Nikki Wentling

Nikki Wentling covers veterans for Stars and Stripes and is based in Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor of science in news and information.

Wentling previously covered local government for the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kan. and military and veterans for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, Ark.

Email: wentling.nikki@stripes.com | Phone: (202) 761-0865 | Twitter: @nikkiwentling

The rain didn't stop motorcyclists from taking part in the 30th anniversary of Rolling Thunder on Sunday, May 28, 2017, in Washington.<br>Amanda L. Trypanis/Stars and Stripes

Rolling Thunder to end annual Memorial Day ride in DC after 2019

The nearly 32-year-old tradition of a Memorial Day motorcycle ride through Washington, D.C. is ending because of escalating costs and a lack of cooperation from the Pentagon and metropolitan police departments, according to a letter shared by Artie Muller, a Vietnam veteran and founder of Rolling Thunder.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., during a news conference following a Senate Democratic luncheon in Washington on May 16, 2017.<br>Zach Gibson/Bloomberg

Senator calls on VA, credit bureaus to prevent lasting consequences from GI Bill delays

The Department of Veterans Affairs' failure to distribute monthly housing stipends to GI Bill recipients resulted in thousands of veterans not receiving their housing stipends or facing delays — and many could experience long-term financial repercussions from the situation.

A chart from the Wounded Warrior Project survey report shows how the veterans surveyed compare their physical and emotional states to what they were a year ago.<br>Wounded Warrior Project

Survey finds obesity, mental health are continuing problems for wounded warriors

A new survey of 33,000 wounded warriors has alerted advocates and government officials to ongoing problems with veterans’ mental health and obesity.

The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.<br>VA

Whistleblower who says he was forced to retire as VA surgeon is temporarily reinstated

A Department of Veterans Affairs doctor who claimed his supervisors forced him to retire after he warned of anesthesiologists making near-fatal mistakes during surgeries was temporarily reinstated to his job, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel announced Tuesday.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pay their respects to former President George H.W. Bush in the Capitol rotunda, Dec. 3, 2018.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

Veterans, servicemembers join hundreds including White House and congressional leaders to honor late President

The remembrance for the late President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday in Houston, drew together congressional members, White House officials, Washington politicians, family and friends at the beginning of a weeklong set of events to honor the 41st president.

Actor Tom Hanks speaks at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Heroes and History Makers event in Washington, D.C., Nov. 29, 2018. Hanks was honored for his advocacy of military caregivers.<br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

Tom Hanks thinks Hollywood isn’t best suited to tell stories of Iraq, Afghanistan wars

“I don’t know that Hollywood could create as authentic a story about Iraq or Afghanistan or people on their fourth, fifth, sixth tours of duty that couldn’t be told much, much better by a documentary or caring news media,” actor Tom Hanks said. “It’s a tough thing.”

A recruit with Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, takes notes during a class for educational benefits Aug. 26, 2015, on Parris Island, S.C. <br>Aaron Bolser/U.S. Marine Corps

VA says it reversed course on underpaid GI Bill recipients, though lawmakers remain skeptical

The incorrect payments that could be made during the next year are a result of setbacks in implementing a new “Forever” GI Bill — a major expansion of veterans’ education benefits that Congress passed last year.

Trevor Noah talks about the GI Bill payment fiasco.<br>From a Daily Show video

The Daily Show blasts VA over GI Bill payment fiasco

The Daily Show also delved into the controversies that arose this week about whether GI Bill recipients who were underpaid this semester would receive retroactive payments.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., center, is presented with the Congressional Caregiver Champion Award by military caregiver Nikki Stephens and Steve Schwab, executive director of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, during the foundation's Heroes and History Makers event in Washington, D.C., Nov. 29, 2018.<br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

Pelosi vows Democratic oversight ahead of new veteran caregiver law

When Democrats take control of the House in January, a top priority will be to ensure the White House correctly implements a new law extending benefits to more veteran caregivers, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Confusion reigns over retroactive payments for underpaid GI Bill recipients

The Department of Veterans Affairs has no plans to retroactively pay student veterans who might get lower monthly housing stipends than they are legally entitled to receive during the next year.

VA announces new plan to fix GI Bill payment problems

At a congressional hearing earlier this month, lawmakers pleaded with VA officials to give them a date when a severe technology problem that caused payment delays and incorrect payments to thousands of student veterans would be fixed. On Wednesday, they gave one: Dec. 1, 2019.

Servicemembers in the Gulf War and post-9/11 generation have been at risk for exposure to chemical and biological agents, oil-well fires, depleted uranium and smoke from burn pits like this one at Balad Air Base, Iraq, in 2008. <br>Michael Gisick/Stars and Stripes

Report calls on government to track health problems in children of Gulf War, post-9/11 vets

The National Academies of Sciences called on federal agencies Wednesday to launch a new, coordinated effort to monitor and research the health of Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans affected by toxic exposures, as well as track the health of their living and future children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C.<br>Stars and Stripes

GAO agrees to investigate Mar-a-Lago members' influence on VA

A top government watchdog has agreed to investigate the amount of influence three wealthy members of President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Fla., exerted over the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A U.S. Huey helicopter sprays Agent Orange over Vietnam.<br>U.S. Army

New review finds ‘sufficient’ evidence linking hypertension to Agent Orange exposure

The finding, announced Thursday, bolsters the case for veterans with hypertension to be granted easier access to Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. Previously, researchers had determined there was only “limited” or “suggestive” evidence hypertension could be caused by the chemicals.

The controversial motto on the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C.<br>Stars and Stripes

Two House lawmakers launch new effort to make VA motto gender inclusive

A pair of House lawmakers introduced legislation Friday to alter the Department of Veterans Affairs motto to be more inclusive of veterans’ families and women who have served.

Witnesses are sworn in at the start of a House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee hearing on delays in GI Bill payments, Nov. 15, 2018 on Capitol Hill. From left to right are Mr. John J. Galvin, associate deputy assistant secretary for information technology operations and services in the VA's Office of Information and Technology; retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert M. Worley II, director of education service for the Veterans Benefit Administration; Paul R. Lawrence, the VBA's undersecretary for benefits; Bill James. deputy assistant secretary for development and operations in the VA's Office of Information & Technology; and Richard Crowe, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

VA officials fail to provide answers on when thousands of vets will get overdue GI Bill payments

Department of Veterans Affairs officials contended delays in housing payments weren’t causing rampant hardships for student veterans, though they admitted thousands were still waiting for their stipends and the agency had received credible complaints from veterans facing eviction.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert M. Worley II, director of education service for the Veterans Benefit Administration, listens during a House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Nov. 15, 2018.<br> Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

Leader of Forever GI Bill implementation reassigned to Houston office

The transfer of the VA official comes amid problems with the GI Bill that have gained national attention.

Marijuana-PTSD study reaches target enrollment of 76 veterans

Researchers who are trying to determine whether marijuana works to treat post-traumatic stress disorder enrolled their final veteran needed for the study on Veterans Day.

A 'perfect storm' of GI Bill problems is costing veterans, taxpayers

Widespread information technology problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs continue to affect thousands of student veterans who have gone without housing payments months into the fall semester.

GAO finds VA contractors not meeting timeliness, accuracy standards on exams

The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t have the tools to track whether private-sector medical providers are accurately giving exams that help determine whether veterans are eligible for VA benefits, a government watchdog agency found.

Diane Carlson Evans, left, and Amelia Jane Carson, left, pose for a photo in front of the Vietnam Women's Memorial on Nov. 11, 2018. The two women, both Army nurses in Vietnam, led the charge to establish the memorial. It was dedicated 25 years ago, on Nov. 11, 1993.<br>NIKKI WENTLING/STARS AND STRIPES

Vietnam War nurses celebrate 25 years of representation on National Mall

Dozens of former Army nurses from across the country gathered Sunday around the bronze sculpture on the National Mall that's dedicated to their service in the Vietnam War.

President Donald Trump waves to the spectators after speaking at the World War I armistice centennial ceremony, at Suresnes American Cemetery on the outskirts of Paris, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018.

<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes

GALLERY

Trump spends Veterans Day in France, honors WWI dead

President Donald Trump spent Veterans Day in Paris, marking the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I with a speech honoring the American servicemembers who died and those who returned home “bearing the lasting scars of war.”

Jason Dominguez, a former Marine Corps sergeant, is featured in multiple exhibits at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, which opened Oct. 27 in Columbus, Ohio. Dominguez served as an infantry squad leader in Iraq in 2005.<br>NIKKI WENTLING/STARS AND STRIPES

Tales of service and sacrifice

Everywhere you look inside the new National Veterans Memorial and Museum, there are stories. Here are three from veterans featured there.

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie testifies before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Sept. 26, 2018, during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

VA's Wilkie defends using dogs in medical research

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie on Friday defended the VA’s continued use of dogs in medical research. Wilkie argued the research was necessary for medical breakthroughs that could help veterans.

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie at his Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on June 27, 2018.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

VA secretary has begun planning budget cuts requested by Trump

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said Friday that he has begun forming a plan to cut the agency’s budget as President Donald Trump requested during a Cabinet meeting last month.

Visitors to the new National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, read through the exhibits Sunday, Oct. 28. The museum, which opened Saturday, aims to share stories of individual veterans from different backgrounds, military branches and eras.<br>NIKKI WENTLING/STARS AND STRIPES

Voices of veterans: New museum in Ohio is a salute to stories, not war

The idea for the National Veterans Memorial and Museum started with one veteran. Astronaut John Glenn, a former Marine, U.S. senator and Ohio resident, wanted a special, sacred place to honor and connect veterans and teach others about their service.

Two Democrats poised to become chairmen of important military-related House committees after yesterday's election are Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., left, (Armed Services) and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif. (Veterans' Affairs).<br>Stars and Stripes photos

Democrats gain control of key House military, vet committees

The fate of an ongoing military buildup, war oversight, veterans affairs and decisions on who can enlist in the service now rests with a split Congress following the results of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Veterans fueled edge for Democratic takeover of House

The more than 200 veterans who ran for seats in the House and Senate was an uptick of former servicemembers seeking office, according to With Honor, a new “cross-partisan” group focused on electing candidates with military service to public office.

HUD reports drop to 37,878 homeless veterans in 2018

The number of homeless veterans across the U.S. declined more than 5 percent over the past year after a slight rise in 2017, the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs announced Thursday.

Readiness of VA emergency stockpile of drugs, medical supplies called into question

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Department of Veterans Affairs created a stockpile that could be used to treat veterans, VA employees and others in case of a mass casualty incident. An Inspector General report states there are issues with its readiness.

Patriot Guard riders drive by the new National Veterans Memorial and Museum on Saturday as part of a grand opening ceremony. Hundreds of people attended the event, despite rain. <br>Nikki Wentling/Stars and Stripes

National Veterans Memorial and Museum opens in Ohio

The new National Veterans Memorial and Museum officially opened to the public Saturday with a ceremony featuring Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie and former Secretary of State retired Gen. Colin Powell.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., speaks during an American Federation of Government Employees-hosted panel discussion on VA health care, October 5, 2017, in Washington, D.C.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

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Democrats lay out veterans priorities as they look to take House in midterm elections

When Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., took the stage at the American Legion convention in Minneapolis, he delivered a stump speech in his bid to be the next Democratic leader on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Vets group calls on DOD, VA to help stop fake news targeting veterans, troops

Vietnam Veterans of America is working to find and stop social media pages that target veterans and servicemembers with sensationalized news and hyper-partisan political content.

VA Secretary David Shulkin looks up at a chart on a monitor during a House Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Feb. 6, 2018.<br>Stars and Stripes

Fired VA secretary compares presidents: Obama analytic, Trump off-the-cuff

Former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Monday that President Donald Trump’s lack of concern over details and signature extemporaneous style enabled him to usher change quickly at the VA during his year in the job.

A 2015 file photo of then-Col. Michael S. Heimall, the new director of the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center.<br>U.S. Army

VA appoints new director for embattled DC hospital

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday appointed a new director to lead its troubled flagship hospital in Washington, which was recently designated among the agency’s lowest-performing facilities after officials deemed conditions deteriorated to a critical level.

Lawsuit filed against VA for withholding information about ‘Mar-a-Lago Crowd’

A lawsuit was filed Thursday against the Department of Veterans Affairs by two groups that allege the agency is unlawfully withholding records that could detail how extensively three members of President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Fla., club influenced his veterans policies.

Wilkie won’t share documents that could reveal extent of Mar-a-Lago influence on VA

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said he will not hand over information to Congress that could help reveal the extent three members of President Donald Trump’s club in Palm Beach, Fla. have influenced veterans policies.

Marine veteran Michael Ukaj was killed in a limo accident in Schoharie, NY, on Saturday, October 6, 2018, along with nineteen other people. <br>Facebook

Marine veteran among those killed in New York limo crash

Michael Ukaj, a former combat engineer in the Marine Corps, is being remembered as an honest and caring individual always ready to give advice to his friends and family. He was one of 20 people killed when a limo sped through a stop sign and slammed into a parked SUV in Schoharie, N.Y., on Saturday.

Student veterans, schools frustrated over lack of housing payments from VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged technical issues are causing 340,000 student veterans to receive incorrect housing stipends to begin the new school year, but now lawmakers and advocates contend the problem is bigger – many veterans are not receiving the payments at all.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., at a hearing in 2017.<br>Stars and Stripes

Senator: VA missed deadline to inform vets with 'bad paper' about access to mental health care

The Honor Our Commitment Act, approved as part of large appropriations bill in March, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with mental health screenings and care, even if they received other-than-honorable discharges.

The Minneapolis VA Medical Center<br>va.gov

VA releases 2018 performance ratings for its hospitals

The fiscal 2018 ratings include nine one-star hospitals, the lowest possible, down from 14 hospitals that received one-star ratings in 2017. The ratings indicate each hospital’s quality of care and are based on data such as death rates, patient satisfaction and efficiency.

Sandra Lee Altamirano places a flag on the National Mall as part of IAVA's effort to bring awareness to military and veteran suicides. A flag was planted for every veteran who committed suicide in 2018 through Oct. 3 - 5,520. Altamirano planted three flags for combat veterans she knew. <br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

Veterans group places thousands of flags on National Mall to draw attention to suicide crisis

The flags were placed on the Mall by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America, an advocacy group trying to draw awareness to the issue of veteran suicide.

Jason Kander, pictured here during a 2013 visit to Fort Leonard Wood, withdrew Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, from the Kansas City, Mo., mayoral race in order to seek help for depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.<br>Angelina Betran/Fort Leonard Wood

Afghan War vet ends bid for Kansas City mayor, citing PTSD and depression

Jason Kander, an Afghanistan War veteran widely praised as a rising star in the Democratic party, withdrew Tuesday from the Kansas City, Mo., mayoral race to seek help for depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Justin Miller with his older sister, Alissa Harrington, at her wedding Jan. 27, 2007. Following Miller's suicide in February, Harrington is speaking out, trying to spur improvements to veteran suicide prevention.<br>PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS HARRINGTON

Marine veteran loved to fix things — but the VA offered no plan for him to help himself

When Justin Miller left the Minneapolis VA hospital, he was marked at “moderate risk” for suicide. He left without a follow-up appointment for his newly prescribed antidepressants. Staff wasn’t sure whether he had access to firearms, and there was no documentation that they reached out to his family to try to engage them in his treatment.

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie testifies before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

VA secretary Wilkie denies connection to ‘Mar-a-Lago Crowd’

Shortly after new Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie was confirmed as secretary in June, news reports revealed a trio of wealthy Mar-a-Lago members had been exerting major influence over Trump’s veterans policies.

The VA released its newest National Suicide Data Report on Monday, which includes data from 2005 through 2015. Veteran suicide rates are still higher than the rest of the population, particularly among women.<br>U.S. Army Reserve

VA report: Suicide rate among younger veterans increased from 2015 to 2016

The number of suicides among younger veterans increased “substantially” from 2015 to 2016, according to a new report to be released Wednesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Watchdog found deficiencies in care for veteran who committed suicide in Minneapolis VA parking lot

The Office of Inspector General reported Tuesday that VA staff didn’t collaborate on a discharge plan for the veteran, didn’t ensure the veteran had a follow-up appointment about newly prescribed antidepressants, and didn’t adequately document whether they had access to firearms.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs nominee Robert Wilkie, at his Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on June 27, 2018.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

Wilkie's first hearing as VA secretary: Four issues he's likely to address

Robert Wilkie is slated to appear before lawmakers this week for the first time since he took over as Veterans Affairs secretary and senators are expected to ask him about his plans for implementing several major, congressionally mandated reforms.

A rose placed by his brother and sister, Cindy Hill Kelly and Bruce Hill, marks the name of Army Chief Warrant Officer Robert O. Hill Jr. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day, May 28, 2018. Hill died on Sept. 27, 1970 in Quang Tri province.<br>Stars and Stripes

Plan to build Vietnam War education center on the National Mall is abandoned

An effort to establish a Vietnam War education center on the National Mall was abandoned Friday after 17 years of planning and $23 million in donations already spent.

President Donald Trump hands a pen to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie during a spending bill signing ceremony at VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Las Vegas.<br>Evan Vucci/AP

Trump signs $200 billion VA budget for 2019

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a spending bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs that for the first time exceeds more than $200 billion.

Vietnam Veterans of America representative Rick Weidman testifies Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing as members heard arguments for and against the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act. Weidman noted that Congress already presumes veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange and doesn't try to calculate the level of exposure. That benefit of the doubt should be applied to shipboard personnel too. "How much [exposure] makes no difference," he said. At left is National Executive Director for the Fleet Reserve Association Thomas Snee.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

Former VA secretaries join fight over Agent Orange benefits for Blue Water Navy vets

Five former Department of Veterans Affairs secretaries and more than two dozen veterans groups joined the fight this week over legislation that would extend Agent Orange benefits to tens of thousands of Navy veterans who served on ships off the coast during the Vietnam War.

Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence's reflection can be seen in the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. <br>Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes

Pence: Returned remains of US war dead a ‘vanguard of what’s to come’

Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday he hoped the 55 cases of Korean War remains returned last month would be a “vanguard of what’s to come,” for on-the-ground searches in North Korea for more missing American servicemembers.

Servicemembers wishing to continue their education can find that there are a variety of financial assistance programs to help fund their endeavors. <br>William Wiseman/Air National Guard

Students using GI Bill receive incorrect housing payments due to VA technical errors

Veterans who started the 2018-2019 school year last month received incorrect payments caused by delays at the VA Office of Information and Technology with complying to new rules on how stipends are calculated.

U. S. Army soldiers assigned to 129th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade join ongoing joint operations in support of Hurricane Florence relief efforts at Lumberton, N.C., Sept. 17, 2018. <br>Andrea Salgado Rivera/U.S. Army

In North Carolina, flooding from Florence closes VA clinics, counseling centers, cemeteries

Two Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in southeastern North Carolina will remain closed until next week due to the catastrophic flooding that continues to cripple the area days after Hurricane Florence first made landfall.

A 2011 photo of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Department of VA hospitals in Georgia, Texas, Oregon Tennessee and Colorado were removed from high-risk status based on new performance statistics released Tuesday. Nine other VA hospitals are still designated as high risk, including one in Phoenix.<br>Department of Veterans Affairs

VA cites improvements at five hospitals removed from 'high-risk' list

Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in Georgia, Texas, Oregon Tennessee and Colorado were removed from high-risk status based on new performance statistics released Tuesday.

South Carolina National Guard soldiers and rescue workers with the South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team program and South Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 prepare to leave from McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina for Charleston, South Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence on Sept. 13, 2018.<br>Jorge Intriago/U.S. Army

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Thousands of troops prepare for Hurricane Florence search and rescue

Officials said 4,000 National Guard troops and another 3,000 active-duty servicemembers were in position to respond to Hurricane Florence, with thousands more ready as a secondary relief force.

SOURCES: NOAA, Google Maps, AP<br>Noga Ami-rav/Stars and Stripes

VA hospital in Virginia evacuates patients ahead of hurricane, 18 clinics close

More than 200 veterans receiving treatment at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in coastal Virginia were loaded onto buses Wednesday afternoon and dispersed among five other VA hospitals throughout Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.

VA process to verify veteran-owned small businesses fraught with errors, delays

Veterans who own small businesses can get verified through the Department of Veterans Affairs, making them eligible for VA contracts and subcontracts — but efforts to improve the verification system have backfired, leading to delays and frustration.

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., right, says VA "will receive the funding needed for implementation of the VA Mission Act while adhering to the existing and necessary caps on federal spending.” Ranking Member Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., says "By no means are we done with our work," noting that the Mission Act "still lacks a sustainable source of funding."<br>Stars and Stripes

Mission Act gets funding under historically high VA budget agreement

After a dispute delayed negotiations on the Department of Veterans Affairs budget for fiscal 2019, lawmakers came to an agreement Monday for more than $200 billion for the agency that includes funding for the new VA Mission Act – legislation that expands private-sector medical care for veterans.

Wilkie opposes bill that would extend Agent Orange benefits to 'Blue Water' veterans

New Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie urged senators in a letter Friday to reject legislation that would make health care and disability compensation available to approximately 90,000 “Blue Water” Navy veterans – those sailors aboard aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships who contend they were exposed to Agent Orange.

Jim Dunnigan, 84, holds a container of the medical marijuana he uses to treat his tremors, at Curio Wellness in Lutherville-Timonium, Md. Dunnigan uses the marijuana flower to make butter with which his wife bakes cookies for him to eat.<br>Steve Ruark, Baltimore Sun/TNS

Measure to let VA doctors recommend marijuana was again left out of budget bill

A measure to allow doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend marijuana in states where it’s medically legal failed to make it into the final version of a VA funding bill for the third consecutive year.

Inspector general finds VA claims backlog greater than reported

The VA considers backlogged claims to be veterans’ claims for benefits that take longer than 125 days to approve or deny. The VA Inspector General’s Office reported officials omitted 63,600 backlogged claims from its count during the first half of 2016, creating a misrepresentation of how many claims were delayed.

Honor guard soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, "The Old Guard," carry a casket bearing the remains of two unknown Civil War Union soldiers during a burial ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 6, 2018. <br>Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes

PHOTOS

Arlington National Cemetery opens 27-acre expansion with burial of two Civil War veterans

The expansion will keep the cemetery – long viewed as a shrine to America’s fallen heroes – viable for about 10 years longer than expected. Plans for the new space, titled the Millennium Project, have been in the works since Bill Clinton was president in 1990s.

A dog tag chain is placed around the statue on the Fallen Warrior Memorial May 24, 2012, at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.<br>Jeff W. Gates/U.S. Air Force

Legislation seeks to allow battlefield crosses in national cemeteries

Lawmakers on Wednesday considered a bill to force the National Cemetery Administration to allow battlefield crosses, following the controversial removal of the grave markers from three veterans cemeteries last year.

Delays in Forever GI Bill implementation could affect veterans’ checks

Student veterans starting the 2018-2019 school year could receive incorrect housing payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs because the agency missed a deadline to fully implement changes to how the checks are calculated, lawmakers and veteran advocates said Wednesday.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are urging the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to research marijuana as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.<br>Dreamstime/TNS

Lawmakers ask VA secretary to research marijuana as an alternative to opioids

In a letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, lawmakers asked the VA to initiate a “rigorous clinical trial” of the drug. In recent years, more veterans have come out in support of marijuana as a potential alternative to addictive opioids.

Vice President Mike Pence addresses hundreds of veterans during the American Legion national convention Thursday, Aug. 30, in Minneapolis. <br>Nikki Wentling/Stars and Stripes

Pence: Trump is a 'champion,' 'ally' to veterans

Speaking to hundreds of American Legion members on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence lauded President Donald Trump as a champion to veterans and listed off a series of what he described as major achievements under his administration.

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie gestures as he addresses thousands of members gathered for the American Legion national convention in Minneapolis, Minn., on Wednesday, Aug. 29. Wilkie, who took the position in July, reassured the group that it still had a "seat at the table" as an adviser on VA matters.<br>Nikki Wentling/Stars and Stripes

American Legion’s influence with the VA questioned at annual convention

For 100 years, the American Legion has been a voice for veterans in Washington, influencing government policy on veterans’ health care, education and national security. But at its national convention this week doubts about its influence emerged.

Lawmakers, advocates call for change after VA mishandled military sexual trauma claims

Some lawmakers and veteran advocates are calling for more change to how the Department of Veterans Affairs handles claims of sexual trauma in the military after it was discovered the agency denied benefits to hundreds of veterans without due diligence.

The person selected to lead a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs' electronic health records resigned on Aug. 24, 2018 only one month after taking the job, leaving one lawmaker concerned about “deteriorating and rudderless” leadership on the massive project.<br>Kasey Zickmund/U.S. Air Force photo

Leader of VA electronic health record project resigns, prompts concern

Genevieve Morris was selected to lead a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs' electronic health records. She resigned Friday, citing differences with VA leadership.

VA considers ending ban on transgender surgeries for disabled vets

Since 1999, the VA has excluded “gender alterations” from its medical benefits package. For another two weeks, the VA is taking comments about a proposal to remove that ban for veterans who have a high enough disability rating to qualify them for comprehensive medical care from the VA.

A soldier stands guard at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns on March 23, 2018. Visitors and employees at the cemetery were evacuated Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018, because of a bomb threat.<br>Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes

Arlington National Cemetery reopens to public after bomb threat

Arlington National Cemetery reopened Wednesday after a bomb threat forced officials to close the facility to the public for about four hours. Despite the cemetery’s closure, funerals still took place as scheduled.

A Marine poses for an official portrait series for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.<br>Dana Beesley/U.S. Marine Corps

IG finds the VA wrongly denies benefits to victims of military sexual trauma

The Department of Veterans Affairs wrongly denies benefits to thousands of veterans claiming they suffer from military sexual trauma, potentially causing stress and psychological harm, a government watchdog reported Tuesday.

Sgt. 1st Class Keith Shugarts works on a knife he's forging at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Va. The Center is home to Recovery Forge, a veteran-run program that teaches forging skills to servicemembers, veterans and first responders.<br>Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes

Video/Gallery

Forging ahead: Bladesmithing gives troops, vets and caregivers a chance to bond, heal

“If these men and women are having a bad day, they can come in here, rant, rave, curse, scream, holler – you name it – and we all understand,” Donna Porras said. “We might not have been in their shoes, but we understand.”

IG report: Veteran caregivers face long waits for VA assistance

Last year, lawmakers demanded the VA inspector general investigate the Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers program following news reports of the VA dropping veterans from the program with little notice.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump owns Mar-a-Lago Club, a Trump resort in Palm Beach, Fla.<br>Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Veterans group sues VA over ‘Mar-a-Lago Crowd’

VoteVets, a liberal advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Thursday aimed at preventing three wealthy members of President Donald Trump’s private club in Florida from influencing decisions at Veterans Affairs. The suit is a response to a news report that revealed the three were exerting major influence over the VA and secretly shaping Trump’s veterans policies.