He was a WWII fighter pilot. His ashes rested in a polished wooden urn at the front of the little funeral chapel. His life had been full of years, years of success, of joy, of respect, of love of country. A man who had led a Godly, honest life.

The chapel is spare but tasteful, a few rows of polished wooden pews. Suitable for use by any religion or no religion for the last farewell to one who had served his or her country in uniform.

The Marine Corps can teach an 18-year-old to field-strip a rifle blindfolded. The federal government needs three to six months to send that same Marine's file across town. The White House puts the average transfer time for military personnel and medical records to reach the Department of Veterans Affairs at 90 to 180 days. Domino's would have gone bankrupt. The Pony Express would be embarrassed.

On September 8, President Trump signed Executive Order 14426, directing the Department of War to send every separating service member's personnel file, health records, and service treatment records to VA immediately upon discharge. That requirement takes effect within 30 days. This is the most consequential veterans reform in years precisely because it's the least glamorous. Nobody cuts a ribbon over a data pipe, but the pipe is where veterans have been losing months of their lives.

The National Defense Authorization Act needs to protect those who serve, including by ensuring the military can deliver safe, reliable care when lives are on the line.

That is why language in the House version of the FY 2027 NDAA that could sweep medical technology into a broad “right to repair” mandate is so concerning. This is not merely a technical contracting issue. For patients who depend on complex, FDA-regulated medical devices, the question is simple: Who should be responsible for keeping that technology safe, secure, and reliable?