Approximately 120,000 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs will get top priority when they try to access treatment, according to VA Secretary James Nicholson. Veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom make up two percent of VA’s total patient load, but they are just returning from combat, and they deserve priority for their physical and mental needs, Nicholson said.
With key members of Congress wavering on the possibility of a $350 billion defense reconciliation bill, defense experts told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Pentagon is likely drawing up budget backup plans—but such plans would face hard choices between high-end weapons and low-cost drones and other programs in…