{"id":72973,"date":"2023-05-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/05\/30\/army-vet-turned-dc-insider-now-a-historic-nominee-for-veterans-affairs\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:17:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:17:05","slug":"army-vet-turned-dc-insider-now-a-historic-nominee-for-veterans-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2023\/05\/30\/army-vet-turned-dc-insider-now-a-historic-nominee-for-veterans-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Army vet turned DC insider now a historic nominee for Veterans Affairs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Don Beyer was skeptical when his new chief of staff, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2023\/04\/19\/va-chief-of-staff-tapped-to-serve-as-departments-deputy-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tanya Bradsher<\/a>, urged him to call over to the Pentagon in summer 2019 to follow up on a constituent\u2019s request for military records that had been ignored for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe had been making no progress, and the rest of the staff didn\u2019t think we\u2019d get anywhere,\u201d the Virginia Democrat remembers. \u201cBut I got on the phone, and I told them that Tanya said I should try again. And the immediate response was, \u2018Oh, Tanya needs that? We\u2019ll get it done right away.\u2019 I had to drop her name to get attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colleagues call Bradsher, the current chief of staff for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/management\/2023\/05\/24\/va-to-scale-back-remote-work-rules-require-more-in-office-time\/\" target=\"_blank\">the Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>, a behind-the-scenes star in Washington, D.C., someone known to get things done quickly without leaving bruised egos in her wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the Army veteran is set to step into a more visible \u2014 and historic \u2014 role. Last month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/04\/19\/president-biden-announces-key-nominees-42\/\" target=\"_blank\">President Joe Biden nominated her<\/a> to serve as the next deputy secretary for VA, the second highest post at the department with the second-largest budget in all of federal government. If confirmed, she\u2019ll be the first woman to hold the role full time; three others have served as acting deputies. Bradsher, who is Black, would also be the first woman of color to ever hold the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/11\/14\/va-secretary-makes-promise-we-will-be-vets-best-advocates\/\" target=\"_blank\">VA Secretary Denis McDonough<\/a> opts to step down from his leadership post before the 2024 presidential election, Bradsher would step in as the first woman ever to oversee the country\u2019s veterans support programs, a moment nearly 100 years in the making.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2023\/04\/19\/va-chief-of-staff-tapped-to-serve-as-departments-deputy-secretary\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"204\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Bradsher.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Vet Affairs Deputy nominee would be highest ranked woman in VA history<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Army veteran Bradsher currently serves as  Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI do not believe that deputy secretary will be her last leadership stop,\u201d said former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who picked Bradsher as his Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in 2014. \u201cIt\u2019s no surprise to me to see her being chosen for these roles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But before those future responsibilities, Bradsher still has to survive the Senate confirmation process, which has become a contentious mess in recent months. She is scheduled to testify about her new role and vision for VA before the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee on May 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How long a final vote on her confirmation to the leadership post will take is likely dependent more on political infighting on Capitol Hill and less on her own long list of credentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bradsher\u2019s background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bradsher, 53, is a fourth-generation soldier, serving in the Army for 20 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. A native of Virginia, she enlisted<b> <\/b>in 1993 after graduating with an American History degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed Officer Candidate School a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her service included four years in South Korea and a year-long deployment to Iraq in 2008 and 2009, working as a public affairs officer with the 4th Infantry Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colleagues called her a fast riser, someone who seemed to be at the center of big decisions and important moments. After her Iraq deployment, she stepped into senior press management roles at the Pentagon, including working as the main media point of contact for questions on the controversial Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. She also first met Johnson there, who at the time was the military\u2019s top lawyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe was one of the most disciplined people I\u2019ve ever met,\u201d he said. \u201cIn meetings, she was always candid and forthright. She could cut right to the important points, but she was also always well-liked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those attributes were what led him to pull her over to the Homeland Security department in 2014, plucking her from her role as the White House lead for Veterans, Wounded Warrior and Military Family Outreach. By then, she had retired from the military and already established herself as a respected asset in the administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen we had White House events with veterans and military families, you could always see the people who hung around the big names and who spent time with the families,\u201d said Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama throughout his eight years in office. \u201cTanya was the one who always had her arm around one of those visitors, always making sure everyone felt welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bradsher and her family \u2014 she has three children with her husband, retired Col. John Bradsher \u2014 have been fixtures at those White House military and veterans events over the years. Jarrett said Bradsher\u2019s \u201ccomplete sense of duty\u201d in her efforts to help her fellow veterans was striking, even among other officials focused on the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyer said when he hired Brasher as chief of staff, he was thrilled to have someone as well-respected and well-connected as her. But he also knew it wouldn\u2019t last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Biden administration stole her for their transition team in 2020, which we all saw coming,\u201d he said. \u201cI was heartbroken, because she was a terrific chief of staff. But I knew she\u2019d be sought after by a lot of folks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insiders said McDonough hand-picked her to serve as VA chief of staff when he took over the department, a role with significant expectations given McDonough\u2019s own background as White House chief of staff for Obama\u2019s second term. Veterans advocates said they have a good relationship with her, a reality that has not always been the case with VA leaders in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe\u2019s serving the country as much now as she was when in uniform,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2023\/02\/27\/iava-names-female-vet-as-top-leader-for-the-first-time\/\" target=\"_blank\">Allison Jaslow, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America<\/a>. \u201cShe really is a public servant at heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3872\" height=\"2592\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-107161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg 3872w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg?resize=768,514 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,685 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1028 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/179849.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1371 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3872px) 100vw, 3872px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Army public affairs officer Maj. Tanya Bradsher pauses during a operation in the Al Ashar District of Basra, Iraq, on June 4, 2009. (Petty Officer 1st Class Andre McIntyre\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Confirmation concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans Affairs officials did not make Bradsher available for comment for this story. Federal agencies rarely allow nominees to conduct interviews ahead of their confirmation hearing, out of concerns that it could make it appear as if the administration takes her confirmation for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bradsher was among 149 Black Americans who served in the Obama administration to sign onto a 2019 letter decrying racially charged comments made by former President Donald Trump, and promising to fight for \u201cequitable access to health care, housing, quality schools and employment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As deputy secretary, she\u2019ll be charged in part with looking at racial disparities within VA\u2019s operations and benefits delivery, the latter of which is already the subject of an ongoing lawsuit. The issue could be an attack point for some Republicans still loyal to the former president, many of whom have publicly attacked the administration for focusing too much on diversity training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, her confirmation hearing is not expected to be particularly contentious. Bradsher is a known figure among lawmakers on the congressional Veterans Affairs committees, and staffers said they do not anticipate any issues with her background or policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the confirmation process could also be complicated by VA itself, and some of the responsibilities of the deputy secretary post. Foremost among them is the ongoing chaos surrounding the department\u2019s electronic records system overhaul, a project specifically overseen by VA\u2019s second-ranking leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 10-year, $16 billion project has been beset by delays and failures over the last two years, and was brought to a total halt by McDonough last month. House Republicans have begun openly discussing scrapping the project altogether, calling it a waste of money and a sign of mismanagement by VA leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Donald Remy, the former VA deputy secretary who Bradsher would replace, said that Bradsher is well-versed in the problems and potential fixes given her work as chief of staff. He said her existing relationships with lawmakers might also help smooth some of the transition and give her extra time to approach the problem with new eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe is well-prepared for all the issues that this post will face, including the budget, the president\u2019s unity agenda and interactions with agencies across all of government,\u201d he said. \u201cI think she\u2019s an invaluable asset in that role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/03\/24\/abortion-fight-in-senate-snarls-hundreds-of-military-promotions\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1472319293.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Abortion fight in Senate snarls hundreds of military promotions<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville has vowed to hold up all military nominations over his objections to the military&#039;s abortion policies.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And even if lawmakers back her personally, complaints about VA policies in general can still derail the confirmation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has held up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/03\/24\/abortion-fight-in-senate-snarls-hundreds-of-military-promotions\/\" target=\"_blank\">more than 200 Defense Department confirmations<\/a> and senior officer promotions for months over his objections to the military\u2019s policies on access to abortion services for service members. He has voiced similar complaints about abortion procedures being conducted at VA health care facilities, although he has not yet threatened a similar blanket hold on department nominees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The confirmation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2023\/04\/26\/va-gets-new-benefits-chief-after-two-years-of-waiting\/\" target=\"_blank\">VA Under Secretary for Benefits Josh Jacobs <\/a>was held up for two months earlier this year when Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, raised objections about VA\u2019s treatment of whistleblowers and lack of response to congressional inquiries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing on May 17, Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., encouraged members to meet with Bradsher as soon as possible to \u201cfind out what she\u2019s made of\u201d in a bid to stave off any similar delays in her confirmation process. But it\u2019s unclear if that will matter for any Biden nominee in an increasingly divided chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A historic symbol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But blocking Bradsher without clear reasons risks backlash too, especially among veterans groups that have been pushing for more representation for women in the department\u2019s highest ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s huge to be able to see someone at this high of a leadership level who looks like you,\u201d said Jaslow, herself a former Army captain who served in Iraq. \u201cHaving a woman in that role will go a long way in how the whole country sees veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/education-transition\/2021\/03\/12\/wounded-women-veterans-face-higher-levels-of-loneliness-isolation-report\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3282514.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Wounded women veterans face higher levels of loneliness, isolation: report<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Officials say the new survey from Wounded Warrior Project shows a need for more transition programs focused on women.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women make up about 11% of the country\u2019s veterans population today, but are projected to be closer to 20% by 2040. VA leaders have consistently labeled them as one of the fastest-growing groups within the community and ramped up outreach efforts in recent years to combat the idea of VA support services being exclusively for men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That includes the decision earlier this year to change the department\u2019s motto to gender-neutral language, a move that Bradsher was involved with behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe hard part, especially for a woman veteran, is realizing you\u2019re stepping into a role not just as yourself, but representing a whole group of people,\u201d Jaslow said. \u201cBut I think she is up for that, and going to make women veterans \u2014 and all veterans \u2014 proud.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if Bradsher steps in as acting secretary, becoming the first woman ever to lead the depatry rtment, that platform will be even larger. McDonough has not publicly indicated he is eyeing an exit from the top VA leadership job. But of the last six VA secretaries, only one (Eric Shinseki) has stayed in office more more than three years. McDonough would reach that mark next February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Friends of Bradsher, speaking anonymously out of concerns surrounding the confirmation process, said she is not actively looking for that spotlight, but would not shy away from it either. But they also said she\u2019s fully focused on stepping into the challenging deputy secretary post, and finding ways to succeed there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remy said he thinks Bradsher\u2019s most valuable experience for the new role will be Bradsher\u2019s own background as a veteran and military family member. \u201cShe knows the issues to keep her eyes on, because she has lived them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VA Chief of Staff Tanya Bradsher is in line to be the first woman confirmed to the department&#8217;s second-highest post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":107157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":21,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,12,24,89,16,26,65,21],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3328],"class_list":["post-72973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-education-transition","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"JZ2ORJQGAJEN3LYPKXZLZSH7EQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2023\/05\/30\/army-vet-turned-dc-insider-now-a-historic-nominee-for-veterans-affairs\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Army vet turned DC insider now a historic nominee for Veterans Affairs - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"VA Chief of Staff Tanya Bradsher is in line to be the first woman confirmed to the department&#039;s second-highest post.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Army vet turned DC insider now a historic nominee for Veterans Affairs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"VA Chief of Staff Tanya Bradsher is in line to be the first woman confirmed to the department&#039;s second-highest post.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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