VA profiles Patrick Hernandez, executive director leading consolidation of VA police force

Patrick Hernandez, executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Security and Law Enforcement, is overseeing the consolidation of roughly 6,000 VA police officers from 139 separate chains of command into one unified structure, according to a VA News profile published October 14, 2026. The VA said the officers currently report through chains of command under individual medical centers.

According to the department, Hernandez, a native of El Paso, Texas, served three decades in the Marine Corps after graduating from Texas Tech University. His service included Desert Storm and three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 2010, he spent close to 10 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, leading response operations for disasters including the 2011 Alabama tornadoes, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Michael, the VA said. He later served as deputy director of the U.S. Mint and as a deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services before joining VA.

The profile, part of VA's "From Uniform to Unforgettable" series and tied to National Hispanic Heritage Month, quoted Hernandez encouraging veterans to value the experience gained in service. He also said he hopes more veterans, particularly from earlier generations, will use VA services rather than assume others need them more.

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/113