News & Opinion

Layers of bureaucracy have bogged down efforts by the federal government to help troops transition to civilian life, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki told Congress on Wednesday. Read more »

The system designed to assist service members transitioning from active duty to civilian life is "overwhelmed," Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told legislators in a historic Congressional hearing on Wednesday. Read more »

A mix-up involving $100,000 intended for 50 veterans attending Temple College under the GI bill has been corrected, but it took a call to the chairman of a U.S. House committee to unsnarl the red tape. Read more »

Members of the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees found their own oft-voiced opposition to possible sequestration cuts echoed in the testimony of the Obama administration's Defense Secretary today during a joint meeting of the committees. Read more »

Lawmakers frustrated at years of limited collaboration between defense and Veterans Affairs officials pressed the secretaries of those departments Wednesday to ensure that servicemembers’ lives aren’t lost to paperwork mistakes and red tape. Read more »

A joint congressional committee focused Wednesday on missed deadlines and delayed improvements that prevent the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments from providing a promised smooth transition to civilian life for separating service members. Read more »

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he "sure as hell" hopes that automatic, across-the-board cuts in military spending don't happen. Read more »

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki are scheduled to testify before a joint hearing of two House committees Wednesday morning about collaboration between the departments in assisting servicemembers returning to civilian life. Read more »

On Monday, President Obama told the VFW: Let’s keep taking care of our extraordinary military families. For the first time ever, we’ve made military families and veterans a top priority not just at DOD, not just at the VA, but across the government. As Richard mentioned, this has been a mission for my wife, Michelle, and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden. Today, more people across America in every segment of society are Joining Forces to give our military families the respect and the support that they deserve. . . . Read more »

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki are set to testify on Capitol Hill on Wednesday about the steps they’re taking to work better together.Instead, they’ll likely be peppered with questions from members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee on whether the VA is completely exempt from sequestration spending cuts. Read more »