By Debbie Gregory. Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, the Army National Guard director, has contemplated whether 39 days a year for training and drill is enough for the Guard Soldiers. His conclusion? More training is needed. To that end, the U.S. Army’s top officer is planning to more than double the number of required annual […]
By Debbie Gregory. A Taliban suicide bomber on a motorcycle drove into a military convoy near Bagram Air Base on Monday, killing six American soldiers. White House press secretary Josh Earnest released a statement condemning the “cowardly attack,” and said the United States “will continue to work together to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.” […]
By Debbie Gregory. Mike Missal, President Obama’s nominee for Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general said that if he is confirmed, one of his top goals will be improving the treatment of whistleblowers in the VA. The Washington, D.C. attorney, who specializes in government enforcement and internal investigations, testified to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee […]
By Debbie Gregory. This year, in an effort to promote collaboration and open dialogue among organizations dedicated to the success of transitioning service members, veterans, and their families, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched the Veterans Economic Communities Initiative (VECI). I had the pleasure of attending the Department of Veterans Affairs’ two-Day Veterans […]
By Debbie Gregory. A Marine veteran took to social media to fire back at Donald Trump’s call for American Muslims to be registered in a national database. Marine Sgt. Tayyib Rashid’s comeback has gone viral. Rashid, whose Twitter handle is @MuslimMarine, tweeted Trump a photo of his military identification card with the message: “Hey @realDonald Trump, […]
By Debbie Gregory. As a result of his 2009 disappearance from his base in Afghanistan, it was announced that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will face general court-martial, the highest level of trial in the military justice system. Bergdahl, 29, is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and could receive a sentence of life […]
By Debbie Gregory. Perhaps bolstered by their new Under Armour-designed helmets, featuring the seven classes of ships that make up the Navy’s fleet, the Midshipmen of Navy beat the Army’s Black Knights, 21-17. Each class of ship was based on the player’s position group. The Naval Academy explained that each position group and their corresponding […]
By Debbie Gregory. National Guard and Reserve members- does your employer go above and beyond to assist you with your service obligations? If so, then perhaps you should nominate your employer for a 2016 Freedom Award. But hurry, because nomination are only open until December 31st! The Freedom award is presented by the Employer Support […]
By Debbie Gregory. On November 10th, the Senate passed the Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act (S 1203), a bill to grant “honorary” veteran status to as many as 200,000 Reserve and National Guard retirees. Although they signed up to serve, these brave individuals have never been deemed veterans because they did not serve a qualifying […]
By Debbie Gregory. It’s a shame to leave hard-earned benefits on the table. In 2011, a benefit was added to the Post 9/11 GI Bill that gave living stipends to non-students who were seeking on-the-job (OJT) training or apprenticeships. Unfortunately, only about 2 percent of eligible veterans have taken advantage of it. The Post-9/11 GI […]
