The House Committee on Veterans Affairs recently focused on modernizing the GI Bill, hearing from representatives of the National Guard and Reserves on education benefits for the total force. Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) said his efforts to change the bill have to meet two main goals—making the GI Bill more flexible in the types of education and training available to all eligible veterans and to adjust the program to make it more usable for members of the Guard and Reserves.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.

