Military & Veteran News

Military & Veterans News VA expands rental support, increasing housing options for Veterans WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded the Shallow Subsidy initiative and will grant  $200 million to 238 nonprofit organizations across the country and territories to provide housing rental assistance to extremely and very low-income Veteran households eligible under VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.

Military & Veterans News VA spotlights special benefits for elderly wartime Veteran population WASHINGTON — As a follow up to National Financial Awareness Day, Aug. 14, the Department of Veterans Affairs is launching an awareness campaign to inform elderly wartime Veterans and their families of their lesser-known pension, funeral, burial and survivor benefits.

Military & Veterans News VA expands mandate for COVID-19 vaccines among VHA employees Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will expand his previous COVID-19 vaccine mandate Friday, Aug. 13, to apply to most Veterans Health Administration employees and volunteers and contractors who work in VHA facilities, visit VHA facilities or otherwise come into contact with VA patients and healthcare workers as part of their duties.

Military & Veterans News VA seeks nominations for appointment to the Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Working Group WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice, May 6, in the Federal Register requesting nominations for a one-year appointment to the VA Secretary’s Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Working Group.

Military & Veterans News FDA grants VA first ever compassionate use for 3D-printed hearing device WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received compassionate use approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February for a groundbreaking in-house developed medical device to help improve the quality of life of a Veteran with a rare hearing condition. 

Military & Veterans News Veterans’ GI Bill benefits to continue during COVID-19 pandemic President Trump signed into law S. 3503, March 21, which will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue providing the same level of education benefits to students having to take courses online due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Military & Veterans News DOD Implements Policy Change for Child Care Priorities On June 1, 2020, the Department of Defense will implement a policy change to the current priorities for child care. As directed by Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper in a memo signed Feb. 21, 2020, the department will afford priority access to military families. Beginning June 1, the military services may begin to officially notify families who face being supplanted. Once a family is notified, they will then have 45 days to find alternative care.

Military & Veterans News VA extends benefits to offshore Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans January 1st The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) begins deciding Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 claims, Jan. 1, 2020, extending the presumption of herbicide exposure that include toxins such as Agent Orange, to Veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Military & Veterans News Remarks by President Trump During Troop Engagement | Bagram, Afghanistan THE PRESIDENT:  We’re going to be getting together.  We’ll be saying a few words in a little while.  But it’s an honor to be with you.  We brought Senator Barrasso.  As you know, he’s a great supporter of our military services.  And nobody is like you.  We spent two and a half trillion since I’ve been here.  That’s a lot of money.  But we rebuilt our military.  It was depleted, as you know, and now it’s — I guess, the word “depletion” is about the last word we’d use, right?

Military & Veterans News VA reports significant increase in Veteran use of telehealth services WASHINGTON – The U.S.

Military & Veterans News VA equips 200,000 Veterans with lifesaving naloxone to block against Opioid overdose The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program announced that from May 2014 to September 2019, the program issued naloxone — a medication used to block the effects of a potentially fatal opioid overdose — to more than 200,000 Veterans.

Military & Veterans News VA expands Military Spouse Employment Partnership program The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is expanding employment opportunities for military spouses departmentwide, as part of its formal induction into the Department of Defense (DOD) Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program.

Military & Veterans News VA appoints a new chief data officer The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the appointment of Kshemendra Paul, executive director for Data Governance and Analytics and the department’s Chief Data Officer.

Military & Veterans News VA has cured 100,000 Veterans of Hepatitis C As World Hepatitis Day is marked nationwide this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reached a significant milestone, having cured more than 100,000 Veterans of chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), establishing VA as a global leader in the diagnosis and treatment of HCV.

Military & Veterans News VA launches community-focused public health model to prevent Veteran suicide The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) and VA Midwest Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network [VISN] 23) have been working with academic researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s Program Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) to spearhead a community-based program as one of many efforts aimed at lowering the rate of Veteran suicide.

Military & Veterans News VA increases contracting with Service-Disabled and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie today announced an increase to the department’s goals for contracting with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB). 

Military & Veterans News VA to receive new Fisher Houses in Michigan, Colorado and Nebraska, which offer temporary lodging to Veterans’ families and caregivers Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that Fisher House Foundation plans to construct three new 16-suite Fisher Houses at VA campuses in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Aurora, Colorado; and Omaha, Nebraska; which will provide temporary accommodations for the families and caregivers of Veterans and active-duty military receiving care at the VA facilities. 

Military & Veterans News VA, DAV to co-host National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic: Hundreds of disabled Veterans to take on life-changing adaptive sports challenge WASHINGTON — Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the  National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic will take place March 31 to April 5 in Snowmass, Colorado. 

Military & Veterans News VA to implement appeals modernization in February: Act will simplify process for how Veterans make claims appeals The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) announced that the Federal Register will publish on Jan. 18 regulations accompanying the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA), which will help Veterans experience a more transparent claims decision-review process.

Military & Veterans News VA partners with The Independence Fund to help prevent Veteran suicide Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced its partnership with The Independence Fund to provide wellness and mental health education to Veterans, caregivers and families.

Military & Veterans News DOD Releases 2019 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates The Department of Defense released the 2019 Basic Allowance for Housing rates today.  BAH rates will increase an average of 2.55 percent when the new rates take effect on January 1, 2019.  An estimated $21 billion will be paid to approximately one million service members.

Military & Veterans News VA, partner organizations launch innovative approach using long-term employment to improve lives of Veterans with PTSD With research showing that Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face significant barriers to employment, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and several state, city and nonprofit organizations recently created a first-of-its-kind “Pay for-Success” project to improve employment outcomes for such Veterans. 

Military & Veterans News Cigarette Use One of Most Significant Health Risks to Military Service Members The American Osteopathic Association has partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Tips From Former Smokers® campaign to address high smoking rates among service members, who smoke at a rate 60% above the general population.

Military & Veterans News Statement by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. on the Passing of Senator John McCain Statement by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.: "Senator McCain exemplified what it means to be a warrior and dedicated public servant. Both as a naval officer and as a member of Congress, he was a lifelong and tireless advocate for the men and women of the U.S. military.