Military officials will develop a “reverse boot camp,” with the goal of better preparing servicemembers who are leaving the military for civilian jobs or college classes. The program is part of a host of new initiatives announced by President Barack Obama on Friday to reduce unemployment among veterans.
Former Tacoma soldier killed in Afghanistan crash
A former Tacoma, Washington resident was among the U.S. troops killed in the crash of a U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan over the weekend, the Kansas City Star reported Monday.
Army Spc. Alexander Bennett, 23, reportedly moved to Overland Park, Kansas after returning from his 2009 deployment to Iraq. He served as a flight mechanic in the Army Reserve’s Chinook unit.
The 30 U.S. troops and eight Afghans who died in the crash in eastern Afghanistan Saturday were on a mission targeting a Taliban leader. An insurgent with a rocket-propelled grenade reportedly fired on the chopper and shot it down, the U.S.-led coalition said Monday.
It was deadliest single loss for U.S. forces in the decade-long war.
by KING 5 News and Associated Press
President signs new GI Bill fix into law
President Obama signed a new law on Wednesday that provides temporary tuition and fee protection to private college students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Under debt deal, military pay, veterans programs in play for cuts
Military pay raises, funding for veterans health care and the Post-9/11 GI Bill could be sacrificed to new fiscal realities as the result of the deal signed by President Obama on Tuesday to raise the federal debt ceiling, according to the Military Officers Association and veterans groups. The law requires the federal budget be cut $2.1 trillion over 10 years.
Back to School, A Roundup of Changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Since a revision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill was signed into law at the beginning of the year, we have made it a priority to explain the changes that could significantly impact students either attending school or about to start this fall. This week, many of those changes are being implemented, and it’s important that students understand how their benefits might be affected.
Veterans groups get White House assurances on debt agreement
Representatives of veterans groups were assured by White House officials Monday that veterans benefits and compensation are safe from across-the-board spending cuts that could be triggered by the debt agreement under consideration.
Vets With PTSD, Government Reach Settlement
More than a thousand Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder would be given lifetime disability retirement benefits such as military health insurance under the terms of a settlement reached between the government and the veterans.
STOP CONGRESS FROM PASSING AMERICA’S DEBT ONTO VETERANS
The 10 ways Congress is targeting military and veterans’ benefits during today’s difficult fiscal times are to:
- Increase healthcare premiums for military retirees on TRICARE
- Increase pharmaceutical fees for troops, families and retirees
- Eliminate presumptive service-connected conditions for disabled and ill veterans
- Lock out or increase fees for Department of Veterans Affairs Priority Groups 7 and 8 veterans
- Reduce cost-of-living allowances
- Freeze military pay
- End government subsidies to military commissaries
- Eliminate Department of Defense elementary schools stateside
- Eliminate the 20-year military retirement plan
- Eliminate DOD tuition reimbursement programs for service members
‘Virtual March’ planned to protect Disabled Vets
The nation’s largest organization representing disabled veterans and their families is organizing a “virtual march on Washington” on Facebook to protect veterans’ compensation and benefits from being targeted for cuts in the ongoing debt crisis negotiations.
Military’s Tricare Prime health care program targeted for cuts.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) wants to cut taxpayer funding for non-military elements of the Defense Department, starting with making retired, uninjured service members pay more for what he described as “extremely low-cost health care for life” for themselves, their spouses and dependents under the Tricare Prime system.
VFW Post 2713 | Farwell-Roosevelt 