VA Secretary Jim Nicholson just announced he is resigning from his post as head of Veterans Affairs because he wants to return to the private sector. His 70th birthday is in February, and he wants to work in business again before he gets any older. Nicholson was sworn in as VA Secretary on Feb. 1, 2005. He will leave the position by Oct. 1. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, commented that he had worked with Nicholson “during some challenging times,” including the potentially massive data breach in 2006, and “found him willing to work with the committee and the Congress on behalf of our nation’s veterans.”
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
