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3 January 2023

Military Times | New in 2023: US troops in Europe to continue deployments, training

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Roughly 20,000 troops mobilized in Europe in support of NATO since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are on track to stay in place going into the new year, training not only with local partners, but with Ukrainian troops outside of their country.

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The Pentagon announced Dec. 15 that monthly rotations of 500 Ukrainian troops would travel to U.S. Army ranges in Germany for combined arms maneuver training, an effort to reinforce their formations as they enter a second year of fighting back against the Russians.

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Military Times | New in 2023: VA health records overhaul faces critical juncture

The Department of Veterans Affairs electronic health records overhaul has been underway for five years, but events coming in 2023 could decide whether the effort still has any future.

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The 10-year, $16 billion health records modernization project started in 2017 under then President Donald Trump and was touted as a way to provide better care to troops and veterans throughout their lives.

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Stars and Stripes | Pentagon says Chinese fighter buzzed US Air Force jet in ‘unsafe’ intercept over South China Sea

The U.S. military accused a Chinese fighter jet of flying within a mere 10 feet of a U.S. Air Force plane during an intercept last week over the South China Sea.

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Wall Street Journal | To deter China, Taiwan must prepare for war

China’s threat to take Taiwan by force looks more credible by the day as Beijing’s military power grows. The U.S. is taking the lead in response. But that needs to change if Taiwan wants to secure itself from invasion.

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Military Times | Congress needs to do better by troops deployed during holidays

After 22 years spread out between the U.S. Army and Navy, I lost track of all the Christmases, Thanksgivings, New Years and birthdays I spent deployed. What I do remember is the feeling of being away from my wife and daughters for each of those events.

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Reflecting on my own experiences this time of year, the question that continues to surface is why American troops are still spending Thanksgivings and Christmases in harm’s way. If the country’s leaders are going to ask so much of its military — the missed holidays, the danger, and the willingness to sacrifice lives — they had better have legitimate reasons.

CVA | CVA looks back at the biggest wins of 2022 and prepares for 2023

It’s that time of year again — when we at Concerned Veterans for America look back at our biggest wins and start preparing for what we can accomplish together in the year ahead.

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Here’s a look at the top moments from 2022 and what we’re planning on accomplishing in 2023.

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