Who is Anthony Washington Sr.?

Anthony Washington Sr. is a U.S. Army and Maryland Army National Guard veteran, a coach and official of more than twenty years, and the founder of After Today, LLC. He builds leadership training, athletic recruiting education, and people-first AI systems for student-athletes, families, schools, and organizations. He is based in Pennsylvania and works primarily across Pennsylvania and Maryland.

What does Anthony Washington Sr. do?

He works in three connected areas: athletic recruiting education that gives student-athletes and families a repeatable daily process, leadership training for first-time supervisors and public-sector leaders, and people-first AI and workflow implementation for organizations. He also speaks and runs workshops for schools, teams, and districts.

What is athletic recruiting infrastructure?

Athletic recruiting infrastructure is the repeatable system a family or program uses to manage recruiting — film, academics, communication with coaches, eligibility tracking, and follow-up — instead of relying on exposure events and luck. Anthony teaches recruiting as infrastructure so progress comes from a daily practice rather than a seasonal scramble.

What does people-first AI implementation mean?

People-first AI implementation means adopting AI to improve the work without displacing or sidelining the people who do it. In practice that means starting from the actual workflow, keeping a human accountable for decisions, training staff on the tools they will use, and setting guardrails before scale — not buying software and hoping the team adapts.

Who are Anthony's programs designed for?

Student-athletes and their parents, high school and grassroots coaches, athletic programs, schools and districts, first-time supervisors, public-sector leaders, and organizations that want leadership training or help implementing AI without leaving employees behind.

Does Anthony Washington Sr. provide leadership training?

Yes. He trains first-time supervisors and team leads on the first ninety days, difficult conversations, accountability, and building trust, drawing on his military service, public-sector supervision, and coaching experience. Training is delivered as courses, workshops, and organizational consulting.

How can a school, district, or organization work with Anthony?

Schools, districts, and organizations can book speaking engagements and workshops, bring in leadership training for supervisors and staff, or engage him on recruiting support and AI and workflow implementation. Start on the contact page and say which of those you need.

How can I book Anthony Washington Sr. to speak?

Send an inquiry through the contact page with your event date, audience, format, and location. The speaking page lists topics, session formats, and the audiences he speaks to most often.

Where is Anthony Washington Sr. based?

He is based in Pennsylvania and works primarily across Pennsylvania and Maryland, with virtual sessions available beyond that area.

Home › Blog › An Unofficial Holiday for Disabled Veterans?

An Unofficial Holiday for Disabled Veterans?

government · October 14, 2026

For many with disabilities, it’s COLA day!!!

Today might feel a little like an unofficial holiday for veterans.

Not Veterans Day.

That is still November 11.

But Wednesday, October 14, 2026 brought some financial news that a lot of veterans had been waiting on.

The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%.

The Social Security Administration officially announced the increase today.[1]

For every $1,000 in qualifying monthly benefits, a 3.6% adjustment works out to approximately:

$36 more per month.

$2,000 becomes roughly $2,072.

$3,000 becomes roughly $3,108.

$4,000 becomes roughly $4,144.

That can add up.

What This Means for VA Disability Compensation

VA has not yet published the final 2027 disability compensation rate tables.

But there is an important reason veterans can reasonably expect the same 3.6% adjustment.

VA states that disability compensation cost-of-living increases are required by law to match the percentage applied to Social Security benefits.[2]

So while the exact 2027 dollar amounts still need to be published by VA, the percentage is not really the mystery anymore.

The 2027 Social Security COLA is:

3.6%.

That should flow through to VA disability compensation once the official tables are released.

This Is Not a New Disability Rating

That distinction matters.

A COLA does not mean VA increased your disability percentage.

If you are rated 70%, you are still rated 70%.

If you are rated 90%, you are still rated 90%.

If you are rated 100%, you are still rated 100%.

The payment attached to that rating changes because of inflation.

Your disability evaluation does not.

Think of it as an adjustment designed to help preserve purchasing power.

Not a bonus.

Not a new claim.

Not a rating increase.

Social Security Is Official

For Social Security beneficiaries, the numbers are already official.

SSA announced that approximately 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will receive the 3.6% COLA beginning with January 2027 payments.[1]

SSI recipients will see the increase beginning with payments made December 31, 2026.[1]

SSA estimates that the average retired worker benefit will rise from about $2,095 to $2,170 per month.[3]

The average disabled worker benefit is projected to rise from approximately $1,642 to $1,701 per month.[3]

Why Veterans Pay Attention to COLA Day

For somebody receiving disability compensation, retirement income, Social Security, or some combination of benefits, COLA announcements matter.

Groceries went up.

Insurance went up.

Housing went up.

Utilities went up.

Transportation went up.

Healthcare costs can go up.

A cost-of-living adjustment does not necessarily mean somebody is financially better off.

It is designed to help benefits keep pace with inflation.

That is another distinction worth remembering.

More dollars do not automatically mean more purchasing power.

Sometimes the increase simply helps you keep from falling further behind.

So Is October 14 a Veterans Holiday?

Officially?

Absolutely not.

Unofficially?

😂

I understand why it might feel like one.

A lot of veterans woke up today waiting for one particular number.

Now we have it.

3.6%.

Veterans Day is still November 11.

But October 14, 2026 brought a little early financial news worth acknowledging.

Just remember:

The COLA percentage is official.

The final 2027 VA disability compensation tables are still pending.

When those tables are published, that is when veterans will be able to see their exact new monthly compensation amounts.

Sources

[1] Social Security Administration, “Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027,” October 14, 2026.
https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2026-10-14.html

[2] U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Current Disability Compensation Rates.”
https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/

[3] Social Security Administration, “2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fact Sheet.”
https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2027.html

Key takeaways

Social Security officially announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027 on October 14, 2026.[1]
A 3.6% increase equals approximately $36 per month for every $1,000 in qualifying benefits.
VA disability compensation generally receives the same COLA percentage because VA is required to match Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment.[2]
VA has not yet published its official 2027 disability compensation tables.
COLA increases payment amounts but do not change a veteran's disability rating.
Social Security beneficiaries will generally see the adjustment beginning with January 2027 payments.[1]
COLA is designed to address inflation, not provide an additional bonus.

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