For more than 234 years the government of the United States of America has been exercising constitutional authority to send out citizens to be killed, maimed and tortured to insure the security and PROSPERITY of our nation and the free world. Although the constitution of the United States authorizes the sacrifice of our military and its veterans, it does not provide for a responding entitlement for survivors to benefits of any kind.

That response is left to the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States to decide at their discretion the value of heroic sacrifice. Each year congress appraises the current needs and recognizes the services of our nation’s veterans and with the concurrence of the president, appropriates an agreed upon resource support.

There is no entitlement for sacrifice, and there is no excitement for amending the constitution to reflect the nation’s gratitude. However, congress has provided legal authority for the initiatives and programs that recognize the obligation to support the aspirations and rehabilitation of more than 25 million veterans.

Consequently, it is with a profound expression of respect that veterans acknowledge the efforts and commitment of our nation to a program of directed opportunities for service-disabled veterans who own small businesses to participate in the economic system for which they sacrificed so much.

It is important that veteran beneficiaries recognize that, in the absence of entitlement, federal agencies cannot assure that awards and contracts will be made available – only that opportunities will be offered as policy and appropriations permit. The struggle for veteran compensatory opportunities is a systemic struggle, involving all branches of our government: legislative, executive, judicial and our private sector business community.

Previous federal courts have issued numerous opinions that the status of our military veterans is unique to our nation and that their special treatment is to be considered an exceptional and beneficial obligation of our society. Again, we thank our nation for their commitment and support of the rehabilitation of those who have individually sacrificed for our nation.

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