Veterans & Military

U.S. Army officials unveiled a new resource and training center at Fort Hood on Thursday that aims to create a more supportive culture following reports of murder, suicide and sexual assault at the embattled Texas military installation.

The federal government is continuing to decide how it will rename bases across the U.S. named after Confederate service members, a mandate included in the defense bill approved by Congress in January.

Bryan Escobedo, Mia Garcia, and John Smith – Marine Corps Veterans of the Iraq War – now all work for the Houston-based veterans’ organization Combined Arms, helping veterans adjust to civilian life.

Dr. Ray Love, who leads the post-deployment clinic for Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans at Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Hospital, expects the anniversary to be potentially triggering for his patients.

The United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war.

The fall of Afghanistan, particularly the images from the chaos in Kabul, has deeply resonated with veterans from another long war that saw a tragic and bloody end.

"To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo to employees. Already, about 62% of active-duty service members are fully vaccinated.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., scored a major victory with her years-long effort to transform how major criminal cases are handled for service members. But hurdles remain.

The Pentagon has issued new guidance that allows Joint Base San Antonio commanders to ask for proof of vaccination from troops that do not wear masks.

A new report says commanders need training to learn how to stop what it described as "daily acts of demeaning language and sexual harassment" in the military.

The new data highlights the divide between the dangers posed by war and the persistent mental health crisis in not only the military but the country at large.

A federal bill was recently reintroduced, proposing sweeping changes to the way the military investigates sexual assault and harassment allegations. Texas lawmakers are urging Congress to make it law.