The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reached an important summit recently. They added something vital to what they offer to disabled members of the military.

They are, quite literally, able to help start families — families that couldn’t have been founded otherwise, due to horrific wounds sustained in combat.

For America, in so many ways, this is a huge win. And another step in ensuring that veterans receive all the help they can get in their pursuit of happiness after their service has ended.

This from New York Magazine (via the Washington Post):

There has been “widespread” use of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and Iraq, and veterans who served in those regions have had more spinal and genital injuries than in past conflicts. Many veterans with such injuries have been unable to conceive a child naturally as a result. Yet, according to the Post, for the past 24 years, the VA has been banned from covering adoption or IVF.

The bill that calls for the VA to cover those costs for the next two years was signed by President Obama last week, with a provision authorized by Senator Patty Murray, a Washington State Democrat. IVF can be quite costly (around $30,000 for several tries), and the VA is using existing funds to cover the costs for now. Murray hopes to get the procedure covered permanently, while the VA supports legislation that would add IVF to the list of services it offers.

Stay tuned to the blog for more on this issue and other news surrounding military families.