http://www.airforcetimes.com en-us Copyright 2013, airforcetimes.com SaxoTech Online Mon, 12 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:45:16 -0400 15 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130812/NEWS05/308120007 As more and deeper budget cuts loom, the fate of the military's quality-of-life programs will be left to the individual services, defense officials say. Mon, 12 Aug 2013 09:51:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130812/NEWS05/308120007 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130810/BENEFITS04/308100015 President Barack Obama assured disabled veterans Saturday that his administration is making progress on reducing a backlog of disability claims and said the number of requests for assistance has fallen by nearly one-fifth since peaking at more than 600,000 just a few months ago. Sat, 10 Aug 2013 16:19:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130810/BENEFITS04/308100015 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/NEWS05/308090035 Troops' pay will continue to be exempted from the budget cuts known as sequestration during fiscal 2014. Sun, 11 Aug 2013 09:25:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/NEWS05/308090035 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/BENEFITS06/308090020 The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a new website explaining the likely impact of the Affordable Care Act on former troops and their families. Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:17:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/BENEFITS06/308090020 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/OFFDUTY/308090023 In a world where big-screen features come and go faster than on-screen car chases, military moviegoers are often left out in the cold when it comes ot the latest blockbuster hits. Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:23:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/OFFDUTY/308090023 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/BENEFITS04/308090014 Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy wants Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shineski to rescind more than $100,000 in bonuses given to VA leaders in the wake of a Legionnaire's disease outbreak at Pittsburgh's Veterans Affairs hospitals. Fri, 09 Aug 2013 09:14:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130809/BENEFITS04/308090014 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130808/BENEFITS07/308080041 Defense officials will take a 'candid look' at whether commissaries should operate without taxpayer subsidies, said Jessica Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Fri, 09 Aug 2013 09:38:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130808/BENEFITS07/308080041 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/NEWS/308070040 Minimal costs, 21 percent increase in usage at test bases Fri, 09 Aug 2013 13:05:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/NEWS/308070040 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS07/308070014 Commissaries will be back to their normal operating hours the week of Aug. 19, officials said. Thu, 08 Aug 2013 18:19:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS07/308070014 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS/308070049 Same-sex spouses of military members could get health care, housing and other benefits by the end of August under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon. But earlier plans to provide benefits to gay partners who are not married may be reversed. Thu, 08 Aug 2013 17:48:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS/308070049 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS06/308070021 Combat medics were perplexed. They'd been applying the standard treatment to U.S. troops in Iraq who'd suffered a collapsed lung - piercing the chest with a special needle-thin catheter to release trapped air and relieve pressure. Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:06:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS06/308070021 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS02/308070032 The Pentagon is hammering out details for potential cutbacks to Basic Allowance for Housing, a change that could force nearly a million troops to pay more out-of-pocket cash for their own living expenses. Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:20:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS02/308070032 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS06/308070034 Q. My boyfriend and I plan to wed. What's holding us back is that I'm on active duty and he's a civilian with a major illness. He's on dialysis and on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:08:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130807/BENEFITS06/308070034 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130806/BENEFITS06/308060035 A two-year Defense Department review of body-building supplements containing 1,3-dimethlyamylamine, or DMAA, has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove the ingredient caused the deaths of three soldiers in 2011 and 2012. Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:33:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130806/BENEFITS06/308060035 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130806/BENEFITS02/308060015 The House of Representatives is continuing to ignore Obama administration pleas to cut military personnel spending. Tue, 06 Aug 2013 10:10:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130806/BENEFITS02/308060015 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS/308050048 Military-friendly employers have reached the goal of hiring 50,000 military spouses two years early, said Jessica Wright, acting under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:00:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS/308050048 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS04/308050035 President Obama, who has addressed VFW and American Legion conventions over the years, will speak this week to disabled veterans. Mon, 05 Aug 2013 13:07:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS04/308050035 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS06/308050021 An in-patient hospital program for female active military or veterans with emotional disorders or addiction has been expanded to include men. Mon, 05 Aug 2013 08:51:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS06/308050021 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS06/308050009 A drop in the pace of military suicides in the first half of 2013 is welcome news for the Defense Department, but officials are not ready to call the decline a trend, given that 2012 saw the worst year for suicide since the military began closely tracking Mon, 05 Aug 2013 06:30:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130805/BENEFITS06/308050009 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS06/308020011 More than 170,000 retired military personnel and their family members face significant changes to their medical care on Oct. Sat, 03 Aug 2013 14:42:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS06/308020011 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130802/NEWS05/308020029 A bill that requires the Transportation Security Administration to provide expedited security screening for injured or disabled troops and veterans is heading to President Obama's desk for his signature. Fri, 02 Aug 2013 16:31:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130802/NEWS05/308020029 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS04/308020022 The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a unique incentive program for disabled veterans that will potentially provide up to one year of extra disability compensation if a benefits claim is submitted with almost all of the information required for pr Fri, 02 Aug 2013 15:45:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS04/308020022 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130731/CAREERS/307310032 Nurse punished for pregnancy seeks re-instatement under new rule Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:27:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130731/CAREERS/307310032 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130731/NEWS05/307310028 A new bill unveiled in Congress would strip the Veterans Affairs Department of responsibility for verifying veteran-owned small businesses, a change in federal contracting procedures aimed at simplifying the process and saving money, according to the bill Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:38:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130731/NEWS05/307310028 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130730/NEWS06/307300041 Two former Seattle Veteran Affairs employees who skimmed money from inflated travel reimbursement claims were sentenced to prison Tuesday, prosecutors said. Tue, 30 Jul 2013 20:21:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130730/NEWS06/307300041 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130729/BENEFITS06/307290029 The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday it is requiring the antimalarial drug mefloquine, once marketed as Lariam in the U.S., to carry the agency's strongest warning on the drug's potential neurological and psychiatric side effects. Tue, 30 Jul 2013 07:51:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130729/BENEFITS06/307290029 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130729/BENEFITS07/307290024 Military officials say the London-based firm Balfour Beatty Communities will take over housing management at the Mountain Home Air Force base. Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:08:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130729/BENEFITS07/307290024 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130729/NEWS/307290012 Tucked away in Northern California wine country, a small mental health organization has found success working with struggling U.S. service members, reducing suicide rates with unconventional treatment methods that include backrubs and cookouts. Mon, 29 Jul 2013 08:20:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130729/NEWS/307290012 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130726/BENEFITS06/307260026 A federal judge in Oakland has ruled that Cold War military veterans who say they were harmed by government-backed chemical and biological experiments aren't entitled to medical treatment outside the Department of Veterans Affairs medical system. Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:07:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130726/BENEFITS06/307260026 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130726/BENEFITS04/307260013 The number of homeless veterans in the U.S. has decreased by 17 percent since 2009 - but many of these men and women are put in apartments without furniture, paid utilities or even toilet paper, according to advocates. Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:13:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130726/BENEFITS04/307260013 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/BENEFITS04/307250031 An omnibus veterans' bill approved July 24 by the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee is chock full of improvements in health and benefits programs, according to a summary released by the panel. Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:18:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/BENEFITS04/307250031 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/OFFDUTY/307250034 A. You don't need to do anything this second; newborn babies of active-duty troops are automatically covered from the moment of birth under Tricare Prime for 60 days. Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:14:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/OFFDUTY/307250034 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/NEWS05/307250030 A Senate committee proposes a multi-year plan to cut the weight of some veterans, including the possibility of buying fitness club memberships for some obese patients. Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:44:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/NEWS05/307250030 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/BENEFITS06/307250025 Starting Oct. 1, military retirees enrolled in the Tricare Retiree Dental Program will need to pay their monthly premiums either by electronic funds transfer or allotment. Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:14:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130725/BENEFITS06/307250025 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/NEWS05/307240042 The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee passed eight bills Wednesday, but given the panel's secretive approach, it is hard to judge the potential impact. Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:05:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/NEWS05/307240042 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/BENEFITS06/307240041 Defense bills sponsored by the House and Senate Armed Services committees effectively quash any large Tricare fee increases in the coming fiscal year, but on Wednesday the House fortified its position to protect the oldest Tricare beneficiaries from payin Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:03:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/BENEFITS06/307240041 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/BENEFITS06/307240039 The Veterans Affairs Department has extended the deadline for the public to comment on its planned registry for service members exposed to open-air burn pits through Aug. 20. Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:17:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/BENEFITS06/307240039 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/BENEFITS06/307240019 Tricare has pushed off a decision to stop covering some compounded medications as it evaluates its policies regarding these prescriptions, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:47:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130724/BENEFITS06/307240019 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130723/BENEFITS/307230023 As the military begins to embrace gays and lesbians, one group feels left out: transgender troops. Tue, 23 Jul 2013 20:14:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130723/BENEFITS/307230023 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130723/NEWS05/307230034 Service members in pre-trial confinement for serious crimes - including rape, sexual assault and murder - would have their military pay and allowances suspended, under legislation introduced Monday. Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:32:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130723/NEWS05/307230034 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130723/BENEFITS06/307230003 Four decades ago, two mechanics bonded under the hood of an aircraft, hidden in the belly of a massive ship, far off the coast of a country embroiled in war. Tue, 23 Jul 2013 08:33:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130723/BENEFITS06/307230003 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130722/NEWS05/307220036 A former broadcast journalist has been named to oversee DoD's family and morale, welfare and recreation programs. Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:30:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130722/NEWS05/307220036 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130722/NEWS05/307220034 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took aim Monday at the Veterans Affairs Department for a massive backlog of disability claims for veterans, calling it a 'national disgrace' that the president should address. Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:06:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130722/NEWS05/307220034 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130722/CAREERS/307220025 Doctors, dentists, home health care workers, X-ray technicians: Most people can rattle off a list of the most common careers in health care. Mon, 22 Jul 2013 13:08:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130722/CAREERS/307220025 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130719/NEWS05/307190039 The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments are failing to provide adequate mental health services to troops and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder caused by sexual assault - a deficiency that contributes to lifelong struggles, military rape su Sun, 21 Jul 2013 09:24:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130719/NEWS05/307190039 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130719/NEWS/307190018 John Yates, an African-American soldier who enlisted in the Union Army at 13, lies in an unmarked grave in the 170-year-old Wesleyan Cemetery in Cincinnati. Fri, 19 Jul 2013 10:26:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130719/NEWS/307190018 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/OFFDUTY/307180039 A. If you marry an active-duty service member, you become eligible for Tricare, regardless of how many times you marry him. Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:20:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/OFFDUTY/307180039 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/OFFDUTY/307180036 Q. I am an Air Force Reserve retiree. At age 60, I went on Tricare Prime and, at 65, I started on Medicare with Tricare for Life as my supplemental insurance. Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:15:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/OFFDUTY/307180036 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/OFFDUTY/307180035 Military teens have another free anonymous online haven for asking questions, with a new resource from a nonprofit organization providing answers vetted by trained counselors. Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:12:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/OFFDUTY/307180035 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/NEWS05/307180013 A House subcommittee voted Wednesday to support an independent review of the cause and possible remedy for the veterans' disability claims backlog. Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:43:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130718/NEWS05/307180013 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130717/NEWS05/307170037 Nearly 100 Gold Star widows and their advocates converged on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge Congress to repeal a law that forces about 61,000 widows and widowers to forfeit part of their benefits. Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:31:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130717/NEWS05/307170037 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130717/NEWS/307170012 More than 25 federal and state agencies, consumer advocates and industry groups have launched an effort to educate troops and veterans about personal financial management issues, protecting personal information, and avoiding scams, starting with 'Military Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:38:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130717/NEWS/307170012 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130716/BENEFITS06/307160021 A Florida lawmaker wants to hold the Defense Department to a strict timeline for setting up a system to share military medical records with the Veterans Affairs Department. Tue, 16 Jul 2013 15:03:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130716/BENEFITS06/307160021 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130716/BENEFITS06/307160008 Military veterans diagnosed with most forms of cancer were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, and those who were treated with chemotherapy received even more protection, according to a study released this morning at the Alzheimer's Association In Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:20:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130716/BENEFITS06/307160008 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130712/NEWS/307120038 Wade Christiansen dreamed of being a soldier from a young age. He joined the Army's 82nd Airborne Division after high school. Being a paratrooper made Wade proud. Jumping from airplanes excited the daredevil from Red Lodge. Fri, 12 Jul 2013 17:47:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130712/NEWS/307120038 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130711/BENEFITS06/307110029 The Department of Veterans Affairs Thursday announced it is tripling to $300 million the investment provided to community groups such as Goodwill Industries, Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army to expand efforts for ending homelessness among veteran Thu, 11 Jul 2013 19:14:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130711/BENEFITS06/307110029 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/NEWS05/307100024 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is warning Congress of 'serious adverse effects' from potential cuts in the 2014 Pentagon budget. Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:31:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/NEWS05/307100024 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/BENEFITS06/307100032 Veterans Affairs officials, military advocacy groups and veterans service organizations will meet tomorrow at the White House for a Veterans and Military Family Mental Health Conference - the opening salvo in a series of summits to be held at VA medical c Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:30:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/BENEFITS06/307100032 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/BENEFITS/307100023 The Pentagon is eyeing plans to eliminate danger pay for service members in as many as 18 countries and five waterways around the world, saving about $120 million each year while taking a bite out of troops' salaries, The Associated Press has learned. Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:04:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/BENEFITS/307100023 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/BENEFITS/307100026 Hagel speaks at military kid conference Wed, 10 Jul 2013 16:55:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130710/BENEFITS/307100026