TheRepublic.com - Military affairs News

Deaths at Atlanta VA hospital prompt scrutiny

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:30:22 -0400

ATLANTA - One patient with a history of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts was left alone in a waiting room inside the Atlanta VA Medical Center, where he obtained drugs from a hospital visitor and later died of an overdose.

US Senior Open announces Military Appreciation Day

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:23:03 -0400

OMAHA, Nebraska - A Military Appreciation Day will be held during the week of the U.S. Senior Open Championship at Omaha Country Club this summer.

Brewers team up on beer to help military families

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:09:04 -0400

RICHMOND, Virginia - Craft breweries from around the country are toasting the troops with a beer aged with a unique ingredient that symbolizes America's pastime - baseball bats.

Mass. soldier killed in Afghanistan remembered

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:46:27 -0400

PITTSFIELD, Massachusetts - Family and friends are paying final respects to a soldier from Massachusetts killed in Afghanistan.

Memorial Day program scheduled at Ga. cemetery

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:23:21 -0400

CANTON, Georgia - The Georgia National Cemetery is gearing up to honor all military members who have served the country or are currently deployed.

NY senator: Assaults let military culture continue

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:49:38 -0400

ALBANY, New York - Charges that an Army sergeant secretly photographed and videotaped women at West Point are part of a military-wide pattern of sexual misconduct, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Thursday.

SPOTLIGHT: Graduating veteran made mark

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:05:13 -0400

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois - Mat Jasieniecki readily admits that after he graduated from high school, he partied a bit too much, and after a while his grandparents told him to shape up.

NC hospital offers compromise to local veterans

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:20:04 -0400

GASTONIA, North Carolina - Gaston County's largest employer is striking a deal with American military veterans who complained that a name change indicated people are forgetting the sacrifice of World War II vets.

Military gets free admission to OH amusement park

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:05:18 -0400

MASON, Ohio - Current and former members of the U.S. military will get free admission to Kings Island amusement park in southwest Ohio over Memorial Day weekend.

Pentagon: New record plan won't help vet backlog

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:01:17 -0400

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has decided to buy a new computerized health records system to be able to better share and merge its data with the Department of Veterans Affairs, but officials cautioned that it was part of a "long-term modernization" effort and would not help ease the backlog in VA disability claims.

House panel moves to curb military sexual assaults

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:12:09 -0400

WASHINGTON - Members of a House panel angry over the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the military took a key step toward tackling the problem by passing legislation Wednesday that would strip commanding officers of their longstanding authority to unilaterally change or dismiss court-martial convictions in rape and assault cases. Lawmakers believe the revision will lead to a cultural shift and encourage victims to step forward.

Statehouse ceremony honors Ohio military dead

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:11:51 -0400

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sixteen fallen military members from Ohio have been honored in a ceremony on the grounds of the Statehouse.

Expanded VA outpatient clinic in Beaufort to open

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:05:04 -0400

BEAUFORT, South Carolina - An expanded veterans' outpatient clinic at the Naval Hospital in Beaufort is ready to accept patients.

Chronic pain affects growing number of MN veterans

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:57:49 -0400

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - Thousands of Minnesota soldiers are returning from war with chronic pain from injuries that leave many of them impaired and even disabled, and there's been a steep increase in such injuries over the past decade.

NJ flags at half-staff to honor Navy officer

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:17:38 -0400

TRENTON, New Jersey - Gov. Chris Christie has ordered flags at all New Jersey state buildings to be flown at half-staff to mourn of the victims of the deadly Oklahoma tornado victims and the devastation it caused.

Military discharges, rather than treats

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:14:29 -0400

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - The U.S. Army has discharged escalating numbers of traumatized combat veterans who commit crimes and in ways that make them ineligible for Veterans Administration health assistance, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reports.

Algerian president leaves Paris military hospital

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:27:55 -0400

PARIS - Officials say Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has left the French military hospital where he has been treated for nearly a month and transferred to another facility.

SBA starting new lending program for veterans

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:07:07 -0400

NEW YORK - The Small Business Administration says it has lined up pledges from more than 120 banks to increase lending to veterans.

New director appointed at Atlanta VA center

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:20:50 -0400

ATLANTA - The Department of Veterans Affairs has appointed Leslie B. Wiggins as the new director of the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

Fla. gov. vetoes nearly $400 million from budget

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who had a tough time winning cooperation this past year from the Republican-led Legislature, struck back on Monday by vetoing nearly $400 million from the state's new budget.

Gov. names new head of Veterans Affairs

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:15:05 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa - Retired Col. Robert King will serve as the next head of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs.

Group plans black Civil War veteran memorial

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:31:18 -0400

HAGERSTOWN, Maryland - Soldiers in Hagerstown were among the first black men in Maryland to join the ranks of the Union during the Civil War, and were involved in the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, during the conflict.

Group plans black Civil War veteran memorial

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:40:28 -0400

Military sex abuse has long-term impact for vets

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:31:32 -0400

WASHINGTON - New government figures underscore the staggering long-term consequences of military sexual assaults: More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness linked to the abuse, and 4,000 sought disability benefits.

AP IMPACT: Military sex abuse victims seek VA help

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:42:27 -0400

WASHINGTON - More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness stemming from sexual abuse in the military, and 4,000 sought disability benefits, underscoring the staggering long-term impact of a crisis that has roiled the Pentagon and been condemned by President Barack Obama as "''shameful and disgraceful."