News
Female Veterans Pose Homeless Challenge for VA
Wednesday, April 1, 2015 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
The VA has a goal to end veteran homelessness, which means there are no veterans sleeping on our streets and every veteran has access to permanent housing. Some female veterans question whether that goal will be met.
The number of women wounded by their war service is at a zenith and so are their problems.
Suit Revives Controversy on Air Force Explicit Songbook
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 | Category: Military Justice - National
Susan Burke filed a new lawsuit seeking to stop the Defense Department from putting commanders in charge of sexual assault cases in their units. The case revives a 2012 controversy over a sexually explicit songbook of "misogynistic trash" that some fighter pilots allegedly still use.
Bill Would Allow Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma to Seek Special Care
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) reintroduced H.R. 1603, the Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment (SAVE) Act, designed to allow survivors of military sexual trauma to seek specialized care outside of the Veterans Administration health care system. Co-sponsors include Democrat Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
Army Apologizes to Troops Exposed to US-Designed Chemical Weapons in Iraq
Friday, March 27, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
The undersecretary of the Army apologized in response to a New York Times investigation for the military’s mishandling of more than 600 service members who reportedly suffered from chemical exposure in Iraq. After being exposed to potentially lethal amounts of sulfur mustard and sarin gas, US troops often received inadequate medical treatment, gag orders, and found themselves ineligible for Purple Heart medals.
'The right stuff': Military Women Throughout History
Thursday, March 26, 2015 | Category: History/Heritage - National
Since colonial days women have contributed much to the development of the American way of life in many areas, including national defense. Congress designated March as Women's History Month in 1987 to recognize their vast contributions.
Nation's Oldest Female Veteran Dies at 108
Friday, March 20, 2015 | Category: History/Heritage - National
Lucy Coffey worked at an A&P grocery store in Dallas when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, according to the Stars and Stripes. She joined the newly formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943. The war took her to the Pacific theater, including New Guinea, the Philippines and finally Japan, where she spent a decade before moving to San Antonio. She earned two bronze stars.
Army Female Trailblazers Applaud Expanding Role of Women
Thursday, March 19, 2015 | Category: United States Army - National
Army Lt. Gen. Karen Dyson noted that "After OIF and OEF, we are learning now about the complexities of the battlespace that demands new roles for women that have emerged or gained prominence over the last 13-plus years of war." The Army is opening to female Soldiers some 33,000 jobs that were previously closed to them as part of the directive to open combat jobs to women in the military.
Schultz Family Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense Join with Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families to Launch Innovative Military Transition Program
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 | Category: Employment - National
The Schultz Family Foundation (SFF), the U.S. Department of Defense and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) launched "Onward to Opportunity," a groundbreaking national program that will deliver tailored, industry-specific training and certifications to service members and spouses on U.S. military bases prior to transition. Program participants with develop skill sets to immediately qualify them to work for leading U.S. companies, resulting in a seamless transition from military careers to civilian employment. In 2015, "Onward to Opportunity," supported by a unique coalition of Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies and nonprofits, will launch nationwide on up to six military bases and communities.
Ashland Police Detective Shares Sexual Abuse Reporting Protocols at Pentagon
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | Category: Military Justice - National
APD’s You Have Options program is intended to increase reports of sexual assault so that offenders may be prosecuted and prevented from committing future offenses. The program offers sexual violence victims a safe and flexible platform for anonymous reporting. Throughout the reporting process, victims control who is contacted during the investigation and when to proceed with charges if they decide to do so.
Indianapolis VA Hospital Under Fire for Email Making Fun of Veterans
Monday, March 9, 2015 | Category: Department of Veterans Affairs - National
Indianapolis VA staff e-mails revealed unprofessional ridiculing of veterans, including suicide.