The Department of Defense made a significant investment in Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, and recent figures suggest the move paid off. Officials say that soldiers riding in MRAPs were approximately 14 times more likely to survive an improvised explosive (IED) device attack than troops travelling in Humvees, according to USA Today.
The Pentagon spent about $47 billion on the trucks, and the findings will help validate the advocates of the significant investment. Among those who championed their construction was Vice President Joe Biden and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who say the vehicles may have helped save thousands of lives over the course of the wars.
MRAPs became more common in 2007 when the military made the shift away from Humvees, which had become recognized as being especially vulnerable to IED attacks. As the Pentagon shifts its focus from the Middle East to Asia, MRAPs may play a larger role.
"It indicates first of all the IED threat, or the need for heavily armored protection is something that we're going to want to have in our tactical vehicles in future," Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told the publication.
Though the findings are a bit of good news, it comes amid a solemn milestone. A weekend firefight brought the number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan to 2,000, according to The Associated Press.
Separating from the military can sometimes pose a challenge to soldiers who have spent much of their adult lives serving their country, but a growing number of them are finding a different way to serve civilians. Dozens of veterans are up for political office this fall, ranging from Senators to local government officials, The Associated Press reports.
Though not unusual for servicemembers to run for office, the numbers have spiked as of late due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The trend also comes as the number of politicians who have served is at an all-time low, with just about 20 percent of members of Congress having been in the military. Many vets, including former Marine Seth Lynn, thinks an increase in the number of troops in government could have a profound impact.
"I'm not saying that the two are necessarily a causal relationship," Lynn, who helps train servicemembers running for office, told the AP. "But I do think that there is that ability to put your country before yourself, but also to work together across party lines, that Americans want more that just isn’t happening in Washington."
Some veterans are embroiled in some of the highest-profile races in the country. Among the most well-known is Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq vet and former helicopter pilot who lost her legs after a 2004 crash. She is running to represent Illinois' 8th district in Congress.
The end to the baseball season is fast approaching, but that doesn't mean the Arizona Diamondbacks is slowing down on supporting the troops. The team is gearing up to host its third-annual Seats for Soldiers car show on Sunday, the Arizona Republic reports.
Aside from giving Diamondbacks fans the chance to check out some of the most impressive cars from around the area, the show also provides military families with free tickets to future games. Among those contributing to the show is Joe Luber, who will be showing off his 1975 Chevrolet Caprice – a car he affectionately refers to as Big Red. For Luber, who served in the Air Force more than 45 years ago, the event has extra meaning.
"To honor these brave men and women with a car show and ballgame, there couldn't be a better way to have the vets enjoy a day in their honor," he told the newspaper.
Arizona is certainly a good state for an event benefiting veterans and their families. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 556,700 services members call The Grand Canyon State home.
Veterans and their families may have been concerned about whether they would see a cost of living adjustment (COLA) this year, but a recent move by Congress put it one step closer to approving the common benefit. Lawmakers removed a hold on the vote earlier this week and are set to vote on the COLA once Senate reconvenes after the election, reports Military.com.
Voting on the bill was being prevented by a method known as a secret hold, when one Senator takes hold of the legislation for a couple of days before passing it on to another. Sen. Patty Murray, who introduced the COLA bill last week, said she was shocked anybody would even hesitate to vote for the law. However, it appears that the bill will make it through after all.
"I don't know of any secret holds," Michael Brumas, the spokesperson for Sen. Mitch McConnell, told the website. "This was a late request and by the time the Senate adjourned not all 100 senators had had a chance to sign off on it. But as I said, it's now been cleared by both sides for action."
The obstacles in the path of the COLA bill are unusual, according to The Washington Post. The adjustment is applied to benefits and disability compensation. If the bill isn't passed it could cost vets and their families $500.
Advocates for September 11 first responders hailed a victory earlier this month when the government added 50 cancers to the list of diseases covered by the Zadroga Bill. However, their celebration may be short-lived as fears have arisen that the legislation may not have the necessary funding to cover all the qualified recipients, NY1 reports.
The concerns are over the similar across-the-board budget cuts faced by the military if Congress can not reach an agreement on deficit cuts. The fund could see an initial $24 million reduction in January followed by $300 million in additional cuts over the next five years. With a fund that is already strained financially, the significant cuts could drastically limit the bill's effectiveness.
"There is an agreement that something has to be done," New York Rep. Peter King told the news station. "Unfortunately, once you get out of the New York region, there's not that much concern about the 9/11 healthcare fund."
The Zadroga Act created a $4.3 billion fund for healthcare of first responders, and recent statistics have shown how serious the need is. According to the Patrolman's Benevolent Association, cancer rates for police officers who responded to the World Trade Center are triple that of other officers.
Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta made history in 2010 when he became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, and now the Afghanistan vet is preparing to release his memoir about his experience in combat. "Living with Honor: A Memoir," is slated to be released December 4, reports Army Times.
Giunta was given the Medal of Honor, the highest decoration the military can bestow, for his actions on October 25, 2007. Serving in Korengal Valley, Iraq, his platoon came under heavy enemy fire and two of its members were seriously wounded. Battling heavy fire and even being shot several times himself, Giunta made his way to his injured comrades, including one who was being pulled away by enemy troops.
Although the book will certainly go into detail about the day that earned him the Medal of Honor, he said it also discusses the day-to-day challenges of serving in Afghanistan. Giunta left the military last year after serving since 2003.
Giunta is one of six recipients of the Medal of Honor who served in Afghanistan, including Dakota Meyer, who famously rescued 23 Afghan allies and 13 U.S. soldiers from a firefight, and Robert James Miller, who was posthumously given the distinction after he was shot and killed providing a route for his fellow soldiers to escape.
For civilians, the presidential election is more than a month away, but for servicemembers overseas or away from their home state, the process has already begun, and its pace is beginning to pick up. Figures from the United States Postal Service indicate there were more than 5,550 absentee ballots sent to soldiers and their families in September, a marked increase compared to the same month two years ago, according to Navy Times.
The results are somewhat of a mixed bag, however. While there is an increase compared to the 2010 midterm elections, in some states there has been a significant decrease compared to the 2008 presidential elections. Despite the lower numbers, government officials are still confident the figures will be similar to 2008.
"I would note that more service members received their ballots earlier this year than in 2008 because of the MOVE Act’s 45-day requirement and the increased use of electronic mail delivery," Eric Eversole, executive director of the Military Voter Protection Project told the publication."In other words, we should see an increase in ballots being returned earlier in the election window."
There is still time for troops to request absentee ballots, and resources to help them do so. The Federal Voting Assistance Voting Program is the ideal place for vets serving overseas.
Finding effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans has been an important goal among many medical professionals, and results of a new study may provide a breakthrough in the ongoing effort. Scientists found that complementing traditional treatment with alternative methods such as healing touch and guided imagery can significantly reduce soldiers' PTSD symptoms.
The study, published in the recent issue of Military Medicine, was led by researchers from Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine who were focused on active duty troops returning between 2008 and 2010. The troops were split into two groups, one of which received standard PTSD treatment while the other received healing touch and guided imagery treatment as well. The supplemental methods are aimed at relaxation and boosting trust and self-esteem.
Researchers noticed significant improvement in PTSD symptoms after just six sessions of the complementary treatment. In fact, they note that the decrease in symptoms, such as flashbacks, insomnia and emotional numbness, was more than just a slight percentage change.
"Scores for PTSD symptoms decreased substantially, about 14 points and below the clinical cutoffs for PTSD," said researcher Dr. Mimi Guarneri. "This indicates that the intervention was not just statistically significant, but actually decreased symptoms below the threshold for PTSD diagnosis. It made a large difference in reducing PTSD symptoms."
Most experts estimate that PTSD affects about 20 percent of all veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the conditions has garnered a considerable amount of attention in recent years. Additionally, as thousands of troops prepare to separate from service in the coming years, addressing the condition will become even more important.
The growing focus on PTSD is highlighted by the fact that medical professionals recommend annual screening for all troops returning stateside from combat. The suggestion came earlier this year from The Institute of Medicine. Aside from helping provide troops who need it with the necessary treatment, doctors hope the screenings could provide them with better info on what treatments work best, according to The Associated Press.
PTSD has been especially prevalent in recent years thanks to the widespread use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, experts estimate that IEDs are responsible for about 66 percent of coalition casualties in Afghanistan from 2001 to the present.
Life can be difficult for military families, especially for those who have a loved one serving over seas. In an effort to recognize their sacrifice, Blue Star Families recently launched a new program aimed at providing free and discounted prices for tickets to plays, classes and other services offered by theaters across the country, The Associated Press reports.
The initiative is a partnership between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and a number of participating theaters throughout the country. It resembles a similar program launched by Blue Star Families and the NEA in 2010 that provide military families with discounted fares to a long list of museums across the country.
Though organizers say it's important to foster a love for the arts, the main goal of such programs is to give back to troops and their families, many of whom have overcome substantial obstacles.
"These types of programs remind our troops and their families how much we value and appreciate their service to our nation," U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a supporter of the program, said in a statement.
Participating theaters range from Oregon to New York to Kentucky, and the program adds to a growing number of programs that offer benefits to military families. Most recently, the White House announced earlier this year that military families could get a free lifetime pass to National Parks.
Lawmakers and military officials are both concerned about the impact sequestration can have on the Armed Forces, but often lost in the fray is what could happen to servicemembers and their families. Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson recently visited with thousands of sailors and found most of them are anxious about the looming budget cuts, reports Stars and Stripes.
Ferguson spokes with troops while on a tour of Central Command, and while they know there is no threat to payment, there are considerable worries surrounding their benefits. Specifically, healthcare and housing payments may be affected by the $500 billion budget cuts.
"At every forum, sailors – from the most junior to our operational commanders – expressed concern regarding what sequestration will mean to our Navy and their service," Ferguson told the publication. "The uncertainty of our fiscal future is increasingly on the minds of our force."
The anxiety surrounding potential cuts to benefits and healthcare comes as an increase to TRICARE Prime enrollment is set to begin in October as part of last year's National Defense Authorization Act, according to The News Journal.