Blog Post

IAVA Daily News Brief 07.09.12
Posted by Gretchen Andersen on July 9 2012

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings that IAVA is tracking. 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.) NATO: 6 U.S. Troops Killed In Afghanistan

NATO confirmed today that all six service members killed in a roadside bombing over the weekend were Americans. A spokesman for the U.S. coalition could not provide any further details because it is still under investigation. The Taliban claimed responsibility and said in a statement the blast struck the U.S. troops in their armored vehicle around 8 p.m. Sunday in Wardak province, just south of Kabul.

2.) For One War Widow, Moving On Is A Marathon

For widows of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, everyday can seem like a marathon. Lisa Hallett, who lost her husband Captain John Hallett in 2009, uses running as a way to heal. Her running group “Wear Blue” has sold about $50,000 worth of blue T-shirts and other clothing in support of fallen troops.

3.) Ready For Duty

In 2011, the unemployment rate for New York veterans was 16.7 percent. On Sunday, the New York Post published an article featuring five veterans who are looking for jobs. Included in the article is IAVA Member Veteran Matthew Pizzo, an Iraq war veteran currently interning with the NYSE Veterans Associate program for the summer.

AFGHANISTAN

• IAVA Board Member Bill Cowher, a former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and CBS Sports analyst, joined other NFL coaches as part of a week-long USO/NFL Coaches Tour to the Middle East.
• A video showing the public execution of an Afghan woman by the Taliban has been condemned by the American Embassy, the NATO-led coalition, and President Hamid Karzai, who called for the arrest of the Taliban who committed the act. 
• On Sunday, foreign investors pledged $16 billion in aid to Afghanistan over the next four years. Currently, 90 percent of the Afghan government’s budget depends on foreign aid from the international donor community.
• The expensive cost of air operations have raised questions about the prospect of continuing to use airpower to fight against the Taliban. 

IRAQ

• Iraq War veteran Jason Moon plays music to help heal veterans.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• A mysterious April 20 fatal crash in Mali, involving three Special Forces commandos, has led many to question what the United States’s military is doing there. 
• The Department of Veterans Affairs is encouraging clergy of all faiths to help wounded veterans and those struggling with invisible injuries.  

THE NEW GREATEST GENERATION

• Iraq and Afghanistan veterans were honored in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at a “Welcome Home” End of Iraq Parade. 
• Army infantry officer Andy Cahoy, with the help of his mother, wife, a school and boy scouts group, has donated school supplies for Afghanistan school children.
• Actor Ernest Borgnine, a World War II veteran, passed away at age 95 on Sunday. 
• A family with a service member lost their house to the Colorado wildfires.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• In a letter to defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, United Technologies and Raytheon, members of Congress asked the companies to disclose their corporate plans in the event of potential sequestration.

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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