Former VA Secretary: Veterans need economic opportunity and health care

Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Peter O'Rourke says the best thing Americans can do to support their warriors is to help create economic empowerment for them.

"Economic opportunity is what it really boils down to," O'Rourke told a recent edition of the "Just the News, Not Noise” television show.

"Veterans are highly motivated," he continued. "We've got a generation of folks that 25 years ago, just like on December 7, back when Pearl Harbor was bombed, they saw something happen to their country, they stepped up, and they defended their country."

O'Rourke went on to explain the needs of a whole new generation of veterans. 

"We have a whole new generation of veterans," O'Rourke explained. "And really what we're seeing is that they need along with health care, along with recognition, and what they face regarding health care such as PTSD,is the majority of folks really need economic opportunity."

O'Rourke emphasized the motivation and work ethic of veterans.

"I think that's what we need to really focus on and provide that opportunity," he concluded. "It's a great example for everybody else, because the needs of veterans are the same needs we have for most everybody. They're just a much more motivated sometimes to actually get it done."