Rep. Peters Highlights San Diego’s zero8hundred in Meeting with VA Secretary McDonald

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) and representatives from zero8hundred met with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Robert McDonald, to discuss the innovative approach San Diego is taking in providing assistance to service members as they transition into civilian life and employment.

“San Diego is renowned as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and bipartisan problem-solving, which is why I am glad the Secretary came to hear from zero8hundred about their program to help improve the quality of life for service members across San Diego as they return to civilian life,” Rep. Peters stated. “Innovative, collaborative programs like zero8hundred can serve as a national model for communities across the country as we work to support our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

During the recent House Armed Services Committee markup of the ‘National Defense Authorization Act,’ Rep. Peters worked to ensure the bill included an amendment to support programs, such as zero8hundred, which provide community-based transition programs in the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program. His  amendment will require the DOD to brief the Armed Services on the effectiveness of these programs in supporting our military and veteran families.

Background on zero8hundred:

Early in 2013, Rep. Peters met with local advocates to find out how to best leverage his new role to support San Diego’s transitioning service members and veterans. The consensus among these leaders is that while San Diego is home to some of the best organizations and services for veterans, it needed a centrally coordinated hub for transitioning service members to find services, job training, and employment opportunities. zero8hundred is the product of these discussions and nearly two years of planning. This past January, zero8hundred was implemented at Naval Base San Diego and Naval Base Coronado.