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Scott Konopasek, a decorated US veteran, has gone from defending his country to protesting the government, angered by deep budget cuts hurting former members of the military.

Wearing a US Army cap, the former intelligence officer voiced frustration and outrage at the impact of the Donald Trump administration’s dramatic overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

‘I’m just very disappointed in my country,’ he told AFP at a recent demonstration in Washington for veterans’ rights.

Having served in the US Army for 15 years, including being decorated for his service during the Gulf War, Konopasek is entitled to free health care through the VA.

That has long been a coveted perk in a country where private insurance can be extremely expensive.

But Konopasek said he cannot ‘get appointments anymore for my medical treatment.’

‘The system has been broken,’ he said, his voice cracking and tears welling in his eyes.

The VA — the second largest US government agency after the Defense Department — not only ensures that veterans can access health care, but also free university education and pensions.

In May, department head Douglas Collins announced a drastic restructuring of the institution, which employs some 500,000 people — 90 per cent of them in the health sector.

A leaked internal memo indicated 15 percent of VA staff would be let go, sparking outrage among former military members.

Making matters worse, veterans were simultaneously being hit with cuts demanded by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, until recently run by Elon Musk.

While they represent 6.1 per cent of the US population, veterans constitute a quarter of federal employees, according to Jamie Rowen, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Joe Plenzler, who served as a US Marine for two decades, insisted the veterans dismissed by the DOGE were ‘patriotic Americans.’

‘Many of them... are serving their country for a second time,’ he said.

‘For them to be fired and then maligned on the way out the door... is an insult.’

Another cause for concern is that ‘Project 2025’ — a blueprint for reshaping the government published by a conservative think tank two years ago in anticipation of a Trump win — called to ‘privatise healthcare at the VA,’ Rowen said.

But, ‘the quality of care by those private providers is not as good as the VA,’ the professor stressed.

This would be ‘bad for veterans. It’s more expensive, the wait times are longer and the quality of care is lower.’

Ydelka Schrock, a 47-year-old veteran from Maryland who served until 2001, also criticised the shift.

‘I don’t think what they’re doing to the VA and to the veterans who have fought for our country is right,’ she told AFP at the protest.

‘My husband is also a veteran, and he’s disabled’ due to his service as a parachuter, she said, insisting his medical benefits ‘shouldn’t go away.’

Schrock also fears that staff shortages could ‘make it harder for other veterans’ to access the benefits they need.