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“A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success after Service”

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

November 5, 2025 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked):

• Jason Galui, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.): Director, Veterans and Military Families George W. Bush Institute

• Mike Hutchings: Chief Executive Officer, Combined Arms

• Barbara E. Carson, Colonel (Ret.): U.S. Air Force Reserve, Managing Director of Programs and Services, D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse University

• Jared Lyon: National President & Chief Executive Officer, Student Veterans of America

• Elizabeth O’Brien: Senior Vice President, Hiring Our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

• Holly Hermes: Liaison for Veteran and Military Affairs, Yale University

Keywords mentioned:

• Transition, trust, employment, mental health, community, access, data, spouses, education, suicide prevention

IN THEIR WORDS

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Jerry Moran opened the hearing by pointing to the ways in which communities, families, and organizations support veterans after service. He emphasized that veterans are civic assets whose success strengthens families, communities, and the nation. The Chairman expressed gratitude to those across the country who step up to ensure veterans’ needs are met. He stated that the hearing aimed to explore how community resources and federal programs could better integrate to maximize veterans’ success after service.

• Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal highlighted his personal connection to veterans through his two sons, both Yale Law students and military veterans. He said the hearing was about ensuring that veterans have the information and support they need to transition successfully to civilian life. Ranking Member Blumenthal sharply criticized the current administration for cutting Medicaid, SNAP, and health insurance subsidies, warning that these actions would disproportionately harm veterans who rely on such programs. He thanked the witnesses for their work and stressed the urgency of protecting veterans’ access to affordable health care and support services.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

• Mr. Jason Galui testified that the Bush Institute believed in empowering veterans and families to thrive after service, viewing veterans as civic assets who bring strong character and leadership. He described the Veteran Wellness Alliance (VWA) as a public-private partnership addressing invisible wounds of war and improving mental and brain health care access. Mr. Galui explained that the VWA’s “Check-In” platform served as a trusted digital gateway that simplified access to care and reduced bureaucratic barriers. He claimed that helping veterans rediscover purpose, connection, and contribution after service was essential to national strength and military readiness.

• Mr. Mike Hutchings explained that Combined Arms was a veteran-founded nonprofit using technology to streamline access to veteran services nationwide. He said the organization’s platform acted as a “GPS” for veterans and their families, integrating over 300 partner organizations and connecting more than 100,000 people to housing, employment, and mental health resources. Mr. Hutchings outlined success stories and reported that the system had generated more than $600 million in economic impact by reducing wait times for help to 26 hours. He urged greater collaboration among federal, state, and community partners to close the “delivery divide” and treat veterans as civic leaders rather than liabilities.

• Ms. Barbara Carson stated that the mission of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) was to ensure veterans and their families thrive after service through programs in career preparation, entrepreneurship, and community connection. She stated that transition remains difficult for about half of veterans and that fragmented programs make navigation overwhelming. Ms. Carson highlighted IVMF’s “AmericaServes” network and its Community of Practice as models for coordinated, data-driven systems that connect veterans with trusted navigators rather than leaving them to navigate alone. She called for a National Veterans Strategy to unify efforts across sectors, establish shared outcome measures, and improve transparency and oversight of transition programs.

• Mr. Jared Lyon described Student Veterans of America (SVA) as representing over 1,600 campus chapters and 600,000 student veterans and military-connected students. He said SVA extended the VA’s reach through public-private partnerships that converted benefits into degrees and careers, citing a successful claims clinic conducted with major VSOs and the VA. Mr. Lyon proposed three steps for Congress: improve forecasting of service member transitions, link interagency data on education and employment outcomes, and modernize the VA work-study program. He underscored that better data and coordinated planning would speed veterans’ entry into high-demand fields like health care, STEM, and cybersecurity.

• Ms. Elizabeth O’Brien testified that Hiring Our Heroes helped veterans, service members, and spouses connect to meaningful careers through partnerships with employers and government agencies. She announced the creation of the Veteran Employment Collective, a coordinated coalition to reduce duplication, improve referrals, and share outcome-based metrics. Ms. O’Brien spotlighted programs such as the HOH SkillBridge Fellows Program and the new Skilled Trades Academy, both of which have achieved high job-placement rates for participants. She also urged continued support for the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot, pointing to its 86% job offer rate and critical role in promoting family economic stability.

• Ms. Holly Hermes, an Air Force veteran and Yale’s liaison for veteran and military affairs, discussed how Yale supports veterans transitioning into higher education. She said Yale’s veteran student population had grown from 17 in 2017 to 58 in 2025 due to partnerships with programs like the Warrior-Scholar Project and Service to School. Ms. Hermes emphasized that Yale meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for veterans, allowing them to attend at little or no cost while preserving VA benefits for future use. She described Yale’s mental health, accessibility, and veteran community programs that foster belonging and success among student veterans and their families.

• Chairman Moran began by asking why so many veterans (roughly half) did not access VA health care or disability benefits, and what role the witnesses’ organizations played in reaching those veterans. Mr. Lyon explained that many younger, non-retired veterans, particularly those under age 45, were less likely to enroll in VA services and often did not realize they had earned those benefits. He told the Chairman that over 80% of SVA’s members were not using VA benefits beyond the GI Bill, and that SVA worked with the VA to improve awareness among this demographic.

• The Chairman then turned to Mr. Hutchings, who reported that about 41% of veterans served by Combined Arms were already using VA benefits, 39% were not enrolled, and 18–20% were in the process of applying. He said that Combined Arms began by asking veterans if they wanted to connect to VA benefits, automatically generating a referral through its platform. Mr. Hutchings added that many veterans were either unaware of benefits or initially uninterested in them, citing his own experience of delaying VA enrollment until encouraged by his father.

• Chairman Moran followed up by asking how such veterans found Combined Arms rather than the VA, and Mr. Hutchings replied that most found them through word-of-mouth among peers. Mr. Galui added that the Bush Institute’s “Check-In” program was designed precisely to address this issue of trust. He explained that the program connected veterans to mental and brain health care through the Veteran Wellness Alliance, which included organizations like SVA and Combined Arms. He stated that veterans were most likely to seek help when a trusted peer suggested it, emphasizing that personal connection and credibility were the gateway to engagement.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal criticized the VA for payment delays under the GI Bill and Article 35 benefits, referencing reports that over 75,000 students were affected. Ms. Hermes confirmed that Yale students were facing those same issues, explaining that while the university sometimes provided emergency aid, many families suffered because the payments went directly to them rather than to the school. She claimed these problems pre-dated the government shutdown but had worsened due to layoffs and reduced administrative capacity within the VA.

• The Ranking Member next questioned Mr. Hutchings about food insecurity among veterans and the impact of delayed or withheld SNAP benefits. Mr. Hutchings responded that Combined Arms tracked real-time data across 70 dashboards and had observed a 46% monthly increase in food assistance requests and a 35–36% increase in housing support needs. He said these trends showed how community organizations filled urgent gaps when government benefits were disrupted. Ranking Member Blumenthal condemned veteran hunger as “an abomination” and thanked the witnesses for providing critical relief where federal systems fell short.

• Sen. Tim Sheehy asked whether the VA was viewed as a partner, bystander, or opponent in the transition process. Mr. Galui replied that both personally and professionally, he had found the VA to be a strong partner through its work with the Bush Institute and the Veteran Wellness Alliance. Ms. O’Brien responded that Hiring Our Heroes had also enjoyed strong partnerships with the VA across administrations, particularly in programs supporting military spouse employment and transition education on installations. Mr. Lyon added that while the VA was collaborative in spirit, it was sometimes adversarial in practice due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and outdated technology that slowed benefit delivery; he stressed that modernization was essential to realizing the VA’s intent to be a partner. Sen. Sheehy agreed, saying bureaucracy could frustrate even well-intentioned agencies and that veterans should be viewed not as charity cases but as valuable national assets whose training should be harnessed for the country’s benefit.

• Sen. Patty Murray underlined that 1.2 million veterans relied on SNAP and condemned the administration’s decision to block those benefits. She asked how this policy affected student veterans. Mr. Lyon said that many veterans in higher education struggled with food and housing insecurity because the modern GI Bill no longer covered family needs; most student veterans were married or had children, and 75% worked full-time while attending school. He believed the loss of SNAP benefits directly harmed these families and compounded the financial strain of transition.

• Sen. Murray then asked about barriers facing women veterans. Ms. Hermes replied that women and veteran parents were underrepresented in higher education and faced challenges balancing family obligations with limited financial support. She urged expansion of programs that addressed these gaps nationwide. Sen. Murray concluded that women veterans often felt unseen or unacknowledged for their service and that this must change.

• Sen. Maggie Hassan asked Mr. Galui to discuss the role of trust in helping veterans seek support, referencing his “Check-In” program and the Buddy Check initiative she had co-sponsored. Mr. Galui said trust was foundational, explaining that his program connected veterans with social workers who personally engaged with callers to ensure they felt understood.

• Sen. Hassan then asked Ms. Hermes about the need for women veterans to connect with one another. Ms. Hermes replied that Yale fostered mentoring and social groups among women veterans and cadets, which helped build confidence, awareness, and access to resources.

• Sen. Hassan then asked how to ensure veterans receive timely, personalized information after service. Ms. Carson replied that greater forecasting, early enrollment assistance, and sharing of transition assessments, while protecting privacy, would allow trusted partners to better tailor support. Sen. Hassan praised the panel’s cross-sector collaboration and highlighted the cumulative career impacts of military spouse underemployment.

• Sen. Bill Cassidy discussed his bipartisan bill with Senator Hassan to expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for veterans and military spouses. Ms. Carson said such incentives were crucial for engaging the private sector and that including military spouses recognized their disrupted career paths caused by frequent relocations. Ms. O’Brien agreed and described her own experience as a military spouse who had moved seven times in nine years, illustrating how employers often misunderstood “non-linear” resumes. She discussed how Hiring Our Heroes worked with employers and legal teams to encourage skills-based hiring and to identify military spouses without violating anti-discrimination laws.

• Chairman Moran asked Ms. O’Brien to confirm whether identifying as a military spouse could be a disadvantage in hiring, since it might suggest instability or frequent relocation. Ms. O’Brien agreed that this was “100% true,” explaining that while some employers valued military spouses, others avoided hiring them because of perceived inconsistency in their availability.

• Sen. Angus King stressed that transition support should receive as much attention and funding as recruitment efforts, then raised three ideas for improving that process. First, he asked if pre-enrollment in VA health care before leaving active duty was beneficial. Mr. Lyon and other panelists agreed that it was essential to eliminate coverage gaps during transition.

• Second, Sen. King suggested making the form that shares contact information with state veterans’ agencies an opt-out rather than an opt-in process, to ensure better post-service coordination. Mr. Lyon supported this change and said it would enable more proactive outreach at the local level.

• Finally, Sen. King advocated involving veteran service organizations (VSOs) directly in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). The witnesses agreed, claiming that VSOs’ presence would make the process more practical and accessible for service members preparing to separate.

• Sen. King asked about expanding awareness of the Combined Arms platform, which aggregates thousands of veteran resources. Mr. Hutchings said his organization constantly worked on improving outreach and partnerships, but agreed that including information on official Department of Defense (DOD) or VA forms, or providing physical cards with website links, could make a major difference. Sen. King added that both the DOD and the VA must invest equally in transition efforts, since the process begins while veterans are still in uniform.

• Sen. Elissa Slotkin referenced her bipartisan Solid Start Act, which requires the VA to contact veterans three times in their first year of separation, and asked Mr. Lyon how to modernize communication so that younger veterans receive information through platforms they actually use. Mr. Lyon responded that outreach must start at the unit level, since most service members separate through small units rather than large commands. He proposed tying officer evaluations to their troops’ transition success to incentivize stronger preparation.

• Sen. Slotkin agreed and noted that outreach should rely on modern digital engagement, similar to how the private sector targets audiences through algorithms. She then asked how to reduce duplication among nonprofit organizations. Mr. Hutchings stated that fragmentation was a major issue, with overlapping programs and no unified data structure. He recommended creating a National Veterans Strategy and a Veterans Data Commons to standardize information sharing and enable real-time tracking of veterans’ needs.

• Sen. Jim Banks praised progress in reducing veteran unemployment to 3.1% and noted Indiana’s success through the INvets program. He asked Mr. Galui to explain how unemployment among young veterans had declined so dramatically. Mr. Galui said corporate hiring initiatives had surged over the past decade, but that the focus should now shift from simply getting veterans jobs to helping them find the right jobs aligned with their skills and market demand. He argued that veterans should view transition as a match between their personal skills and the labor market’s needs, and that early career preparation during service was key to success.

• Sen. Banks asked Mr. Galui to elaborate on the “labor supply-demand mismatch.” Mr. Galui replied the DOD should help service members translate their evolving skills into civilian language and connect them with employers before separation. Sen. Banks then asked about artificial intelligence and its potential impact on veterans’ employment. Mr. Galui said the Bush Institute was actively studying the issue and would release policy recommendations. Mr. Lyon added that veterans already possessed strong digital and analytical skills that provided a baseline for AI literacy and that leveraging federal and private-sector data could accelerate matching veterans to emerging workforce needs.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal shifted the discussion to mental health, highlighting his BRAVE Act to reauthorize and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. He asked Ms. Carson to describe its impact on transitioning veterans. Ms. Carson said the program had already reduced stressors and improved care coordination among grantees and that expanding funding with strong oversight would be a smart investment. She underscored that career, education, and community engagement were also critical to suicide prevention.

• The Ranking Member then asked about the Bush Institute’s “Check-In” program. Mr. Galui replied that it connected veterans with top clinical and peer support networks to address PTSD, depression, brain injury, and other invisible wounds. He said the program’s biggest constraints were limited clinical capacity and awareness funding, as demand often outpaced available providers.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal also raised concerns that the VA’s referral process to community partners was inconsistent and poorly tracked. Mr. Hutchings agreed, explaining that the VA lacked a digital system to monitor referrals or confirm outcomes, often relying on paper business cards rather than electronic coordination. He recommended building an interoperable, bilateral referral infrastructure between the VA and vetted community organizations. Ms. Carson added that IVMF research showed significantly better outcomes when VA and community providers shared data and followed a standardized process.

• Chairman Moran asked whether the growing number of veteran-serving organizations reflected unmet needs or simply widespread goodwill. Mr. Galui believed it stemmed largely from Americans’ entrepreneurial and civic spirit, citing examples of local and neighborhood groups stepping up to support veterans in their communities. The Chairman said such grassroots efforts were positive and recalled how one person’s idea, the Honor Flight program, had grown into a nationwide tradition honoring veterans.

• The Chairman asked how to better reach younger veterans and spouses through his own communications. Ms. O’Brien replied that outreach must adapt to modern digital platforms since younger service members rarely use email or Facebook. She indicated that text messaging and targeted social media engagement were more effective for this audience. Mr. Lyon added that most non-retiring service members return to their home state within six years and that early engagement, starting when they first enlist, would help states like Kansas prepare for their return.

• Chairman Moran mentioned his Hope for Heroes Act to reauthorize and increase funding for the Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. He invited witnesses to back the bill publicly. Mr. Hutchings then suggested that the Chairman encourage state veterans’ agencies to modernize their digital infrastructure, explaining that 95% lacked real-time systems for service delivery or tracking referrals. Mr. Galui agreed and added that future outreach must also consider national security risks, as foreign adversaries actively targeted veterans through social media disinformation campaigns to erode trust in U.S. institutions. Ms. Carson closed by emphasizing that technology should be viewed as an enabler, not the solution itself, and that a “no wrong door” network of interconnected organizations was the key to ensuring every veteran received timely, effective support.

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