Edward: Welcome to the MIL News Weekly for 13 - 19 July 2025, your essential
guide to the latest news impacting the military and veteran community.
Whether you're currently serving in uniform, a military retiree, a veteran,
or a family member, this is your source for the critical updates you need to know.
Each week, we cut through the noise to bring you the most important developments
from the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Weâll cover everything from new policies and pay raises affecting
active and reserve forces, to changes in healthcare and benefits for
retirees, and the latest on VA services and legislation for our veterans.
Let's get you informed.
Hereâs whatâs happened this past week.
Issues That Affect Active and Reserve Military
Congress Moves on Landmark Defense Bills, Shaping Pay,
Healthcare, and Quality of Life
This week marked a critical legislative period on Capitol Hill, as House and
Senate committees advanced versions of the Fiscal Year 2026 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and its associated appropriations bills.
These massive legislative packages set the policy and budget for the entire
Department of Defense, dictating everything from troop pay and benefits to
the procurement of major weapons systems.
The primary legislative vehicles are the Senate's NDAA, with
provisions from last session's S.
4638 being debated, and the House's "Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement
and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025," H.R.
5009.
A central feature of both proposals is a significant investment in personnel.
A general pay raise of 3.8%
is on the table for most service members.
Family support and healthcare are also major focus areas.
The proposed NDAA legislation includes provisions to improve the portability
of professional licenses for military spouses, a crucial step to ease the career
disruption caused by frequent relocations.
On the healthcare front, S.
4638 would expand TRICARE Select eligibility for hearing aids to include
children of retired members, while H.R.
5009 proposes a demonstration program for the cryopreservation
and storage of gametes.
Both bills mandate assessments on covering assisted reproductive technology
(ART), signaling a growing recognition of the importance of family-building
support for service members.
However, these financial and quality-of-life improvements
are being legislated alongside controversial social policies.
The Senate's NDAA text includes a restriction on sex-change surgeries,
while the House version prohibits TRICARE from covering certain
medical procedures for children that could result in sterilization.
This coincides with a PBS News report on July 19 highlighting the ongoing
fight by transgender service members to continue their careers in the face
of the Trump administration's ban.
This creates a fundamental tension within the legislation.
The Pentagon is attempting to solve its recruitment and retention crisis
with significant financial incentives, yet the simultaneous codification of
these restrictive social policies may alienate or disqualify a segment of
potential recruits and current personnel, potentially undermining the very goals
the pay raises are meant to achieve.
Funding for these initiatives is being hammered out in appropriations
bills, including the FY2026 Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs Appropriations Act, H.R.
3944.
Separately, the House demonstrated ongoing commitment to foreign
policy objectives by passing H.R.
4016 with a decisive 353-76 vote to extend military aid to Ukraine.
Two other bills under consideration provide further insight into
congressional priorities.
The Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act of 2025 (S.
197) would mandate national security reviews of land purchases near military
facilities by entities linked to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea,
aiming to bolster base security.
Meanwhile, the Pay Our Military Act of 2025 (S.
876) seeks to provide financial stability by ensuring service members
and essential civilian personnel are paid during any future government shutdown.
National Security Frontline: Major Cyberattack on National
Guard and Global Tensions
While lawmakers debated budgets, a stark reminder of the threats
facing the nation emerged.
A leaked Department of Homeland Security memo confirmed a massive and
prolonged cyber intrusion of a U.S.
Army National Guard network by a China-associated threat
actor dubbed "Salt Typhoon".
The breach, which was active for nine months throughout 2024
without being detected, was far more than simple espionage.
The hackers successfully exfiltrated administrative credentials,
internal network diagrams, and over fourteen hundred configuration
files related to 70 U.S.
government and critical infrastructure entities.
The implications are severe.
The attackers were strategically mapping critical infrastructure at scale,
creating persistent access and potential pathways for future disruptive attacks
against other state Guard units, defense contractors, and even federal systems.
The fact that such a comprehensive intrusion went unnoticed for
three-quarters of a year within a military network reveals a troubling gap
in the nation's defensive cyber posture.
This strategic failure is compounded by a notable disparity in the proposed
defense budget: $1 billion is allocated for offensive cyber operations in
the Indo-Pacific, while civilian defensive agencies are facing $1.23
billion in cuts.
This suggests a focus on projecting power abroad while the digital homeland
remains dangerously porous, creating a critical vulnerability that could
undermine national security from within.
This cyber threat exists within a tense global environment.
The U.S.
continues to place troops on high alert over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and
has prioritized sending Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, even delaying
deliveries to allies like Switzerland.
In the Pacific, Taiwan conducted its annual Han Kuang military
exercises, simulating a war of attrition and highlighting the
persistent threat in that region.
Boots on the Ground at Home: Domestic Deployments Spark Legal and Moral Debate
The use of military personnel within the United States continues to be
a point of significant friction.
This week, the Pentagon announced the end of a controversial 60-day
deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles.
The troops were sent to address protests related to the
administration's immigration policies, a move that California's
governor had legally challenged.
This event is part of a broader pattern that is raising alarm
among veterans and legal experts.
The creation of new military zones along the U.S.-Mexico
border in Arizona and New Mexico, where military personnel are
authorized to detain migrants, has intensified the debate.
On a press call, former service members, including a U.S.
Army JAG Corps veteran, argued that these domestic operations likely
violate the Posse Comitatus Act, a foundational law restricting the use of
the military for civilian law enforcement.
This trend toward the normalization of domestic military deployments
has profound potential consequences.
It risks eroding the trust between the American public and the military,
politicizing a traditionally non-partisan institution, and placing service
members in legally and morally ambiguous situations for which they are not trained.
Furthermore, it diverts critical resources.
The top military commander in Los Angeles had previously requested that some troops
be returned to their primary mission of fighting wildfires, a clear example of
how these domestic deployments can strain the National Guard's ability to perform
its traditional state-level duties.
Force Readiness: Training and Recruitment in Focus
Despite these high-level challenges, the operational
tempo for the force remains high.
Throughout July, thousands of active-duty and reserve-component
troops have been engaged in training at installations like Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
National Guard units across the country have been particularly active,
conducting medical evacuation exercises in New York, live-fire training in
Pennsylvania, assisting with firefighting efforts in Nevada, and responding to
search and rescue missions in Oregon.
On the recruitment front, there is positive news.
After several years of significant shortfalls, all military services are
reportedly on track to meet or exceed their recruiting goals for fiscal year
2025, with the Army having reached its target four months ahead of schedule.
To maintain this momentum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has established
a new Recruitment Task Force.
The group is charged with streamlining the waiver process for minor medical
or legal issues, which has been a major bottleneck, and leveraging technology
like artificial intelligence to better identify and engage potential recruits.
Issues That Affect Retired Military
Navigating the Transition: Critical Steps for TRICARE and Benefits Enrollment
For the thousands of service members retiring in 2025, the transition
from active duty is a period fraught with administrative complexity.
Ensuring a seamless continuation of earned benefits requires proactive engagement
and a keen awareness of strict deadlines.
Failure at any step can result in a temporary or even
permanent loss of coverage.
The most critical deadline involves healthcare.
Upon retirement, service members have a 90-day window to enroll themselves and
their families in a new TRICARE plan, such as TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select.
Missing this window results in a gap in health coverage.
While retroactive enrollment is possible for up to 12 months, it requires the
retiree to pay all back-premiums from the retirement date, a potentially
significant financial burden.
The process is multi-faceted: retirees must first update their status in the
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), obtain new retiree
ID cards, research and select the appropriate health plan, and establish
a method for paying monthly premiums.
Experts strongly recommend setting up an allotment directly from military
retirement pay to avoid missed payments.
This administrative load is compounded by separate deadlines for other benefits.
Active duty dental and vision coverage also terminates at retirement.
To maintain this coverage, retirees must enroll in the Federal Employees Dental
and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).
This requires a separate action within a 60-day window
following the retirement date.
The system places a heavy burden on the individual to navigate multiple agencies,
deadlines, and enrollment systems during what is already a major life change.
DFAS and Financial Management: SBP and CRDP Updates
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has highlighted
several key programs for retirees.
A recent legislative amendment now allows retirees to direct Survivor Benefit Plan
(SBP) annuity payments for a dependent child into a Special Needs Trust (SNT).
This valuable financial planning tool can preserve the beneficiary's
eligibility for other federal or state disability benefits, and DFAS
has released a new checklist to guide families through the process.
For retirees with service-connected disabilities, Concurrent
Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) remains a vital benefit.
This program allows eligible retirees with a VA disability rating of 50% or higher
to receive both their military retired pay and their VA disability compensation,
bypassing the standard requirement to waive retired pay dollar-for-dollar.
For most who qualify, enrollment in CRDP is automatic.
These tailored options, along with the complex choices within the
Blended Retirement System (BRS) like the lump-sum payment option,
represent a positive shift toward more personalized financial planning.
However, this customization comes at the cost of simplicity.
The downstream effect is a growing need for a high degree of financial
literacy among retiring service members.
The old one-size-fits-all retirement briefing is no longer sufficient, creating
an unstated requirement for retirees to become sophisticated financial planners
or seek professional advice, which introduces its own costs and barriers.
Base Access and Administrative Alerts
On the administrative front, the Department of Defense is continuing
its transition to the NextGen ID card.
Retirees still holding older ID cards with an "INDEF" (indefinite) expiration date
are strongly encouraged to visit a RAPIDS ID Card Office to obtain a new card.
While the old cards still grant base access for now, they will eventually be
invalidated, and proactive replacement is the best way to avoid future issues.
Additionally, the U.S.
Coast Guard's Retiree Services Program announced that retirees
must now actively opt-in to continue receiving a physical copy of its
"The Long Blue Line" newsletter.
Issues That Affect Veteran's Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs is in the midst of a significant transformation
that is causing apprehension among veterans and their advocates.
The department confirmed plans to reduce its workforce by nearly 30,000 employees
by the end of the current fiscal year.
The VA states this will be achieved primarily through
attrition, retirements, and hiring freezes, not large-scale layoffs.
In response, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) expressed "cautious
optimism" that the cuts could be made without degrading services
but emphasized that transparency is critical, especially as the demand
for VA care continues to rise due to an aging population and expanded
eligibility under laws like the PACT Act.
This announcement of workforce reduction is paired with a new internal policy
that has drawn sharp criticism.
An internal memo revealed a plan to strictly scrutinize
remote work accommodations for employees with disabilities.
Under the new rule, any request for telework lasting more than eight
weeks must be approved by a member of the Senior Executive Service.
Furthermore, all existing long-term remote work arrangements are now subject to at
least an annual review to assess their "appropriateness and effectiveness".
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing
the VA workforce, condemned the policy as an "outrageous" and "clear attempt to
force disabled veterans out the door".
The union highlighted the deep irony of the VA, one of the largest employers
of disabled veterans in the country, implementing a policy that creates
significant new bureaucratic hurdles for its own disabled employees.
These simultaneous actions create a troubling paradox.
The VA is publicly celebrating record-breaking efficiency,
having processed over 2 million disability claims faster than
ever before in fiscal year 2025.
Yet, it is simultaneously planning to cut its workforce by 30,000 and
implementing an internal policy that could drive out experienced
employees with disabilitiesâthe very people processing those claims.
It is difficult to reconcile how service delivery can be maintained, let alone
improved, under these conditions.
The potential long-term result could be a "brain drain" of institutional
knowledge and a future decline in the quality of care and benefits
delivery, directly harming the veterans the VA is sworn to serve.
Your Earned Benefits: Key Updates on Compensation, Insurance, and Support
Amid these policy shifts, there are several important updates on benefits.
The VA's 2025 disability compensation rates will include a 2.5%
cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
For a veteran with a 90% disability rating and no dependents, this translates
to a monthly payment of $2,297.96.
A veteran with the same rating but with a dependent spouse and
parent will receive $2,634.38.
According to the VA payment schedule, benefits for the month of July will
be paid on or around July 31, 2025.
In other positive news, premiums for Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI)
will be reduced starting July 1, 2025.
The discounts will range from 2% to 17%, with an average reduction
of 11%, making this important coverage more affordable for veterans
after they separate from service.
The VA also announced it will propose a rule to extend eligibility
for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
This would continue the program for "legacy" veteransâthose
injured on or before September 11, 2001âthrough September 30, 2028.
While this extension is welcome news for those families, its temporary
nature, combined with the rollback of remote work flexibilities, suggests
that support systems expanded during the pandemic are now under review.
This creates a climate of uncertainty for vulnerable veterans and families
who have come to rely on these programs for their stability and well-being.
Congressional Oversight and Veteran Initiatives
Congress continues its oversight of the department.
This week, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held hearings
on the VA's community care programs and its Veteran Readiness
and Employment (VR&E) service.
The committee also advanced a bill to the full Senate aimed at providing
foreclosure relief for veteran homeowners and preventing veteran homelessness.
Finally, the spirit of the military community was on display at the
2025 Department of Defense Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The annual event showcases the resilience and determination of wounded, ill, and
injured service members and veterans through adaptive sports competition.
It serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring strength
of those who have served.
And that's your Weekly Briefing.
Staying on top of these changes is key to navigating your career,
your retirement, and your benefits.
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Weâll be back next week with another roundup of the news that matters most
to the military and veteran community.