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Feds pay out $17M to families sickened by Navy’s fuel-contaminated water in Hawaii
Each of the 629 people received about $27,000. Affected service members have received nothing.
US sending military warships, personnel to Venezuela in the wake of the nation’s devastating earthquakes
Two U.S. warships, the USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings have been dispatched to Venezuela following the nation's earthquakes.
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DoD scraps plan to privatize commissaries
DoD concluded “the potential cost savings of privatization are unlikely to be realized without severely degrading the benefits these programs provide."
Incoming female students at US Naval Academy must cut hair below chin
The school is returning to a female grooming standard that it upheld for decades before a 2018 shift in policy.
Seven sailors injured during fire aboard USS Indianapolis
The fire was extinguished, and the injured sailors were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals before being cleared to return.
House backs $1.55 billion to revive E-7 Wedgetail, spares Navy Hawkeye
The White House budget office wants to raid a Navy radar-plane account and a classified Air Force line to pull the E-7 Wedgetail back from the dead.
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Pentagon & Congress
The Pentagon’s research infrastructure is ‘deteriorating,’ study finds
Pentagon research has been hampered by backlogged security clearances, limited funds to build or refurbish labs and a slow and difficult hiring process.
House vote on major veterans bill delayed amid controversy over voting legislation
A bill that encompasses two popular pieces of legislation — the Major Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act — has been stalled.
Following reports of staff shortages and safety concerns, VA to centralize its police force
The VA police force has faced challenges with recruiting and retention, raising safety concerns at facilities.
Trump meets munitions makers amid push to replenish weapons stockpiles
Pentagon negotiators are pressing contractors to move much faster to boost output.
In other news
F-35 program chief warns fleet has outgrown its support system amid record-low readiness
The hearing comes on the heels of a Government Accountability Office report this month that found just one in four F-35s were fully mission capable.
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F-35 program chief says growth has outpaced sustainability for joint fighters
"We didn't put enough parts and pieces on the shelf," Lt. Gen. Gregory L. Masiello told a Senate subcommittee in a recent hearing.
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Sailor reportedly finds dead rat in finished energy drink
The sailor said medical personnel informed him, “with the chemicals that are in Monster, that it should be OK.”
That time the Air Force proposed making a ‘gay bomb’
The Air Force once explored the idea of a chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to one another — striking a blow to morale.
Master Chief actor condemns use of character in White House’s Iran war hype video
“I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately,” Steve Downes wrote in a post on X.
‘War Machine’ review: Finally, a training scenario with aliens
The sci-fi flick raises the premise: What if the final phase of U.S. Army Ranger selection suddenly involved fighting a giant alien robot?
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MORE STORIES
US Navy suspends work at four West Coast dry docks over seismic risks
Three dry docks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and one at Trident Refit Facility Bangor will close immediately to allow for more study and mitigation work.
High turnover on House Veterans’ Affairs Committee again this session
The panel will have 13 new faces this year, more than half of its total membership.
Key Islamic State leader killed in US military operation in Somalia
No U.S. troops or civilians were harmed in the operation.
How Area 51 became a hotbed for conspiracy theories
The conspiracies about aliens out of Area 51 began more than 75 years ago.
By Sarah Sicard
In homicide trial, Marine Raiders’ defense seeks other causes of death
Defense lawyers worked to sow doubt about the prosecution’s theory that former Green Beret Rick Rodriguez died because of his head injury.
Enrollments in VA medical care spiked after PACT Act passage last year
Department leaders say the are confident the increases won't lead to longer wait times for appointments.
Suspected prowler turns out to be Navy sailor who deserted in 1978
Airman Apprentice Antonio D. Miller, who ditched his unit back in 1978, tried to pass himself off as his brother. The problem: His brother died in 2010.
NIIT helps veterans find careers in high-tech fields
The National Institute for Innovation and Technology helps veterans find careers in high-tech fields such as semiconductors and nanotechnology.
By Sharon Spielman