By Debbie Gregory. If confirmed by the Senate, the first openly gay US Army secretary, Eric Fanning, could help lead America’s corps of fighting men and women into uncharted territory, on many fronts. President Obama is nominating Eric K. Fanning, a close civilian adviser to Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, to be the secretary of […]
By Debbie Gregory. John James Lavoie served in the U.S. Marine Corps for over 20 years, and that is certainly something to be proud of. But there’s a possibility that it wasn’t enough for him as he is now in the position of having to clear his name. Lavoie has been accused of “Stolen Valor,” […]
By Debbie Gregory. The Iran nuclear deal will leave Tehran as a growing power and require the United States to increase its spending on the military, according to four House Republicans Rep. Mac Thornberry, Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) all House Armed Services Committee members, expressed this […]
By Debbie Gregory. When the Air Force sought to honor Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone for his heroic actions in stopping a terrorist gunman on a French train this summer, the options were limited. Since the incident occurred in the French countryside, far from any declared combat zones, Stone was not eligible for traditional valor […]
By Debbie Gregory. Last January, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) received an anonymous allegation that staff at the Los Angeles VA Regional Office (VARO) were inappropriately shredding mail regarding veterans’ disability compensation claims. It was also alleged that VARO supervisors were instructing their staff to shred these documents. The following month, the OIG/Office of […]
By Debbie Gregory. There’s good news for military families who may have worried about potential paycheck problems due to the budget gridlock on Capitol Hill. On Aug. 28, President Obama announced that he is moving forward with a plan to provide a pay raise for all service members, effective January 1st . The bad news […]
By Debbie Gregory. California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Representative Ted Lieu of Torrance proposed a bill that aims to facilitate housing for veterans at the West Los Angeles Campus. This is an effort to remove veterans from the county’s alleyways and sidewalk shantytowns and onto the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ West Los […]
By Debbie Gregory. U.S. Army specialist Karlyn Serane Ramirez, stationed at Fort Meade, MD was found dead in her home, shot multiple times. Authorities say the medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide. Making this tragedy even worse, lying next to Ramirez was her 5-month-old daughter. Fortunately, the baby was unharmed and was transported […]
By Debbie Gregory. Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland’s Army career changed course during his second deployment to Afghanistan in 2011. And now it appears that the Army is expelling him for actions that most people would classify as heroic. The decorated Green Beret said that he is being kicked out of the Army for losing his […]
By Debbie Gregory. Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone will receive the Airman’s Medal and possibly the Purple Heart for helping stop a gunman on a European train. Not only did Stone tackle the gunman, his quick thinking and action saved the life of a passenger who was shot in the neck and losing blood. Stone […]
