we'll take them at #vasec. first i will start with a question of my own for you. >> sure. >> what's been the biggest surprise for you coming from a distinguished military career and a private sector career, good and bad, the biggest surprise in your tenure as va secretary? >> you won't find this surprising and i certainly didn't find this surprising but the amplitude of emotion is surprising. that is the ability to do a good thing for a veteran on any given day. i like to think before i go home at night about how many veterans did i help today. how many did i help through systemic or transformational changes we're making or how many called me on my cell phone. you may know i gave out my cell phone number veterans at my first national press conference in september of 2014. so i hear from veterans every day and i enjoy that because i like to listen to the voice of the customer. so i wouldn't say it was surprised but i think the amplitude of satisfaction is the surprise. surprise on the other side, i think is diff

we will also take them at #vasec. first i want to talk about the question i have for you.what has been the biggest surprise for you coming from a distinguished military career and a private sector career good and bad? the biggest surprise in your tenure as v.a. secretary. mr. mcdonald: you will not find this surprising and i certainly didn't find it surprising. i think the amplitude of emotion is surprising. that is the ability to do a good thing for a veteran on any given day. i like to think before i go home at night about how many veterans did i help today? how many did i help through i did the systemic or transformational changes we are making or even how many called me on my cell phone. you know i gave out myself for a number out my cell phone first nationalmy septembererence in 2014. veterans every day. and i enjoy that because i like to listen to the voice of the customer. i would not say it was surprised but i think the amplitude of satisfaction is surprised. surprise on the other side i think is the difficulty, the sheer difficulty of trying to get things done. we