Here's a thought. The challenge with a lot of these things is that they're subjective and surmised versus evidence based. Also, we haven't had a lot of time to see how things play out, but speaking from the heart, from the gut, sustaining a relationship with our members beyond the uniform—one way or another—is always a good thing. As for how you sustain that relationship, well, pension for life is a way. It's not the only way, but it's a way of staying connected, including having an address. That's staying connected.
It goes back to this notion of staying within the family even after you leave the uniform. There's a lot of merit in asking ourselves what that really means and what that can look like not just in government programs, but in real community-level ways.
The last thought I'd offer—completely subjective—is that my relationship with Veterans Affairs should start the day I pass basic training—