How Faith Has Guided Doug Collins From Pastor to Army Chaplain to VA Secretary

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins testifies about the department’s fiscal year 2026 budget request, in Washington on May 15, 2025. Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesSecretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins speaks with NTDu2019s Steve Lance on June 9, 2025. The department serves more than 17 million U.S. military veterans. Courtesy of NTD

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins didn’t always want to be a politician, but he has long had a desire to serve others.

The 58-year-old native of Gainesville, Georgia, chose pastoral ministry as his first career. Thirty years later, he finds himself leading the sprawling government agency that serves more than 17 million veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

 

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