Business

How the Government Is Handling 700,000 Jailed Veterans

Officials hope that specialized courts designed to treat and rehabilitate drug addicted veterans will reduce incarceration rates. By Bob Brewin

Business

Pentagon Electronic Health Records Not Ready Until 2017... At Least

A Navy SPAWAR official said a single contract award will restart the DOD effort, but it's anyone's guess when it will become fully operational. By Bob Brewin

Ideas

Help Veterans by Taking Them Off the Pedestal

Veterans face plenty of challenges after returning from war. Its time to find a more constructive way to help them reintegrate back into civilian life. By Alex Horton

Business

The Percentage of Veterans Working for the Government Reaches a 20-Year High

Federal agencies have been making a big push to hire more veterans since November 2009, when President Obama ordered them to make it a priority. By Amelia Gruber

Science & Tech

First Cyber Warrior Scholarships Awarded to Veterans

Six veterans are the first recipients of a scholarship program trying to close the cyber skills gap. By Brittany Ballenstedt

Business

Shutdown Derails VA's Efforts to Reduce Claims Backlog

VA claims processors have been working overtime to get the backlog under control - now that's on hold because of the government shutdown. By Bob Brewin

Business

How a 2009 Law Is Protecting Veterans from the Government Shutdown

Veterans advocates fought hard to pass a 2009 law that helps protect their benefits from congressional gridlock. Now it’s paying off. By Tom Tarantino

Ideas

When Will the Media Stop Fueling the Angry Vet Narrative?

After the Navy Yard shooting, many media outlets were quick to point out the shooter’s military service, fueling the dangerous narrative that veterans are more prone to violence. By Alex Horton

Science & Tech

Clean Energy Gets an Unlikely Ally: Military Veterans

A rising chorus of voices from the national security community are united by what is fast becoming a consensus view: investments in clean energy strengthens our national security and gives our service members an edge on the battlefield. By Chris Rey

Ideas

How Photographic Technology Shapes Our Understanding of War

From Polaroids to Instagram, the methods we used to document conflict have drastically changed. So has our understanding of what war really is. By Peter Osnos

Business

Time to Treat the VA's Problems as DOD's Problems

The VA's letdowns are now the Defense Department's problem, too. It’s time VA readiness were on par with DOD readiness. By Alexander Nicholson

Policy

A QDR for the VA?

A bill before the House Veterans Affairs Committee would require the Veterans Affairs Department to conduct a four-year review, but is more paperwork what the agency needs? By Stephanie Gaskell

Defense Systems

DOD smart-phone app links to recovery website

The Defense Department has launched a new smart-phone application that gives service members and veterans mobile phone access to the National Resource Directory recovery and rehabilitation website.

Defense Systems

Military uses Skype, other tech to reach injured servicemembers

Injured servicemembers may be reluctant to talk about combat stress with a military psychiatrist, but they are more willing to chat about their problems through Skype or other consumer-based technologies, military and veterans officials told lawmakers.

Defense Systems

Military health records project set to expand

A Defense Department pilot program designed for easy access to medical files could propel government and military recordkeeping into the 21st century, a CIO said.

Defense Systems

Defense budget could go up as much as $20.5B under Obama

The increased budget would include IT spending by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, according to the budget request released today.

Defense Systems

DOD, VA to migrate health records to SOA

The departments are making the migration of their respective electronic health record systems to enhance the interoperability of outpatient clinical data.

Defense Systems

DOD starts online directory for wounded service members

The Defense Department has launched a Web-based network of care coordinators for injured service members, veterans and their families.