To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans.
“Our department remains fully committed to fulfilling the sacred obligation that we have to those who serve in uniform.” ~VA Secretary Denis McDonough
Our VA Mission and Core Values
No organization can succeed without values to match its mission. Our mission, as the Department of Veterans Affairs, is to care for those “who shall have borne the battle” and for their families, caregivers and survivors. Our core values focus our minds on our mission of caring and thereby guide our actions toward service to others.
VA Core Values describe how VA will accomplish its mission and inform every interaction with our customers. These Core Values are: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence — better known as “I CARE.” VA’s Core Values will continue to serve as the right guide for all our interactions and remind us and others that “I CARE.”
- I care about those who have served.
- I care about my fellow VA employees.
- I care about choosing “the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”
- I care about performing my duties to the very best of my abilities.
Core Values, Core Characteristics, and Customer Experience (CX) Principles of the Department — I CARE Core Values and Characteristics are codified in our VA regulations at 38 C.F.R. Part 0 and define the standards of ethical conduct and related responsibilities of all VA employees. These regulations include CX Principles — Trust, Ease, Effectiveness and Emotion — as guiding principles for how all employees deliver services to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.