Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 3.9.10
Posted by Michael Houston on March 9 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) Gates Praises Troops in Southern Afghanistan

While visiting Kandahar yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Fort Lewis, Washington-based Stryker unit that their heavy losses have helped the U.S. begin to push back against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.  Since their arrival at the small, remote outpost last summer, the unit has lost 22 men and 62 have been wounded.

2) New Battle At Home For Returning GIs

Those who have served in the nation's most recent wars have been hit harder by the staggering economy than the rest of America: today, the veteran unemployment rate is two points higher than the rate for the general population.  Click here to read IAVA's report Careers After Combat.

3) As Iraq Tallies Vote, U.S. Says Pullout Plans Are 'On Track'

As Iraq tallied the votes from Sunday's nationwide elections to choose a new Parliament, Gen. Ray Odierno praised the Iraqi military's performance during the vote and said the United States would proceed with plans to withdraw troops from the country.

AFGHANISTAN

• Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to arrive in Kabul today to meet with high-ranking Afghan officials.
• A roadside bomb killed two Afghan border police and a civilian Tuesday in southern Afghanistan.

IRAQ

• Two U.S. soldiers died in a vehicle accident on Monday, according to a Department of Defense statement.
• Iraq's election commission announced that 62 percent of Iraqis voted in Sunday's election.
• Meanwhile, Iraqi electoral authorities say turnout among the country's minority Sunnis was strong compared to the last parliamentary elections in 2005, when many boycotted the process.
  
• Britain is opening an inquiry into claims that its soldiers murdered and abused civilians in southern Iraq in 2004.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• IAVA joined Microsoft Monday in support of the "Elevate America's Veterans" initiative, designed to provide veterans and their spouses with the technical training and resources needed to be successful in today's workforce.  Click here to learn more about the program.
• Philadelphia will launch its first Veterans Court today, designed to provide qualified veterans in the criminal-justice system with a range of services to assist in the transition back to civilian life.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to announce today that it will fully automate how it pays claims for illnesses related to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the First Amendment protects anti-gay protestors who show up at military funerals with inflammatory messages. 
• A Florida lawmaker has filed a bill making it a crime for anyone to misrepresent him- or herself as a veteran, after a civilian in fatigues solicited donations to a veteran's organization. 

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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