Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

March 8, 2017     Marine Corps defends subdued response to nude photo scandal The sergeant major of the Marine Corps said Wednesday that the service has toned down its response to a nude photo-sharing scandal because it could impede an investigation and prosecution.   Extending Veterans Choice Program passes 1st hurdle in the House Lawmakers on Wednesday took the initial steps to extend the troubled Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to receive private-sector care when they can’t get an appointment at the Department of Veterans Affairs.   Pentagon: Islamic State has lost access to Iraq’s oil The Islamic State group has lost almost all access to Iraqi oil, though the terrorist organization has thousands of fighters protecting its remaining oil-rich territory in Syria, a U.S. defense official said Wednesday.   DODEA Europe seniors among nation’s top student leaders in D.C. Two American students attending Defense Department schools overseas are getting a close-up look at the federal government this week while meeting some of the country’s top leaders.   Army eyes new bases in Europe as Pentagon reviews force structure A team from U.S. Army Europe recently visited two military facilities in northern Germany, the Army said, a region without a current U.S. military presence.   VA to provide mental health care to veterans with ‘bad paper’ discharges The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin making mental health care services available to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges who urgently need it, VA Secretary David Shulkin told lawmakers Tuesday night.   Marines have arrived in Syria to fire artillery in the fight for Raqqa Marines from an amphibious task force have left their ships in the Middle East and deployed to Syria, establishing an outpost from which they can fire artillery guns in support of the fight to take back the city of Raqqa from the Islamic State, defense officials said.   US general says Russia has deployed banned missile A senior U.S. general on Wednesday accused Russia of deploying a land-based cruise missile in violation of "the spirit and intent" of a nuclear arms treaty and charged that Moscow's intention is to threaten U.S. facilities in Europe and the NATO alliance.   US, Russia counter Erdogan in Syria as Kurds get shield The U.S. and Russia moved this week to block a threatened drive by Turkey to seize Manbij. A U.S. deployment and a Russian-brokered deal with Syrian forces created buffer zones that headed off any Turkish campaign against the Kurdish forces who hold the town.   Owner of "sham" Virginia barber school sentenced in $4.5M GI Bill fraud William Grobes IV, 45, the co-owner of a Chesapeake, Virginia barber college, was sentenced to more than five years in prison. His wife Katherine is set to be sentenced Friday.