Napolitano Apologizes to Vets for Report

(NEWSER) - The recent Homeland Security report detailing right-wing extremist recruitment of veterans is “true, true, true,” Charles M. Blow writes in the New York Times. But “conservatives reacted by throwing a knee-jerk hissy fit,” suggesting that vets “were being vilified by a partisan document.” Instead of playing politics, writes Blow, we should be figuring out how to save our soldiers. More»

(NEWSER) - Today's shooting at the Holocaust museum, on the heels of the murder of an abortion provider, is bringing renewed attention to a Homeland Security report issued in April that warned of a rise in exactly these kinds of attacks, Politico reports. At the time, critics including Rush Limbaugh blasted the DHS report as an attack on conservatives, but now civil rights groups say it was right on target. More»

That's a huge jump from post-Gulf War numbers

(NEWSER) - American veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are filing for disability benefits at a rate never seen before, causing many to worry about the physical and mental health of a generation of troops, reports the AP . Of the 1.6 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, a hefty 45% are applying for injury-related compensation, well up from the estimated 21% who filed for help after the Gulf War in the 1990s. Almost one-third have been granted disability so far. And those applying for benefits in the last year claimed as many as 14 ailments—a huge jump from the average of four among Vietnam War vets and two among those who fought in Korea. More»

Most believe Iraq war was unsuccessful

(NEWSER) - After a decade of war, America's troops aren't feeling very war-like. President Obama currently leads Mitt Romney among veterans who have served since the Gulf War by seven points—a wider lead than he has among the general populace—according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll , and many say it's because of his stance on defense. One former master sergeant, for instance, says he's a Ron Paul supporter, but in the general election he's voting for whoever he thinks is less likely to start "knee-jerk reaction wars," even if it means voting for "that Democrat." More»

Actions aren't new, it's all those cameras: Andrew Exum

(NEWSER) - The US military is dealing with yet another scandal involving soldiers' treatment of enemy remains . These kinds of incidents are nothing new in the annals of war, writes former Army officer Andrew Exum at Bloomberg View . The difference today is the "ubiquitous presence" of camera phones. Combine that with a "generational divide" on technology—the military's senior ranks can be clueless about Twitter, Facebook, etc., while young soldiers can be naive about consequences—and you'll see why the US military has a long-term problem on its hands. More»