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VA Secretary Is Ending a Trying Tenure

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Earlier this week, Nicholson said VA would add mental-health services at more than 100 medical centers, part of an effort to identify and treat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

"As our troops continue to fight in the Global War on Terror, Jim has led innovative efforts to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is better prepared to address the challenges facing our newest generation of heroes after they return home," President Bush said in a statement.

Sen. Larry E. Craig (Idaho), the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, said Nicholson "fought hard to improve care for those dealing with traumatic brain injuries and PTSD."

Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, said the timing of Nicholson's departure was terrible.

"It's a really bad time for change," Filner said. "You've got a system that is almost strained to the breaking point."

Filner said he likes Nicholson personally but considers him "a victim of an administration that had misplaced priorities."

"It didn't give him the resources he needed," Filner said. "Like all aspects of the war, they didn't plan for the incredible impact of brain injuries and psychological wounds."

Staff writers Dana Priest and Anne Hull contributed to this report.

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