156 years ago, President Lincoln implored the American people to care for those who have borne the battles of our nation. But since that time, instances of significant change and improvement to veteran healthcare and benefits have only occurred when the veteran community banded together with one unified voice to demand that national policymakers live up to those words. The establishment of the Veteran’s Bureau (now the VA), the Board of Veteran’s Appeals, the Montgomery GI Bill and its subsequent iterations like the Post-9/11 GI bill, and most recently the MISSION Act…have all been enacted because the veteran community made their voice heard at the right time.
Mission Roll Call is carrying on that legacy, heeding Lincoln’s immortal words to care for those who have borne the battle. We unify your voice on the issues you care about most to affect positive national change. How do we accomplish that? Every time you engage with us online, spread the word about our mission, share your story with us, or donate to the cause, it helps us accomplish three major lines of effort:
1. We connect with veterans, their families, and supporters across the United States to learn their opinions on the issues they most care about. We do this via townhalls, polls, and personal one-on-one engagement to hear your stories.
2. We refer veterans in crisis or in need of general help to a team of caseworkers that can assist with the day-to-day struggles that veterans face.
3.Lastly, we utilize your stories and collective voice to educate and advocate for effective national policy that would positively impact veterans in the United States.
Leveraging 21st century technology and personal engagement with our community, we present an unfiltered, unified voice to educate lawmakers about our three main priorities: suicide prevention, access to timely and effective care, and amplification of voices of underserved veterans in rural and tribal areas.
Just this past year, Mission Roll Call educated lawmakers on the importance of passing the Commander John Scott Hannon Act, which was signed into law last October. This bill expanded access to VA telehealth and virtual care, demanded the interagency study alternative methods of treatment for mental health, and gave grant funding to non-profits on the frontlines in the fight against veteran suicide.
Earlier this year, Mission Roll Call met with congressional leaders and the Secretary of the VA to address medical appointment backlogs and the VA is working aggressively to do so. Since then, we have continued to lead the charge in highlighting this important issue, as thousands of veterans still struggle to get an appointment at the VA or referral to utilize the MISSION Act.
We’ve impacted current legislative ideas like the GHAPS Act, that if enacted would address gaps in veteran community care to ensure the VA is serving veterans in hard-to-reach places.
We’ve held interviews with members of Congress and raised awareness on their legislative proposals that would impact the veteran community – These issues range from Toxic Exposure to the VA Budget to Vietnam Veterans Day.
And most recently, we’ve educated members of Congress about the spike in veteran mental health issues resulting from the withdrawal in Afghanistan.
Mission Roll Call exists for one purpose: you! Please consider signing up for our newsletter, spreading the word on social media, sharing your story, or donating to the cause. Every action you take helps us accomplish our mission to end veteran suicide, keep pressure on the VA to provide timely access to effective care, and amplify the voices of underserved veterans across the United States.