Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

June 16, 2017     VA Secretary: Money for Choice program will 'dry up' by mid-August Money is quickly and unexpectedly running out for a program that allows veterans to seek health care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and VA Secretary David Shulkin is urging Congress to fix it.   Air Force: Grounded F-35s at Luke Air Force Base to start flying next week The Air Force plans to get its F-35s at Luke Air Force Base flying again Tuesday, but with restrictions to prevent more of the oxygen deprivation incidents that led to their grounding.   Navy: 4 F/A-18 pilot deaths could be tied to oxygen system failures Four pilot deaths could be tied to oxygen system failures in the cockpits of F/A-18 Hornets, the Navy revealed Thursday in an in-depth review of oxygen problems plaguing its fighter and trainer jets.   Pentagon: No decision yet on Afghanistan troop deployment Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has yet to decide how many additional American troops he will send to Afghanistan to bolster the deadlocked fight with Taliban and Islamic State insurgents under his revised strategy for the nearly 16-year war, Pentagon officials said Friday.   IVF coverage for wounded vets preserved in House VA funding bill A Department of Veterans Affairs funding bill sent to the House this week includes a measure extending coverage for fertilization treatments or adoption services for wounded veterans wanting to start families.   McCain vexed by time and cost of Navy's purchase of ships The Navy is in the early stages of preparing the design of a new frigate to replace the LCS, which, after delays and added costs, has failed to meet its promised capabilities.   Okinawan tourism officials urge US military not to advertise dangerous falls The recent death of a teenage airman at Okinawa’s Aha Falls — a spot popular with servicemembers and tourists for hiking and cliff jumping — left some local officials searching for answers.   Amphibious assaults: Antiquated or awe-inspiring? NATO forces completed a mock amphibious assault in northern Poland as part of Exercise Baltic Operations, giving U.S. Marines a rare chance to practice a skill that has languished over the years: a shoreline assault.   How 'Fat Leonard' bribed the Navy to get US diplomatic immunity Fat Leonard ran a lot of corrupt schemes with the help of the U.S. Navy, but one of the strangest may be the time he was granted U.S. diplomatic immunity. For more than a year, the Singapore-based defense contractor bribed the naval attache at the U.S. Embassy in Manila to enable his firm to smuggle maritime cargo into the Philippines under U.S. diplomatic cover, according to federal court records.   Army Reserve colonel identified as victim in Hawaii fishing boat accident The Army on Friday identified Col. Kirk R. Slaughter, 49, as the soldier who died in a fishing boat accident in Hawaii on Thursday.   Victim of insider attack says US must remain committed to Afghanistan Last week, an Afghan soldier opened fire in eastern Afghanistan killing three U.S. troops and wounding one other, the latest in a string of insider attacks that have spanned the war, now in its 16th year.   Fenton takes helm of Naval Forces Japan at challenging time Rear Adm. Gregory Fenton has taken command of Naval Forces Japan, which will be challenged with relocating six aviation units from Naval Air Station Atsugi to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni later this year.