The Boston Red Sox may have been on the West Coast Monday night, but Fenway Park was certainly not unoccupied. A group of injured troops, known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team, squared off against the Boston Marathon First Responders in an event that not only showcased what veterans are capable of but also served as a fundraiser for those affected by the April bombings at the Boston Marathon, MLB.com reports.

The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team is more than feel-good story. Comprised of servicemembers who have been injured during combat, the team shows off impressive skill, even though all of its players are missing a variety of limbs. For instance, Matthew Kinsey is missing a foot and Joshua Wege runs on two prosthetic legs. For Kyle Earl, who lost his hand in an improvised explosive device explosion in 2006, watching the rest of his team play is an honor.

"I'm in awe every day watching these guys play," Earl told the website. "Josh over at first base, he's missing both his legs, but he can do splits. He can jump 6 to 8 inches."

Perhaps not surprisingly, the wounded warrior squad went on to win 28-11. The event was just one of many the team has participated in over the years, and its next stop is in Washington to play against a team of correction officers. 

Whether it's the storied rivalry between Army and Navy or the legendary service of Pat Tillman, football and the military have a long history. But now, as one former Marine seeks to pursue his gridiron dreams, he is being hindered by complicated NCAA regulations. Steven Rhodes, who has waited five years to play football, will likely have to sit out another year as per regulations from college football's governing body, according to the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal.

A big surprise
Rhodes appeared well on his way to playing for Middle Tennessee State University this fall. However, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Marine will have to wait because in 2012 he played in a recreational football league. The decision does not sit well with Rhodes, especially because the league amounted to nothing more than intramural and the players never received any money.

"I was super excited when he got the chance to play football (at MTSU), but then I was shocked to find out there was a problem with him playing," Adrienne, his wife and fellow servicemember, told the newspaper. "Those games were something they did in their spare time on the same base. They were games against different shops – you know, like the air traffic controllers against the mechanics. It was so disorganized. I couldn't believe that was an issue."

Appeal pending
The school is appealing the ruling, according to The Associated Press. Perhaps most interesting in the debate is that had this happened decades ago, Rhodes would have likely been protected. Previously, the NCAA had a stipulation that exempted military servicemembers from limited eligibility due to their participation in organized sports on bases. In the years since, the rule has been revised and the language exempting troops may have been lost in the fray.

"All this is strictly because of how the bylaw is worded," Daryl Simpson, MTSU's assistant athletic director, told the AP. "In my opinion, there is no intent of anyone to not allow protection to our U.S. servicemembers." 

This isn't the first time there has been some controversy over troops playing football.  In 2008, Caleb Campbell was drafted by the Detroit Lions out of Army. Despite an NFL future, Campbell had to serve his two years in the Army after graduating. Eventually, he made his debut in 2010 with the Lions before also playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts.

There's a substantial lack of qualified individuals in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, and the Army is looking to change that. The branch's Corps of Engineers recently began an initiative to encourage veterans, as well as children of active duty military personnel, to pursue degrees and jobs in all four industries, Military Times reports.

Veterans and military children do not have to earn master's degrees to fill jobs in the STEM fields. Experts say there are currently more job openings than there are trained professionals to fill them, and that number is expected to increase in the coming years. As the push continues to bring down unemployment among post-9/11 veterans, STEM jobs may be the path toward success.

"There are many opportunities in the STEM arena … not only for college graduates – we need a million more by 2020 – but in other STEM-related fields, where an associate's degree, or even a focus on it at some level of technical proficiency [would suffice,]" Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, the commander of the Corps of Engineers, told the news source. 

The push comes after months of continued improvement in the unemployment rate among young veterans. According to recent data from the Department of Labor, in July the rate was at 7.7 percent – up a bit from June – but still down from this time last year. 

Funding retirement benefits is one of the biggest costs facing the Department of Defense, and top officials are working on new options that could save the Pentagon a great deal of money going forward. At the heart of the effort is the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, which was formed in the hopes of finding a cost-cutting way to provide retirees the benefits to which they are entitled, according to Stars and Stripes.

The Pentagon currently spends about $52.4 billion on benefits for retirees and survivors, but that figure could increase considerably if there are no changes made to policy. In fact, experts estimate the costs could double by 2020 as the number of military retirees grows. DOD officials hope the commission can develop some new options that can be presented to Congress by 2014.

"We want to make it so individuals have more choice at the front end," Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told servicemembers recently, as quoted by the news source. "If you are a young fellow you might be able to say I would like that program better than the one I've got."

Part of the increase in retirees may be due to the fact the military is looking to pare down its size. Specifically, the Army is expected to reduce its size by about 80,000, The New York Times reported. 

Women have made considerable progress in the military in recent years. The Army has opened up thousands of new jobs and combat positions to female troops, and earlier this week Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson added an accomplishment to the list. Johnson became the first woman to take command of the U.S. Air Force Academy in the institution's nearly 60 year history, Reuters reports.

A deserving candidate
Johnson is certainly well-qualified to take the position. She graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1981 and went on to serve overseas as NATO's deputy chief of staff of operations and intelligence of the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers in Europe. While in this role, she was one of the few female leaders in NATO, which will likely have prepared her for one of the top positions in the military. She takes over from former superintendent Gen. Michael Gould, and knows the culture has changed considerably since she was last at the academy.

"I'm going to do things differently than Gen. Gould," she told The Colorado Springs Business Journal. "We're different humans. But first, I'm going to listen and learn. I realize that this is not 1977 [when she entered the Academy] or 1981 [when she graduated]. Even my teaching time here is dated. I have a lot of listening and learning so we can go forward together."

The latest milestone
Although Johnson is making headlines now, she is one of several women to achieve new levels of success in the military during recent months and years. In fact, less than one month ago, Spc. Jennie Dushane, a member of the North Dakota National Guard, became the first female soldiers to earn the Squad Designated Marksman, according to The Associated Press.

The accomplishments of Johnson and Dushane underscore the growing role that women play in the military. Earlier this summer, Pentagon officials spokes to lawmakers about the timeline for opening up more combat roles to women. The Department of Defense says the transition should take place no later than 2016. Still, legislators have raised some concerns about what impact this could have. Specifically, they have questions about whether physical standard will be changed and also about what effect the move could have on morale, especially for Special Operations Forces, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

There are many monuments and tributes to the servicemembers who have lost their lives in combat, but conspicuously absent from public view are ones honoring those who have had their lives forever altered by mental and physical wounds. That will change next fall, however, when the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial opens to the public Oct. 12, Military.com reports.

The memorial will be located in Washington, D.C., near the U.S. Botanic Garden, and comes after years of planning and fundraising. At a cost of 81.5 million, the memorial will features a star-shaped fountain meant to represent each branch of the Armed Forces. When its complete, the fountain should reflect the image of the Capitol Building. The location was not chosen lightly. 

"We looked at 22 sites that were given to us by the National Park Service. We selected [the C Street] location because of its proximity to the U.S. Capitol," Rick Fenstermacher, chief executive officer for the project, told the news source. "We wanted Congress to be able to look at the memorial and see that the cost of war is more than [the price] of bullets and bombs."

When the monument opens next year, it will bring to a close four years of planning. In 2010, Nancy Pelosi, along with "Forest Gump" actor Gary Sinese announced the plans for the monument.

There are many different ways to support the troops. Some people choose to donate to their favorite charity, while others complete cross-country journeys to raise money for the cause. Now, South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson' is taking things to new heights – quite literally. The 66-year-old Republican is planning to make a tandem sky dive with members of the All Veterans Parachute Team as part of the Salute Our Troops campaign, USA Today reports.

Wilson is not the first congressmen in recent months to skydive in a show of support for members of the military. In fact, Texas republican Rep. Ralph Hall, who at 90 is the oldest member of Congress, made a similar jump on Memorial Day. Former president George H. W. Bush has also taken the leap. In 2009, West Virginia lawmaker Rep. Nick Rahall did the same.

"I want to do it again," Hall told CBS affiliate KXII when he jumped. 

Salute Our Troops has been largely successful at raising money for members of the military in recent years. According to the publication, the organization has raised about $1.5 million this summer, part of approximately $5.67 million it has raised since 2011.

Millions of young football fans have dreamed about playing for their favorite teams, and one Air Force Guardsman recently made those dreams into reality. Benjamin Garland, a member of the 140th Wing, Colorado Air National Guard, has an opportunity to play with his beloved Denver Broncos.

Garland spent last year on the Broncos practice squad, but is being given a chance to make the final roster this year. However, it will certainly be a challenge. Garland, a defensive tackle by nature, has been asked to transition to the other side of the ball to play guard. Despite the difficulty of changing positions, Garland is confident. 

"That's my goal: to make the team and contribute to the team the best I can," he said. "I'm going to work as hard as I can every single day to make sure I'm a part of this roster."

Should he make the final cut, Garland would be one of several servicemembers to find themselves on NFL rosters in recent years. A little further east in Indianapolis, Josh McNary, a former 25-year-old Army fire direction officer is hoping to earn a spot with the Colts as a linebacker, according to The Associated Press.

Few people understand the challenges faced by wounded warriors more than their fellow servicemembers, and a group of 15 stationed at Afghanistan's Camp Leatherneck is supporting them in a unique way. The troops are planning to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project by symbolically climbing Mount Everest through pull ups, Stars and Stripes reports.

The plan is to "climb" 2 feet for every pull up completed. That means each member will have to do about 1,000 pull ups to reach the 29,030-foot summit. Marine Chief Warrant Officer Aaron McKee was among those who spearheaded the unique fundraising effort. He and 14 others got the idea after they began meeting for nightly pull up workouts. McKee says the initiative is especially important given how close the issue is to all of those participating.

"We all know Marines who have been killed or wounded during the last 12 years of combat operations," McKee told the news source. "We've survived unharmed for numerous tours, and this was a way for us to help our brothers and sisters in arms. We haven't forgotten them."

The Wounded Warrior Project is certainly a worthwhile cause for the troops to support. The organization has helped injured troops transition to civilian life after leaving the service. In fact, about 85 percent of servicemembers who found jobs thanks to the organization are in the same position two years later. 

Earlier this week Army chief of staff Gen. Ray Odierno addressed what impact further budget cuts could have on the Armed Forces, and on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel weighed in on the subject. Hagel outlined a number of changes ranging from historic low troop levels to the potential for eliminating some fighter jet squadrons. This marked the first time Hagel has provided specific details on how the military may change should sequester-related cuts continue, Military Times reports.

No official changes
Although Hagel laid out some cutbacks the Pentagon will have to make, he assured reporters that no official decisions have been made. Still, some of the cuts may be significant. For instance, military pay and benefits could see substantial changes, including reduced housing allowances and smaller cost-of-living adjustments for troops stationed overseas. Despite the unwelcome budget cuts, Hagel said he may not have any choice.

"Many will object to these ideas – and I want to be clear that we are not announcing any compensation changes today," Hagel told the press. "But a sequester-level scenario would compel us to consider these changes because there would be no realistic alternative that did not pose unacceptable risk to national security."

Preparedness will take hit
One of the most significant problems facing Pentagon should the $500 billion in cuts continue is what they could mean for readiness. Having to cut troops would bring the Armed Forces back to levels it hasn't seen since the 1940s, according to The Associated Press. Additionally, Hagel warned that losing Navy carrier strike groups and grounding some Air Force squadrons could hamstring the military's ability to respond internationally. 

Chance for relief 
These cuts are not inevitable, and legislators are reportedly working on a plan to help the Pentagon, and other government agencies, avoid them for the time being. On Wednesday, lawmakers signaled they were open to a temporary one-year plan to avoid sequestration, according to The Huffington Post. 

"Obviously our preference is to find an agreement to replace the whole thing, but given the current refusal by Republicans to negotiate, it is more likely that we would try and negotiate a shorter term replacement for the sequester," Rep. Chris Van Hollen told the news source.

This wouldn't be the first time Congress has passed a temporary solution. In 2012, they crafted a short-term bill that allowed them several extra months to work on combating the deficit.