Connecting Vets

For War Department personnel and their families, permanent change of station season can be one of the most stressful times of the year, as the moving process often comes with questions, uncertainty and unexpected challenges. To better support service members across the joint force, the department established the Personal Property Activity to improve the military moving experience and ensure members have reliable support throughout every stage of their PCS.

The Coast Guard commissioned its newest fast response cutter, the Vincent Danz, for official entry into its service fleet during a ceremony in New York City on May 22. The cutter's namesake, Vincent Danz, was serving in the New York City Police Department's emergency services unit when he responded to the 9/11 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Danz was killed in the collapse of the South Tower while attempting to rescue victims.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces carried out new defensive strikes on Iran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump asserted that Iran is "negotiating on fumes" and insisted that November's midterm elections in the United States won't make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict.

A bill was introduced this month to help the Department of Veterans Affairs locate and collect unclaimed remains of veterans to ensure they are properly laid to rest. Although funeral homes may contact the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) when they believe an unclaimed individual may be a veteran, the VA currently does not have a formal system for intake and identification.

District of Columbia National Guard leaders introduced a new assignment patch, honoring America's 250th birthday and recognizing the National Guard's support of key events in the nation's capital. The historic, once-in-a-generation opportunity to serve reflects the United States' grounding principles while also reinforcing partnerships with local and federal authorities. The patch features the Betsy Ross flag, with stars encircling the number 250 in place of the traditional 13 stars.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy, or MDMA-assisted therapy, for the treatment of severe mental health disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder. The new trial comes after President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” VA said in a release.

In 1972, Phil Yates found himself at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam. He was operating with Carrier Air Wing 3, known as the “Battle Axe,” aboard the carrier USS Saratoga. While the Vietnam War raged around him, the hostile environment and constant destruction left deep marks on his psyche. After six grueling months in the war zone, Yates vowed to bury those memories and the trauma they carried deep within.

Eight women veterans, first responders and those in law enforcement or with intelligence backgrounds will deploy from a single C-47 aircraft into Normandy, France, for a first-ever, women-only jump on June 2. The “chalk” commemorates D-Day and recognizes the often-overlooked role of women in the World War II resistance movement.

Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week is held annually at the Tampa convention center and aims to bring together the defense industry with the special operations community, the idea being that open lines of communication between the military and industry will lead to better results. Perhaps the conference is best known for its live demonstration held every other year in which special operators fast rope from helicopters and assault a boat.

The loudest place in American sports knew when to be quiet. At Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, the Coca-Cola 600 was everything it is supposed to be: horsepower, heat, noise and 600 miles of punishment. It was also something harder to stage and easier to cheapen. It was remembrance. Charlotte Motor Speedway and NASCAR did not hide Memorial Day in a program note or a patriotic graphic between green flags; they built it into the race. Each car carried the name of a fallen service member.