Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has introduced legislation that would protect combat veterans who are so disabled they are forced out of the service early, losing full retirement benefits. Most of these veterans had planned to make the military a career, says Reid. His Combat-Related Special Compensation Act of 2006 (S. 2385) would give “eligible combat-related disabled” who is “retired” with fewer than 20 years of service under Chapter 61 a pro-rated retirement benefit.
Raytheon, a division of defense giant RTX, recently announced a multiyear deal with the Pentagon to increase annual production of the Air Force’s primary dogfighting missile by more than 50 percent from two years ago.


