News
Family Fighting to Allow Female World War II Pilots to Be Laid to Rest in Arlington National Cemetery
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
World War II pilot veteran Elaine Harmon's family is fighting to preserve the rights for her and other female WWII pilots to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). Harmon, at 25 years old, joined 1,000 other volunteer female pilots in 1944 as part of the Army's World War II Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) program. When she died in 2015, her family applied to have her ashes inurned at ANC. They were denied. On March 23, 2015, the Secretary of the Army rescinded the ANC Superintendent's 2002 decision.
US West Point Academy Swears in First Woman Commandant of Cadets
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
Brigadier General Diana Holland, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, was sworn in as the Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was sworn in on January 5, 2016. General Holland is the first female to serve in this position, the latest milestone for American women who now are allowed to serve all military combat roles. West Point, founded in 1802, accepted its first female cadets in 1976.
LA County Approves $7 Million to Help Homeless—Especially Women, Veterans
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - California
The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors approved $7 million to help get homeless individuals, particularly women and veterans, off the street and into housing quickly. About $1.2 million of the $5 million was designated to launch the "Home for Heroes" program.
Worcester Wreath Reports on the 2016 Wreaths Across America Program
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
On December 12, 2015, the Worcester Wreath Company and Wreaths Across America announced that 901,000 Christmas wreaths were placed on graves across America to remember those who served in the military. The wreaths help to keep their memory alive and is a time when individuals come together without denominational divide or political agenda to lift up the men and women who protected America’s freedom. The "Wreaths Across America" mission which is to "Remember, Honor, Teach."
Lewis Diuguid: Endless War Keeps Grip On the U.S.
Monday, January 4, 2016 | Category: Combat - National
Mr. Diuguid calls for a future characterized by lasting peace. He notes that 25 of his 60 years the U.S. has been engaged in costly wars consuming too many lives and resources. The U.S. has been in Afghanistan for 15 years and has a defense budget of $610 billion, $9 billion more than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, the United Kingdom, India and Germany combined. The U.S. is war weary and its servicemembers come home with lingering health challenges that the Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't always meet.
Prosecutors Dispute Former N.H. Guard Commander’s Sex-Trafficking Appeal
Thursday, December 31, 2015 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - New Hampshire
Army Lt. Col. Ray Valas, former New Hampshire National Guard Commander, filed an appeal for his guilty verdict of soliciting sex from an underage prostitute. Federal prosecutors dismissed his central appeal claim as a legal misinterpretation.
Veteran Suicide Estimate of 22 Per Day Sparks Debate, Spurs Lawmakers Into Action
Thursday, December 31, 2015 | Category: Suicide - National
Congress passed the 2015 "Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act" to address what lawmakers saw as an epidemic of suicides among Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans. The rate of 18-22 veteran suicides a day was taken from a 2012 Department of Veterans Affairs study. The 2014 update reflected similar rates. The Act requires "a labor-intensive study between the VA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to put together a national death index to get a real head count of all veteran deaths since 1979, including suicides."
The number itself, taken from a 2012 Department of Veterans Affairs study, is debated by researchers,
Department of Defense Forwards to Congress Proposed Changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Monday, December 28, 2015 | Category: Military Justice - National
In October 2013, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel directed the review of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and its implementation in the Manual for Courts-Martial. The proposal includes recommendations of the Military Justice Review Group. The Group conducted a detailed analysis of each article of the UCMJ, including the historical background of the UCMJ, current practice, and comparison to federal civilian law. The Department of Defense (DOD) forwarded their proposed legislation to Congress, including 37 statutory additions and substantive amendments to 68 current provisions of the UCMJ. The DOD’s proposal is the first comprehensive military justice reform package submitted to Congress in more than 30 years.
Less Consideration for Female Veterans
Sunday, December 27, 2015 | Category: Combat - Texas
An Operation Iraqi Freedom female Marine veteran shares her interview experience, concluding that her military service was less valued than her male peers. She believes that discrimination contributes to why women veterans do not attend veteran events.
Stefanik Can Do Better
Sunday, December 27, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - New York
This opinion piece challenges the depth of New York representative Stefanik's understanding of the issues the House Armed Services Committee addresses. The author specifically notes her position f supporting the current military strategy in Afghanistan and continuing involvement of the military chain of command in sexual assault cases.