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12 December 2023

Military Times | Iraq scrambles to contain fighting amid attacks on US troops

Dozens of attacks on U.S. military facilities by Iran-backed factions in Iraq over the past two months as the Israel-Hamas war has raged have forced Baghdad into a balancing act that’s becoming more difficult by the day. A rocket attack on the sprawling U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Friday marked a further escalation as Iraqi officials scramble to contain the ripple effects of the latest Middle East war.

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Stars and Stripes | VA hired nearly 2,000 health care workers with felony drug convictions after ‘deficient’ background checks

Mandated background checks prior to employment often were incomplete, conducted incorrectly or in some cases not done at all, according to testimony Wednesday before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs subpanel on oversight and investigations. “Evidence suggests the VA is failing to follow the law and common-sense policy resulting in background check deficiencies,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., the subpanel’s chairwoman.

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Military Times | Tuberville drops holds on more than 430 military promotions

Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Tuesday dropped his nearly 10-month hold on hundreds of senior military promotions amid growing pressure from GOP and Democratic colleagues who asserted the move was endangering national security.

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Defense News | Senate votes to keep US troops in Syria amid Iran-backed attacks

The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly voted down a bill 13-84 that would have required President Joe Biden to withdraw the roughly 900 troops stationed in Syria. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., secured a vote on the bill after an onslaught of attacks from Iran-backed proxies in recent months targeting U.S. forces in the war-torn country. These militias have launched at least 76 attacks on U.S. forces in both Syria and Iraq since Oct. 7, which marked the start of Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ massacre of Israelis.

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Associated Press | Ukraine’s Zelenskyy issues plea for support during Washington visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off a quick visit to Washington on Monday, warning in a speech to a defense university that Russia may be fighting in Ukraine but its “real target is freedom” in America and around the world. He also issued a personal plea for Congress to break its deadlock and approve continued support for Ukraine.

National Review | Rand Paul is right: Time to withdraw from Syria

Our troops in Syria have no mission, and they have no lawful reason given to them by our Congress to remain there. In the meantime, they serve as convenient targets for Iranian-backed militias who otherwise have no way of threatening American lives. And sometimes, these hostile militias use U.S. military equipment that was loaned to them by the Iraqi Army.

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The Guardian | At this critical moment for Ukraine, Biden must face the truth – and rethink his strategy

Instead, the White House should seek to build a new narrative: that this is a war of defense for Ukraine, and a strategic defeat for Russia, and that the US can support Ukraine while also acknowledging that there are other national security priorities that might need to take precedence. This narrative is less aspirational, but more pragmatic.

WFLA | ‘The VA’s breaking the law’: Is the agency’s health care data perfection or deception?

If a veteran waits longer than 20 days for a primary care appointment, the law requires U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities to offer them a civilian doctor through its Community Care program. But records obtained by 8 On Your Side reveal veterans locally and nationally rarely receive Primary Care through the program.

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ABC15 | Veterans raise questions of VA’s role in migrant health care system

In a 2022 report to Congress, IHSC budgeted more than $74 million to the VA’s Financial Services Center to pay for claims and processing in 2021. “At the same time the VA has a backlog of its own medical claims,” said Concerned Veterans for America’s Senior Advisor Darin Selnick. “That hurts veterans.”

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The Overwatch | #VAFail: The VA is managing community care unauthorized migrants while actively creating barriers for veterans seeking community care

This may be one of the worst insults to veterans since the Phoenix VA scandal of 2014.  News recently broke that the Department of Veterans Affairs is managing community care and reimbursements for unauthorized migrants while actively keeping veterans from accessing timely, quality care.

WBKO | Veteran’s family receives replacement medals of honor after originals are stolen

U.S. Senator Rand Paul joined the family of Master Sgt. Edward Hawk for a medal replacement ceremony at VFW Post 696. Master Sgt. Hawk served in the U.S. Army from 1989 to 2011, accumulating over 20 medals, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals.

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The War Horse | How embracing a former enemy at Pearl Harbor ended one veteran’s war

When they were about two feet apart, a look of peace seemed to settle over Mr. Fiske’s face and he reached for Mr. Abe. They embraced and held on to each other, tears streaming down both their faces. I believe that for Richard Fiske and Zenji Abe, it was official. The war was over at long last.

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