President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week directing the Department of War and the Department of Veterans Affairs to modernize data sharing and deploy new digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to speed up veterans' access to earned benefits.

The order, titled "Accelerating Access to Veterans' Benefits and Employment Opportunities," requires prompt and ongoing sharing of Official Military Personnel Files and Service Treatment Records from the start of military service. This change addresses delays that previously averaged 90 to 180 days for record transfers during the transition to civilian life, affecting healthcare coverage, disability compensation, education benefits, and job placement.

Under the directive, the agencies must establish updated information technology systems within 180 days to enable permanent, prospective sharing of records. The order also directs improvements to the Transition Assistance Program, including better career guidance and connections to veterans specialists from federal, state, or local governments.

VA officials project the measures will reduce processing times for recently separated service members by an additional 20 to 30 days on average. The administration has already cut average disability claims processing from 141.5 days to 76.1 days, a reduction of 46 percent, and lowered the backlog of veterans awaiting benefits to below 70,000 as of July.

The executive order builds on other administration efforts, including the enrollment of more than 250,000 new veterans in VA healthcare in 2026 and the opening of 41 new VA facilities. It follows earlier announcements of programs such as Freedom Haulers for expedited commercial driver's license certification for service members.

White House and VA statements emphasized that the changes will eliminate weeks of waiting for benefits applications and streamline the overall process while maintaining privacy protections.