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Retired Lt. Gen. James Peake, President Bush's nominee for Veterans Affairs secretary, breezed through a Senate confirmation hearing today with bipartisan support. Members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee praised Peake, 63, a highly decorated veteran with 38 years of Army service including time in Vietnam and two years as its surgeon general. They also told him his task ahead would be difficult if confirmed.

"You have a tremendous challenge facing you," Veteran Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, told Peake. "Indeed it may be one of the most daunting tasks in or out of government."

Akaka and other senators said returning Iraq war veterans have problems different from other veterans, including mental health difficulties. A significant number of returning veterans suffer from traumatic brain injuries, other wounds and post traumatic stress disorders, Akaka said.

In testimony, Peake said veterans' mental health issues may be his biggest challenge in the job.

"I appreciate the universal concern that PTSD and traumatic brain injury may be less apparent than some of the horrendous physical wounds that we see fresh from the battlefields," he said, adding that "PTSDs are real wounds of war and ought to be treated." He said PTSD and traumatic brain injuries "are likely to become the signature injury of this conflict."

Peake pledged to work on getting veterans health care claims adjusted faster. "A veteran should not need a lawyer to figure out what benefit is due, or get that benefit," Peake said. He also vowed to address problems with the transition of veterans from active duty to veteran status.

"I don't think you could have better prepared for this job if you had planned it," commented Veterans Affairs ranking member Richard Burr, R-N.C.

But Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., told him "a strong resume is not enough." She called on Peake to have "the fortitude, the backbone, and the courage to stand up to the administration, to be honest and upfront about our veterans' current and future course."

Akaka criticized former Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson for not advocating more funding for the VA, but Peake promised to work for adequate funding. The committee has not set a date for a confirmation vote.

COMMENTS

• yes sir just what the VA needs another yes man, why is always a retired gen or adm that runs things I guess when they were on active duty those nice offices and officers clubs wearn't enough, now they need to be a in charge type and really screw things up for the vet.Put some one in there that understands what vet's are putting up with. Jim H Posted December 7, 2007 2:33 PM
• I hope he sincerely looks at his management staff as opposed to just taking on the legacies from past failure appointees. Upper management has not been very fair or open minded to VA staff or to VA staffing. We all work hard and we all need to play just as hard. Second: VA staff doesn't work with the normal sick civilian patients. Our vets have much more compounded and vastly different injuries or illnesses. The simple diabetic is easy until you throw in Agent Orange exposure with war time memories. What maybe needed in VA is more medical staff that has served time in the military and not in a classroom or at a computer screen. Real time experiences are called for, was it hot in Vietnam? did you get a hot meal in Iraq? is Afghanistan as brutally cold as Maine or did you really get frostbite in Korea? A medical provider that has lived some of the experiences will have a better approach to a vet and his family as to why he needs further help and what assistance can be offered. Hand holding does not cut it with a combat vet. they are use to the brutality of a situation and in most cases can accept the outcome, but placating someone is never the right answer. So Retired Lt. General James Peake, I hope you can live up to challenges of politics and caring for the sick and injured and broken. Nick Posted December 6, 2007 2:55 PM
• another yes man for the administration. He comes from the same company our old secretary is now working for. One that is doing the claims exams instead of our own workers. we'll see what happens with another "decorated army officer" in charge. paul s Posted December 6, 2007 10:05 AM