While all of the speculation over the next secretary of state is fascinating, there’s another post that should be watched closely in the Inland Northwest: secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

First, because this area is home to a lot of veterans. Second, because U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, have worked to improve the government’s treatment of former members of the military.

Speculation about the appointment has centered on two veterans who suffered grievous wounds in combat.

Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, was co-pilot of a helicopter struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. She lost both legs and partial use of an arm. Max Cleland, a former U.S. senator from Georgia, is a triple amputee from the Vietnam War. He led the VA under President Carter.

Both have good reputations among veterans’ groups. Both would bring passion to a position that is often locked into a defensive crouch. For instance, the VA for years fought against the diagnosis of Gulf War syndrome. But after much study, the government recently announced that the malady is not imaginary and that it affected an estimated 175,000 combatants.

It seems that a combination of pesticides to kill desert insects and pills ingested to ward off feared chemical attacks is behind the troops’ memory loss, headaches, fatigue and digestive and respiratory problems. There is no cure for Gulf War syndrome, but it is the responsibility of the government to work on one.

As Murray recently said: “We need to do two things. First, the VA must keep the faith with these veterans and provide the health care and benefits they deserve. Second, the Department of Defense needs to learn from the past and screen today’s service members before and after they deploy to the Gulf.”

But that’s only one of the many challenges. The new director must implement the newly expanded G.I. Bill, make sure veterans of the current wars get proper mental health care and whittle the unconscionable backlog of disability claims.

Veterans need a strong advocate, because traditionally we are a nation that has spent freely on wars but been miserly in taking care of its combatants. President-elect Barack Obama made a lot of promises to veterans. His choice to lead the VA will provide the first clue on whether he intends to keep them.