Active Duty

About 2.1 million service members are seeing a slight bump in their paycheck, as the monthly premiums for life insurance for themselves and their spouses have decreased, effective July 1.

For those with the maximum $400,000 coverage under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, or SGLI, the premium has decreased by $4 a month, from $29 to $25. Most service members have the maximum coverage.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a security clearance holder say, “I had no clue that was in my file,” I’d be a rich man.  The context varies – human resources files, security databases, law enforcement records, etc. – but the surprise is rarely a good one.  Common examples include an old disciplinary write-up, a long-forgotten security infraction, or a police report with highly unflattering details about the subject.

The VA has teamed up with the Defense Department and thousands of veteran volunteers on what could be breakthrough research to get at the root causes of post-traumatic stress disorder and open up paths to new methods of treatment, according to VA officials.

June 24 (UPI) -- For many veterans, life in combat is hard, but for those who survive it, the mental stress of war can be deadly, new research shows.

Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder have twice the risk of dying from accidental injury, viral hepatitis and suicide compared to the general population, according to a study published Monday in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. They also have a higher risk of developing chronic liver disease and diabetes.