VAntage Point is the official blog of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Here you will find stories from around VA and the Veteran community. These stories and blogs include coverage of health care, education benefits, VA careers, homelessness, recovery, mental health and messages from the Secretary.
Vantage Point is also the home of our daily #VeteranOfTheDay post, our Emmy® award-winning video series The American Veteran and our weekly Borne the Battle podcast.
Please, check out our posts, leave a comment with your thoughts, and share these important stories with your family and friends. You can view our social media policy here. A reminder: inclusion of information about a program or service external to VA does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by VA or its employees.
Meet the Team:
Director
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Read stories
Gary Hicks is the Director of Digital Media Engagement in VA’s Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. He joined OPIA in 2008 as the editor of the Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors handbook, VAnguard magazine and other internal and external print communications products used throughout VA. Prior to joining OPIA, Gary worked for VA’s Center for Veterans Enterprise as a community liaison officer and small business specialist assisting Veteran entrepreneurs with starting and expanding small businesses. Prior to joining VA, he was the director of command information at the National Guard Bureau and served as the editor of the Army and Air National Guard’s flagship publication, The OnGuard. Gary began his public affairs career as an Army photojournalist, deploying to Bosnia-Herzegovina. After the deployment, he landed a job as a staff writer at a daily newspaper – eventually working his way up the ladder to become the youngest managing editor in the paper’s 111-year history as well as the parent company’s chain of 300 newspapers. Gary’s wife is an Air Force Senior NCO stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Timothy J. Lawson
Multimedia producer | Host of Borne the Battle
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Read stories
Timothy has been a member of VA’s Digital Media Engagement team since April 2016. His scope includes blog writing, video production, and launching VA’s first ever podcast, Borne the Battle. He graduated from American University’s School of Communications in 2016 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Tim is a Marine Corps Veteran having served as a Marine Security Guard and was posted at embassies in Algiers, Algeria; Moscow, Russia; and Lima, Peru.
Tass Mimikos
Producer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Tass is an Air Force Veteran who specializes in cinematography and photography. His passion for video came as a natural progression with 30 years of photographic experience. His work has been published in several magazines, and has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects for his interior photography.
Ben Pekkanen
Senior Producer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Watch stories
Ben is a director, cinematographer and editor with an extensive background in commercial filmmaking and television production. He spent 10 years as IATSE grip and lighting in New Orleans feature film market before transitioning to television in 2004. Ben leads the Digital Media Engagement production team and produces VA’s Emmy® award-winning series The American Veteran. He holds degrees from Tulane University (BA, Media Arts) and University of Maryland (MFA, Creative Writing).
Dominique Ramirez
New Media Technologist / Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Read stories
Dominique joined VA in 2013 and has supported a wide array of activities within the Office of Public Affairs. As a web developer, he helps manage pages across the VA.gov domain. He also manages the VAntage Point and VA Insider blogs. As the Intern Program Manager for the Digital Media Engagement team, Dominique leads a team that helps create content for VAntage Point, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram. Dominique has a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego, and a Master of Science in Information Technology from Southern New Hampshire University. Prior to his work in the federal government, Dominique spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy
Staff Writer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Read stories
In 2012, Jennifer Sardam joined VA as a public affairs specialist, where she produces blog posts, speeches and various internal communications products. Prior to joining VA, she worked in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (USMCSC), as a senior editor providing quality assurance of programmatic documentation, and spent six years as a media analyst in the Pentagon, with the Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA). She is a U.S. Army Veteran who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, providing real-time media monitoring and analysis reports and briefs, and print and photojournalism coverage. She retired in 2014, from the Maryland Army National Guard’s 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, where she had served as senior editor for the unit.
Producer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Read stories
Joining the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in October 2018, Tanner is a producer with the Digital Media Engagement team focusing on producing, editing and shooting content that tells the Veteran’s story. Prior to joining VA, Tanner was a senior post production editor with NASCAR Productions. He is a United States Marine Corps Veteran who served as an intel analyst in OIF III and as a combat videographer/photographer. Tanner is a graduate of the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Media Studies and holds a Certificate in Military Motion Media at the Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University.
Robert Turtil
Photographer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ~ Read stories
Robert Turtil is a public affairs specialist who produces still photography for a full range of Veteran and government related programs, personalities and events. He contributes regularly to VA’s digital efforts provides oversight to VA’s Flickr page. He works closely with VA internal and external customers, producing or procuring photos for news releases, executive and congressional reports, intergovernmental initiatives, leadership presentations and outreach projects, recruitment, training programs and field facility projects.
Josh Tuscher
New Media Technologist
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
As VA’s New Media Technologist, Josh Tuscher serves as the team’s creative director and ensures the Department uses the most current communications platforms to engage with Veterans. Prior to joining VA, Josh worked as a graphic designer and web developer in the private sector. During that time, he served for eight years as an infantryman in the New Hampshire Army National Guard and Army Reserve. In 2004, Josh deployed to Balad, Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment. After returning in 2005, Josh again mobilized—this time for duty in New Orleans assisting with relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. While in Iraq, Josh kept extensive video footage, later contributing it to the combat documentary “The War Tapes” (for which he received a credit). The film went on to win “Best Documentary” at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. Josh graduated in 2006 with a BFA from Keene State College.