Doug Karr

Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a draft report from the Gulf War Veterans' Illness Task Force on the current state of Gulf War Veterans' health in the hopes to gather public opinion and comments in an on-going effort to improve the quality of medical care and types of medical services offered. Further, the draft report calls for an improvement in addressing the medical needs of Gulf War Veterans with “multi-symptom” illnesses and expanding the scope of clinical studies.

Michael Stevens, a former member of the Merchant Navy, died from repeated asbestos exposure and subsequent malignant mesothelioma. He was 83.

Similarly to the Merchant Marine in the United States, the Merchant Navy operates on behalf of the United Kingdom. Formerly established and nationally recognized by King George V after World War I, the Merchant Navy served a pivotal role not only in the Great War but also in World War II. These privately operated vessels supported the Royal Navy's efforts during times of conflict.

On Veterans Day, its critical for all of us to remember, celebrate and honor the service of the men and women in arms today and, of course, our veterans.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to grasp the fact that America’s remaining World War II veterans are all well into their 80s and climbing quickly into their 90s. Statistics show that we lose approximately 1,000 World War II veterans every day. They’re literally a dying breed, and before long, they will have vanished, taking with them the memories of the war that indeed shaped a generation.

Now here’s an inspiring story! Army Specialist Caroline Barry has quite the impressive resume: she is a ten-time national boxing champion, a five-timeUnited States team captain, and has racked up the amateur awards too. At one time, Spec. Barry was ranked as high as fifth overall in the world, andhas received medals in six international tournaments, as well as having competed in world championships.

The VA says it will be creating "Veterans Health Benefits Handbooks" for all veterans in the Washington D.C. and Cleveland, Ohio areas that are enrolled with the VA and currently receiving benefits in an effort to "give veterans everything they need to know and leave out everything that doesn't apply to them," according to Secretary of Veteran Affairs Eric Shinseki.

Newly-passed legislation in Georgia would permit a veteran’s PTSD diagnosis to be indicated on their driver’s license. But is this really a good idea?