Seventy-four years after her brother shipped off to boot camp, Holland said she had given up hope that her brother would ever come home. But the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in August identified her brother’s remains using DNA that Holland had provided and she was able to bring him to Texas for burial.

Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga., served as a Black Hawk repairer in the Army from July 2014 until his death Wednesday night. The remains of another soldier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md., have not yet been recovered.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has experienced widespread flooding in recent days and outages of its steam system vital for equipment sterilization, significant infrastructure failures that threaten to disrupt patient care for months to come, The Washington Post has learned.

Both will be replaced with new leaders, the VA said, describing their terminations as routine for an incoming administration and unrelated to an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government.

The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act would make it easier for veterans to obtain medical services from doctors in private practice by removing eligibility requirements for non-VA care. About 40% of veterans care is now provided outside the VA and demand is rising every year.

VA programs and operations will continue uninterrupted, the VA said. Officials at the agency determined all 44 of its federal financial assistance programs are unaffected.

Marine Corps veteran Sarah Kallassy looks at the VA’s newest clinical contact center, VA Health Connect, and addresses air quality concerns from this past summer related to wildfire smoke inhalation.

Democrats also condemned a separate plan by the Trump administration to freeze federal grants and loans. Direct aid to individuals is not supposed to be affected, but some programs that assist veterans could lose federal funds because the dollars are funneled through the states and passed on to community nonprofits, critics say.

A lack of consistent policies and protocols by the Department of Veterans Affairs for administering private-sector health care for veterans is leading to medical records not being transferred, denials for appointments and a lack of understanding about reimbursements for clinicians who are not part of the VA system.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye traveled to American Legion Post 17 in Portland, Maine, and surprised Sgt. Matt Jabaut — who is a longtime fan of the Patriots — with tickets to Super Bowl LIX.