Operation Recap: March 2026
March brought two powerful lenses into focus at once: what care really looks like when it goes beyond the walls of the VA, and women veterans who have shaped the veteran experience in ways that have too often been overlooked.
Whole-of-life care is the recognition that true wellness cannot be reduced to a clinic visit or a benefits form. It is medical treatment, yes, but it is also community connection, mental health support, financial stability, meaningful relationships, and a sense of belonging that follows a veteran long after their discharge papers are signed. This month, we explored what it means to expand access to that kind of care, and what stands in the way of veterans getting it.
We also spent March celebrating the women who have served and sacrificed quietly and powerfully for generations. Women veterans face a distinct set of barriers when it comes to accessing care, from gaps in VA services designed around a male veteran population to the invisible weight of being a caregiver while also needing care themselves. Women’s History Month was a reminder that whole-of-life care must include the whole of their story too.
Here’s what you might have missed:
Articles + Blogs
Featured article included:
- From Service to Semper Suds
- From a U-Haul to the Lakefront: A Coast Guard Veteran’s Path Home
- SHELTERED: When a Temporary Roof Still Isn’t Stability
- UNHOUSED: When a Roof Exists, but Safety and Stability Do Not
- Street Homeless: Seen, Helped, and Still Left Wanting More
- Trailblazers in Wellness: Women Veterans’ Impact on Care
- How Nutrition, Sleep, and Routine Support Mental Health
- Veteran Connection Network (VCN)
- 9 Strategies to Improve Comprehensive Care for Women Veterans
- 10 Ways Community Resources Strengthen Whole-of-Life Care for Veterans
- Strengthening the Bonds That Matter: The Rick Herrema Foundation
MRC in the Media
Mission Roll Call ensured veterans’ voices remained front and center in national conversations throughout March.
Media features included:
- The Center Square – Veteran Suicide Rate Remains High Despite Spending Millions
- Legislative Presentation of The American Legion & Multi VSOs – On March 4, Jim testified before a joint hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to present the 2026 priorities veterans selected for MRC’s advocacy agenda. Those priorities are access to quality healthcare both within and outside the VA, support for service-connected injuries and conditions, veteran suicide prevention, and housing access and homelessness prevention. That is your voice, documented, delivered, and on the record at the highest levels of government.
Veterans Town Hall
Veterans joined CEO Jim Whaley and COO Ray Whitaker March 11 for the monthly town hall to discuss various topics impacting veterans over the last month and what the community needs most heading into the 2026 midterm season. The Rick Herrema Foundation also joined the conversation to share their work supporting military families.
Watch the March 11th Veteran Town Hall
Speak Up: Your Voice Matters
This month, Mission Roll Call launched its national midterm election survey, asking veterans to weigh in on one of the most consequential political moments of the year. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, the decisions made in Washington will shape veteran policy, benefits, and care for years to come.
Small Gift, Big Mission
This month, Mission Roll Call launched the Small Gift, Big Mission campaign, a call to action rooted in a simple but powerful truth: decisions about veterans are made every day without their input. For as little as $5, supporters can help change that. Every dollar funds the surveys, research, and advocacy that bring verified veteran voices directly to the policymakers who control healthcare, benefits, and quality of life. This is not about funding noise. It is about funding clarity. Stand with those who stood for us.