Veterans For America

The families of the five military men gunned down by a fellow soldier in Iraq begin the long march of mourning. They were killed at what was supposed to be a sanctuary amid a war zone, a mental health clinic at a major US military installation.

As deployments continue to two wars, the pool of healthy soldiers ready for deployment has shrunk to its smallest level since the wars began. Even so, the tempo of deployments is going to increase this year, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey. 

In Afghanistan, where conventional soldiers gather, insurgents remain hidden. What does this mean for the ramp-up of US forces there? Next door, the US shares drone data with Pakistan for the first time. 

Advance funding for the VA is something supported by President Obama, veterans service groups and countless others as a way of ensuring speedy treatment without gaps in funding. So why are some opposed? Some House Republicans are also attacking the administration’s hopes for Defense budget reform. The proposed budget reflects lessons learned and future threats.

A new boss for the Army National Guard? War stresses and trauma don’t discriminate by service or rank; Guard members are not immune to the psychological fallout of combat. And we may soon be seeing another mission for our Guard, on top of those for Iraq and Afghanistan: deployments to the US-Mexico border.