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This file was generated by Descript 

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Edward: Welcome to the MIL News Weekly
for 21-27 September 2025, your essential

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guide to the latest news impacting
the military and veteran community.

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Whether you're currently serving in
uniform, a military retiree, a veteran,

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or a family member, this is your source
for the critical updates you need to know.

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Each week, we cut through the noise to
bring you the most important developments

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from the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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We’ll cover everything from new
policies and pay raises affecting

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active and reserve forces, to changes
in healthcare and benefits for

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retirees, and the latest on VA services
and legislation for our veterans.

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Let's get you informed.

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Here’s what’s happened this past week.

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Issues That Affect Active
and Reserve Military Personnel

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The Legislative Standoff and
The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026

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The primary concern dominating the end
of September 2025 was the heightened

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risk of a government shutdown,
with current federal funding set

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to expire on September 30, marking
the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026.

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Congressional gridlock over appropriations
intensified, leading lawmakers to

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scramble to ensure basic financial
continuity for uniformed personnel.

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Efforts to pass a Continuing
Resolution (CR) to avert a

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shutdown failed in the Senate.

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A Republican proposal for a CR, intended
to continue spending at Fiscal Year

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2024 levels, lacked the requisite
60 votes, failing by a 47-45 margin.

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Similarly, a Democratic
proposal was rejected 44-48.

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The legislative impasse stems largely
from Democratic demands for an extension

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of healthcare tax credits under the
Affordable Care Act (ACA), which

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Republican opponents are resisting.

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The potential standoff raised immediate
fears that servicemembers would be

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required to report for duty without
receiving scheduled paychecks.

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In response to this legislative
instability, the bipartisan Pay

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Our Troops Act of 2026 (H.R.

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5401) was reintroduced in the House on
September 16, 2025, led by Congresswoman

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Jen Kiggans, a Navy veteran.

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This legislation is a crucial measure
designed to isolate military pay from the

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political fallout of a budget failure.

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The core purpose of H.R.

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5401 is to provide continuing
appropriations for military pay

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for any period during which interim
or full-year appropriations for

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Fiscal Year 2026 are not in effect.

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The legislation draws upon
existing, unappropriated U.S.

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Treasury funds to ensure
continuity of pay and allowances.

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The authority granted by the
bill would remain in effect until

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regular appropriations are enacted
into law or until January 1,

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2027, whichever occurs earlier.

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The legislation explicitly ensures
that all members of the Armed Forces,

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including the Coast Guard, and reserve
components performing active service,

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continue to receive their required pay
and benefits during the shutdown period.

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This guarantee is intended to
remove financial uncertainty from

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military families who sacrifice
daily for national defense.

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An important provision within H.R.

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5401 extends pay protection to a specific
segment of the civilian federal workforce.

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It covers civilian personnel employed
by the Department of Defense and

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the Department of Homeland Security
(specifically the Coast Guard) who provide

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direct support to military members.

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This measure protects those
civilian employees whose roles are

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inextricably linked to military
operations and readiness, though the

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majority of federal employees across
other agencies would still face

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potential furloughs or deferred pay.

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Force Structure Restructuring
and Resource Redirection

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The DoD announced significant
restructuring efforts during the

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reporting period, applying "lean
six sigma to overhead reduction" and

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"network-centric warfare principles
to administrative domains".

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These consolidations are
methodologically aimed at reducing

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decision nodes by 22 percent to speed
up planning and execution cycles.

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These changes involve the elimination
of high-ranking billets and the

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redirection of tens of millions of
dollars toward new defense priorities.

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U.S.

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Cyber Command Reorganization

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The U.S.

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Cyber Command underwent consolidation,
merging its infrastructure with

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the Naval Information Warfare
Command and integrating Joint

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Force Headquarters-Cyber with U.S.

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Cyber Service Academy oversight.

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This restructuring resulted in the
elimination of nine O-7 billets (Brigadier

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General/Rear Admiral (lower half)).

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Financially, the consolidation
allowed for the redirection of funds

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towards immediate defensive needs.

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$16 million was directed toward
defensive cyber operations toolkits.

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Additionally, $21 million that
had been previously allocated for

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undersea cable protections was cut.

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These combined savings generated
an estimated $59 million to bolster

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Fiscal Year 2026 readiness accounts.

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U.S.

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Strategic Command Adjustments

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U.S.

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Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) also
saw force structure modifications.

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The command merged logistics
functions with U.S.

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Transportation Command posture
statements and flagged Missile Defense

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Agency liaison roles for elimination.

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These actions led to the reduction of
two O-8 positions (Major General/Rear

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Admiral) and nine senior slots overall.

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The resulting savings were immediately
reinvested into critical capabilities

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and emerging strategic priorities.

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$14 million was saved and redirected
for hypersonic defense prototyping.

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Furthermore, $30 million was
cut from programs related to

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collaborative combat aircraft swarms.

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The most substantial financial outcome
of the USSTRATCOM consolidation was

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the generation of $180 million in
projected offsets for Fiscal Year

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2026 border security augmentations.

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This aggressive push to eliminate
senior leadership overhead and redirect

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funds represents a tangible shift
in the National Defense Strategy.

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The reallocation of significant
capital—particularly the $180 million

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earmarked for border security and
millions more for domestic defensive

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cyber and hypersonic research—underscores
a high-level prioritization of immediate

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homeland defense capabilities, which
has been elevated to Tier 1 status.

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This action signals a strategic
pivot, shifting resources and

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focus away from certain traditional
long-term power projection logistics

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or information dominance activities
and towards domestic security and

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rapid technological defense systems.

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Personnel Management and Force Retention

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The Army continued to emphasize
force retention, focusing on

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maintaining operational readiness
and improving lethality by retaining

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personnel in critical Military
Occupational Specialties (MOS).

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Recent announcements included the
launch of new warrant officer retention

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bonuses, introduced on September
19, 2025, and continued data-driven

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talent alignment initiatives aimed
at enhancing operational capability.

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The Army’s retention program aims not
only to sustain end strength but also to

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facilitate the smooth transfer of highly
skilled Soldiers leaving the Regular

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Army into Reserve Component units.

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The Marine Corps released updated
guidance concerning the Fiscal Year

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2025 Active Reserve (AR) Noncommissioned
Officer (NCO) meritorious promotions.

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Promotions to Corporal and
Sergeant took effect earlier in

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the month, on September 2, 2025.

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Eligibility for these meritorious
promotions is non-waiverable and

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requires Marines to be complete with
their Professional Military Education

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(PME) and to submit a nomination
package that includes a detailed

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Commandant of the Marine Corps Reading
List Book Report, emphasizing the

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high standards of intellectual and
professional development required.

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Legislatively, an amendment to title
37, United States Code, Section

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910(g), was confirmed, extending the
expiration date for the Reserve Income

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Replacement Program from December
31, 2024, to December 31, 2025.

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This critical DoD-administered program
provides income stability for reserve

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component members who face financial
strain due to frequent and extended

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mobilization for active duty service,
ensuring that reserve families have

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continued financial protection.

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Congressional Commemoration

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In an effort to honor the sacrifices
of military families, the House

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of Representatives introduced H.

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Res.

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744.

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This resolution specifically supports
the designation of the week of

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September 21 through September 27,
2025, which corresponds exactly

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with the reporting period, as "Gold
Star Families Remembrance Week".

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The resolution recognizes and supports
the families of fallen servicemembers.

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Issues That Affect
Retired Military Personnel

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The Defense Finance and Accounting
Service (DFAS) provided confirmation

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regarding routine compensation
matters for military retirees.

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The 2025 Cost of Living Adjustment
(COLA) was confirmed at 2.5

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percent for most military retired pay and
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities.

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This adjustment was effective
starting December 1, 2024, and

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factored into 2025 payments.

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DFAS also reminded retirees eligible for
both Concurrent Retirement and Disability

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Payments (CRDP) and Combat-Related
Special Compensation (CRSC) about

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the annual CRDP/CRSC Open Season.

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During this period, DFAS issues letters
containing instructions on how retirees

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may change their election preferences
between the two payment types.

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Legislative and Administrative Challenges
Facing Retired Federal Employees

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For retired federal employees,
the looming threat of a government

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shutdown carried certain guarantees
concerning their benefits.

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Annuity payments from both the Civil
Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the

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Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
are categorized as mandatory spending.

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Consequently, regularly scheduled
annuity payments will continue

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without interruption, even
during a lapse in appropriations.

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Furthermore, the Federal Retirement
Thrift Investment Board, which administers

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the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), remains
funded through employee contributions,

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not congressional appropriations.

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As a result, the TSP will continue
to function unimpaired, although

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employee contributions will halt
until agencies officially reopen.

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The Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) clarified eligibility for

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the deferred resignation program.

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Federal employees whose retirement
dates fall between October 1, 2025,

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and December 31, 2025, remain eligible
for this program, unless their specific

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position is exempted by their agency.

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OPM Retirement Processing
Crisis: A Legislative Aftershock

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The federal retirement system continues to
face severe administrative strain, leading

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to delays and confusion for personnel
transitioning to annuitant status.

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The Office of Personnel
Management has confirmed a

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significant processing backlog.

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As of August 2025, OPM had received 88,062
claims but successfully processed only

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77,580, leaving just over 10,000 claims
pending in the transition pipeline.

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This administrative crisis is
the result of compounding factors

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related to legislative uncertainty
and system modernization:

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Surge in Retirement Claims

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Earlier proposals in the year had sought
significant cuts to federal retirement

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benefits, including measures such as the
elimination of the FERS supplement for

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most federal employees retiring early.

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This legislative risk prompted a defensive
reaction among the federal workforce,

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leading to a massive, preemptive
surge in retirement applications

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throughout the summer months of 2025.

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OPM experienced claim volumes far
exceeding typical rates, receiving

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15,048 claims in May and 13,430
claims in June, compared to fewer than

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7,000 in those months during 2024.

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This extraordinary volume strained
agency retirement specialists, who

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often process around 10 applications
a month during normal periods.

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The unprecedented load contributed
significantly to the current backlog and

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the resulting delays faced by retirees
waiting for their full annuities.

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New System Implementation
and Workflow Complexity

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The claim surge coincided with
the launch of OPM's new Online

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Retirement Application (ORA) system.

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While ORA is designed to increase
efficiency and accuracy by requiring

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"healthy submissions"—complete
applications with all necessary

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documentation—its introduction
during a period of peak claim

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volume has added complexity.

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Retirees who had previously submitted
applications using the legacy Government

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Retirement and Benefits (GRB) software
were required to resubmit their paperwork

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through ORA if they planned to retire
in September 2025, causing additional

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confusion and slowing the preparation
process for HR and payroll offices.

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The standard transition process
involves inherent delays, as the HR

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office and payroll provider cannot
finalize the necessary service and

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salary records for OPM until after
the employee’s separation date.

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Consequently, federal employees
retiring in September 2025 or later are

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advised to submit their applications
several months in advance, confirm the

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accuracy of their service records, and
consult their human resources office

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for guidance, as the full transition
from the final employee paycheck to

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the receipt of the initial full annuity
can take between three and five months.

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The current OPM crisis demonstrates
how legislative instability generates

00:12:53.221 --> 00:12:55.021
widespread administrative chaos.

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The mere threat of future benefit
cuts, even if the legislation

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is not enacted, spurred tens of
thousands of early retirements.

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This action, driven by employees
seeking to secure existing benefits,

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overwhelmed OPM's capacity, directly
resulting in extensive processing delays.

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This illustrates a severe disruption where
attempted political cost-saving measures

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immediately generated massive operational
strain and financial uncertainty for the

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very retirees they intended to govern.

00:13:23.859 --> 00:13:25.839
Issues That Affect Veterans Affairs

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The Veterans Affairs Life Insurance
(VALife) program, designed to provide

00:13:30.191 --> 00:13:33.801
coverage for service-connected disabled
veterans, reached a significant

00:13:33.801 --> 00:13:35.911
milestone in September 2025.

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Since its inception in 2023, the program
has provided over $2 billion in total

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coverage to more than 60,000 Veterans.

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VALife offers guaranteed acceptance whole
life insurance coverage of up to $40,000.

00:13:49.809 --> 00:13:52.919
Veterans age 80 or younger with
a service-connected disability

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rating between 0 and 100 percent
receive guaranteed acceptance

00:13:56.849 --> 00:13:58.199
without medical underwriting.

00:13:58.779 --> 00:14:01.929
Premiums are competitive with the
private sector, are not based on medical

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conditions, and will not increase over
the life of the policy, depending only

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on the Veteran's age upon enrollment.

00:14:07.897 --> 00:14:09.807
Critical Deadline for S-DVI Holders

00:14:10.050 --> 00:14:13.410
A crucial deadline exists for Veterans
currently holding policies under the

00:14:13.410 --> 00:14:18.630
legacy Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance
(S-DVI) program, which stopped accepting

00:14:18.630 --> 00:14:21.550
new applications on December 31, 2022.

00:14:21.969 --> 00:14:26.169
Veterans must apply for VALife
by December 31, 2025, to avoid

00:14:26.169 --> 00:14:27.189
a potential coverage gap.

00:14:27.749 --> 00:14:31.569
Applying by this date allows the Veteran
to retain their S-DVI coverage during

00:14:31.569 --> 00:14:35.369
the two-year waiting period required for
the full VALife coverage to take effect.

00:14:35.789 --> 00:14:40.779
If a Veteran applies for VALife
on or after January 1, 2026, their

00:14:40.809 --> 00:14:44.679
S-DVI policy will be immediately
terminated upon VALife approval.

00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:48.459
Although they would only have to pay
VALife premiums during the subsequent

00:14:48.459 --> 00:14:52.139
two-year waiting period, they would
lack full coverage during that time.

00:14:52.423 --> 00:14:56.293
While the $2 billion coverage
milestone underscores the successful

00:14:56.293 --> 00:15:00.543
expansion of access to life insurance
for service-disabled Veterans, the

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$40,000 maximum benefit is often
noted as a point of advocacy by VSOs.

00:15:06.063 --> 00:15:11.943
Many funerals and final expenses alone
can consume $10,000 to $15,000, meaning

00:15:11.943 --> 00:15:16.283
the VALife coverage, while guaranteed,
often functions as a basic final

00:15:16.283 --> 00:15:20.323
expense policy rather than a source
of comprehensive financial security

00:15:20.323 --> 00:15:22.793
for surviving family members in 2025.

00:15:23.316 --> 00:15:24.666
Digital Access Requirement

00:15:25.034 --> 00:15:29.184
To ensure continuous access to VA health
and benefits services, all Veterans

00:15:29.184 --> 00:15:32.854
utilizing digital tools were reminded
that they must transition from the

00:15:32.854 --> 00:15:36.054
legacy DS Logon system to a Login.gov

00:15:36.204 --> 00:15:37.284
or ID.me

00:15:37.284 --> 00:15:39.944
account by September 30, 2025.

00:15:40.734 --> 00:15:43.594
This shift supports modernized
security and authentication

00:15:43.594 --> 00:15:45.574
standards for online VA services.

00:15:45.884 --> 00:15:49.294
Additionally, the VA highlighted the
ease of submitting mileage-only travel

00:15:49.294 --> 00:15:52.924
reimbursement claims using the VA
Health and Benefits mobile application.

00:15:53.302 --> 00:15:56.472
Expanding Health Care Access
for Rural and Remote Veterans

00:15:56.809 --> 00:15:59.849
The VA formally spotlighted the
expansion of its rural and remote

00:15:59.849 --> 00:16:02.819
infusion program on September 27, 2025.

00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:07.459
This initiative addresses significant
historical challenges faced by Veterans

00:16:07.459 --> 00:16:11.469
living in remote areas, including lengthy
travel times, extended wait times,

00:16:11.689 --> 00:16:15.659
and financial burdens associated with
accessing specialized medical treatments.

00:16:15.932 --> 00:16:20.032
The remote infusion care delivery model
brings complex cancer care, including

00:16:20.032 --> 00:16:23.982
chemotherapy treatments and survivorship
support, closer to the Veteran’s home.

00:16:24.432 --> 00:16:28.472
By leveraging and optimizing VA’s
existing infrastructure, the program is

00:16:28.472 --> 00:16:33.682
a strategic mechanism to ensure timely
access to high-quality care, reinforcing

00:16:33.682 --> 00:16:37.372
the access standards originally
established by the MISSION Act of 2018.

00:16:38.092 --> 00:16:41.422
This expansion has been critically
important, having experienced

00:16:41.422 --> 00:16:43.982
significant growth since January 2025.

00:16:44.549 --> 00:16:48.429
To further ensure accessibility,
VA outreach events continued across

00:16:48.429 --> 00:16:51.739
the nation during this period,
including resource fairs designed

00:16:51.739 --> 00:16:55.299
to inform Veterans about their
eligibility for PACT Act benefits

00:16:55.419 --> 00:16:57.009
and available health care options.

00:16:57.609 --> 00:17:00.799
An example of this concerted effort
was the Blue Gap/Tachee Veterans

00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:05.349
Services Event, held in Blue Gap,
Arizona, on September 25, 2025.

00:17:05.809 --> 00:17:08.419
PACT Act Administration
and Policy Transparency

00:17:08.744 --> 00:17:12.304
The Honoring Our PACT Act continues
to be the central pillar of toxic

00:17:12.304 --> 00:17:17.334
exposure policy, expanding and extending
eligibility for VA health care and

00:17:17.334 --> 00:17:22.654
benefits for Veterans across the Vietnam,
Gulf War, and post-September 11 eras.

00:17:23.194 --> 00:17:26.984
The law added over 20 presumptive
conditions for various exposures,

00:17:27.154 --> 00:17:30.594
including new cancers like male
breast, urethral, and genitourinary

00:17:30.594 --> 00:17:35.344
cancers, as well as hypertension and
MGUS for Agent Orange exposure, with

00:17:35.344 --> 00:17:39.044
five new Agent Orange presumptive
exposure locations officially

00:17:39.044 --> 00:17:41.664
recognized as of January 8, 2025.

00:17:42.154 --> 00:17:46.464
Mandatory requirements, such as providing
a toxic exposure screening to every

00:17:46.464 --> 00:17:50.254
Veteran enrolled in VA health care,
remain crucial elements of the law.

00:17:50.563 --> 00:17:52.283
Shift to Quarterly Performance Reporting

00:17:52.683 --> 00:17:55.623
In a significant administrative
change, the VA announced a

00:17:55.623 --> 00:17:59.503
modification to its transparency
metrics for PACT Act implementation.

00:17:59.963 --> 00:18:04.563
Effective with the start of Fiscal
Year 2026 (October 2025), the VA

00:18:04.563 --> 00:18:08.413
PACT Act Performance Dashboard will
transition from a monthly publication

00:18:08.413 --> 00:18:09.973
schedule to a quarterly one.

00:18:10.583 --> 00:18:15.293
The last monthly report (Issue 53)
was published on September 19, 2025.

00:18:15.727 --> 00:18:18.817
Under the new schedule, reports will
be released the month following the

00:18:18.817 --> 00:18:20.987
completion of the full quarter (e.g.,

00:18:20.987 --> 00:18:24.527
the report covering October through
December will be published in January).

00:18:24.997 --> 00:18:28.267
While this change may reduce the
immense administrative burden

00:18:28.267 --> 00:18:32.447
associated with aggregating and vetting
complex claims data on a monthly

00:18:32.447 --> 00:18:37.077
basis, it inherently decreases the
frequency of external accountability.

00:18:37.537 --> 00:18:41.227
Stakeholders, including veteran
advocacy groups and legislative

00:18:41.227 --> 00:18:44.857
oversight committees, will now have
a longer, three-month lag time in

00:18:44.857 --> 00:18:48.727
identifying and responding to potential
processing bottlenecks, changes in

00:18:48.727 --> 00:18:53.647
denial rates, or resource shortfalls
in the execution of PACT Act benefits.

00:18:54.417 --> 00:18:57.577
This administrative adjustment
balances the demand for internal

00:18:57.577 --> 00:19:02.087
efficiency against the external
expectation of continuous, transparent

00:19:02.087 --> 00:19:03.797
monitoring of claims processing.

00:19:04.174 --> 00:19:06.554
Congressional Recognition
for Suicide Awareness

00:19:06.805 --> 00:19:08.655
The House of Representatives introduced H.

00:19:08.655 --> 00:19:08.825
Res.

00:19:08.825 --> 00:19:14.355
737 on September 18, 2025, which
addresses the urgent issue of veteran

00:19:14.355 --> 00:19:16.115
mental health and suicide prevention.

00:19:16.625 --> 00:19:21.045
The resolution supports the designation
of September 22 as "National Veterans

00:19:21.075 --> 00:19:23.405
Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day".

00:19:23.689 --> 00:19:24.619
Furthermore, H.

00:19:24.619 --> 00:19:24.819
Res.

00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:30.879
737 recognizes the Suicide Awareness
and Remembrance (SAR) Flag and commits

00:19:30.879 --> 00:19:34.649
to raising awareness of veteran
and military suicide via the flag.

00:19:35.209 --> 00:19:39.139
The resolution specifically supports
the permanent posting of the SAR Flag

00:19:39.139 --> 00:19:44.359
above all Federal buildings wherever the
American Flag and POW/MIA Flag are flown.

00:19:44.706 --> 00:19:46.146
And that's your Weekly Briefing.

00:19:46.646 --> 00:19:50.496
Staying on top of these changes
is key to navigating your career,

00:19:50.636 --> 00:19:52.626
your retirement, and your benefits.

00:19:52.930 --> 00:19:53.799
Thank you for tuning in.

00:19:54.170 --> 00:19:57.930
Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your
podcasts, so you never miss an update.

00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:01.869
We’ll be back next week with another
roundup of the news that matters most

00:20:01.869 --> 00:20:03.720
to the military and veteran community.