By Debbie Gregory. Legislation with bipartisan support that would increase sanctions against Russia for its alleged interference in November’s U.S. presidential election was introduced in the Senate. Among the bill’s chief and co-sponsors are Senators Ben Cardin, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio. The legislation – called the “Countering Russian Hostilities Act of 2017 […]
By Debbie Gregory. Sometimes it takes an act of Congress. And that is exactly how the House and Senate paved the wave to permit retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to head the Pentagon for Donald Trump. The measure overrides a prohibition against former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform for less than […]
By Debbie Gregory. President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate David Shulkin as his secretary of veterans affairs. Shulkin currently serves as the undersecretary for health at the VA. The new position requires Senate confirmation. Shulkin is a board-certified internist. He served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Beth Israel Medical […]
By Debbie Gregory. While the average 2016 unemployment rate for the latest generation of veterans is on schedule to be approximately 5 per cent, November’s rate jumped to 6.5 percent. This increase brought the veteran employment rate to its lowest level of 2016. While the November unemployment statistic for post-9/11 veterans might not look good, […]
By Debbie Gregory. President-elect Trump may be considering Lockheed Martin Senior Vice President Leo Mackay, Jr. to fill one of the few remaining cabinet posts, the Department of Veterans Affairs. Trump has publicly sparred with Lockheed Martin in the past few weeks, arguing that the defense contractor wastes billions in tax dollars building F-35 fighter […]
By Debbie Gregory. The Congressional Budget Office has revealed that eliminating the collection of retirement pay and disability compensation simultaneously could save the government billions of dollars. Changing the benefit, which is called “concurrent receipt” would affect some 600,000 military veterans who are able to collect both benefits. Veterans who sustained career-ending combat injuries are […]
By Debbie Gregory. The Pentagon announced it would waive repayment for more than 15,000 California National Guard soldiers and veterans who received enlistment bonuses over the last decade. The Defense Department will begin notifying soldiers this month, with all of the notifications completed before July 1st. The announcement follows President Obama’s December 23rd signing of […]
By Debbie Gregory. While not quite ready for prime time, the Air Force Research Laboratory is looking to develop an air-launched directed-energy weapon capable of incapacitating the nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles utilized by North Korea. The experimental Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) weapon uses bursts of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) energy to disable electronic […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulation on co-payments for Veterans’ outpatient medications for non-service connected conditions. The VA currently charges veterans who do not qualify for free health care either $8 or $9 for a 30-day or less drug supply. But under a new plan set to kick in February 27th, […]
By Debbie Gregory. Thanks to changes in the annual defense department bill, passed by both the House and Senate, military families will have easier access to urgent care and primary care. Awaiting President Obama’s signature before becoming law, the bill ensures out-of-pocket costs won’t change for most Tricare users who are already enrolled in the […]
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