Seek Help Closer: The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs last week approved the “Veterans Health Care Act of 2005,” a bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho. Among other things, this measure will let the VA reimburse veterans who seek emergency health care at a nearby hospital. Many vets who need emergency care have passed up the closest facility, opting, instead, to head for a VA hospital. The delay in getting care, in some cases, exacerbated the medical problem, say VA officials.
Questioned by lawmakers on the state of the Air Force's maintenance depots, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James C. "Jim" Slife said April 30 that the service is investing in IT and data infrastructure to better sustain new software-intensive platforms—while acknowledging that there is still work to be done to…