Edward: Welcome to the MIL News Weekly for 9-15 November 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 Personnel
Operational Stabilization and Readiness Restoration
The successful enactment of H.R.
5371 was directly responsible for injecting financial stability into the
operations of the Department of War.
The continuing resolution secured full funding for active duty and reserve pay
and ensured the necessary allocations for military construction and infrastructure
projects for the full fiscal year 2026.
The preceding 43-day shutdown had degraded military readiness by
forcing the administration to expend emergency funds to maintain troop pay.
With the new funding stream established, full-scale training,
maintenance, and complex logistics support operations, which had been
curtailed, resumed immediately.
Furthermore, critical services for transitioning service members, including
essential transition assistance services and career counseling, were restored after
being suspended since October 1, 2025.
The immediate focus now pivots to mitigating any long-term effects on
the training pipeline and equipment maintenance schedules that accumulated
during the six-week fiscal uncertainty.
Strategic Rebranding and Doctrinal Shift at the Department of War
The transition from the Department of Defense (DOD) to the Department
of War (DOW), initiated earlier in the year, achieved a new level
of physical reality this week.
On November 13, 2025, facilities personnel at the Pentagon replaced
the outdated bronze plaques at two main entrances with new ones
bearing the name "Department of War".
This symbolic act was physically realized when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
personally fastened the last screw on the newly minted plaque at the River Entrance.
These new plaques, weighing approximately 60 pounds and measuring roughly 30 by
20 inches, replaced the old "Department of Defense" signage that had been
in place for more than 70 years.
This action is intended to draw a direct line back to the department's
original name, held from 1789 to 1947, connecting the current institution to
America's founding history under figures like Henry Knox and George Washington.
Secretary Hegseth emphasized that the change was designed to ensure that
"everybody who comes through this door to know that we are deadly serious about
the name change of this organization".
The Secretary explained that the DOW represents a "new era" focused resolutely
on "winning wars," thereby reestablishing deterrence based on a strategy of "peace
through strength and common sense".
The name change thus serves as a public declaration of an institutional
commitment to kinetic operational doctrine and the prioritization of decisive
victory in great power competition, directly impacting the strategic
training and force design priorities for active and reserve components.
Global Force Posture and Escalating Deployments
Global operations also reflected a significant increase in strategic
engagement and readiness.
Reports confirmed an expansion of the U.S.
military footprint in the Caribbean, particularly with the deployment of
specialized aircraft to El Salvador.
Satellite imagery and flight-tracking data reviewed during the week
revealed that at least three U.S.
military aircraft, including a heavily armed AC-130J Ghostrider gunship,
have begun flying missions from El Salvadorâs main international airport.
This is notable as it represents the first known instance of a foreign
country in this region hosting U.S.
aircraft capable of regional strike operations.
The AC-130J is a precision asset, armed with Hellfire missiles, 30mm
cannons, and a 105mm howitzer.
While U.S.
officials linked the deployment to expanded counter-narcotics missions, the
operational context involves a massive regional military build-up by the Trump
administration, initiated in late August 2025, as potential military action
in Venezuela was under consideration.
The broader presence includes nearly 10,000 U.S.
personnel, bombers, drones, and a significant naval
force, with the USS Gerald R.
Ford carrier expected to reinforce the effort.
The employment of a high-value, limited-inventory asset like the
AC-130J Ghostrider for extended counter-narcotics and regional deterrence
missions places operational stress on the readiness cycle of active duty
elite Special Operations components.
This utilization pattern demonstrates a strategy of employing specialized,
high-impact forces to establish effective deterrence and operational
capability against non-conventional and regional threats, directly influencing
the operational tempo and deployment schedules for special warfare units.
Future Defense Technology: The Railgun Revival
In the domain of advanced acquisition, General Atomics Electromagnetic
Systems (GA-EMS) re-entered the conversation regarding hypersonic
defense, publicly pitching a modular, containerized railgun system.
The company is actively promoting this technology for integration into
critical missile defense architecture, including the defenses of Guam and
the Armyâs "Golden Dome" initiative.
This system represents a significant conceptual leap from
traditional chemical propulsion.
It is designed to use stored electrical energy to launch inert,
tungsten projectiles at hypersonic speeds, reaching up to Mach 6.
GA-EMS proposes launcher variants ranging from 3 to 32 megajoules,
capable of engaging missions from short-range drone defense up to cruise
and ballistic missile intercepts.
The system's appeal lies in its sustainment economics: substituting
multi-million-dollar missile interceptors with low-cost kinetic rounds.
The kinetic lethality, relying solely on impact energy, also simplifies complex
storage, transport, and logistics requirements for active and reserve units.
The renewed focus on this technology, despite previous technical challenges
experienced by the Navy, signals a strategic investment in achieving
an affordable, deep-magazine defense capability essential for countering
rising sophisticated missile and drone threats posed by peer competitors.
Issues That Affect Retired Military Personnel
Financial and Employment Continuity for Retired Federal Employees
A substantial portion of the retired military community pursues second careers
within the federal civilian service.
For this population, the provisions of H.R.
5371 were crucial for stabilizing their current income.
The guaranteed retroactive pay ensured that all civilian federal
income, interrupted by the shutdown, was restored, preventing a major
financial shock for those families relying on this income stream.
Moreover, H.R.
5371âs success in compelling the administration to reverse thousands
of October reductions-in-force (RIFs) and impose a moratorium on
future RIFs until late January 2026 provided important protection for
older, experienced federal workers, many of whom are military retirees.
This policy protects the employment trajectory of those nearing federal
civilian retirement, safeguarding their eligibility and benefits
accrual from abrupt employment termination due to fiscal uncertainty.
The ability of the government to reverse RIFs not only secured
individual livelihoods but also provided psychological reassurance to the dedicated
civilian workforce, heavily populated by veterans, stabilizing the operational
continuity of critical federal agencies.
Stability of Military Entitlement Programs
Throughout the period of fiscal lapse, core benefits for the retired community
maintained a notable degree of stability, primarily because they are funded
through mandatory appropriations or self-funded mechanisms, differentiating
them from VA operational budgets.
The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), which provides annuities to surviving military
spouses and children, continued without interruption, reinforcing its reliability
as a foundational mandatory entitlement.
Similarly, key healthcare and dental/vision insurance
programs remained robust.
Military pharmacies continued operation, although some hours of
service were subject to change.
For dental and vision coverage, the Federal Employees Dental and
Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) open enrollment period remained
on schedule for November 2025.
Crucially, retired federal employees who participate in FEDVIP, and whose
premiums are deducted from their federal pay, maintained continuous coverage
throughout the appropriations lapse.
The missed premiums will be retroactively deducted from
the back pay authorized by H.R.
5371 when that pay is posted, ensuring no coverage gaps or financial penalties
were incurred by the policyholder.
The continuity demonstrated by SBP and FEDVIP highlights the inherent
resilience of mandatory entitlement programs and insurance models.
This stands in contrast to the disruption experienced by discretionary-funded
services, such as the VAâs GI Bill hotline and regional benefits offices,
illustrating a necessary distinction in the level of financial security afforded
to the retired community depending on the funding source of their specific benefit.
Legislative Efforts for Permanent Pay Protection
While H.R.
5371 provided immediate relief, the legislative session this week also
saw the failure of competing bills aimed at establishing permanent pay
protections during future shutdowns.
Debates in the Senate included measures like the Shutdown Fairness Act (S.
3012) and the True Shutdown Fairness Act (S.
3039).
The Shutdown Fairness Act failed to advance because it was criticized
for only authorizing pay for excepted federal employees and
military service members, thereby excluding furloughed federal workers.
Conversely, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, which aimed to guarantee pay
for all federal employeesâfurloughed, excepted, and servicemembersâduring
both the current and future shutdowns, was objected to and did not pass.
The failure of these proactive measures underscores the ongoing legislative
challenge in providing reliable, long-term financial predictability for the entire
federal workforce, a priority of great significance to the thousands of retired
service members who continue their public service as government civilians.
Issues That Affect Veterans Affairs
Securing Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Disabled Veterans
The Senate acted swiftly to secure the annual adjustment of compensation rates
for service-connected disabilities.
On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the Senate passed the Veterans' Compensation
Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 (S.
2392) by Unanimous Consent.
Summary of S.
2392
This legislation mandates that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
implement an increase in the rates of compensation for veterans with
service-connected disabilities and the rates of Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation (DIC) for their survivors.
The increase is directly linked to the percentage by which benefits under
the Social Security Act are increased.
The mandated increase is effective as of December 1, 2025.
The cost-of-living adjustment applies to all dollar amounts related to wartime
disability compensation (38 U.S.C.
1114), additional compensation for dependents (38 U.S.C.
1115(1)), the clothing allowance (38 U.S.C.
1162), and DIC payments for surviving spouses and children.
The passage of S.
2392 gains enhanced significance in the wake of the government shutdown, as it
reaffirms the Congressional consensus and commitment to maintaining the purchasing
power of these core entitlements.
This action guarantees that compensation rates for disabled veterans, a
mandatory appropriation, will predictably adjust to inflationary
economic conditions, insulating these essential benefits from the political
and fiscal uncertainties that affected operational funding for the VA.
VA Healthcare Policy: New Copayments for Whole Health Services
The VA announced a significant policy update on November 14, 2025,
regarding its billing practices for Whole Health well-being services.
This change, driven by regulatory compliance, ensures VA alignment
with statutory requirements after a proposal to exempt these services
was withdrawn in January 2025.
Effective for services rendered on or after October 1, 2025, the VA will apply a
$15 copayment for Whole Health well-being services billed under Stop Code 139.
These services include integrative and preventative care such as health
coaching, guided imagery, meditation, yoga for well-being, and tai chi/qigong.
Exemption for Disabled Veterans
It is crucial to note that this new copayment policy specifically
does not apply to the most severely disabled veterans.
The $15 fee is only applicable to Veterans in Priority Groups 6, 7,
and 8, who are already responsible for other outpatient copayments.
Veterans are statutorily exempt from this new copayment if they meet any
of the existing exemptions, including:
Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more.
Veterans who are receiving care for a service-connected condition.
The introduction of copayments for preventative, holistic care
creates a new financial barrier for lower-priority veterans, even as it
ensures compliance with federal law.
While severely disabled veterans are protected, the $15 fee could deter
engagement in wellness programs for other veterans who are highly
motivated to manage chronic conditions preventatively, potentially shifting
the demand back toward more expensive, acute medical care in the future.
Operational Resumption and Administrative Updates
The end of the 43-day government shutdown meant the immediate resumption of
critical, previously paused VA services, including the claims process, access
to regional benefits offices, grounds maintenance at national cemeteries,
and permanent headstone placement.
VA Secretary Doug Collins issued a statement on November 10, 2025,
ahead of Veterans Day, highlighting recent departmental achievements
under the current administration.
Key accomplishments cited included a more than 49% reduction in the
backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits since January 20, 2025, and
major reforms implemented to ease access to benefits for survivors.
Furthermore, the VA demonstrated its ongoing commitment to fighting
homelessness by awarding $84 million in grants during this news cycle.
Administrative reforms also included the acceleration of the integrated
electronic health record system deployment, the termination of union
contracts, and the phasing out of treatment for gender dysphoria,
reversing what the VA characterized as "divisive Biden-era policies".
For disabled veterans and other beneficiaries who rely on
monthly payments, the VA issued a standard reminder concerning
the November payment schedule.
VA disability compensation, pension, and DIC payments are processed
after the month is complete.
Therefore, benefits covering the month of November 2025 are scheduled
for distribution on the first business day of the following month,
which is Monday, December 1, 2025.
The significant focus on the 49% backlog reduction is a noteworthy metric of
administrative success; however, the immediate challenge for the VA following
the shutdown is effectively managing the administrative wave of delayed transition
applications, claims, and inquiries that accumulated over the 43-day period.
Rapid action is required to ensure that the positive trend in
benefits processing is not reversed by the recent protracted lapse.
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.