Blog Post

Daily News Brief 05.09.12
Posted by Jacob Worrell on May 9 2012

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking? Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom and click here to get the News Brief delivered to your inbox every morning.

MUST READS

1) Texas veterans face long waits for VA to process disability claims

Veterans living in the state of Texas are facing long waits for disability claims, which complicate the transition to civilian life. The number of claims has tripled in the past three years at Houston VA, and the wait is even worse at Waco VA. For veterans who have risked their lives overseas, “that’s just unacceptable,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.

2) Study: Most troops don’t seek military help with PTSD

On Wednesday, Blue Star Families released a report that suggests the majority of service members with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder do not seek treatment through the military. The survey was conducted among military spouses, a unique way to measure the veteran population.

3) Another Face of Multiple Deployments

The Kandahar massacre may have changed how Americans view the war in Afghanistan, but it shouldn’t change how we as a nation honor those who serve, writes IAVA Senior Fellow Matt Gallagher. The sacrifices of service members like Sergeant First Class Domeij, who was killed in October on his 14th deployment, underscore the incredible élan of the nation’s Armed Forces. 

AFGHANISTAN

• The Taliban attacked a delegation of education officials on Tuesday, killing five, as they continue to target schools and school administrators.
• President Karzai warns that accidental casualties caused by airstrikes are endangering the war effort..
• A new AP-GfK poll reports American support for the war in Afghanistan to be at an all-time low.

IRAQ

• Interpol’s arrest notice for the Vice President of Iraq has forced nations like Turkey to choose between the Sunni minority and the Shiite majority.
• A strong month of crude oil production in April has many analysts hopeful that Iraq's economy is on the mend.
• A government employee was killed alongside his son and three others in their home northeast of Baghdad.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• China and the United States need close cyber relations if they are to avoid potential conflict in the 21st century, says Defense Secretary Panetta.
• The United States is working on ways to deploy special operators faster and further than ever before as part of its new counter-insurgent strategy.
• The CIA thwarted the latest al Qaeda bomb plot on an airliner by using a double agent embedded in the terror network.
• The latest “Room for Debate” on nytimes.com investigates whether U.S. troops should take point on the drug war.

NEW GREATEST GENERATION

• In honor of Military Spouse Day this Friday, Blue Star Families is giving out certificates.
• A soldier surprised his four kids at a Diamondbacks game when he threw out the first pitch and ran into their open arms.
• Wounded warriors are defying their disabilities with tricked out cars and motorcycles, writes USA TODAY.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee will debate the 2013 defense budget.
• One lawmaker wants to allow chaplains and service members to be given the option to object serving alongside openly gay service members.
• On Tuesday, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki appeared before Congress and responded to reports that veterans are forced to wait months and sometimes years before their claim is decided.

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