Doug Collins
The man the letters are addressed to. Air Force Reserve chaplain, pastor, lawyer, former Congressman — and, since February 5, 2025, the Secretary who owns every promise the VA makes.
Who he is
Doug Collins of Gainesville, Georgia: U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 9th district (2013–2021), pastor of Chicopee Baptist Church for 11 years, MDiv and JD, and a U.S. Air Force Reserve chaplain of nearly 25 years (colonel; deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, 2008–2009). Senate-confirmed 77–23 and sworn in February 5, 2025 as the 12th Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Accountable for: the whole department — health care, benefits, memorial affairs, the EHR modernization, the RISE reorganization, and every public promise VA makes. His documented wins are collected on His Victories. His unanswered mail is collected in Letters.
Official bio: department.va.gov
In his own words — and the promises we’re tracking
Collins is the most video-forward Secretary VA has had: desk messages on VA’s official channels, convention set-pieces, and a heavy veteran-podcast circuit. This site collects and transcribes that output (full transcripts archived; key passages published here) because a Secretary’s spoken promises are part of his record.
Promise logged — the application form. “We’re in the process that will be finished by the end of this year — making the application form much easier, down from 20 pages to about five pages.” — Military Influencer Conference interview, October 2026. Deadline he set himself: December 31, 2026. This page will record whether it happened.
His standard, under oath. “If you hurt a veteran and you’re working for the VA, you will not work for the VA. That is my commitment.” — House budget testimony, 2025.
His philosophy, to the Legion. “Veterans are not victims. We willingly did what others would not. We raised our right hand.” — American Legion National Convention address, Louisville, August 2026.
On community care. He defends the “best medical interest” standard — the VA doctor, the veteran, and the caregiver deciding together where care happens. That standard is the yardstick this site measures consult #9247778 against: behind it sits a March 11, 2026 surgical recommendation that was never carried out — five months of scheduling produced a consultation booked for August 28, 2026, and no record of the procedure.
The video record
| Video | Date | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Address to the American Legion National Convention, Louisville | Aug 2026 | YouTube |
| Military Influencer Conference interview — claim sharks, C&P exams, the form cut | Oct 2026 | YouTube |
| The Jedburgh Podcast Ep. 176 — “What the VA Should Actually Be Doing” | Early 2026 | YouTube |
| Passing the Torch Ep. 146 — “Humanize the VA” | Oct 8, 2026 | Episode page |
| Memorial Day 2026 video message (official VA channel) | May 2026 | YouTube |
| House budget testimony — the accountability standard | 2025 | PBS NewsHour clip |
Transcripts pulled and archived October 16, 2026. New Collins video is monitored via VA’s official YouTube channel, his official accounts, and the veteran-podcast circuit; this page updates as the record grows. Verified October 16, 2026.