By Debbie Gregory. Seven veterans received honorary high school diplomas from Struthers High School in Youngstown, OH, during its June 2015 commencement ceremony. The veterans had left Struthers High to serve their country in conflicts ranging from World War II to Korea and Vietnam. The veteran diplomas were made possible through the Struthers Fallen Soldiers […]
By Debbie Gregory. The Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs are addressing widespread concern about the quality of education at for-profit colleges and unaccredited institutions. These schools have siphoned off billions of dollars in taxpayer-supported benefits for veterans and military personnel. The University of Phoenix, the country’s largest benefactor of GI Bill funds, is […]
By Debbie Gregory. From the “How Do You Sleep at Night?” file: A Rhode Island cemetery employee who was tasked with taking care of graves pillaged more than 200 granite headstones belonging to veterans, many of them still inscribed. The majority of them were used to build a floor for his carport at his residence. It’s […]
By Debbie Gregory. It is becoming increasingly more wide spread for veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder to opt for alternative treatments, including medical marijuana. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that “PTSD has been found to be a risk factor” for suicidal thoughts, which are often triggered by combat-related guilt that “can often overpower the […]
By Debbie Gregory. A husband and wife were convicted by a federal jury of embezzling federal funds that were intended to provide job training, benefits and equipment for injured Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. From 2007-2009, Judith Paixao and Kevin Lombard were directors of the Wounded Marine Careers Foundation, a tax-exempt entity that trained […]
By Debbie Gregory. In a dramatic shift for the US military, the Army is considering the use of bullets that can expand and break up when striking a target, making new pistols more lethal. After a recent legal review within the Pentagon, the Army can consider expanding the use of fragmenting ammunition, such as hollow […]
By Shelly Howard Veteran of the U.S. Navy “You don’t know how to relax,” was one of my wife’s criticisms. “You don’t know how to rest your body and mind. She was right. Like the proverbial chicken, I have always been a busy person. Some might even say “taskmaster.” But there comes a point when […]
By Debbie Gregory. Federal law may guarantee military student loan deferments, but more reports to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are indicating that many loans are either being denied or mishandled by financial institutions. Protections should be in place for borrowers under the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act. The bill states that lenders cannot charge […]
By Debbie Gregory. Congress has approved a measure sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla that offers veteran ID cards to honorably discharged service members. The cards would be an easier way to prove military service. The Veterans ID Card Act (H.R. 91), passed through the Senate and House without objection, but took several years to […]
By Debbie Gregory. In 2012, running a marathon was the last thing on U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Lewis’ mind. Recently divorced, Lewis wasn’t in a good place or a positive frame of mind. As a boy, the one person Lewis looked to as his hero was his grandfather. Whatever his grandfather told him to […]
