Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 3.12.10
Posted by Michael Houston on March 12 2010

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 or subscribe to the Daily News Brief at http://iava.org/dailynewsbrief.

MUST READS

1) DoD to restart stalled spouse tuition program

The Pentagon will resume the stalled Military Spouse Career Advancement Account benefit program this weekend, restoring tuition benefits to 136,583 military spouses who had applied for and been enrolled in the program.

2) Ranks of Homeless Veterans Drop 18 Percent

According to an annual census by the VA's Community Homeless Assessment Local Education and Networking Group, CHALENG, the number of veterans homeless on a typical night dropped by18 percent last year.

3) Suspected suicides increased in February

As many as 14 active-duty soldiers took their own lives in February, a slight increase from the month before, the Army announced yesterday.  The Army continues to battle rising suicide numbers, following a 30-year high of 160 active-duty soldier suicides in 2009.

AFGHANISTAN

• A soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment was killed by small-arms fire Sunday when enemy forces attacked his unit in Kunar province, according to a DoD press release issued Thursday.
• A growing number of Taliban militants in the Pakistani border region are refusing to collaborate with Al Qaeda fighters, declining to provide shelter or assist in attacks in Afghanistan, according to U.S. military and counter-terrorism officials.
• Ongoing tribal wars raise questions about how effectively the U.S. military can use tribes as part of the counterinsurgency strategy against the Taliban.

IRAQ

• Preliminary results from the parliamentary elections released Thursday revealed a tight race that remains too close to call.
• In an internal assessment, the U.S. military has concluded that at least 37 people were killed in 136 attacks during Sunday's elections.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• The Army took heat from Congress, the DoD and the GAO for purchasing equipment that has faired poorly in tests during a House Armed Services air and land subcommittee hearing Wednesday.
• Earlier this year, the Army Reserve began examining personnel records to identify those who have been promoted or retained unnecessarily, both in the enlisted and officer ranks, in an effort to out underachieving soldiers.
• Alpine skier Health Calhoun, who lost both legs above the knee while serving as squad leader for the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq, will carry the flag for the U.S. Paralympic Team at the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic games.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• In its annual human rights report, the State Department outlined a sharp drop in Afghanistan's security last year, and blamed the Iraqi government for reportedly committing arbitrary killings.
• The largest share of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize cash award will go to Fisher House, which provides housing for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.

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