Coalitions

Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) is an active member of several coalitions that work in joint pursuit of shared goals:

Defense Health Research Consortium.  VCS is a charter, executive committee member of the DHRC, a membership-based consortium of more than 30 health and veterans organizations that individually and collectively support and advocate for health programs within the U.S. Department of Defense, particularly the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP).

Education Coalition.  VCS is a participating member of the Education Coalition, a project of Veterans Education Success, a non-profit organization founded by military service organizations, “to protect and defend the integrity and promise of the GI Bill and other federal education programs for veterans and servicemembers.”  This informal coalition of dozens of veterans and military service (VSO and MSO) and education organizations works to ensure adequate protections for military service members and veterans who utilize institutions of higher learning, particularly for-profit institutions, using GI Bill and other federal student financial aid programs.  Some of the coalition’s advocacy letters are here.

Cease Fire Campaign.  VCS is a signed member of the Cease Fire Campaign, a coalition of more than 60 veteran, community-bass, environmental organizations that seeks safer alternatives to open air burning, detonation and non-closed loop incineration/combustion of military munitions.  The Cease Fire Campaign is also involved in education and advocacy related to the hazards of open air military burn pits.

Military-Veterans Coalitions.  VCS frequently joins other military and veterans service organizations to collectively advocate, educate, and inform.

National Toxic Wounds Task Force.  VCS was a founder of the National Toxic Wounds Task Force, an informal coalition of more than a dozen veterans and military service organizations (VSO’s and MSO’s) that collaborated on matters related to toxic wounds and toxic exposures, including Agent Orange, Gulf War Illness, Burn Pits, Camp Lejeune drinking water, and many others.