DEI rollbacks and VA cuts: What’s next for Micronesian veterans?

Photo courtesy of Island Solider LLC/Hawaii Public Radio

Inside the Reef By Joyce McClure

The per capita enlistment rate in the U.S. military for citizens of the freely associated states (Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia) is higher than that of most U.S. states. More than 1,000 FAS citizens currently serve in the armed forces, while approximately 240 veterans reside in their home countries. That number would be much larger, but for FAS veterans needing healthcare, living at home in Micronesia isn't an option.

Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii wrote in June 2023 about Thomas Raffipiy of Satawal, who planned to retire in Yap after serving over 30 years in the U.S. Army. However, accessing his medication there was impossible. Schatz noted that the Iraq War veteran had to stay in Hawaii to receive medical services through the VA and would need medication for the rest of his life.

“If I go home, it’s suicide. It shouldn’t have to be that way,” Raffipiy said. “The VA was created to help veterans live a normal life. Well, it’s not normal for me to live here. You become a hostage to your own conscience.  My plan was to go home, fish and enjoy life. But I am still stuck here.”

The cost of traveling to a VA healthcare facility is prohibitive for most veterans living in the FAS. Raffipiy is “one of many Micronesian veterans facing the predicament of staying in the U.S. for free healthcare or returning to the islands, where they face the challenges of accessing such services,” Schatz said.

During the 2024 Veterans Day celebration in the FSM on Nov. 11, Vice President Aren B. Palik announced the opening of the FSM Office of Veterans Affairs in Pohnpei.

Palik emphasized the FSM’s commitment to supporting citizens who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. “Our veterans not only protect freedoms but represent the very essence of the FSM on the global stage, embodying our core values of respect, community and courage,” he said.

Thanks to the hard work of the FSM’s veterans community, the office was established to address healthcare, education, vocational training and emotional support, ensuring veterans could transition smoothly back into civilian life.

On Jan. 27, the Trump administration, led by Elon Musk, announced the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The administration labeled Biden’s initiative, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” an “illegal and immoral discrimination program.”

Signed by Biden in 2021, Executive Order 13985 aimed to provide equal opportunities by addressing systemic inequities, not by giving preference to women and minorities as Trump and his advisors asserted. Its goal was to ensure all Americans could achieve their full potential.

The Trump administration began purging government departments of DEI-related leadership, starting with the Pentagon. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dismissed top officials he labeled DEI hires.

In early March, the Associated Press reported that 80,000 jobs were being cut from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans comprise more than 25 percent of the VA workforce.

The layoffs included the immediate removal of 60 VA employees solely focused on DEI and the cancellation of contracts for DEI-related training, materials and consulting services. “We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission,” VA Director of Media Affairs Morgan Ackley responded. “We look forward to reallocating millions of dollars the department was spending on DEI programs to better serve our veterans.”

VA’s $14 million allotment for DEI programs accounted for just 0.000206 percent of the federal government’s $6.8 trillion spending in 2024.

“Things need to change,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a video posted on social media, adding that the layoffs would not mean cuts to veterans’ healthcare or benefits. However, veterans’ groups expressed concerns about the impact on services and their jobs. Several thousand protestors turned out for a march on the National Mall in Washington on March 14.

Hegseth continued his purge by ordering the removal of DEI pages from VA websites, including those honoring Native American Code Talkers of World War II, who developed an unbreakable code, and the highly decorated Tuskegee airmen, the first African American military aviators. Public outcry led to the restoration of some pages, but a search for “Asian and Pacific Islander” entries on military websites returns an error message.

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The erasure of historical contributions by diverse groups, combined with the dismantling of services for veterans, raises critical questions about the administration's priorities. “This eraser of the military—the way in which you get rid of all the many different contributions that all people in the military made to create a community—what you're essentially doing is replacing that worldview that says all of us are important with one that says only the white guys are important,” said historian Heather Cox Richardson.

While the FSM VA office is not funded by the U.S. VA, given the Trump-Musk administration’s chainsaw-wielding actions, it remains uncertain whether the funds for veterans care sealed under the Compact of Free Association will also be slashed like those provided to FSM citizens living in the U.S. 

While the FSM has taken steps to support its veterans, broader changes in the U.S. government cast doubt on the future of such efforts not just in the FAS but for the thousands of veterans living in Guam, Hawaii and the mainland.

The core values of respect, community, and courage that Palik noted in his Veterans Day speech are shamefully and intentionally missing from the actions and words of the Trump administration.

Joyce McClure is a former senior marketing executive and former Peace Corps volunteer in Yap. Transitioning to freelance writing, she moved to Guam in 2021 and recently relocated back to the mainland. Send feedback to joycemcc62@yahoo.com 

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