Congress presented the Department of Veterans Affairs with a holiday bonus - a 3.6 percent increase in discretionary funding for 2012. Although not as much as the White House requested, this appropriation for veterans' benefits represents a greater increase than many other federal agencies received.

Some of the additional money will be used to assist veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This will allow the Department to serve more than half a million veterans, an increase of 200 percent over the number served in 2008. The funding will also go to support research into mental health, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans.

The additional funds will also support programs for homeless veterans, medical and prosthetic research, long term care, and stipends and training for families caring for their disabled loved ones. The bill also included advance funding for subsequent fiscal years so that the Department will not be penalized if budget wars continue.

The Iraq war ended quietly on December 10, with the last soldiers driving to the Kuwait border without fanfare. However, the huge needs of the veterans who served in this long war will be addressed for years to come. This budget increase, although less than is needed, is a step in the right direction.

Source: Stars and Stripes, "Veterans Affairs sees budget boost for 2012", by Leo Shane III, Dec. 19, 2011.