Someday, once all the backlogs at Veterans Affairs are cleared, many will declare “mission accomplished.” But this is when the real problem will emerge. The annual cost of disability compensation is rising steadily, to $60 billion today from $20 billion in 2000. That curve continues to bend upward. The American public will move beyond superficial expressions of support and ask, “Is this bill too high?” They are the ones, after all, who are stuck with the tab. Payouts set to top $100 billion are going to draw attention.

So how did we get here? Over the last 14 years of war, America has experienced a perfect storm of sympathy for veterans: a combination of unmet needs like vets waiting for care, an admiring but ultimately disengaged public and a political class with almost no military experience that feels it lacks the moral authority to say no. Today, it is taboo to question the honor of a veteran seeking compensation, and those who dare challenge the benefits system are deemed insufficiently patriotic.

Policy updates can address some of this. Veterans Affairs should look harder at ways the system is being gamed, and abuses should be ended much as we go after phony workers’ compensation claims. There should be an option for those who want to document injuries to guarantee medical care, but who do not want a compensation payment. And we should double down on programs like job training that empower veterans as opposed to creating dependencies.

We have come a long way since Vietnam, and for that we should be grateful. But over time, an act as simple as honoring service members at the airport can morph into something altogether dishonorable. As veterans, we should not demand more than we are owed. As a society, we should have the guts to push back when necessary, and elect leaders who can make tough choices about issues such as Veterans Affairs spending. Above all, we must guard against the day when the benefits veterans have rightfully earned become a source of resentment to those they have faithfully served. ☐