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11 July 2023

The Hill | Turkey agrees to advance Sweden’s NATO membership

Turkey on Monday agreed to move forward on allowing Sweden into NATO after delaying Stockholm’s accession to the defensive alliance for more than a year.

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Defense News | White House wants Ukraine inspector general out of defense bill

The White House on Monday told lawmakers it opposes a provision in the House’s annual defense policy bill that would create a special inspector general for Ukraine aid, modelled after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

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Breaking Defense | Multiyear assistance package for Ukraine to be announced at NATO Vilnius Summit

All 31 NATO members are set to approve a new multiyear assistance package for Ukraine at the alliance’s Heads of State Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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Associated Press | US drone strike kills an Islamic State group leader in Syria, the Defense Department says

A U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defense Department.

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WLOS | Charles George VA Medical Center data breach reported, more than 1,500 veterans impacted

The VA says a message included an attachment sent through Secure Messaging to three veterans. The medical center received read receipts back from two of those recipients. The email messages were recalled through Securing Messaging.

The American Conservative | Start telling the truth about Ukraine

Irrespective of Ukraine’s strength or weakness, Ukraine isn’t a strategic enough prize to warrant nuclear war. The mastery of Europe or the preponderance in the Atlantic balance of power isn’t dependent on who controls Bakhmut or Crimea, and no one sane should be willing to risk the total irradiation of Massachusetts for Mariupol. Ukraine was, after all, on the other side of the Cold War. We came out of it just fine.

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Newsweek | Ukraine should not be in NATO

Bringing Ukraine into NATO would scratch the itch of teaching Russia a lesson. But it would do nothing to end the war or shorten its duration—precisely the opposite. If Putin knows that Ukraine will be invited into the alliance after the war is over, he will have even more reason to fight in order to prevent that outcome.

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Fayetteville Observer | Fayetteville Army veteran: Veteran suicide crisis made worse by VA wait times, other hurdles

Access to mental health care and addiction recovery resources saves veterans’ lives, but both need to be readily available. For those stuck in the Department of Veterans Affairs health system, getting the care they need is often a battle.

The Overwatch | #VAFail: What happens when the VA doesn’t tell veterans about health care options?

Chris Enget, who was injured by an RPG in Afghanistan, faced difficulties in receiving the necessary treatment for his injuries. Despite the passage of the VA MISSION Act, which authorized community care for veterans, Chris was never informed about this option by the VA.

WCNC | Habitat for Humanity keeps promise of fixing veteran’s roof even after his death

The 80-year-old died in March, but two companies kept their word and made sure the house stayed on their list.

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ABC News | Ambitious new campaign aims to reduce veteran suicide rate by half

"We cannot leave this problem only to the government, the [U.S. Veterans Affairs Department], the [Department of Defense] or our health care providers.”

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