Veterans advocacy groups warned lawmakers that payment delays to vendors and staff cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs are creating delays and barriers for individuals with disabilities trying to modify their homes and vehicles with specialized equipment.

Twelve veterans kept the American flag moving as they ran 3,000 miles across the country and completed Team Red, White and Blue’s Old Glory Ultra Relay in 16 days, a challenge aimed at inspiring the nation’s veterans to prioritize their physical health.

More than half of spouses are unhappy with military life, continuing a downward trend in recent years related to family frustrations over quality-of-life issues.

Effective immediately, Veterans will only need to have a review and approval from their referring VA physician — and not a second referral — that the non-VA treatment is in their best interest.

Troops with a history of gender dysphoria or who show symptoms of the condition will be subject to medical record reviews if they don’t self-report, according to a memo issued Thursday by the Pentagon.

Counselors and psychologists at Defense Department schools say they are overwhelmed by a surge in student mental health concerns — especially suicidal behavior — due to staffing shortages, administrative burdens and unclear guidance, a federal watchdog agency report says.

While none of the sinks at Ansbach Elementary School were used for drinking, one from the second round of testing is in a kindergarten food preparation area. The school’s drinking fountains and water-filling stations, which are equipped with high-quality filters, have passed inspection thus far.

The U.S. Air Force is storing about 400,000 gallons of contaminated water at Yokota Air Base — significantly more than previously disclosed — and plans to treat and release it, Japan’s Ministry of Defense said

The Government Accountability Office is urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to bring greater focus to improving patient safety, modernizing its medical records and ensuring timely access to community care for the 9.2 million veterans enrolled in VA health care.