Yeah, the quality of the VA hospitals varies wildly depending on the location. I can vouch for Washington DC, which is probably as good as it is since it's right under the nose of Congress and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; friends say the Baltimore, Minneapolis and Tucson VAMC are also top-hole. On the other hand, there are enough news stories about the other ones to make you grind your teeth and think about culling the herd.

Going from the Regulars to the Guard is culture shock enough; I can only imagine what it must be like coming in from the Corps.