Defense officials announced this week that active-duty troops can expect a 5 percent increase in their basic allowance for housing rates in 2014. The raise marks the biggest housing allowance increase since 2008, according to Military Times.

The increase will add about $80 on average to a servicemember's housing paycheck. While the basic allowance for housing rates vary from region to region, the Department of Defense blog stated that servicemembers will not see a decrease in their basic allowance for housing even if the rates in their region lowered. All servicemembers, especially those who are in a long-term lease or contract, are covered by rate protection. 

Although active-duty servicemembers will receive a higher housing allowance in 2014, the housing entitlement, as well as other military benefits, might be cut by the Defense Department and Congress for the 2015 fiscal year. However, no decisions on the cuts to basic allowance for housing have been made. 

"Any changes to BAH proposed in the upcoming budget submission would not affect BAH rates this year for service members," Lt. Cmdr Nate Christensen, a Pentagon spokesman, told the news source. "No final decisions have been made regarding BAH rates for 2015 and beyond."

Newly released analysis from The Los Angeles Times found that California veterans under the age of 35 have a death rate that's higher than both active-duty servicemembers and civilians in the same age group. The findings shed some light on what life after service is like for young veterans. 

After studying the state's mortality records, the news source reported that young Californian veterans were twice more likely to commit suicide and be a victim of a fatal motor vehicle crash than civilians in their age group, and 25 percent more likely to be involved in other deadly accidents. Suicide tended to be the leading cause of death, with 27 suicides per year for every 100,000 veterans under the age of 35. 

According to the news outlet, the high death rate for young veterans typically emerges during wartime. For example, a government study conducted in 1987 found that veterans who served in Vietnam were 62 percent more likely to die in the first five years following their service than veterans who did not serve in combat. 

California has the highest veteran population in the country. Nearly 2 million veterans live in the Golden State, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. More than 1.3 million of the state's veterans have served in a war. 

Wreaths were placed on thousands of graves last weekend to remember the lives of former servicemembers.

Since 1992, the tribute Wreaths Across America has brought military families, veterans and individuals to cemeteries in all 50 states, as well as 24 locations overseas, to honor the service of late veterans. According to the organization's website, the remembrance began with Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., and expanded to more than 300 locations over the years. In 2008, Congress officially made Dec. 13 "Wreaths Across America Day," solidifying the tradition. 

"If we don't honor those that have served and those who have fallen, then we will not carry the legacy on and teach our children what a great nation we live in," Tennessee wreath coordinator Bernice Koprince, whose son died while serving in Iraq, told local news outlet WBIR. 

According to the news source, about 2,000 wreaths were placed on the graves of Knox County veterans this year. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that more than 100,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery were adorned with the wreaths over the weekend. A parade featuring military officials also took place at the expansive cemetery prior to the event. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced a new health care policy that will make it easier for veterans to receive military benefits and treatment for various illnesses related to traumatic brain injuries, The New York Times reported.

When it takes affect Jan. 16, the new policy will expedite the claims process for former servicemembers who sustained a TBI during combat. While current VA rules state that servicemembers must provide evidence that their health complications stem from a brain injury received during service, the new regulations will only require that veterans prove they have a service-connected injury without any further evidence. Once that is established, veterans will be able to receive compensation and treatment for their illness. 

While this new policy will make life after service easier for many veterans, the news source reported that the policy has some limitations. Former servicemembers with Parkinson's disease, unprovoked seizures, hormone deficiency diseases or dementia are only eligible for the benefits if their TBI was moderate or severe, which account for only two out of 10 brain injuries.

"We must always decide veterans' disability claims based on the best science available and we will," Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in a statement. "Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence that ensure they receive benefits earned through their service to the country."

Since it was first played in 1890, the annual Army-Navy football game has been a highlight of the college football season, and while the series is relatively even, Navy has been dominant as of late. The Midshipmen have won the last 11 meetings over the Black Knights, but after a close game last year, Army may end the streak, USA Today reports.

Army comes into the game with a 3-8 record, while Navy boasts a 7-4 mark and is headed to a bowl game. Still, the Black Knights have some pieces in place that can help them spring the upset. Most notably, their players at skill positions – such as wide receiver Xavier Moss and running back Terry Baggett, can break a big play at any time, something Navy's head coach Ken Niumatalolo knows very well.

"I think they have made progress. I think this is their most athletic team," he told the publication. "They've got some [backs] that can run, and they have some wideouts that can run, a secondary that can move. He's getting in place the type of athletes he wants."

For many veterans, watching the annual match up is a highly anticipated part of life after service. It kicks off Saturday at 3 p.m. on CBS.

A new study exploring the link between post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries found that Marines who sustained a mild head injury while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan were more likely to develop the condition, The Los Angeles Times reported.

After following more than 1,600 Marines between 2008 and 2012, researchers found that Marines who exhibited symptoms of PTSD prior to deployment and sustained a mild brain injury during combat had an increased risk of testing positive for PTSD once they returned from service. The news source stated that the risk rose by 23 percent to 34 percent, while the risk for those who tested negative for PTSD before deployment remained unchanged. About 327 of the 1,600 Marines studied – roughly 20 percent – experienced a head injury. 

According to the news outlet, the researchers suggested that the main factor for the increase is that bomb blasts tend to lead to psychological trauma. 

Earlier this year, The Los Angeles Times reported that servicemembers who have a history of insomnia are also at a higher risk for developing PTSD, as well as depression. Researchers suggested that treating the sleep disorder before the servicemembers deploy might help alleviate future PTSD symptoms. 

A new investigation from The Wall Street Journal found that the Veterans Administration approved lobotomies for World War II veterans who showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to the investigation, the VA performed the procedure on nearly 2,000 veterans between April 1, 1947, and Sept. 30, 1950, at various VA hospitals across the U.S. The Wall Street journal also noted that hundreds more were likely to have had lobotomies performed on them outside VA facilities. 

The report stated that The Wall Street Journal unearthed this information through analyzing government documents, including memos, letters and official reports. However, the VA told the news source in a written statement that it had no records of the procedure being used on World War II veterans.

"In the late 1940s and into the 1950s, VA and other physicians throughout the United States and the world debated the utility of lobotomies. The procedure became available to severely ill patients who had not improved with other treatments," the VA said in the statement. "Within a few years, the procedure disappeared within VA, and across the United States, as safer and more effective treatments were developed."

According to a report from NPR, the first lobotomy was performed in the U.S. in 1936, and gained popularity in the 1940s. Many doctors thought the procedure, which severs connections in the brain, would eliminate emotions and help stabilize moods, especially in those who had schizophrenia or symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Lawmakers in Congress introduced a bill this week that will cut $6 billion from the federal budget. Called the Bipartisan Budget Act, the proposed legislation will prevent another government shutdown from happening in 2014. However, it might impact the military benefits of many retirees. 

According to Military Times, the budget compromise will reduce the annual cost-of-living adjustments for military retirees under the age of 62 over a three-year period. The COLA will decrease 0.25 percent in December 2014 and 0.5 percent in December 2015, while the full reduction will be enacted in December 2016. Former servicemembers who are on disability will not be affected by the reduction.

While the bill still needs to be voted on in the House, the news source stated that Senate leaders might oppose the bill if it reaches their chamber. Senate leaders have already struck down legislation that would harm both active-duty and retired servicemembers, including increases of TRICARE fees and cuts to tuition assistance. 

Although the proposed bill presents new challenges to military retirees and veterans with disabilities, their families and survivors will be receiving a 1.5 percent COLA increase beginning Jan. 1, Military.com reported. The announcement was made last week by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. 

The Indiana University School of Dentistry announced this week that it will assist homeless veterans who are currently searching for gainful employment by giving them free dental care. The dental services will be made possible by a $12,000 grant from the Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute.

University officials believe providing homeless veterans with various dental treatment will help their public appearance and in return, improve their chances of being hired.

"A person without front teeth, for example, is likely to find it difficult to be hired for a job in a restaurant," said Karen Yoder, director of civic engagement and health policy and a professor of preventive and community dentistry, in a statement released on the university's website. "Our goal is not to make anyone glamorous, just aesthetically prepared for a job interview."

According to Yoder, Indiana veterans who have a high chance of finding a job will be selected through the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation.

An August 2013 report from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority found that there were 743 homeless veterans in the state, accounting for 12 percent of Indiana's more than 6,000 homeless individuals.

Although it will be the lowest basic pay raise in 40 years, Military Times reported that servicemembers can expect a 1 percent salary increase in 2014. Effective Jan. 1, the raise is a slight drop from the 2011 salary bump of 1.4 percent, which until now was the smallest raise. 

According to the news source, President Obama will use his executive power to cap the basic pay raise at 1 percent, even though the current law sets the rate at 1.8 percent. The House approved a 1.8 percent salary bump for servicemembers last June, but the Senate Armed Services Committee agreed with Obama's 1 percent increase.

Military pay raise has been a hotly contested issue, as Congress leaders struggled this year to reduce the defense spending budget by nearly $500 million by 2020, The New York Times stated. As lawmakers worked to resolve the sequester before the automatic budget cuts begin in 2014, many members of the military community feared that basic pay would be on the chopping block. Stars and Stripes previously reported that a cap on basic pay would be likely, especially because compensation for enlisted members currently exceeds the wages of 90 percent of civilian defense employees.