Remarks by Secretary Robert Wilkie
Initial Message to Employees
July 31, 2018
Fellow VA employees,
It is an overwhelming honor to serve alongside you as Secretary.
I’m deeply grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to serve for him and for America’s Veterans. I am also grateful to members of the United States Senate for their vote of confidence.
Above all, I want to thank you, the staff of the VA, whether you are at a health care facility, on the benefits team, serving at our cemeteries, or part of our staff at headquarters. You may not hear it enough, but I want you to hear it from me—thank you for your tireless work and devotion to our Veterans, and thank you for all you do to help them and their families every day.
This is our VA. We are here to care for all of our Nation’s heroes whose service and sacrifice inspires us all. That is our important and non-negotiable mission. The President and Congress support us, and I’m honored and excited to lead this organization.
I look forward to meeting you, listening to you and serving alongside you. I value your thoughts and insights as we improve our Department for the challenges in the years ahead.
To that end, I will be holding a nationwide video town hall meeting this Friday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time to connect with as many of you as possible. You will receive details tomorrow morning on how to participate.
Thank you and God bless,
Robert L. Wilkie
