The Navy's deepest-diving submarine, which conducted both research and covert military operations along the ocean floor during the Cold War is making its return to Connecticut.
According to The Associated Press, the NR-1, a nuclear-powered submarine that was commissioned in 1969, will be on display at the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Conn. Having been disassembled in 2008, the museum will only display the sub's restored pieces.
At 140-feet long, the news source stated that the NR-1 was a powerful underwater vessel unmatched in the Navy. While carrying a crew of 10 men, the sub was able to dive to 3,000 feet below sea level, where it could grab items from the ocean floor with a mechanical claw.
While some of the submarine's missions are known to the public, including its task of retrieving particles from the space shuttle Challenger after it exploded over the Atlantic, the news source reported that much of its military operations still remain classified. According to the source, mission records could not be traced by the Navy's History and Heritage Command in Washington, D.C., and even veterans are remaining quiet about their past experiences until the files are declassified.
Also on display at Groton's submarine museum is the historic USS Nautilus, the first operational nuclear-powered submarine in the world, as well as the first vessel to travel to the North Pole, according to the museum's website.
Military families are currently preparing for the worst, as housing allowances for servicemembers might be on the chopping block if cuts to defense spending continue, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the news source, the military is bracing for massive spending reductions that will strip the Defense Department of $20 billion more in the 2014 fiscal year than in 2013. Now, many military families are worried that there might be changes to the military housing allowance policy, which so far has been protected from the sequester.
While no authorized statement has been made regarding military housing allowances for 2014, Defense Department officials told the news outlet that every aspect of the military is being looked at for potential cuts except for active-duty salaries.
Most families of active-duty servicemembers rely on military housing allowance to live. According to the Department of Defense website, the basic allowance for housing can vary greatly depending on geographical location. When calculating the rate of the allowance, the DOD considers the median rent of the current housing market, price of utilities and average renter's insurance, the website states. Rent typically accounts for at least 70 percent of the housing allowance.
"Rate cuts really make these people nervous, because they're banking on rates staying the same…to cover their mortgage," military spouse Amy Bushatz told the news source.
Several of the Pentagon's top military chiefs addressed members of Congress this week to outline the ways defense spending cuts enacted by the sequester will harm the military in the long run, The Washington Post reported. Representing the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, the chiefs addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is helmed by chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
According to the news source, the weakening of the military's manpower, weapons and overall readiness were among the major concerns of the defense officials. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos called the budget cuts "unsustainable," while Admiral Jonathan Greenert, who oversees Naval operations, told the committee the Navy was "tapped out" in its number of deployed ships.
While the sequester, which is set to reduce defense spending by $480 billion by 2011, has already taken effect, several members of the committee were sympathetic to the chiefs, including Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.
"We in Congress created this monster, and we keep dragging you up to the Hill to tell us how much damage it has done," Udall said during the hearing.
Within the next eight years, the sequester is expected to impact nearly every facet of the military, save for the Department of Veterans Affairs and pay and allowances for active-duty troops, Military.com stated.
Military families are sticking to a budget this Thanksgiving, according to a new survey conducted by First Command Financial Behaviors Index. After canvassing middle-class military families with household incomes of $50,000 or above, the investment adviser company found that 62 percent of respondents were planning to reduce their Thanksgiving dinners and travel this November.
"Middle-class Americans are changing the way they celebrate Thanksgiving," First Command CEO Scott Spiker said in a statement. "Affected by the economic issues of the past several years, they are making frugal spending a year-around habit. Notably, these changes are turning Thanksgiving into a more intimate holiday."
Spiker added that, overall, four out of 10 Americans are celebrating the national holiday with only immediate family members, a trend that has been spreading in recent years.
According to the survey, 29 percent of military respondents are reducing their travel expenses, while 22 percent plan to spend less on dinner preparations. Another 23 percent have created a budget.
Given the recent setbacks impacting defense spending, it's likely that military families are making some financial changes. Most recently, the Nov. 1 termination of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cut the food stamps program by $4 million, ultimately affecting nearly 900,000 veterans, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Military.com reported that an estimated 5,000 active-duty servicemembers will also be impacted by the food stamps reduction.
Starbucks announced a new plan this week that will help servicemembers returning from active duty, as well as their spouses, find steady employment.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the coffeehouse franchise plans to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses in the next five years, thanks in part to an initiative developed by current Starbucks board member and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Through the directive, special recruiting events and processes will be held specifically for veterans, while the company will continue to track veterans hiring at their stores throughout the U.S.
Starbucks Chief Community Officer Blair Taylor told the news source that the new hiring plan is not a "charity initiative," but a way to ease the high unemployment rates of veterans who have just returned from service.
"This is an endeavor predicated on us genuinely needing the skills veterans offer," Taylor said.
The coffee giant is also preparing to open five community stores at U.S. military installations within the next five years. Community stores are special establishments that partner with nonprofits, and the ones at the military bases will share their profits with local organizations that service veterans.
New data from the Department of Veterans Affairs reveals that former servicemembers in need of treatment for mental illness continue to face delays in receiving counseling and medication.
USA Today reported that the VA did not help about 34 percent of veterans seeking mental health treatment within two weeks of their application in 2013. The mental health appointments include treatment for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as psychiatry and psychology counseling.
According to a statement from the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, the federal agency mandates that appointments must be scheduled within a 14-day timeframe.
The news source reported that the waiting period varies depending on the type of illness and treatment. For first-time psychiatric therapy appointments, around half of the 47,700 applicants had a wait longer than two weeks, with the average wait lasting 15 days. Location also impacts the length of the wait. According to the source, veterans at Houston area medical centers were not treated until 28 days later. Los Angeles and Orlando were also among the cities with the worst delays.
A report released by the VA earlier this year stated that the agency is also focused on improving its post-discharge follow up of patients.
Security clearance at the Pentagon and other defense agencies is currently under review due to the September shooting at the Naval Yard in Washington, D.C., the American Forces Press Services stated.
Stephen Lewis, deputy director for personnel, industrial and physical security policy in the office of undersecretary of defense for intelligence, addressed a Senate committee this week, emphasizing the need for stronger clearance policies that will impact Defense Department civilians, contract employees and active-duty servicemembers.
"Under the National Industrial Security Program, cleared contractors are required to report adverse information coming to their attention regarding their cleared employees," Lewis said.
He added that the DOD is in charge of vetting companies that work on classified contracts for the Defense Department and other federal agencies.
Lewis proposed a concept demonstration of an improved security system with "real-time updates" of pertinent information, the news source reported. The DOD will also evaluate 100,000 contractors, including both civilians and servicemembers.
According to the National Archives, the military's current security system, the National Industrial Security Program, is a partnership between the federal government and the private sector. It was established by an executive order meant to protect classified defense information.
A group of Bakersfield, Calif. veterans honored nine military recruits this week with a special ceremony, local news outlet 23ABC reported. Seven of the recruits are entering the Army as active-duty members, while two are joining the Marine Corps.
According to the news source, the event was organized by the Kern County Armed Forces Support Riders, a veterans organization that provides new military recruits with motorcycle escorts as they enter active duty.
"We came out because it's our way to step up and say thank you for serving, telling their parents thank you," Kern County Armed Forces Support Riders founder Ben Patten told the news outlet.
In addition to sending-off recruits, the Armed Forces Support Riders also participate in various events in Southern California, including the upcoming Harley-Davidson Veterans Appreciation Day and Wounded Heroes Fund events, the organization's official Facebook page states.
The Bakersfield biker group is not the only motorcycle gang providing support and encouragement to servicemembers. Founded in 2006, The Legion Riders, a subset of the American Legion, have chapters throughout the country devoted to raising funds for wounded servicemembers, veterans and military families, according to the organization's website.
A play opening next month at Minnesota's Fort Snelling Base Camp features the personal stories collected from more than 100 local veterans, according to The Bemidji Pioneer. Titled "The Veterans Play Project," the stage show is set in the fictional Minnesota town of Smedley and follows the triumphs and pitfalls of both veterans and civilian life while also honoring those who fought for the community.
According to the play's official website, tales from new recruits and military advocates are also highlighted in the show.
"When I talk to vets, I hear that serving, going away, giving your life over to service, changes you in powerful ways," director Leah Cooper writes in her artist statement. "But one way to unpack those experiences, I have found personally as an artist, is to share them with others."
Approximately 13 active-duty servicemembers and veterans are performing the play, which will preview Nov. 14 and run from Nov. 15 through Nov. 24, according to the news source. Minnesota-based veterans are invited to help out backstage, design sets and costumes or provide ushering during the show, states the play's website.
Michigan has been suffering from a lack of skilled workers, impacting labor industries ranging from agriculture to construction. Utilizing veterans to their full potential, however, might help alleviate this shortage.
A recent report compiled by the state's Department of Technology, Management and Budget suggested that Michigan's large veteran population, which accounts for 8.8 percent of its adult population, is currently an untapped labor resource. Even though Michigan veterans only have a 44 percent labor participation rate, journalist Rick Haglund, writing for Michigan Live, suggested that returning servicemembers could put their acquired field skills to good use in the state's diverse labor market.
According to the report, veterans in Michigan are well-educated – about 1 in 4 hold a bachelor's degree or higher – and more likely than non-veterans to graduate high school. While veterans have the skills to be major players in the workforce, they might need some extra coaxing.
"We need to ensure our employers understand the value of military service and education," Christine Quinn, director of the state's Workforce Development Agency, told Michigan Live. "And we need to assist our veterans by taking their military experiences and cross-walking them into opportunities that fit the demand from employers."
According to the news source, the federal government has already started implementing programs to incorporate veterans into the labor ranks, including an August 2013 directive from the U.S. Labor Department requiring government contractors to have veterans compose 8 percent of their employees. Meanwhile, Michigan has a "Shifting Heroes" program that provides employment specialists to former servicemembers.