New director of Concerned Veterans for America aims for more influence

The new head of Concerned Veterans for America wants to make sure the recent rise in awareness around the group leads to even more influence and involvement in national policy discussions.

“The last thing that I want is for there to be any slack just because we’ve already racked up wins, on Veterans Affairs accountability, on Afghanistan oversight and other issues,” said John Vick, recently named executive director of CVA.

“Right now is the time to really capitalize on all of the hard work that happened before. We have everything in place now. Some of our former staff are in the administration. It’s really an exciting time to make sure that everybody’s on board with the new policy priorities.”

Vick, a Marine Corps veteran and current Naval Reserves officer, joins a list of CVA leadership members whose alumni include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, senior Defense Department advisor Darin Selnick and Pentagon transition team advisor Dan Caldwell.

The network of notable former staffers has led to additional attention for CVA, albeit some of it critical of the groups’ right-leaning stances and Hegseth’s controversial past issues.

Exactly how much influence Vick will have with those administration officials remains unclear. But Concerned Veterans for America, which has ties to the conservative Koch network, is a key community voice for Republican lawmakers on the veterans and armed services committees – and it has enjoyed a friendly relationship with President Donald Trump in the past.

Vick hopes that means additional opportunities for the group’s priorities in the near future.

“You’re always going to have to hold bureaucracies accountable, hold the government accountable,” Vick said. “And given those same priorities in this administration, it is a very unique and exciting time to work for this organization.”

Vick deployed to Iraq with the Marine Corps in 2003 and still works as an intelligence officer supporting U.S. Central Command. Outside the military, he has worked as a regional political director for the Republican National Committee and a staffer on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

CVA’s policy priorities for national defense this year include ensuring foreign partners’ goals are in alignment with U.S. security interests and “rethinking the U.S. Middle East footprint,” to include drawing down force numbers in places like Iraq and Syria.

On the veterans policy side, the group again is pushing for broader use of community care options to provide medical appointments for veterans outside the department’s health care system, and for increased accountability among the department’s workforce. Both of those issues were key points of focus for Trump during his first term in office.

And Vick said the group plans to continue its past outreach to elevate the views of veterans to policymakers.

“When American service members go out and sacrifice so much to protect the American dream, then they’re in a singular great position to advocate for not just veterans issues, but issues for all America,” he said.