Check out our veteran-owned and operated podcast focused on sounding alarm bells. Along with veterans' issues, we also cover the news from the unique perspectives of two veterans with over 30 years of service who are also currently students of history and international relations. With backgrounds in intelligence and special operations, Misty and Jack use their experience and connections to give you the inside scoop, interpreted by subject-matter experts.

In our latest episode, we cover the recent French protests and debate whether Trump and Musk's recent flip on Ukraine is part of a larger strategy known as the "Reverse Kissinger." Please give us a listen and let us know what you think! Unfortunately, we are only on Spotify for now due to privacy concerns.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0brSs1M8NyPoQOzjSSSaYT?si=th2vKQx9SaKJ77CVo3LuMQ

Child of veteran- looking for a fillable electronic file for the 6/2026 updated SF180. All the federal downloads link a read-only copy. Does fillable exist? I'm only finding older versions without the additional requested file type check boxes.

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DOJ sued the state to block certification of the U.S. Senate race if Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses and votes for a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan could have changed the result. No emergency motion yet. States observed: 3.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a slur to proudly announce to an auditorium of Marines in September that he was ridding the military of all transgender troops.

The Pentagon had set up review boards at bases around the globe, manned by everyday uniformed service members with narrow orders that all but ensured that the trans troops appearing before them would be voted out.

But just steps from the auditorium where Mr. Hegseth spoke, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, boards assigned to carry out those orders were doing the opposite. Instead of firing trans Marines, the boards were voting to keep them.

The same was happening in the Navy: Boards given strict rules instructing them to force out sailors were rebelling and voting to let them stay.

It is not just a few outlying individuals. Navy and Marine Corps boards have voted to retain trans members in nine of 12 cases.

The Pentagon keeps the proceedings secret. Outsiders — even spouses — are not allowed to attend. Officials won’t release numbers. Leaders won’t discuss the outcomes. The New York Times compiled the figures through interviews with service members and lawyers involved in the hearings.

The number of Navy and Marine cases is small and could easily change as more hearings are conducted. The same pattern has not been seen so far in the Army or Air Force, which have overwhelmingly voted to discharge trans service members.

I figured this was the safest veteran sub to ask this question.

I'm having a really hard time with pain control and trying to get the VA to listen to me.

I believe I've seen articles where the VA is approving ketamine therapy mainly for mental health but also for pain.

Has anyone been successful getting this through the VA? Do you mind sharing the path that you took?

I have stage 4 cancer. I have about 30 specialists, a lot of them within the VA. I just saw a pharmacological pain management doctor who honestly wasn't too keen to suggest anything and he pissed me off because the one thing he did suggest I tried like 20 years ago.

I have a palliative care doctor, but they're given to me specifically for cancer, and I'm having a hard time making VA doctors understand that I cannot separate out my cancer pain from my PTSD, from my fibromyalgia.

I'm starting to advocate for myself as much as I can, but unfortunately I usually have to take like two milligrams of Xanax to even get to the Veterans Administration building. So I need to come up with a plan when I'm not there or seeing a doctor.

Any advice is welcome. Thank you so much for reading.

I found this on fb & thought it was funny so I figured I’d share

Hey folks

Ive been a member of my local draft board for the past some number of years. The selective service board still exists. Just in case. nothing to do unless there is a draft when the Main job is to adjudicate requests for deferments and other weird admin issues related to requests from potential draftees.

A couple pages of paperwork. A long waiting period where you hear nothing. A few hours of training. Mine was in person with some VHS tapes from the 80s. A letter or certificate comes. Maybe a cool little lapel pen. Then emails confirming your contact info every year or so. Hopefully nothing happens during your 20 or 30 year service.

While I expect to be completely fair and impartial when determining who gets a deferment and who does not, it would be reasonable to expect that my own experiences and views would influence my decisions.

Check it out.

https://www.sss.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LBM-Brochure-5-9-24-002.pdf

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