Four retirees from the top echelon of the U.S. military, including the admiral who led the raid on Osama bin Laden, have filed a brief that castigates the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ neglect of homeless veterans in Los Angeles as “a direct threat to national security.”
Retired admirals Michael G. Mullen, a former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and William H. McRaven, who led the raid in Pakistan, signed on to the brief filed with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in support of a district court order requiring the VA to build thousands of housing units on its West Los Angeles campus.
They were joined by two other high-level Army retirees, Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, who as vice chief of staff oversaw the Army’s 1.1 million active and reserve soldiers, and Col. David W. Sutherland, who was special assistant to the chair of the joint chiefs responsible for warrior and family support.
Several veterans groups separately filed a brief supporting the order: The Vietnam Veterans of America California State Council and four VVA chapters, the Amvets Department of California and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.