MILITARY BROTHERHOOD: VTN REPORT: Your DAILY NEWS from Veterans Today Network

VA triples spending on homelessness problem
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday awarded almost $300 million in grants for homeless and low-income assistance efforts, three times what the agency spent on that program last year.

Ground forces commander cautiously optimistic about Afghan military performance
Halfway through the first summer that Afghan forces have been in the lead for combat operations, the commander of coalition ground forces says he is cautiously optimistic about their performance, despite a skyrocketing casualty rate.

Inspector General: Trash burning still risks troops' health in Afghanistan
The military is putting troops at risk and breaking Department of Defense regulations by continuing to burn trash at one of the largest U.S. military bases in Afghanistan, despite having safer alternatives, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

China has world's most active missile program, Pentagon says
China's military has the world's "most active and diverse ballistic missile program," with an expanding inventory of nuclear warheads that can reach the U.S., according to a Pentagon intelligence report.

Transition from US to Afghanistan military an uphill climb
Congress has appropriated $51 billion to build and sustain the Afghan army, but Lt. Col. Kohadamani Hamidullah can't get his Humvees repaired.

Two senators create ‘working group’ to whip veterans claims backlog
A pair of U.S. senators is hoping a new bipartisan working group focused on the veterans benefits backlog can speed solutions to the persistent problem.

Subs to lose Coast Guard escorts as duty shifts to Navy
Five years ago, the two services began discussing whether the Navy could resume escorting its own submarines nationwide so Coast Guard ships and personnel could be used for other missions.

Veterans return to US with entrepreneurial ambitions
Nearly one in 10 small businesses nationwide are veteran-owned. Collectively, those 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses employ almost 6 million Americans and generate more than $1 trillion in receipts.

Ex-Army inspector accused of stealing troops' IDs
A former Fort Campbell inspector whose job was to investigate misconduct has been accused of stealing the identities of Army personnel, including a soldier killed in combat, in a scheme to obtain thousands of dollars in bank loans.

'Military Mistress' brought to Pierce County, Wash. to face theft charges
Bobbi Ann Finley, the so-called “Military Mistress” accused of bilking servicemen across the nation, was released from an Alabama prison this week. Her freedom was short-lived.