JULY 7, 2015, CASPER, Wyo. - Tears flowed freely as the words echoed in the vastness that was the Casper Events Center. Welcome home. Seven hundred veterans sat, listening, taking the words in, letting them settle in their ears and hearts. Repeatedly, that phrase was said during the four-day Wyoming Vietnam Veterans Reunion in Casper, Wyoming. It was a well-attended event, … [Read more...]
Officials Announce 2015 Employer Support Freedom Award Winners
JUNE 26, 2015, WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials announced Thursday the 15 recipients of the 2015 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor the department gives to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees. "These outstanding employers have not only earned this award, they have earned this nation's gratitude," Defense Secretary … [Read more...]
DoD Sends Blended Military Retirement Proposal to Congress
JUNE 17, 2015, WASHINGTON - A Defense Department proposal submitted to Congress on June 10 would create what Pentagon officials called a “blended defined benefit and defined contribution” military retirement system. Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters that the proposal includes elements the department believes are necessary to promote … [Read more...]
Grass: National Guard Accessible, Operational Contributor to Total Force
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 15, 2015) - Army Gen. Frank Grass watched the young Air National Guardsman cross the tarmac, toolkit in hand, and set to work on the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The chief of the National Guard Bureau, or CNGB, stood under canvas, a couple of hundred Air National Guard, active-duty and Reserve Service members in folding chairs before him, industrial … [Read more...]
Defense Department’s Pride Month Celebration Highlights LGBT Leadership
JUNE 3, 2015, WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama declared June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, and the Defense Department is highlighting the importance of leadership as it celebrates the achievements and sacrifices of LGB service members and LGBT civilians. During an interview with DoD News, Air Force General Counsel Gordon O. Tanner discussed … [Read more...]