Veterans by the numbers, population and federal spending

According to a story published by ABC News, there are presently 2.3 million Americans serving on active duty. They make up 0.7 percent of the U.S. population. This is an interesting statistic because American farmers and ranchers also make up 0.7 percent of the population.

According to the same story, "There are 22,658,000 veterans in america (sic) today." Non-active duty veterans make up 7.1 percent of the U.S. population.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. shakes hands with a wounded warrior at the conclusion of the 65-mile "Ride 2 Recovery" bike challenge.

According to this story published by the Heritage Foundation, "Veterans spending, which totaled about $130 billion in fiscal year 2012, has more than doubled over the past 10 years. It includes programs such as income security, housing aid, education and training services, and veterans health care. Under President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget, this spending would rise 18.5 percent from 2012 to 2015 and surpass the $150 billion mark."

While a federal spending increase on veterans services might sound like a good deal, you have to put the numbers in perspective. The $130 billion spent in FY 2012 was only slightly more than the $128 billion spent on the United States Department of Agriculture. To be fair to farmers and ranchers, 81 percent of 2012 ag spending, or $104.1 billion, went to food assistance programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps), WIC (Women and Infant Children), school meal programs, and other programs that provide food to needy people for free or at reduced prices.

Both the Veterans Administration and the USDA are vital to the nation. We all need to eat, and we all need to be protected.

But the fact remains that for every American farmer or rancher, there are 10 American Veterans. For every 10 dollars the government spends on agriculture, it spends one dollar on veterans services.

Even worse, the VA is presently under investigation for out-of-control spending on VA employee conference junkets. According to NBC News, the VA spent more than $100 million on employee conferences in 2011

VA officials later  said that an "accurate, reliable figure on the number of conferences (held in the past several years) is not available."

This statement prompted two members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to formally write VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, demanding immediate and full disclosure of VA conference spending.

Still unanswered is the question of whether patient care funds have been diverted into the VA's conferencing budget.

As veterans, each of us took a solemn oath to protect and defend our nation. The oath we took did not include an expiration date. We all continue to serve, and part of our job is to advise our elected representatives. As congress continues to play political games with the future of America, they need our guidance on setting priorities. Call, write, or e-mail your representatives. Do it often.