VA 'Lying About Vet Suicides'

And group has no intention of ceasing its use: rep

(NEWSER) - The VFW is stirring up quite a bit of controversy—no, not Veterans of Foreign Wars, but Veterans for Weed. In addition to co-opting the VFW acronym, the pro-marijuana-legalization group also uses a logo that looks like the POW/MIA icon, except with the soldier smoking a joint. The real VFW has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the group, and because "VFW" is copyrighted, the tokers may have to comply with the acronym part. But it has no intention of ditching its controversial logo, Military Times reports. More»

Another 1 in 3 disagree: Pew Research Center poll

(NEWSER) - Friday marks the 10th anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan; with an eye on the decade-long effort, the Pew Research Center asks veterans: Were the Afghanistan and Iraq wars worth it? Just 34% of post-Sept. 11 veterans say yes, while another 33% say no (Afghanistan is considered slightly more worthwhile than Iraq, according to the poll). Even so, 96% say they are "proud" of their military service, and 82% say they would advise young people to enlist, Politico reports. More»

Numbers are up as more go on foot patrols

(NEWSER) - A new Pentagon report has some rough stats, mostly from the Afghan war:

• The number of troops who have had amputations rose from 86 in 2009 to 187 last year. The pace continues this year, with 147 so far.
• The number of troops who lost two or three limbs rose from 23 in 2009 to 72 last year; the figure is already 77 this year.

Rate now at 30% for the young

(NEWSER) - The job market isn’t friendly territory in general these days, but it’s looking especially brutal for veterans. Unemployment payments to veterans have doubled since 2008, with the military doling out $882 million in benefits last year, USA Today reports—and this year is looking even worse. Joblessness among 18- to 24-year-old vets was pegged at more than 30% last month, compared to 18% for civilians of the same age. More»

Al-qaeda suspect found dead in cell

(AP) - An Afghan detainee at the Guantanamo Bay prison has died in an an apparent suicide, the sixth at the detention center since 2002. The prisoner, known only by the name Inayatullah, was not conscious or breathing when guards checked on him Wednesday morning, and they immediately tried to resuscitate him, the US military said in a statement. The apparent suicide is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. More»