Edward: Welcome to the MIL News Weekly for 2-8 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
The most pressing issue for active and reserve military personnel during the
week of November 2 through November 8, 2025, remained the precarious
status of military pay due to the protracted government shutdown.
While service members did receive their scheduled end-of-the-month pay on November
1, the method used by the administration to secure those funds created severe
uncertainty regarding future paychecks.
The Department of Defense (DoD) secured $5.3
billion to cover the November 1 payroll, an extraordinary measure
achieved by pulling resources from three distinct and vital accounts: $2.5
billion originated from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act funds, $1.4
billion was diverted from the DoDâs procurement account, and another $1.4
billion was sourced from the departmentâs research, development,
test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funds.
This successful yet highly criticized maneuver, achieved despite the
shutdown, satisfied the commitment to pay troops for the first of November.
However, the funds tapped for this payment are generally
understood to have been exhausted.
This fact prompted public concern from officials, including Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated publicly on October 26, 2025, that
it was doubtful service members would receive their mid-month pay on
November 15 unless Congress reached a resolution to end the funding lapse.
This leaves the immediate financial stability of the force contingent
upon legislative action, creating immense internal anxiety.
The direct impact of missed pay is only one facet of the crisis confronting
military families; a broader, more insidious threat to financial readiness
is unfolding across the force, threatening retention and morale.
At The Hillâs Veteran Voices Summit on November 6, 2025, advocates
characterized the shutdownâs overall effect as âdisastrousâ for
active-duty members and their families.
First, many military households rely on the income of spouses who are federal
government workers, and those spouses have experienced furloughs and lost
paychecks since October 1, effectively cutting household income dramatically.
Second, the ongoing funding lapse threatened the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP), a program relied upon by approximately 1.2
million veterans and their households.
Although a federal judge's ruling ensured partial funding for the program in
November, the initial threat of a lapse caused a surge in military families
seeking assistance from food banks.
Compounding these financial stresses are severe logistical disruptions related to
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves.
As the Pentagon prioritized only essential activities during the shutdown,
the PCS process has stalled for many families, causing delays in travel,
shipments, and housing arrangements.
Numerous accounts surfaced this week detailing the crisis of being caught
mid-move, including families who signed leases at their new duty stations based
on official orders that were subsequently placed in limbo due to the inability
to schedule household goods pickup.
The resultant financial strain means that many families are faced with the
possibility of having to pay rent or mortgages on two different residences
simultaneously, with one military spouse noting the complete lack of
communication from agencies on how to lessen this unexpected burden.
The combined effect of spousal unemployment, food insecurity
concerns, and PCS chaos elevates the budget impasse into a fundamental
quality-of-life and readiness crisis for the All-Volunteer Force.
Acquisition Overhaul and Defense Policy Shifts
Beyond the immediate financial struggles, the Department of Defense (DoD) signaled
a radical shift in its long-term operational and contracting philosophy
during the first week of November 2025.
In a major address delivered to defense industry representatives on
November 7, 2025, at the National War College, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
announced that âThe defense acquisition system as you know it is deadâ.
The speech promised an âunrelenting onslaughtâ of reforms intended to
completely upend the bureaucracy and speed up the delivery of capabilities
to the warfighter, telling contractors they must adapt or âfade awayâ.
This push for radical speed is being driven largely by Deputy
Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, focusing on improving the timeline
for major capability delivery.
Key initiatives include imposing a "two-to-production standard" and
emphasizing scalable production strategies, notably through the adoption
of Modular Open Systems Approaches (MOSA).
These approaches are designed to increase the number of qualified sources
for systems and modular components, fostering competition, reducing supply
chain bottlenecks, and decreasing reliance on single-source suppliers.
While lawmakers, including Rep.
Donald Norcross and Sen.
Tim Sheehy, expressed encouragement regarding Hegseth's engagement on
acquisition reform, the key challenge remains successful implementation and
adequate resourcing over the coming years.
Simultaneously, the DoD is formalizing crucial policy
regarding industrial base security.
The final rule implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model
Certification (CMMC) program is set to begin its phased, three-year rollout
on November 10, 2025, immediately following this reporting period.
This program marks a major shift by moving away from contractor self-assessment
to mandatory third-party verification for most defense contractors who handle
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
For Reserve Component service members who work as subcontractors in the
defense industry, this has immediate professional implications: higher-tier
contractors are now required to confirm that any subcontractor possesses a
âcurrent CMMC statusâ appropriate for the information being flowed
down prior to awarding a subcontract.
Contractors must also remain fully compliant with the
long-standing DFARS 252.205-7012
requirement to report cyber incidents within 72 hours of discovery.
Separately, on November 5, 2025, the Defense Security Cooperation
Agency (DSCA) updated its security assistance management policy, posting
Policy Memo 25-86 to revise Generic Codes in Appendix 4 of the Security
Assistance Management Manual (SAMM).
This aims to synchronize data within the Defense Security Assistance Management
System and improve the categorization of defense articles and services related
to budget activity codes for missiles, ammunition, communications equipment,
supply operations, and special activities.
Quality-of-Life Initiatives and Legislative Action
Even with the shutdown severely curtailing many operations, the DoD
has continued to advance Quality of Life (QoL) initiatives intended to
address chronic readiness challenges.
These initiatives aim to provide stability to service members and their
families by establishing Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSA)
for service members and decreasing the financial cost burden associated with
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves.
Furthermore, the DoD is expanding professional development and spouse
employment opportunities through the My Career Advancement Account
(MyCAA) program and actively working to improve QoL conditions at
remote and isolated installations.
In Congress, lawmakers continue to push for substantial structural
compensation changes in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
A key proposal seeks a significant 15% pay raise for junior enlisted service members
(E-1 through E-4) to ensure military pay remains competitive with civilian
earnings, particularly for those with high school diplomas or some college education.
Additionally, lawmakers are advocating for the Pentagon to return the Basic
Allowance for Housing (BAH) coverage to 100% of estimated costs, increasing
it from the current 95% coverage level.
Legislative Update: S.
3012, The Shutdown Fairness Act
A crucial legislative effort addressing the financial uncertainty of active-duty
personnel failed in the Senate this week.
On November 7, 2025, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on a motion to
proceed to the consideration of S.
3012, the Shutdown Fairness Act, by a recorded vote of
53â43 (Record Vote Number: 609).
S.
3012 was introduced with the primary intent of providing appropriations to
pay federal employees, including members of the Armed Forces on active duty,
who are deemed "excepted" and required to work during a government shutdown.
The billâs passage would have legally guaranteed the pay and allowances
for active-duty service members, removing the administration's reliance
on drawing emergency funds from defense programs to meet payroll.
The failure of this measure leaves the financial security of the active
force highly vulnerable ahead of the November 15 pay date, maintaining
pressure on Congress to resolve the underlying appropriations crisis.
Issues That Affect Retired Military Personnel
Retired military personnel and federal annuitants received reassuring
confirmation regarding payment security this week, alongside the
official announcement of the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed that the ongoing
government shutdown does not impact scheduled annuity payments.
Federal retirees covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)
and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) continue to receive
their scheduled annuity payments on the first business day of the month.
Likewise, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) confirmed
that Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuitants received their scheduled
payments on November 3, 2025.
This demonstrates that the established trust funds and administrative
mechanisms for these annuities are insulated from the political volatility
of the appropriations process.
The official announcement of the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment, based on the
Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers,
revealed a persistent structural disparity between retirement systems.
This disparity is especially critical as inflation remains elevated, with
2026 marking the fifth consecutive year the COLA adjustment has been 2.5
percent or higher.
Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Retirees annuities will increase by 2.8
percent.
This adjustment aligns with the full Social Security COLA increase.
Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Retirees annuities will increase by 2.0
percent.
The difference in COLA rates means that FERS retirees, who include a substantial
portion of veterans and former military personnel who transitioned to civilian
service, face a mandated reduction in their cost-of-living increase
when inflation exceeds 2 percent.
This structural inequity directly impacts the purchasing power of their
annuities relative to CSRS retirees.
Consequently, the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) utilized the
announcement this week to renew calls for the passage of the Equal COLA Act (H.R.
491 and S.
624).
This legislation seeks to eliminate the COLA disparity between FERS and
CSRS retirees, ensuring that all federal annuitants receive the full
cost-of-living adjustment when inflation exceeds the 2 percent threshold.
Benefits Enrollment and Health Plan Changes
The first week of November marked the crucial precursor to the annual Open
Season for health benefits, signaling major upcoming changes for retired
military personnel and federal annuitants.
TRICARE Open Season, the annual period allowing beneficiaries to enroll or
make changes to their TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select plans, is scheduled to
begin on Monday, November 10, 2025, and run through Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
Similarly, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that the 2025
Federal Benefits Open Season, covering the Federal Employees Health Benefits
(FEHB) Program, Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, and Federal
Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), will be held from
November 10 through December 8, 2025.
Annuitants are strongly encouraged to review their coverage, as this is the
only period outside of qualifying life events when they can make coverage
changes for the upcoming year.
On November 7, 2025, TRICARE Communications announced that
beneficiaries should review their 2026 health plan costs, noting that
enrollment fees, premiums, cost-shares, and copayments will change starting
January 1, 2026, based on law and the federal cost of living adjustment.
OPM added that for 2026, six FEHB plans, one PSHB plan, and one FEDVIP plan
will no longer be available, meaning enrollees in these specific plans must
select new coverage during Open Season.
An important regional contract change is also slated for the 2026 plan year.
The start of healthcare delivery under TRICARE's new regional contracts
will shift six statesâArkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma,
Texas, and Wisconsinâfrom the East Region to the West Region.
For beneficiaries in these transitioning states who pay their TRICARE coverage via
electronic funds transfer, it is mandatory to provide recurring payment information
to TriWest Healthcare Alliance by January 1, 2026, to ensure continuous coverage.
Issues That Affect Veterans Affairs
The news cycle for veterans this week was dominated by a mix of payment
security assurances, major policy debates over presumptive conditions, and
the pending overhaul of how disability claims are rated in the coming year.
This section focuses specifically on issues pertinent to disabled
veterans and their related benefits.
VA Disability Compensation: Payment Security and Rate Revisions
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provided consistent reassurance
during the shutdown, confirming that VA benefitsâincluding compensation, pension,
education, and housing benefitsâcontinue to be processed and delivered despite
the ongoing lapse in appropriations.
For November 2025, the standard payment date is the last
business day of the month.
Because November 30 falls on a weekend, the November disability payments
will be made on December 1, 2025.
Veteransâ monthly disability compensation rates reflect a 2.5%
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) effective for 2025.
This adjustment provides a modest increase in monthly payments,
ranging from approximately $4.28
per month for a veteran with a 10% disability rating to $93.45
per month for a veteran rated at 100% without dependents.
While the COLA ensures benefits keep pace with inflation, a far more significant
issue for disabled veterans is the forthcoming structural change to VA
disability rating criteria, slated for implementation in 2025, which
will drastically alter how certain common conditions are evaluated.
These changes are intended to streamline claims processing, but they may
result in substantially different compensation levels for some veterans.
Key changes to the 2025 rating criteria include
: The VA is introducing more objective mental health rating criteria.
The evaluation will shift focus from the veteranâs social or occupational impact to
the objective severity of their symptoms.
The intent is to achieve greater consistency in claims evaluation, which
may lead to higher ratings for veterans with extremely severe symptoms but
potentially tighter scrutiny for others.
The criteria for sleep apnea are becoming significantly stricter.
Under the updated system, veterans using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
(CPAP) machine may now only receive a 10% rating, which marks a significant
reduction from the current 50% rating typically awarded for CPAP usage.
The VA is moving to eliminate standalone ratings for tinnitus, a condition
that previously qualified veterans for a separate 10% disability rating.
The implications of these rating changes are substantial, requiring
veterans currently receiving benefits or planning to file claims to
understand the new objective guidelines.
Concurrently, the VA is rolling out modern technology, including AI-assisted claim
reviews and improved online tracking systems, as part of an effort to reduce
the persistent backlogs and accelerate the overall claim decision timeline.
PACT Act Controversy and Congressional Oversight
A major point of conflict and concern emerged this week regarding
the integrity of presumptive conditions under the PACT Act.
On November 6, 2025, reports highlighted controversy over the VA's reported
decision to remove male breast cancer from the list of presumptive
conditions covered under the PACT Act.
This policy shift immediately drew legislative scrutiny.
House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano led a letter
demanding that VA Secretary Doug Collins immediately reverse the decision.
Lawmakers warned that a June 2025 VA memo related to the change was issued
to comply with a political executive order, which they argued contradicted
scientific evidence and violated the intent of Congress to ensure timely
care for toxic-exposed veterans.
The members cautioned that redefining eligibility based on ideology sets
a âdangerous precedentâ for future veteransâ benefits decisions.
The VA press secretary, Pete Kasperowicz, publicly defended the agency's policy,
stating that the VA would continue to provide care and benefits to
any veteran who could demonstrate a service connection for the condition.
In response to this controversy, separate Senate legislation was introduced, aimed
at requiring the VA to establish greater transparency in the future when making
decisions regarding benefit policy.
Key Legislation Affecting Disabled Veterans
Congressional efforts targeting the financial security and service
capacity for disabled veterans saw movement during this period, addressing
long-standing grievances related to compensation and medical staffing.
The Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act, H.R.
333, seeks to fundamentally reform military retired
pay provisions by expanding eligibility for Concurrent Receipt.
It was introduced in the House on January 13, 2025.
This bill addresses the persistent financial inequity
known as the "disability tax."
If enacted, H.R.
333 would authorize veterans with a service-connected disability rating less
than 50 percent to concurrently receive both their military retired pay and
their disability compensation, ending the required dollar-for-dollar offset
that currently applies to this group.
Furthermore, the bill would extend Concurrent Receipt eligibility
to qualified disability retirees who have less than 20 years of
retirement-creditable service.
This is a major effort to secure financial fairness for a broader population of
veterans injured during their service.
The PRO Veterans Act of 2025, B.S.
423, is a bipartisan bill focusing on bolstering the
workforce stability of the VA.
The bill has successfully passed both chambers, clearing the Senate on April
8, 2025, and the House on July 21, 2025.
This legislation is essential for improving service delivery,
particularly in medical fields.
It authorizes the VA to provide a critical skill incentive to senior-level
employees on an individual basis, upon approval by specified officers, such
as the Under Secretary for Health.
By allowing the VA to offer competitive incentives, the bill aims to improve
staffing and retention in critical medical and administrative roles, which
directly affects the speed and quality of healthcare and benefits processing
that disabled veterans receive.
Ahead of Veterans Day on November 11, 2025, Congressman Mike Flood
announced the introduction of the Stamp Out Veterans Medical Debt Act.
This legislation proposes an innovative fundraising mechanism by directing the
United States Postal Service (USPS) to issue and sell a special stamp.
The proceeds generated from the sale of this stamp would be specifically
earmarked to fund medical care and treatment for veterans.
Lawmakers supporting the bill characterized it as a bipartisan
solution intended to alleviate the âcrushing weight of medical debt,â
thereby reinforcing the nationâs commitment to supporting the recovery
and financial stability of veterans.
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.