Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

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August 31, 2022 | View in browser

 

One year later, US to award commendations to military units involved in Afghanistan withdrawal  All military units involved in the withdrawal and evacuation missions from Afghanistan last year will be awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation or its equivalent, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday.  Read more >

VA makes all toxic-exposure conditions presumptive immediately following signing of PACT Act The VA had planned to phase in the system, under which specific health conditions likely resulting from exposure to toxins are recognized as service-related, over the next few years. Read more >

Taiwan fires warning shots at Chinese drone after vowing to defend its airspace Taiwanese soldiers fired warning shots at a Chinese drone this week as Taiwan’s president announced the military would take “necessary and powerful countermeasures” to protect the island’s airspace. Read more >   Reported sexual assaults across US military increase by 13% Reports of sexual assaults across the U.S. military jumped by 13% last year, driven by significant increases in the Army and the Navy as bases began to move out of pandemic restrictions and public venues reopened, The Associated Press has learned. Read more >   USS Truman departs Mediterranean after eventful Europe deployment The USS Truman’s departure leaves the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group on duty in the Mediterranean. Read more >

Olympian trades spikes for boots, enlists as an Army medic Already serving at the rank of specialist, Noah Akwu will finish his advanced individual training at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in Texas in October, then head north to Fort Hood. Read more >   Army veteran wins disability discrimination complaint case against Air Force, but he may still lose his home After years of legal battles, a judge found that the Air Force, when it withdrew an offer in 2014 for a historian job at Laughlin Air Force Base, had discriminated against Dave Bighia. Weeks after the deadline, Bighia has yet to see a dime or receive a job offer. Read more >   Sikh Marine Corps recruits to appeal court decision requiring them to shave For now, a court decision means three Sikh men will have to cut their hair, shave their beards and disavow other tenets of their faith, if they want to enter Marine boot camp. Read more >   Unvaccinated cadets ordered off Coast Guard Academy campus The Coast Guard Academy is disenrolling seven cadets for failing to comply with the military's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, after their requests for religious exemptions were denied and they were ordered to leave campus. Read more >   Japan’s record-high defense budget request of $40.4 billion still lags its G-7 peers Japan’s Defense Ministry unveiled a record-high spending request for the next fiscal year that is likely to increase further before it’s approved. Read more >   Video | Stripes in 7 for Aug. 31, 2022 This edition focuses on the USS Ronald Reagan’s return to Japan, a downturn in Air Force Academy applications and more. Read more >

 

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