A rare lung disease plaguing some veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan was recently added to the Social Security Administration "compassionate allowances" list, something which could make it easier for them to receive disability benefits later on, Military Times reports.

The condition is known as constrictive bronchiolitis, and is present in some veterans who were exposed to burn pits and fires over the last decade. The disease is caused when scar tissue narrows tiny passageways in the lungs, and often presents itself with symptoms similar to asthma, emphysema or pneumonia.

Constrictive bronchiolitis is one of more than 50 other conditions added to the compassionate allowances list, and has been hailed as a significant victory for a number of veterans. Many servicemembers worked at or near pits used to burn waste material, a practice which often created toxic smoke.

"This is a huge breakthrough for us," Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Neil Roger, who was diagnosed with the disease, told the publication. "It practically guarantees us benefits."

Though it is a step in the right direction, the issue of burn pit-related injuries and illnesses is still a significant one for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Specifically, the VA is looking for ways to assess the number of troops with such injuries, however it shot down the idea of a registry earlier this year, according to Army Times.

A number of veterans use artistic outlets to cope with the mental wounds of war, and now for the first time the National Endowment for the Arts is recognizing the connection. The organization's quarterly magazine, NEA Arts, has dedicated the entirety of its most recent issue to the topic, Military Times reports.

The 24-page issue covers the military's long history with the performing arts. It examines many different facets of the relationship between the two, including a program currently underway called the National Intrepid Center for Excellence, which encourages patients to use creative therapy as part of the healing process. The issue also features some stunning artwork by veterans.

"The NEA has long recognized the connection between the arts and the military," the organization's chairman Rocco Landesman said earlier this week, according to the publication.

Though this is the first time NEA Arts has paid tribute to the military in its pages, the organization has a history of reaching out to the troops. Recently, it partnered with Blue Star Families to offer military families free admittance to certain museums across the country this summer.

Families across the country are scrambling to get ready for the beginning of another school year, but for those with ties to the military, the process can be a bit more difficult. However, the Back to School Brigade, an initiative launched by Operation Homefront, is in full swing and helping make the process a bit easier.

Among those chipping in is Oklahoma resident Carol Herrick. So far, she has helped around 250 local families get ready for school by providing them with backpacks full of supplies, The Oklahoman reports. Herrick is the director of Operation Homefront, and knows firsthand the difficulty of having a loved one in the Armed Forces.

"I am an active-duty military spouse," Herrick told the newspaper. "I see the challenges that military families face. Folks have a tough time. It's a financial burden."

Due to frequent moves, some families find it difficult to bring in two sources of income. According to CNNMoney, married servicemembers with two children earn around $52,000 a year, but having to relocate on a regular basis can take its toll.

Army Sgt. Frank Spink has spent decades waiting for the recognition of his heroism during the Vietnam War, and earlier this week he got what he'd long been hoping for. Spink was presented with the Silver Star earlier this week, 44 years after her earned it, The Indianapolis Star reports.

Spink's heroics occurred early in the morning of June 13, 1968. He noticed North Vietnamese troops planning an ambush on a Special Forces camp and opened fire. In the ensuing battle, shrapnel tore into Spink's arm, which later had to be amputated as a result. His platoon leader credits his quick thinking with saving many American lives.

Officials are not sure why it has taken more than four decades for Spink to receive his Silver Star, but it is likely due to a misstep in the medal-giving process, something which Rep. Todd Rokita said is inexcusable.

"Sergeant Spink, all of us here today salute you for your service. And as Americans, we all express our sadness that you haven't received this honor until now," Rokita said during the ceremony, according to the newspaper.

The Silver Star is the third-highest military honor the United States Armed Forces can bestow behind the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.

Many communities in the Midwest and Southwest are battling intense wildfires, and in an effort to help in the fight, the National Guard recently increased its involvement. The reserve force has now mobilized more than 100 soldiers and multiple aircrafts in California, Oklahoma, Utah and Nebraska, Army News Service reports.

So far, Utah has received the most support from the National Guard. Sixty-four Guardsmen have leaped into action in the Beehive State. They also brought three UH-60 Black Hawks along with them, with each aircraft outfitted with Bambi Buckets to help douse the flames from the air.

As for the other states, 30 National Guard members have been activated in Oklahoma, 21 in California and 11 in Nevada. The help of the Guard may prove to be invaluable as the Untied States faces one of the worst years for forest fires in quite some time.

Colorado has been hit especially hard, having its worst fire season in more than 10 years, while New Mexico had its most destructive fires in its history during May, June and July, reports The Associated Press. As a result, the National Forest Service has spent more than $28 million battling the blazes.

Many medical professionals have made addressing the mental health of veterans a priority, and a growing number of them are former members of the military themselves. Thanks to a program called Train Vets to Treat Vets, many soldiers are helping fellow servicemembers overcome the emotional wounds of war, CNN reports.

The program was started by the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and has been growing in popularity as of late. Organizers hope to accomplish a number of different goals, but primarily are committed to mentoring new veterans, educating the public on the challenges they face and providing services to homeless vets.

"We, as the veteran students, wanted to see that we could create more of a military cohort at our school," Robert Chester, who served in the National Guard, told CNN. "We really wanted to put something together where we can help our fellow veterans by providing mental health services in that specific way."

Of course, the Massachusetts-based program is not the only one aimed at training medical personnel on how to treat veterans. The Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago also offers military-specific training thanks to a post-doctorate specialty known as military clinical psychology, and some of the students are former soldiers.

"[Service members] want to protect and help people get through difficult times," Brett Moore, a former Army psychologist, told the news source.

Providing training aimed at treating veterans is not specific to just former servicemembers. The healthcare industry as a whole has placed a greater emphasis on knowing the unique needs of soldiers, which will likely become of great importance as the withdrawal from Afghanistan continues.

Most recently, the White House's Joining Forces initiative announced a partnership with the National Association of Social Workers to provide training to 650,000 industry professionals. The hope is that the training will familiarize social workers with the differences in lifestyle, culture and health needs between civilians and military personnel, Marine Corps Times reports.

Much like the agreement between the NASW and the White House, there was also a similar plan involving training for nurses and nursing schools. Such plans are especially important given the prevalence of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury in veterans. Though there are no hard figures, experts estimate about 20 percent of vets of Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD.

This summer has been particularly bad when it comes to wildfires, with large sections of Arizona, Colorado and Idaho all having to battle intense blazes. Oklahoma is the latest state to experience the fires, and the state's first responders are beginning to feel the heavy toll of the emergency, The Oklahoman reports.

The impact was felt the most in Norman, where the city's fire chief James Fullingim said not only are his department's resources wearing thin, but the firefighters themselves are becoming worn out due to the extremely long shifts caused by the wildfires. While they usually work 12 hours at a time, that has changed.

"In this case, that didn't happen," he told the newspaper. "We had many people who were out there for 20-plus hours."

While the situation is intense, so far only one Norman firefighter has been injured during the blaze, and it was due to a sprained ankle and possible broken foot rather than heat-related wounds. Additionally, the fires may soon be on their way out thanks to cooler temperatures as of late.

Norman is not the only city to experience the wildfire in Oklahoma. According to Reuters, there are at least 18 across the state and the fires have burned around 68,000 acres.

The small Westboro Baptist Church has made headlines over the last decade for its abhorrent protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in action, but there may soon be an end to the demonstrations. President Barack Obama recently signed the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act, which sets strict laws for protesting military funerals, The Associated Press reports.

The portion of the legislation addressing the Kansas-based church stipulates that any protests or demonstrations have to be at least 300 feet away from military funerals. While Obama is sensitive to the importance of free speech, he feels the law is necessary.

"The graves of our veterans are hallowed ground," he said in a statement. "And obviously we all defend our Constitution and the First Amendment and free speech, but we also believe that when men and women die in the service of their country and are laid to rest, it should be done with the utmost honor and respect."

The bill also provides healthcare benefits to military families who may have been exposed to contaminated groundwater at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987.

Several members of the military made their way to London for the Summer Olympics, and so did some of their family members. However, not all can say they returned home with a medal. Jamie Gray, the wife of Staff Sgt. Hank Gray, can – she recently came home with the gold, The Associated Press reports.

Gray, competing in her third Olympics, won gold in the women's 50-meter three-position rifle in impressive fashion. She finished with a total score of 691.9, an Olympics record, and her final round score of 10.8 was just 0.1 points shy of perfect. Her performance was so dominating she bested the silver medalist by 4.4 points.

Gray's win comes after a pair of disappointments in both Beijing and Athens where she fell just short of winning a bronze medal each time. She's long been trying to move on after the close calls, and winning a gold will certainly help.

"I did a great job of going, 'OK, it's over, it doesn't matter and move on to the next one.'" she told the AP. "And that's exactly what I did. And it was a great shot – couldn't ask for anything better."

Gray wasn't the only one with military ties to win in London. Sgt. Vincent Hancock won the skeet shooting gold for the second consecutive Summer Games, according to The Huffington Post.

Earlier this year, the Interior Department offered free annual passes to National Parks to military personnel and their families, and now at least one state is following suit for its parks. New Hampshire recently passed a law that offers servicemembers free admittance to all of its state parks, The Associated Press reports.

The law was the result of a push by local resident Mary Thayer, whose son is Master Gunnery Sgt. Richard Thayer. During a visit to the Granite State last year, Thayer and her son noticed that state parks offered free admittance to members of the National Guard, but not all active duty soldiers.

The new legislation changed all that, and now any member of the military can visit one of the state's many parks free of charge, the AP reports. The law echoes the move by the Interior Department earlier this year, which waived the $80 fee for an annual pass.

"In recognition of their service, we are so pleased to be putting out a welcome mat for our military families at America's most beautiful and storied sites," Dr. Jill Biden said when she announced the program.