Latest news with #militaryfamilies
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Military families ‘struggling' with their homes during VE Day celebrations
Military families were 'struggling' with the state of their housing as Downing Street held a VE Day anniversary street party, an MP has said. Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire described a 'scandal' in service family accommodation (SFA) and urged ministers to take 'concrete action to fix' homes. The Government logged 442 urgent repair requests for SFA in the week which began on May 5, the early May bank holiday when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted a Downing Street party and the Red Arrows flew over London's Buckingham Palace to mark the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day. Responding to a written question which Ms Maguire tabled this month, the Ministry of Defence revealed 64,258 urgent repairs for SFA had been made between January 2024 and April this year. Call-outs peaked in January 2024, with 5,921 urgent repairs for SFA, and 5,546 during the same month in 2025. 'For so many military families to be struggling over the 80th anniversary of VE Day – a week when they should have been able to celebrate and feel recognised by the nation for their service – is a scandal,' Ms Maguire told the PA news agency. 'This Government is more than happy to publicly celebrate our service personnel and veterans with a Downing Street party, but won't take concrete action to fix their homes. 'That's the ultimate hypocrisy. 'It's shocking that almost two-thirds of service personnel are still dissatisfied with the standard of maintenance for their housing.' The Government has unveiled plans to extend a 'decent homes standard' – the 'minimum standard' which social housing should meet – into the private rented sector. Lib Dem, Green Party and independent MPs and peers have called for the change to go further, to cover SFA. Ms Maguire, a former Royal Military Police captain, said: 'We desperately need to bring military housing up to the decent homes standard.' The Renters' Rights Bill faces further scrutiny in the House of Lords before it can become law. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: 'We're determined to deliver homes fit for our heroes and, for too long, military families have endured substandard housing. This Government is determined to fix that. 'Our deal to bring military homes back into public ownership is saving £600,000 of taxpayers' money each day, allowing us to start to fix deep-set problems in housing and support the development of high-quality new homes. 'Last month, the Defence Secretary announced a new consumer charter to drive up the standards of forces housing, and the forthcoming defence housing strategy will set out further plans to deliver a generational renewal of service family homes across the country.'
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Pentagon eyes 50% reduction in permanent changes of station as military families brace for moving high season
Just ahead of summer, the high season when military families are packing up for another round of having to relocate, known as permanent change of station (PCS) moves, the Pentagon is now signaling a dramatic shift in policy that could reshape military life for years to come. The Department of Defense (DoD) recently released a memo ordering all military branches to update their PCS policies in an effort to slash relocation spending by half by fiscal year 2030. The May 22 memo directs each service to focus on cutting discretionary travel for operational, rotational and training assignments. "At approximately $5 billion annually, PCS moves are a significant expense," the memo reads. "Lower-priority PCS moves should be reduced for Service members and their families seeking greater geographic stability." The directive mandates a staged budget reduction: 10% by FY 2027, 30% by FY 2028, 40% by FY 2029, and 50% by FY 2030, based on FY 2026 figures adjusted for inflation. Services have 120 days from the memo's signing to submit implementation plans, including career model revisions that support long-term geographic stability. In a briefing with reporters, Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Tim Dill confirmed that the target is ambitious, but not final. "We want them to come back and tell us if that seems like the right number for them," Dill said. "If they come back and say, well, this specific course of action could be harmful, then we don't want to accomplish it." While the effort is framed as a cost-saving measure, the move comes as pressure mounts over quality-of-life issues facing military families. According to the 2024 active duty spouse survey, 32% of military spouses favor leaving the military altogether, a historic high for the biennial survey. Only 48% report being satisfied with military life, the lowest level in nearly two decades. PCS moves are at the center of that discontent. "We just reviewed the results of the 2024 active duty spouse survey, and we hear from them frequently about all of the concerns that are typically associated with PCS moves," Dill said. "It's clear that it's time for the [DoD] to look at reducing the frequency of those moves, especially if we want to maintain the momentum that we have today both in recruiting and the retention of service members." Dill stressed the wide-ranging disruption PCS causes: "Families have to go find a home, they need new arrangements for their children… and they're displaced from the community of support that they've developed over the years in their previous duty station." He emphasized that the new PCS guidance is not about shifting hardship from families to single troops. "PCS moves affect everyone," he said. "We just think we need to take the moves away from the families and put it on someone else — it's for everyone." Still, Dill acknowledged that family experience weighs heavily on whether service members choose to reenlist: "If your family is not supportive of the service member staying in service, that's a very high predictor of whether or not the service member will decide to stay. We want them to stay." The Pentagon estimates roughly 80% of PCS moves are discretionary. "What we're directing the departments to do is purely to examine potential reductions in things that would be defined as discretionary," Dill said. "If they see [a move] as mandatory for mission needs, we're not even asking them to come back with a plan to reduce it." In a statement, Chief Pentagon Spokesperson and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell clarified that this initiative is separate from a broader PCS Task Force established to improve the efficiency of current moves. "This initiative focuses on reducing the costs of PCS and is distinct from the Secretary's direction to establish the PCS Task Force, which is focused on the timely and efficient execution of PCS moves," Parnell said. The PCS overhaul isn't happening in a vacuum. It comes on the heels of a series of other cost-efficiency pushes at the DoD. In a statement issued May 23, Parnell confirmed that the department would be ending its much-criticized "What You Did Last Week" initiative, requiring civilian employees to report weekly accomplishments. First launched in February 2025 under Secretary of Defense guidance, the program was intended to "foster accountability." Parnell said the program would officially conclude May 28, and employees were asked in their final submissions to offer "one concrete idea to enhance efficiency or root out waste."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Video of Dogs Being Rescued From San Diego Plane Crash Site Is Breaking Hearts
Unfortunately, tragedies can happen at any time and although the circumstances are terribly sad, positivity sometimes follows in a big way. Often, in times of sadness, we see how friends, neighbors, and community members come together to help others in need. The San Diego Humane Society stepped up in a big way following a plane crash yesterday. As rescue personnel began assisting families, evacuating their damaged homes, and treating injured people, The Humane Society helped in a slightly different capacity. The group quickly mobilized a dedicated team of compassionate workers to help animals in need. When the workers arrived on scene, they did not waste any time getting started with assisting injured and displaced pets. There were several animals taken to The Humane Society's main campus where they were decontaminated and given medical care. Due to the plane crash, jet fuel spread across the neighborhood. The fuel landed on pets who were in backyards that happened to be in the path of the plane. The animals needed special bathing to remove the fuel from their fur coats. Other animals may have had smoke inhalation due to the large fire that quickly spread across the sheer sadness of this event is undeniable. It is a terrible loss for the victim's families and a challenging time for the multiple military families that have lost their homes, cars, and belongings. Thank you to The San Diego Humane Society for showing up to help this community in such a thoughtful way. You relieved the burden of many displaced families by providing their four-legged family members with loving care and assistance when they needed it most. Video of Dogs Being Rescued From San Diego Plane Crash Site Is Breaking Hearts first appeared on PetHelpful on May 24, 2025
Fox News
6 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Remembering America's Fallen & The Families That Grieve Them
For many Americans, Memorial Day holds multiple meanings–the arrival of summer and its seasonal delights can sometimes overshadow its true significance, yet ceremonies and parades across the nation honor our nation's fallen heroes. For families of those fallen, Memorial Day is not contained to just one day. Bonnie Carroll is a retired Air Force Reserve Major and founder of the TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), and she joins the Rundown to share how her organization supports grieving military families year-round. This Memorial Day, we commemorate eighty years since the end of World War II and remember the sacrifices made for freedom. Robert Edsel, author of Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and Forever Promise Forged in World War Two, joins to discuss his new book and what the holiday means for Americans. Plus, commentary from retired Navy SEAL and host of FOX Nation's, 'The Unsung of Arlington,' Mike Sarraille. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
CBS News
7 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Maryland couple with a dozen children celebrating retirement after extensive military career
Herbert Lorfils and Leslie Lattimore-Lorfils -- a Maryland couple -- will be celebrating retirement after collectively serving more than 60 years in the U.S. Army. But, not only do they have an extensive military resume, they also raised 12 children. The pair first met during Army training in Texas in the 1990s. After only eight weeks of dating, they married. "We just clicked well," Lorfils said. "I believe when I saw her, she was gonna be my wife." Time for their children What started as a family of two has become a family of 14. Their oldest child is 30 years old, while their youngest is 6 years old. Some of their children have even followed in their footsteps by enlisting in the military. "I didn't envision having a dozen children, but I wouldn't change it," Lattimore-Lorfils said. "No one was a surprise." Long-deserved retirement On paper, Lorfils retired from the Army in November, but the two are jointly celebrating retirement on Friday. Lorfils served for 34 years, mostly as a medical logistics officer. In that role, he ensured Army hospitals were medically prepared. Lattimore-Lorfils, meanwhile, just clocked in 27 years this month. Her career has mostly been as a human resources officer. Both also had been deployed multiple times to countries in the Middle East and Eastern Asia. Sometimes when that happened, one parent would be left alone to care for the children at home in Maryland. The couple agrees, it takes a village, with help from their loved ones, that they've been able to keep their family strong. "There's no way in God's Earth that we could serve our country honorably and not have a village that's picking us up, helping us with our babies," Lorfils said. Opening a new book Lattimore-Lorfils describes retirement as her and her husband's next book, as opposed to their next chapter. She said they will have more time for their business ventures, which include her organization "Girl Organize that Life" ( which empowers women. But, they will also have more time for their children. "Being able to fly to a football game in person, instead of just watching our son on TV, we can be there in the stands screaming," Lattimore-Lorfils said. "When our 10-year-old [says], 'Mom, can we have a spa day?' [I can say] sure, let's go have a spa day.'"
