U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, established in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, elevated the previous Veterans Administration to a Cabinet-level executive department, giving it a new name that allowed it to still be referred to by its longtime acronym, the “VA.” It comprises three administrations – the Veteran’s Health Administration, evolved from the first federal solder’s facility established for veterans of the Union Army after the Civil War and later joined by a system of veterans hospitals, clinics and nursing home units; the Veterans Benefits Administration, which supervises the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program and other benefits, including employment and education; and the National Cemetery Administration, which runs 147 national cemeteries across the country.