Chris Macinkowicz is a Deputy Director for National Veterans Service, which operates out of the VFW Memorial Building in Washington, D.C. His duties include ensuring the professional development of VFW’s more than 2000 VA-accredited representatives, supervising the VFW Board of Veterans Appeals Office in Washington, DC, supervision of the VFW NVS Training and Quality Assurance Staff, and serves as the primary advisor to VFW leadership relating to policy changes within VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration and the Board of Veteran Appeals.

Chris entered the Army in September 2005. After completing Basic and Advanced Training, he was assigned to the 10^th Special Forces Group in Fort Carson, CO as a motor transport operator. During this time, he spent 23 months deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and participated in numerous combat missions with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula. His military awards include the Combat Action Badge, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Upon receiving an honorable discharge in April 2011, Mr. Macinkowicz returned home to Michigan where he joined the VFW Service Office in Detroit as an Assistant State Service Officer. During this time, he assisted veterans and their families navigate the VA claims process and advised them of other veteran related benefits both locally and nationally.

In 2013, Chris was hired by the VFW National Veterans Service to work at the VA Board of Veterans Appeals in Washington DC as an Appeals Consultant, and then in 2015 was promoted to Special Assistant for Quality Assurance where he helped to develop the VFW Quality Assurance Program and created the VFW Accredited Service Officer Online Learning Portal, which allows VFW accredited representatives the ability to access training modules and references at their convenience. After serving as VFW’s Assistant Director for Training and Quality Assurance from 2020 to 2024, Chris was promoted to Deputy Director, NVS in February 2024.

Originally from Warren, Michigan, Chris currently resides in La Plata, MD and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master of Science Degree in Management from Strayer University. He is a Life Member of VFW Post 1146 in Saint Clair Shores, MI.