The Senate unanimously passed the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act (S. 1606) on July 25. The bill, co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 51 senators, offers recommendations to overcome shortfalls in caring for wounded veterans. In a joint statement by its key sponsors, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “This bill lays out a path for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to address shortfalls in the care of our wounded warriors while they remain in military service, during the transition from the military to the VA, and after this transition while in the care of the VA.” Sen. Daniel Akaka, (D-Hawaii) Senate VA Committee chairman, said: “After five years of war, it’s about time that DOD and VA developed a comprehensive policy for transitioning our wounded warriors from active duty to veterans’ status.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
