Dunne steps down as VA under secretary

Patrick Dunne, VA's Under Secretary for Benefits, has announced his resignation for early next year. Dunne, who attained the rank of rear admiral while in the U.S. Navy, has been with VA since 2006.Serving as under secretary since October 2008, Dunne directed the administration of VA's disability compensation, pension, education, home-loan guarantee, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and life insurance programs through VA's network of 57 regional offices, special processing centers, and Veterans Benefits Administration headquarters."I've appreciated the wonderful opportunity VA has given me to serve our nation's Veterans and their families," Dunne said in a statement. "We have an obligation to care for our heroes and their dependents, and I will fully support the transition of my successor to meet that moral responsibility."Born in Washington and raised in Troy, N.Y., Dunne earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master's in mathematics from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a graduate of the Navy's nuclear power training program.