Military Related Headlines 2/26

• Official: Pentagon allows coverage of war coffins [CNN]
• Combat Forces May Remain In Iraq Long Term [CBS News]
• Brave New Foundation Releases New Film On Afghanistan Troop Surge (VIDEO) [Huff Po]
• NKorea Lashes out Over Missile-Test Warnings [ABC News]

-Dippold

Military Related Headlines 2/23 - 2/25

• Troops to leave Iraq in 18 months, officials say [Newsvine]
• Four British personnel are killed [BBC News]
• Soldiers still waiting for tour bonuses [USA Today]
• Dexter Filkins: No End In Sight In Afghanistan [NPR]
• Obama says he will raise pay for troops [Newsvine]
• US soldier killed in Iraq attack [BBC News]
• Veterans Advocates Angry At Army Charity [CBS News]
• Violence In Iraq Takes A Political Turn [NPR]
• Sunni lawmaker wanted in Green Zone attacks [McClatchy]

-Dippold

Military Related Headlines 2/16

• Obama Refuses To Be Rushed On Troop Decision, Surprising Military [Huff Po]
• Airstrike Kills 31 in Pakistan [NY Times]
• Iraqi officials: Roadside bombs kill 8, injure 24 [USA Today]
• Ghulam Dastagir Killed In Airstrike In Afghanistan [Huff Po]
• Nuclear Subs Collide In Atlantic [CBS News]
• North Korea to Press Ahead With Missile Test [NY Times]

-Dippold

USA Together.org

CNN tells the story of Dave Mahler and his website USAtogether.org, a service that helps injured U.S. troops by showcasing individual soldiers' stories and needs. Anyone wanting to help can browse the site and decide whom they want to support and how much.

The CNN article explains a little more about how the site works:

Visitors to USAtogether.org can search for requests by ZIP code, branch of service or type of need. Requests can be filled quickly, so the organization is looking for more service members and their families to list their needs, Mahler said.

Military Related Headlines 2/11

• Bombing rocks Baghdad bus station [BBC News]
  
• Military recruitment surges as jobs disappear [CNN Money]
  
• Report: N. Korea moves missile equipment to site [USA Today]
  

-Dippold

Military Related Headlines 2/5

• Stunning Rise In Army Suicides In Jan. [CBS News]
• Sources: US considers Uzbekistan as backup base [AP via Newsvine]
• Army contractor pleads guilty in detainee shooting [USA Today]
• Panetta To CIA: Where Is Osama Bin Laden? [CBS News]
• Clinton regrets threat to close air base [AP via Newsvine]
• Post-Soviet nations to form military force [CNN]
• Cyber army base attracts recruits [BBC News]

-Dippold

Shinseki wants more VA claims processors, all-electronic claims system

The Associated Press reports today on the new head of the VA, Eric K. Shinseki, and his intentions. Among them:

• Reducing the six month delays in paying out disability claims.
• Quickly implementing an all-electronic claims system to expedite the process, phasing out paper processing, possibly by 2012.
• Hiring 1,100 more VA staff members this year to deal with case backlog.
• Launching a "topdown" review of the Department of Veteran Affairs.
• Submitting a "credible and adequate 2010 budget request" that promises cost-effectiveness while concurrently completely sensitive to vets in need.

That's a lot to deliver.

Lets hope Ralph Waldo Emerson was wrong, (in this case of Shinseki's promises), in saying, "All promise outruns performance."

-Dippold

Military Related Headlines 2/3

• Duckworth nominated to VA post [AP via Newsvine]
• Navy investigating electrocution deaths in Iraq [USA Today]
• Kyrgyzstan Said to Deny Base to U.S. [NY Times]
• US Soldier Seeks Asylum in Germany Over Iraq War [Deutsche Welle]

-Dippold