A year ago, the federal government made some big changes to the Veterans Administration appeals process. For the most part, veterans must navigate this complex system on their own. Fortunately, contractors who were injured in Haiti and elsewhere have a better option. The 2017 Appeals Modernization Act gave disabled veterans three new options when pursuing their claims. Higher-Level Review allows …

Two major Taliban attacks near the Tajikistan border in late January 2020 illustrate the ongoing problems in this war-torn country. Taliban fighters simultaneously attacked several security checkpoints around Dasht-e Archi in the northern province of Kunduz. Afghan casualties numbered 13 KIAs, 12m WIAs, and three MIAs. Taliban warriors stormed the checkpoints at midnight, and fighting continued for several hours. After …

Escalating violence has claimed the lives of seven Russian mercenaries. It may be only a matter of time before America’s war against ISIS, which began in Iraq, spreads to southeast Africa. Some Wagner fighters were reportedly beheaded after an ambush killed two Russians in the northern Cabo Delgado state. Earlier, five Russians were killed after ISIS-affiliated militants set up a …

In a new book, author and former 82nd Airborne trooper Sean McFate says America’s military is ill-suited to fight in places like Africa and Syria. The former trooper and private military contractor now teaches at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service as well as the National Defense University. The New Rules of War argues against large allocations for aircraft carriers …

A real estate management company is taking heat over alleged “appalling housing conditions and cavalier treatment” at one of the world’s largest military installations. Specifically, Corvias and Meade Communities ignored problems like mold in the walls, according to court documents. Firms like these provide over 99%t of military personnel housing, because a 1996 law encouraged privatization. Like many other providers, …

Officials who reviewed a Wounded Warrior Project study acknowledged some “alarming” trends regarding burn pit illnesses. At a seminar about the WWP study, VA deputy under secretary for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks D. Carolyn Clancy vowed “We won’t stop until we get some. . .answers.” The study, which looked at over 300,000 Southwest Asia veterans, concluded that some 70% …

One of the oldest freshmen at Yale University is a 25-year veteran with a service animal and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 52-year-old James Hatch sustained a brain injury during a 2009 rescue mission in Afghanistan. The incident left Hatch with permanent PTSD. At one point, Hatch put a gun in his mouth and threatened to take his own life. His …

Since the government is hesitant to send regular servicemembers to the war-torn county, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab may tap contractors to rescue British children. The current crisis involves several children of a deceased ISIS fighter. According to the BBC and other reports, the three children, all of whom are age 10 or younger, arrived in Syria around 2014. Both …

The shadowy Russian mercenary group has already been involved in Syria, the Central African Republic, and several other global hotspots. Now, add Libya to that list. In Syria, according to one observer, the Wagner Group was a “shockforce” and “an unofficial arm of the Defense Ministry.” In the CAR and Sudan, Wagner mercenaries train militias and bolster would-be strongmen in …

In a televised interview, pro-American Iraqi President Barham Salih said that his country could no longer rely on the Americans, and so Iraq might re-evaluate its relationship with other powers, including Russia and Iran. This interview took place shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a military operation had killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As he spoke in …

In the face of mounting uncertainty, representatives from China, Russia, the United States, and Pakistan all agreed that talks with the Taliban hold the most promise for lasting peace in the war-torn country. The daylong Moscow conference was a precursor to intra-Afghanistan talks in Beijing. These negotiations should begin in November. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is a surprise participant in …

At Barnett Lerner, we deal with a number of deployment-related trauma injuries. As might be expected, most of them involve guns and bombs, but a few involve falls and other mishaps. Weapons of war cause both visible injuries and invisible injuries. These invisible injuries, especially brain injuries, are especially common in Iraq and Afghanistan. Combat contractors also struggle with occupational …