Story highlights Trump pledged he would cut down wait times, and put the VA's health care centers in competition with private health care providers

"They have earned the freedom to choose," Trump proclaimed

Norfolk, Virginia (CNN) Donald Trump unveiled his plan Saturday to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs, promising to create a more modern and lower-cost department while also allowing veterans to opt for a private health care provider.

Flanked by a group of veterans and with the USS Wisconsin serving as the backdrop, Trump pledged at a campaign event here that he would cut down wait times, rein in bureaucracy and put the VA's health care centers in competition with private health care providers.

Trump said under his presidency, veterans would be able to use their ID card to "get care immediately" at any private provider that accepts Medicare. He claimed that his plan would be more effective and "cost us less money."

"They have earned the freedom to choose," Trump proclaimed. "We're going to transform the VA to meet the needs of the 21st century ... We're going to make the VA great again."

Trump also talked up other proposals to help veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including providing incentives for companies to hire veterans, providing business loans to veterans and overall ensuring veterans enjoy a more seamless transition to civilian life.

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