The Senate followed the House in overwhelmingly endorsing a new GI bill aimed specifically at post-9/11 veterans. The New GI Bill for the 21st Century (S. 22), introduced by Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), found solid bipartisan support in both Houses of Congress, but President Bush has threatened a veto largely because it is contained within the war emergency supplemental spending bill. Republican Presidential-hopeful Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has called the new GI bill too generous since it extends the same benefits to veterans who have served three years and those who stay longer. In a May 22 statement, Webb declared: “There are no politics here. This is about taking care of the people who have taken care of us.”
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.