Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

March 2, 2017     As Marines prepare to head to Helmand, the fallen are remembered Just weeks before a contingent of Marines heads to Helmand province on a mission to train and advise Afghan soldiers and police, a memorial was unveiled at the U.S. Embassy here honoring leathernecks and corpsmen who have died during the 16-year war in Afghanistan.   Lawmakers try again to accelerate discipline of VA employees; union fights back Lawmakers are trying again – this time with support from the Department of Veterans Affairs – to give the VA secretary more power to fire, demote or suspend poor-performing employees and recoup their bonuses.   20 US airstrikes in Yemen target al-Qaida, kill at least 4 militants U.S. jets and drones conducted more than 20 airstrikes against al-Qaida targets in Yemen on Thursday, roughly one month after U.S. special operators carried out a raid in the same province that led to the death of a Navy SEAL, Pentagon officials said.   Military Saves Week encourages servicemembers to set financial goals The military is partnering with more than 100 financial institutions this week to help servicemembers save some of their hard-earned pay.   Military Update | VA costs could balloon with 'choice' reform, new Agent Orange ailments Under the oft-criticized Choice program, enacted in 2014 in response to a wait-time scandal across the VA health system, veterans can seek private-sector care at VA expense only if they face wait times longer than 30 days for a VA appointment or they live more than 40 miles from a VA health care facility.   Ramstein’s Dr. Seuss readers get a glimpse of the places that they’ll go Students at Ramstein Intermediate School connected with a three-star general Thursday over the words of one of America’s most beloved children’s authors, Theodor Seuss Geisel, who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss.   House panel introduces $578 billion Pentagon spending bill  A House panel unveiled a $578 billion spending bill to keep the U.S. armed forces operating through September as President Donald Trump has vowed to add billions more for what he's described as a depleted American military.