Why Veterans Are Targeted by Radicals Online
Virginia National Guard Cpl. Jacob Fracker, left, and Army veteran Thomas Robertson, right, were arrested in Virginia in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. Fracker, who previously served in the Marine Corps, and Robertson are members of the Rocky Mount Police Department. Photo via the Justice Department
28 May 2021
Among the the Jan. 6 pro-Trump assault on the U.S. Capitol were veterans and active service members, highlighting a potential issue with extremism within the ranks.
This included Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran, who was shot and killed by law enforcement at the Capitol during the insurrection. Following the attack, at least 12 National Guard members were booted off of the Capitol Hill security mission after investigators found them to have extremist ties. Jacob Fracker, an infantryman in the Virginia National Guard, was arrested after allegedly breaching the building with the mob; he was
The Air Force s New PT Test Is Coming This July. Here s What We Know
Senior Airman Micah Coate holds the push-up portion for her mock Air Force Physical Training Test at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Micah Coate)
27 May 2021
The Air Force will introduce an updated physical fitness test for airmen and Space Force Guardians starting July 1, the service said Wednesday. It will boast a new scoring system and, eventually, new events from which to choose. We are moving away from a one-size-fits-all model, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles CQ Brown in a news release. More testing options will put flexibility in the hands of our Airmen where it belongs. … We know not all Airmen maintain their fitness the same way and may excel in different areas. Alternate components provide choices while still providing a mechanism to determine overall fitness.
VA Moves to Expedite Benefits for Post-9/11 Veterans Asthma, Respiratory Problems
A U.S. service member watches over the civilian fire fighters at the burn pit as smoke and flames rise into the night sky behind him in Fallujah, Iraq on May 25th, 2007. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Samuel Corum)
27 May 2021
The Department of Veterans Affairs will create a list of conditions thought to be linked to burn pits and other air-quality problems experienced by veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere since the Persian Gulf War.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced Thursday that the department will start the rulemaking process to add chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma and sinusitis to a list of presumptive illnesses considered linked to service.