Legislation
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Defense leaders mull changes to overseas base policies to help military spouses find jobs
Type of content: News
As Congress considers new rules to help military spouses find work stateside, military officials are moving to ease barriers for spouses working overseas.
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The military is getting serious about putting eyes on your mold and other housing problems
Type of content: News
In the wake of reports from military families dealing with problems ranging from mold to mice to lead paint in their housing — and persistent frustrations in getting their concerns addressed — service officials are taking immediate steps to identify
- Topics
- Active Duty
- Benefits
- DoD
- Family
- Legislation
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Supreme Court: Retirees Can Be Court-Martialed for Crimes Committed After Service
Type of content: News
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Defense Department's authority to prosecute retired service members for crimes they commit, even after retirement.
The court on Tuesday chose not to hear the case of a retired Marine who was court-martialed for a sexual assault he committed three months after leaving the service in August 2015. By not accepting the case, Larrabee v. the United States, the court upheld the status quo: that military retirees are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
- Topics
- DoD
- Legal
- Legislation
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Veterans are committing suicide in VA parking lots: report
Type of content: News
A new report illustrates a troubling trend of veterans committing suicide on VA hospital campuses after receiving inadequate care from individual facilities.
- Topics
- Benefits
- Legislation
- Mental Health
- Suicide
- VA
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VA Awards Contracts Worth Up to $55 Billion for Private-Sector Care
Type of content: News
The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded the first of several regional contracts for its new Community Care Network that will replace various private-sector health care programs for veterans with VA health benefits.
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Dog research at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs gets formal review
Type of content: News
Dog research at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is going under the microscope. Yesterday, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in Washington, D.C., began a formal review of studies involving nearly 100 canines at four VA facilities to determine whether the animals are being properly treated—and whether the work is necessary.
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Connecticut VA Opens Its Doors To 'Bad Paper' Veterans
Type of content: News
Editor's note: This story contains a description of self-harm.
For an estimated 500,000 veterans, being put out of the military with an other than honorable discharge is a source of shame and an obstacle to employment. "Bad paper," in most cases, means no benefits or health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs — even when the problems that got them kicked out were linked to PTSD, traumatic brain injury or military sexual assault.
- Topics
- Benefits
- Legal
- Legislation
- Mental Health
- VA
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New review finds ‘sufficient’ evidence linking hypertension to Agent Orange exposure
Type of content: News
WASHINGTON — Researchers with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found for the first time that enough evidence exists to link hypertension to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.
The finding, announced Thursday, bolsters the case for veterans with hypertension to be granted easier access to Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, advocates argued. Before last week’s announcement, researchers had determined there was only “limited” or “suggestive” evidence hypertension could be caused by chemical herbicides used in Vietnam.
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Discharged veterans with war-related mental illnesses can sue, judge rules
Type of content: News
Veterans with mental health issues related to their service will be able to pursue a class-action lawsuit against the military.
A federal court judge in Connecticut ruled Thursday in favor of Navy and Marine Corps veterans who received a less-than-honorable discharge due to incidents related to untreated mental illnesses.
As a result of their discharge status, these veterans were subsequently denied VA benefits to receive healthcare for their war-related mental health issues.
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VA ready to hire dozens more specialists to give legal help to veterans at medical centers
Type of content: News
The Veterans Affairs Department announced Tuesday that it is ready to hire an additional 50 outreach specialists to help veterans in the judicial system after President Trump signed into law Tuesday the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018.
The law requires the VA to hire the new specialists over the next year and then place them at VA medical centers in need of their services. They will help veterans impacted by the justice system while working in the Veterans Treatment Courts or other court focused on veterans.
- Topics
- Benefits
- Legal
- Legislation
- Transition
- VA
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