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NATIONAL SECURITY Gen. David Petraeus says Afghanistan war strategy 'fundamentally sound' Washington Post    Share    In his first six weeks as the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus has seen insurgent attacks on coalition forces spike to record levels, violence metastasize to previously stable areas, and the country's president undercut anti-corruption units backed by Washington. But after burrowing into operations here and traveling to the far reaches of this country, Petraeus has concluded that the U.S. strategy to win the nearly nine-year-old war is "fundamentally sound." More Air Force Village West A retirement community located in Riverside, California for military officers and federal government officials (GS7 and above). AFVW offers great benefits and on-campus health care facilities. MORE ADVERTISEMENT US, South Korea launch joint military exercises amid threats from North Korea The Washington Post    Share    Amid threats from North Korea, 86,000 U.S. and South Korean troops launched their latest round of joint military exercises, described by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak as a deterrent against war. The 11-day drills, unlike naval exercises held last month in the Sea of Japan, are based largely on computer-simulated war games and are being held in the southern part of the peninsula. More US backs Afghan plan to dump contractors Military.com    Share    The U.S. military supports the Afghan government's plan to dissolve private security companies and is tightening oversight of its own armed contractors in the interim, an official said. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called repeatedly for banning private security companies, saying they undermine government security forces. Contractors perform duties ranging from guarding supply convoys to personal security details for diplomats and businessmen. More BENEFITS 'G.I. Bill 2.0' passes Senate committee, gains support Army Times    Share    A Senate committee has taken a first step toward what veterans groups are calling "GI Bill 2.0" — a revised version of the year-old Post-9/11 GI Bill that attempts to simplify and clarify the education benefits program. Supporters of the changes say S 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, passed by the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, could become law later this year, although many changes would not take effect until the fall 2011 school term. More VA announces test of paperless claims processing system Business Wire    Share    The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected its regional benefits office in Providence, R.I., to test a paperless system and new procedures to improve processing of Veterans' claims for disability compensation. "This test program marks a major milestone in VA's move to paperless processing," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "It supports VA's transformation of the claims process to ensure speedy delivery of benefits to Veterans, their families and their survivors." More MENTAL HEALTH Discharges for adjustment disorder soar Air Force Times    Share    Two years ago, under congressional pressure, the military changed its policy on separating troops dealing with combat stress for pre-existing personality disorders — an administrative discharge that left those veterans without medical care or other benefits. Now, veterans advocates say, the personality-disorder discharges have been replaced with similar discharges for "adjustment disorder." And once again, Congress seems poised to jump in. More PAKISTAN FLOOD US, Pakistani forces collaborate to help flood victims United States Department of Defense    Share    The flood in Pakistan has caused unprecedented damage and left millions of people across the country homeless. The problem is beyond comprehension, and international support groups, including the U.S. military, are doing what they can to help. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata, deputy commander of the U.S. defense representative's office in Pakistan, joined a "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable to discuss the details and operational aspects of ongoing U.S. military flood relief operations in Pakistan's Swat Valley. More BUDGET Virginia politicians plan JFCOM counterattack The Army Times    Share    Reeling from the abrupt announcement that the U.S. Joint Forces Command is targeted for closure, Virginia lawmakers spent the week planning a legal counterattack. Losing the Norfolk-based command, which employs about 2,800 military and civilian personnel and another 3,000 contractors, could mean job losses for hundreds or even thousands of Virginians. More SERVICE SECTIONS Oil spill shows difficulty the Coast Guard faces as it balances traditional tasks with post-9/11 missions The Washington Post    Share    The U.S. Coast Guard in recent years has fought international terrorism, defended Iraqi pipelines and patrolled for pirates in the Arabian Sea. Its work in such high-visibility missions accelerated after Sept. 11, 2001, when Congress swept the Coast Guard into the Homeland Security Department. More funding followed. But the changes had the unintended consequence of lowering the profile of the Coast Guard's vital programs related to oil. "Priorities changed," a 2002 Coast Guard budget report said. More Army sustainability report highlights energy and environmental achievements Stand To    Share    The Army's recently released Sustainability Report is the Army's second annual sustainability report. It details energy and environmental achievements and milestones supporting the Army's sustainability concept and goals. The report is published in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative's Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. This widely recognized framework is used by corporations and governments around the world to measure and publicly report their economic, environmental and social performance. More Gates visits marine, SEAL training in San Diego American Forces Press Service via U.S Department of Defense    Share    A trip that started with presiding over the assumption of command for a four-star Marine Corps general ended with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presiding over a Marine Corps Recruit Depot graduation ceremony. Gates also observed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. The secretary presided Aug. 11 at the assumption of command for Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, who has almost 40 years of military service, as the commander of U.S. Central Command. The secretary met servicemembers on the other end of the personnel pipeline, participating in the graduation of A Company, 1st Training Battalion, and of sailors striving to be SEALs with Class 84. More RESERVE & GUARD MOBILIZED National Guard (in Federal Status) and Reserve activated as of Aug. 10, 2010 U.S. Department of Defense    Share    This week the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps announced a decrease in activated reservists, while the Navy announced an increase. The Coast Guard reported no change. The net collective result is 289 fewer reservists activated than last week. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. 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