The Mission Came First

Editor's Note: We experienced some technical audio issues during the recording of this episode. While every effort was made to improve the sound quality, listeners may notice occasional audio fluctuations throughout the conversation. Thank you for your understanding.

Rob and Brittany welcome Congressman Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania's 17th District to the podcast. Deluzio is a Navy veteran, VFW member, and member of the House Armed Services Committee who continues to advocate for service members, veterans, and military families on Capitol Hill.

Before the interview, VFW National Legislative Service Director Kristina Keenan and Associate Director Joy Craig join the show for an in-depth legislative update covering several key issues impacting veterans and military families. The discussion includes ongoing efforts to secure justice for victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination, implementation of the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, progress on the Major Richard Star Act, and developments in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Deluzio reflects on his path from the U.S. Naval Academy to military service and eventually Congress, discussing how veterans bring a mission-first mindset to public service. He shares his experiences serving as a Surface Warfare Officer, deploying to Iraq alongside Army units, and the importance of having veterans represented in government.

The conversation explores military quality-of-life issues, including pay, housing, spouse employment, child care, and the challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life. Deluzio also discusses the importance of military credentialing programs, improving transition assistance, protecting veterans' benefits, and advancing legislation such as the Major Richard Star Act.

The episode concludes with a preview of the upcoming 127th VFW National Convention in Reno, Nevada, and the launch of Ask the VFW, a new platform allowing listeners to submit questions directly to VFW subject matter experts.

Have a question for the VFW? Visit https://vfw.org/AskTheVFW or go to the Ask the VFW page to submit your question for a future episode.

Featured Guests:

Chris Deluzio – U.S. Representative (PA-17), Navy Veteran, VFW Member

Kristina Keenan – Director, VFW National Legislative Service

Joy Craig – Associate Director, VFW National Legislative Service

Episode Highlights:

0:00 Intro and Roll Call

2:58 Camp Lejeune Justice Act and toxic exposure advocacy

7:36 VA Home Loan Program Reform Act implementation

11:54 Major Richard Star Act update and discharge petition progress

19:33 NDAA overview and military quality-of-life priorities

26:53 Military pay raises, transition assistance, and credentialing reforms

47:19 Congressman Chris Deluzio joins the podcast

47:39 Military service and path to Congress

50:44 Veterans in government and public service

52:17 NDAA priorities and military readiness

54:18 Quality-of-life challenges facing service members and families

57:15 Military transition and civilian credentialing

59:15 Major Richard Star Act discussion

1:03:24 Deluzio's perspective as a VA health care user

1:06:58 Introducing Ask the VFW

1:09:10 Good of the Order – Looking ahead to the VFW National Convention