Faced with a revolt in Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs canceled a year-long review of its $4.3 billion-a-year Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder claims. The probe, when it began, was seeking fraudulent claims. In a statement released last week, though, VA acknowledged finding no fraud, only clerical errors. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an illness featuring symptoms such as flashbacks and anxiety. In May, VA started to review 72,000 claims for full disability approved in the 1999-2004 period. This touched off an angry response from, among others, Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat. It had its effect. VA Secretary James Nicholson said, “In the absence of evidence of fraud, we’re not going to put our veterans through the anxiety of a widespread review of their disability claims.” Two cheers for rectifying a mistake.
The top Air Force commander on on the Japanese island of Okinawa has clamped down alcohol and issued a curfew for junior enlisted Airmen and Guardians at Kadena Air Base for the next month. The order came roughly two weeks after a U.S. Marine was arrested for allegedly robbing and…