VA’s review of disability claims for fraud won’t include past filings, officials say
The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a tool that will analyze veterans’ disability claims applications for fraud — a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system. The tool will not, however, be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past...
Top Trump official resigns over Iran, blaming Israel for march to war
Joe Kent, one of the United States’ top counterterrorism officials, announced his immediate resignation on Tuesday, arguing that President Donald Trump had been led into an unnecessary war with Iran — in part by undue influence from Israel. In a letter addressed to the president...
Marines approve red dot optics for pistol qualification — under one condition
Marines can now complete their handgun qualification using a pistol equipped with a red dot optic, according to a policy change announced in a Marine Administrative Message last week. However, there is a caveat: the optic — an M17 Romeo red dot — must be...
An Afghan man who worked with the US military dies in ICE custody
HOUSTON — An Afghan immigrant whose family said he had been evacuated from his home country after working for years with U.S. forces died at a Texas hospital after immigration authorities detained him, according to authorities. Federal immigration officials called Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal a “criminal”...
The US has several options to counter Iranian mines. These are some key assets.
The U.S. military possesses several capabilities that it could wield to combat naval mine warfare in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy views the maritime weapon as a key pillar of its military strategy, according to a 2017 Office of Naval...
Number of US troops wounded in war against Iran rises to about 200
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) — The number of U.S. troops wounded in the war against Iran has risen to about 200, the U.S. military said on Monday, as the conflict entered its third week. The U.S. military’s Central Command said the vast majority of those...
Trump asks ‘about 7′ countries for help to open the Strait of Hormuz
CAIRO — President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but his appeals have brought no commitments as oil prices soar during the Iran war. The president declined to name the countries...
As allies resist US call to help in Strait of Hormuz, Trump says it was a loyalty test
President Donald Trump on Monday recast his weekend call for American allies to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz as a test of loyalty rather than a strategic necessity. The shift in Trump’s framing of the issue came after nearly half a dozen countries...
Judge orders VA to reinstate contract with employee union
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday that temporarily reinstates a collective bargaining agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and its largest employee union. Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose ruled in favor of the American Federation of Government Employees National...
‘Radiant’ mother from Kentucky was among 6 US service members killed in air crash in Iraq
A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a military refueling plane involved in the war with Iran crashed in western Iraq. Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and...
