The Department of Defense has settled two lawsuits challenging the DoD COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The settlement happened in a federal court in Florida and, according to some sources, spells the “end” of the military’s COVID vaccination mandate. However, the technical end of the DoD COVID-19 mandate actually happened thanks to a 2021 DoD memorandum, which… Read more »
In 2022, the Air Force issued a press release announcing a “THC retest pilot program,” which allows applicants a second chance if they test positive for marijuana use as part of their inprocessing through a Military Entrance Processing Station or MEPS. When the program was first implemented, the Air Force wasn’t facing a recruiting shortage… Read more »
The looming government shutdown crisis has been averted, at least for now. On the last day of September 2023, Congress found a way to sidestep partisan bickering, political posturing, and budget crisis theater long enough to pass a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government fully funded for an additional 45 days into the new… Read more »
UPDATE: Jan 8 2024: The budget crisis was temporarily averted by a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government in a two-part process with an initial deadline of January 19 and a second deadline on February 2, 2024. The House and Senate agreed to a basic framework for the federal budget over the weekend of… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs is reviewing its PACT Act claims process due to a large number of 0% disability ratings related to those claims. A report published by Military.com notes that while the VA has approved most PACT Act claims submitted since the program began, more than 30% have received a 0% disability rating… Read more »
An increase in VA benefits scams aimed at those claiming new benefits or appealing VA decisions has prompted action from the federal government. The Department of Veterans Affairs has responded to increased VA benefits scams by launching an awareness campaign on its official site and in VA facilities. The VA added a page to VA.gov… Read more »
Do military members continue to get paid during a government shutdown? The short answer is no, they do not. But that situation changes if Congress passes a funding resolution for military operations to keep money flowing to the Department of Defense even during a shutdown. It’s happened before and is likely (according to some) to… Read more »
On September 19, 2023, Stars and Stripes reported on a Pentagon statement about a potential government shutdown if the House and Senate cannot reach a deal to approve more money for the federal government by the September 30 deadline when the current fiscal year’s federal funding runs out. “The U.S. military will keep active-duty troops… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs encourages all veterans to get the updated COVID-19 booster shot approved for 2023-2024. A surge of coronavirus cases in the U.S. and elsewhere has raised concerns; published sources note that COVID-19 infections have increased by as much as 200% among the veteran population, an uptick worrying some VA officials. According… Read more »
There’s good news and bad news. The good news (for the DoD) is that the United States Army met its retention goals for fiscal year 2023. The bad news? Meeting that goal means the Army has no incentive (for now) to continue offering reenlistment bonuses. It has temporarily paused the program. What is the U.S. Army… Read more »