Lawmakers in Iraq’s largely autonomous Kurdish region voted Wednesday to authorize sending Kurdish fighters known as peshmerga to help defend the embattled town of Kobani in Syria, where fellow Kurds are facing an onslaught by militants of the Islamic Sta
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Commentary: Breaking the cycle of debt for troops, families
The spouse of a member of the Illinois National Guard took out a loan of $2,575 in Illinois. Due to triple-digit interest rates, the family spent more than $8,000 to repay the loan.
1.7 percent COLA increase starts in January
Millions of older Americans who rely on federal benefits will get a 1.7 percent increase in their monthly payments next year, the government announced Wednesday.
Editorial: Who’s kidding whom?
The next time you hear a four-star whine to Congress about how military pay and benefits are wreaking havoc on the defense budget and must be rolled back, think about this item buried deep in the news mix last week:
Arkansas state VA seeks to change name
The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs wants to change its name to differ from the federal agency to avoid confusion, department Director Cissy Rucker said.
FBI: Denver girls may have tried to join jihadis
Three teenage girls from suburban Denver flew to Europe in a possible bid to join Islamic State militants in Syria, and now authorities are looking at their friends to see if any have similar intentions.
Carson soldiers to get Ebola training before Africa trip
Fort Carson will train about 160 engineers on Thursday in advance of the company’s deployment to West Africa to help fight the spread of Ebola.
Afghan soldiers who fled for Canada due in court
Two Afghan military officers who face deportation after leaving a Massachusetts training exercise to seek asylum in Canada are due back before a U.S. immigration judge.
Syria claims it destroyed jets seized by IS
The Syrian air force has destroyed two of three jets seized and reportedly test flown over Aleppo by the Islamic State group last week, according to the country’s information minister.
Defense firms prefer GOP, but spread campaign cash between political parties
For every campaign contribution from a major arms manufacturer to a Republican candidate or group, one of comparable size to a Democrat is not far behind.
