By Debbie Gregory. The wife of a Fort Bragg soldier who was killed in Afghanistan in August had a lot of help when it came time to reveal the gender of the baby she is expecting in March. Brittany Harris, pregnant with the couple’s first child, called upon her late husband’s band of brothers to […]
By Debbie Gregory. Second Lt. Mariah Klenke has made history. On Tuesday, October 3, the Camp Pendleton Marine became the first female to graduate from the Marine Corps Assault Amphibian Officer Course and earn the military occupational specialty (MOS) of assault amphibian officer. Klenke was the first woman to start the course since the Pentagon […]
By Debbie Gregory. British researchers say they have evidence that Russia targeted U.S. military veterans and active-duty troops via social-media, especially Twitter, to spread anti-government propaganda in the spring before the presidential election. The study by Oxford University traced the reach of three websites, Veteranstoday.com, Veteransnewsnow.com, and Southfront.org, known to have shown ads and posts […]
By Debbie Gregory. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class Jeffrey Thomas has received the Silver Star for his actions during a deadly 10-hour firefight with Islamic State militants that helped his fellow sailors navigate a minefield. On September 20, 2017, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran recognized Thomas for his conspicuous gallantry and […]
By Debbie Gregory. Most veterans know that if they experience a disabling event while they are serving, they are entitled to VA disability compensation. But the process may be a little more involved than they might first anticipate. Here are some tips to help navigate the process. The VA will require you to prove you […]
By Debbie Gregory. As Director of Employer Engagement for California Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), I had the pleasure of meeting Retired Army Capt. Gary “Mike” Rose at a September ESGR event. Rose, a Vietnam veteran, will receive the Medal of Honor on October 23rd. In 1967, Rose decided to volunteer for the […]
By Debbie Gregory. Unlike Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau, who was convicted of lying to federal agents about receiving bribes in the “Fat Leonard” scandal, the U.S. Department of Justice decided not bring charges against Vice Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch, the former director of Navy intelligence. Leonard Glenn Francis, known as “Fat Leonard” because of his […]
Debbie Gregory. Statute 38 U.S.C. 3683 is an ethics law that prohibits Department of Veterans Affairs employees from receiving money or owning a stake in for-profit colleges. But the VA is now pushing back, claiming that the 50-year-old statute is redundant due to the other conflict-of-interest laws that apply to all federal employees and provide […]
As the “Take a Knee” debate continues on, Marie Tillman, the widow of NFL star and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, has asked that her husband not be used for political gain. Most people know that Pat Tillman gave up his NFL Arizona Cardinals contract to serve the United States in the wake of the 9/11 […]
By Debbie Gregory. As gross as it may sound, scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD are looking at ways to turn liquid human waste into clean, efficient fuel. The scientists observed an unexpected result when combining urine with a newly engineered nano-powder based on aluminum. It instantly releases […]
