Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

 
1.   Photo gallery: A Christmas feast for US personnel in Bahrain.  U.S. personnel stationed in Bahrain were joined for a special meal this Christmas by sailors and Marines from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

2.   Women pilots of WWII will get grand recognition in Rose Parade.  In the midst of World War II, with legions of male pilots overseas, the 1,102 young women comprising the Women Airforce Service Pilots flew more than 60 million miles domestically, test-flew repaired military aircraft and ferried non-flying male military officers around the country.
 
3.   Congress is skeptical of new Pentagon spy agency.  Congress is giving only halfhearted support to a Pentagon effort to broaden military espionage operations beyond war zones.
 
4.   South Sudan crisis lands Marine crisis response unit its largest mission.  A new unit of rapid reaction Marines has mobilized to Africa in response to a crisis, marking a muscular milestone for U.S. Africa Command as it contends with a crisis in South Sudan.
 
5.   Air Force releases early retirement guidance.  Some Air Force staff sergeants, captains and higher ranks will be eligible for early retirement under guidelines released by the Air Force Personnel Center.
 
6.   Dustup over military appeals judge is delaying cases .  Dozens of military criminal cases have been thrown into limbo because of a legal challenge over whether Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel improperly appointed a judge to the Air Force’s highest court, with attorneys raising questions about the judge’s independence amid increasing pressure over the military’s handling of sexual assault cases.
7.   VA chips away at veterans’ benefits backlog.  Hyperlink to Article St. Paul Pioneer Press:  Far fewer veterans face long waits for disability compensation after the Department of Veterans Affairs spent six months focusing on the backlog, including mandating case worker overtime and rolling out a new computer system.
8.   Smart spending change will help VA patients, taxpayers.  Hyperlink to Article Tampa Tribune:  The James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital’s main wing — or bed tower — was built in 1971 and is hopelessly antiquated. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is the second worst in the nation in terms of facility deficiencies. So it is encouraging to see Congress find an economical way to fund a replacement.
9.   VA joins open data revolution with new website.  Hyperlink to Article  Federal News Radio (Audio):  A new era in open data is arriving at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA is unrolling a brand new, open data website to give people an inside look at the agency.
10.  Veteran Support Line Offers Confidential Help.  Hyperlink to Article WBFF-TV:  The US Department of Veterans Affairs is reminding veterans that those needing support can use the Dept. of Veterans Affairs crisis line.
 

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Ending Veteran Homelessness:  For VA, even one Veteran without safe and stable housing is one too many. During the holiday season, get in touch with your local Veterans Service Organization to see how you can help homeless Vets.  Learn More » http://www.va.gov/homeless/index.asp