# Veterans Affairs Council

The Veterans Affairs Council (VAC; 國軍退除役官兵輔導委員會) is a branch of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) with "responsibilities to assist in education assistance, employment assistance, medical care, home care and other general services" for retired servicemen and women from the Republic of China Armed Forces. VAC is a National Member of World Veterans Federation.
The incumbent minister is Feng Shih-kuan, a retired Republic of China Air Force general who took office on 5 August 2019.

## History

VAC was founded as cabinet-level organization on 1 November 1954 as Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen (VACRS; Chinese: 國軍退除役官兵就業輔導委員會; pinyin: Guójūn Tuìchúyì Guānbīng Jiùyè Fǔdǎo Wěiyuánhuì). It changed name to Veterans Affairs Commission in 1966 and to Veterans Affairs Council on 1 November 2013.

## Missions and functions

* Ensuring the Vitality of the Armed Forces
* Securing Social Stability and Prosperity
* Maximizing Human Resources
* Supporting National Reconstruction
* Developing Substantive Diplomacy

## Organizational structures

* Department of Planning
* Department of Veterans Service and Assistance
* Department of Homecare and Nursing Care
* Department of Education and Employment Assistance
* Department of Healthcare and Medical Care
* Department of Business Management
* Department of Retirement Payment
* Department of Administrative Management
* Department of Personnel
* Department of Civil Service Ethics
* Department of Accounting
* Department of Statistics and Information
* Legal Affairs Committee

## Hospitals and Veterans Homes

VAC operates hospitals and retirement homes, including:
* Taipei Veterans General Hospital
* Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital

## Associated Enterprises

Under its charter to provide employment assistance to Taiwan (ROC) military veterans, the Veterans Affairs Commission operates a number of for profit enterprises in Taiwan that employ veterans. Some of the related businesses include:
* Shin-Shin Bus Company (欣欣客運)
* Danan Bus Company (大南汽車)
* Wuling Farm
* Fushoushan Farm
* Cingjing Farm
* RSEA Engineering (榮民工程公司) – As on 1 July 1998 no longer associated with the Veterans Affairs Commission.

## List of VAC Ministers

Political parties:  Kuomintang  Democratic Progressive Party  Non-partisan/ unknown
For ministers who retired from the Armed Forces to serve, the Service column denotes their military branch before retirement.
| # | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Days | Party | Service branch | Cabinet |
| Minister of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen ||||||||
| 1 | Yen Chia-kan 嚴家淦 | 1 November 1954 | 24 April 1956 | 541 | Kuomintang | Civilian | Yu Hung-chun |
| 2 | Chiang Ching-kuo 蔣經國 | 25 April 1956 | 30 June 1964 | 2989 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Yu Hung-chun Chen Cheng II Yen Chia-kan |
| Minister of the Veterans Affairs Commission (since 1966) ||||||||
| 1 | Chao Tsu-yu 趙聚鈺 | 1 July 1964 | 7 June 1981 | 6185 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army | Yen Chia-kan Chiang Ching-kuo Sun Yun-suan |
| 2 | Cheng Wei-yuan 鄭為元 | 18 June 1981 | 28 April 1987 | 2141 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Sun Yun-suan Yu Kuo-hua |
| 3 | Chang Kuo-ying 張國英 | 29 April 1987 | 17 November 1987 | 203 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Yu Kuo-hua |
| 4 | Hsu Li-nung 許歷農 | 18 November 1987 | 26 February 1993 | 1928 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Yu Kuo-hua Lee Huan Hau Pei-tsun |
| 5 | Chou Shih-pin 周世斌 | 27 February 1993 | 14 December 1994 | 656 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army Lieutenant General | Lien Chan |
| 6 | Yang Ting-yun 楊亭雲 | 15 December 1994 | 31 January 1999 | 1509 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Lien Chan Vincent Siew |
| 7 | Lee Cheng-lin 李楨林 | 1 February 1999 | 19 May 2000 | 474 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Vincent Siew |
| 8 | Yang Te-chih 楊德智 | 20 May 2000 | 5 February 2003 | 992 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Tang Fei Chang Chun-hsiung I Yu Shyi-kun |
| 9 | Teng Tsu-lin 鄧祖琳 | 6 February 2003 | 19 May 2004 | 469 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Yu Shyi-kun |
| 10 | Kao Hua-chu 高華柱 | 20 May 2004 | 31 January 2007 | 987 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Yu Shyi-kun Frank Hsieh Su Tseng-chang I |
| 11 | Hu Chen-pu 胡鎮埔 | 1 February 2007 | 19 May 2008 | 474 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Su Tseng-chang I Chang Chun-hsiung II |
| 12 | Kao Hua-chu 高華柱 | 20 May 2008 | 9 September 2009 | 478 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Liu Chao-shiuan |
| 13 | Tseng Jing-ling 曾金陵 | 10 September 2009 | 31 July 2013 | 1421 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Wu Den-yih Sean Chen Jiang Yi-huah |
| Minister of the Veterans Affairs Council (since 1 November 2013) ||||||||
| 1 | Tung Hsiang-lung 董翔龍 | 1 August 2013 | 19 May 2016 | 1023 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Navy Admiral | Jiang Yi-huah Mao Chi-kuo Chang San-cheng |
| 2 | Lee Hsiang-chou 李翔宙 | 20 May 2016 | 25 February 2018 | 647 | Kuomintang | Republic of China Army General | Lin Chuan William Lai |
| 3 | Chiu Kuo-cheng 邱國正 | 26 February 2018 | 25 July 2019 | 515 | Independent | Republic of China Army General | William Lai Su Tseng-chang II |
| — | Lee Wen-chung 李文忠 | 26 July 2019 | 4 August 2019 | 10 | Democratic Progressive Party | Civilian | Su Tseng-chang II |
| 4 | Feng Shih-kuan 馮世寬 | 5 August 2019 | 20 May 2024 | 1750 | Independent | Republic of China Air Force General | Su Tseng-chang II Chen Chien-jen |
| 5 | Yen Teh-fa 嚴德發 | 20 May 2024 | Incumbent | 293 | Independent | Republic of China Army General | Cho Jung-tai |