Blog Post

Daily News Brief 03.15.12
Posted by Jacob Worrell on March 15

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking? Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom and click here to get the News Brief delivered to your inbox every morning.

MUST READS

1) IAVA Unveils New GI Bill Calculator to Help Post-9/11 Veterans Prep for College

On Thursday, IAVA launched a new online GI Bill calculator to help millions of new veterans freely and accurately determine their eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. IAVA also issued a statement on delays in GI Bill payments by VA, which have hurt the academic careers of hundreds of IAVA Member Veterans. Check out IAVA’s GI Bill calculator.

2) Taliban Call Off Talks as Karzai Urges Faster U.S. Transition

Taliban Call Off Talks as Karzai Urges Faster U.S. Transition

One day after the President announced the U.S. would not accelerate the withdrawal, Afghan President Karzai issued a public call for a faster U.S. transition on Thursday. The Taliban also increased pressure on NATO by calling off peace talks that had been carefully cultivated for months by American diplomats.

3) Pentagon officials: 'No smoking gun' in Afghan rampage

Military investigators have not yet found an explanation for Sunday’s attack in Kandahar, which claimed the lives of 16 Afghan civilians. The Staff Sergeant believed to be responsible for the violence had no evidence of a serious traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. Ahead of trial, the accused has been flown to Kuwait.

AFGHANISTAN

• The editor of TIME International argues that the Army should reconsider its leadership structure after Sunday’s incident in Kandahar.
• An Afghan caused a security scare after he drove across the same runway as Secretary Panetta’s plane on Wednesday, before the truck crashed into a ditch and caught on fire.
• News analysis from The New York Times highlights the Kandahar incident as the latest example of a gaping cultural divide between the Afghans and NATO countries.
• Media is highlighting the disarming of a group of Marines at a meeting with Panetta as an example of heightened security concerns.

IRAQ

• The Iraqi government made a series of compromises with Kuwait ahead of the Arab League summit in Baghdad later this month.
• The U.S. may claim that Afghanistan is not Iraq, writes Anne Gearen from Associated Press, but their public statements suggest they are using the same strategy.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• A hearing for PFC Bradley Manning on Thursday and Friday may set his court date.
• Ahead of a nation-wide tour sponsored by the USO, Elmo is taking submissions to name his bus.

NEW GREATEST GENERATION

• With a focus on discipline, character and competition, teachers could learn a lot from the Marine Corps, writes an author in TIME Ideas.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• Two lawmakers have sponsored a bipartisan bill that would provide military working dogs with homes and veterinary care in retirement.