–if not ever.

Why?  You know the answer.

There was a person who confronted me about the VA–asking me if am I worried–“given all the VA cuts under Trump?”

Really?  She should read the below and hear my story of my VA rep coming in on a Saturday in January to meet with me to ensure I was getting the best medical care? Plus less than a week turn arounds on three separate claims I have submitted in the last 3 months.

I REALLY do HATE our media which promotes misguided lies–they suffer from TDS BIG TIME and mislead every time they put pen to paper or open their mouths!

Our recent engagements with Iran being concrete proof.

How in the world does our media get a large portion of our American public rooting against our military?

Distort, mislead, lie–that is how.

We should all want GROUND TRUTH–and we sure aren’t getting it from our legacy media!

AS a 38-year military veteran with years of extensive experience in planning these types of the ops like the ones we are now executing in the Persian Gulf (and probably at least 40 trips to the Middle East in the last 30 years), I would love to share with this audience the lies our media are promoting speaking out against it.

Problem is–a very big segment of our population just doesn’t care–and the rest don’t want to discuss as they believe the lies they are being told and don’t want to engage in any dialogue.

Biggest lie?  “There has been/is no plan.”

Wow, IMO, as someone who served our military at the highest levels for some10+ years in planning military operations around the world–this is a most brilliantly executed and detailed plan I believe I have EVER witnessed.  I will be happy to step anyone through how the process works if anyone is interested.

And somehow the left/our media make it sound like our recent operations in the Middle East are a failure. Boo on them!

The left is telling us VERY CLEARLY they apparently want Iran–the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism–a country whose leaders have demanded its population shout “death to America” for 47 years–a country that has killed thousands of Americans over the last 4 decades –to have a nuclear weapon so they can hold hostage much of the rest of the world as well.

Would love to debate anyone on this email string who might take issue on anything I have said (That is what our founding fathers wanted after all: robust debate).

Clearly–this is the most justified conflict in our lifetime. Way more important than Vietnam, Serbia, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan etc–none of those conflicts had the opportunity of holding our European /American populaces hostage for annihilation.

You saw the missile shot on Diego Garcia, right?  So how close are the Iranians in reality to having a nuclear weapon?  They certainly have been working on the delivery systems!

And certainly have unleashed destruction upon the Middle East for decades.  I have heard this first hand from leaders of SA, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar.

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Veterans’ trust in VA hits record high: A promising trend for our heroes (Veterans Administration)

Overall trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reached an all-time high. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, 82% of Veterans who used VA services—including health care, benefits, burials and memorials—reported that they trust VA to fulfill the nation’s commitment to them.

Additionally, trust in VA outpatient health care is also rising, with 93.6% of Veterans reporting they trust VA for their health care needs.

“Veterans First isn’t a slogan, it’s a promise—and it starts with listening,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. This sentiment reflects VA’s ongoing efforts to engage directly with Veterans about their experiences by gathering their feedback to improve services.

What Veterans are saying about their experience

The quarterly VA Trust survey measures the overall ease, effectiveness and emotional resonance experienced by Veterans. This quarter hit record highs:

• 77.3% of Veterans said it was easy to get the care or services they needed.
• 81.4% said they got the care or services they needed.
• 79.5% said they felt like a valued customer when interacting with VA.​

Veterans’ feedback is essential for improving services across VA. Since May 2016, VA has sent nearly 124 million digital surveys and received more than 17.8 million responses—including over 6.1 million free‑text comments where Veterans describe their experiences in their own words. These comments provide valuable insights into Veterans’ experiences, helping VA understand what is working well and what needs more attention.

How VA served Veterans this quarter

The numbers reveal a significant impact:

• Over 4.8 million Veterans received VA health care, totaling more than 29 million clinical encounters including 19.2 million in-person appointments and 7.4 million telehealth or telephone appointments.
• 14.5 million calls were answered across VA contact centers. The Veterans Crisis Line received over 292,000 calls (Dial 988, then press 1) and 45,500 calls were made to the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.
• Nearly 750,000 disability and pension claims, over 1 million education and supplemental claims, and about 170,900 home loan guarantees were processed.

Need support or want to explore VA benefits?

Visit VA.gov, download the VA Welcome Kit at VA.gov/welcome-kit, or call 1‑800‑MyVA411 (800‑698‑2411) at any time, day or night.

Your experience matters. If you’re a Veteran, your voice shapes the future of VA services. Keep sharing your feedback, stay connected with your VA benefits and help us continue building a system that puts Veterans first.