Robert L. Wilkie was sworn in to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs on July 30, 2018. He also served as the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs from March 28, 2018 to May 29, 2018.
Before confirmation as VA Secretary, Mr. Wilkie served Secretary James Mattis as his Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness—the principal advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for Total Force Management as it relates to readiness, National Guard and Reserve component affairs, health affairs, training, and personnel requirements and management, including equal opportunity, morale, welfare, recreation, and the quality of life for military families.
Below is his message to America’s Veterans this Veteran’s Day.
Americans embrace and aspire to live up to our great national vision found in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Since 1776, Americans have been called on to safeguard these principles through their selfless service in uniform.
Each year, Veterans Day is set aside for us to pause and reflect, to recall and recognize, and to honor and celebrate the service and sacrifices of those who, for 243 years now, have shouldered the challenge and responsibility of defending freedom.
Today, less than one percent of our population bears the responsibility of our national defense, and under six percent of all Americans living today have worn our Nation’s uniforms. Those of us at the Department of Veterans Affairs are dedicated to serving Veterans of every generation with commitment, respect, and advocacy equal to their service and sacrifice.
On Veterans Day 2019, the Department of Veterans Affairs honors the service and sacrifice of the men and women who serve today at duty stations around the globe, and who have served in years past with the same unwavering commitment to protect all that we hold dear. This is our noble mission, and we consider it a sacred duty.
The entire month of November is a time to celebrate Veterans and military families for their contributions to our Nation. On behalf of President Trump and the American people, it is our privilege to help serve all of those who have served us in uniform and their family members who supported them.
God bless those who have served and their families, and may He continue to bless our great Nation.