Latest news with #militaryveterans
BBC News
20-07-2025
- BBC News
Holidays for Heroes Jersey appoints new chairperson
A Jersey charity that provides holidays for injured military veterans has appointed a new Langlois has taken over the role at Holidays for Heroes Jersey from Richard Harwood, who stepped down at the end of his five-year charity organises holidays to the island for ex-service personnel who have been injured during military operations or have mental health issues due to their work with the Langlois, who has served as a governor for the charity for the past year, said she was excited to be taking on the job. She said: "I would like to thank Richard for leading the charity over the past five years, especially during the difficult Covid period."He will be a hard act to follow but I'm looking forward to the challenge."Along with Mrs Langlois' appointment, the charity said John Pallot-Brown had been elected as a governor, taking over the position vacated by Maureen charity, which was founded in 2008, said it was set to host more than 250 guests on holidays in Jersey in summer.
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Defence Committee Expresses Concern Over Continued Delays in Military Veterans' Benefits
The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans has expressed deep concern over the ongoing challenges faced by military veterans, many of whom remain in limbo due to delays in receiving their service-related benefits from the Department of Military Veterans (DMV). During a briefing today on the amended Strategic Plans, annual performance plans, and the 2025/26 Budget of the DMV and the Castle Control Board (CCB), the committee stressed that the absence of a permanent Director-General undermines the department's ability to deliver on its mandate and to manage its budget effectively. The committee also highlighted the dysfunctional organisational structure as a major frustration. Committee Chairperson, Mr Dakota Legoete, said: 'We urgently need the appointment of a Director-General. The current Acting Director General is uncertain about her future, which compromises accountability and decision making. The continued delays in making this appointment destabilise the department and make it difficult for us, as the oversight committee, to track the department's expenditure and performance.' The committee said it was sad that the DMV through its inability to put its stakeholders first continued to return unspent funds back to National Treasury. Members of the committee pointed out that on various occasions veterans were reaching out to them complaining after waiting for more than a year for their benefits. Of specific concern is the roll-out of the pension benefit where it appears that the DMV and implementing agent, the Government Pensions Administration Agency, appear to lack a coherent and responsive plan to serve them. The committee also raised serious concerns about the DMV's failure to establish a functioning internal audit unit which is an essential tool for financial accountability and risk management. The committee highlighted the need for urgent intervention by the executive to turn around the DMV, starting with the appointment of a permanent Director-General, re-evaluating the organisational structure, addressing the findings of the Auditor-General and developing a more responsive department. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Fox News
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
From protecting quarterbacks to military veterans, Broncos lineman Garett Bolles tackles wildfire prevention
Print Close By Ryan Morik Published June 26, 2025 Garett Bolles job is to protect those important to him. On the field, he does it with second-year quarterback Bo Nix - off the field, he aims to return the favor to military veterans. "Seeing military veterans, what they go through on a regular basis, they go to war for us so we can live freely here in the United States, they provide a safe place for us to raise our families, to raise our kids, and without them and what they do overseas, to protect us from the evils of the world, it really goes to show you what hard work does," Bolles said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. That's why the Denver Broncos offensive lineman teamed up with USAA and Team Rubicon to help protect Eagle Next Ranch in Colorado from wildfires earlier this week. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON The ranch provides therapy for military veterans with PTSD, and Bolles, who grew up in a wildfire danger zone in Utah, spent his day clearing brush and cleaning debris around the facility in what was a full-circle moment. "Not only does it play close to home being in the military background, but just being out here in the community. Colorado is known for being a high-risk wildfire area, it's one of the deadliest spots in the country when it comes to wildfires and all of the wildlife that we have here, all the amazing things that we have in this beautiful state," Bolles said. "Being able to have a protective zone around this beautiful ranch so that we can protect them from wildfires, so the military veterans can come out here and have their peace and not being able to stress out over wildfires. Just clear brush, using some machetes and chainsaws, which is always fun being a rancher myself, just clearing debris and making sure that this place is protected and making sure that we're cleaning up the unnecessary brush that needs to be done to be able to make sure this is a safe environment." "Military veterans and knowing that that is something that's part of my family, part of my legacy and my life, knowing that it was something that they needed somebody to come out here and protect the community, it's what I do on a regular basis. I protect my quarterback, so protecting my community out here is something that just always rings the bell for me. I always jump at those opportunities, because it's something I do on a regular basis, and it always puts a smile on my face," he added. EAGLES RUNNING BACK AJ DILLON EMBRACES MENTAL CHALLENGES OF CHESS TO PREPARE FOR 'PERFECT' OPPORTUNITY Now, Bolles will turn his attention to protecting Nix's blindside. This past season, Bolles, a lifelong Bronco, made the playoffs for the first time in his soon-to-be nine-year career. "I've gone through some rough years. The last seven years, it's been ups and downs. We've had high hopes and fallen short multiple, multiple times… I'm here going on my ninth year, and just seeing the changes – getting a new facility, new ownership, new coaching staff, new players in and out. It's so awesome to be one of those older guys that are here. It used to be a revolving door – we've closed that revolving door, and now we're moving forward. It's awesome, and I'm really looking forward to all the amazing experiences we're going to have this year, build off what we did last year, and focus on the little things to continue to lead us down the path to winning the Super Bowl." Bolles plays somewhat of double-duty with Nix - for one, he's a teammate who must stop anyone in his path to keep Nix upright. Simultaneously, Nix just completed his rookie season, and Bolles is now an eight-year veteran. "I think we feed off each other. Sometimes, I gotta loosen Bo up and be like, 'Yo, it's good brother, you got this!'" And sometimes, he's like, 'GB, lock in!'" Bolles said. But at the end of the day, Bolles said Nix, a "freak of nature," can be the catalyst to get the Broncos back to their glory days. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Bo is such a freak of nature, man. He's so composed, so calm, so collective. To watch him be the light of our team. We have a quarterback on offense, and we have another freak of nature on defense in Pat Surtain that leads them. So watching Bo and the young players continue to step up day in and day out to lead this team to victory like we did last year to our first playoff appearance since 2015," Bolles said. "It's been years of losing, it's been tough. But one thing about our team, we're so resilient, we're going to continue to fight every single day. It doesn't matter how you start, it matters how you finish. The sky is the limit for us, we can go as far as we want. I feel like the only people that are going to get in our way is ourselves. As long as we can control what we can control and have the best attitude and effort day in and day out, we're going to be the most successful team this year in the NFL." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Print Close URL
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
House Democratic veterans back moves to limit Trump's military authority
A group of 12 House Democratic military veterans have thrown their weight behind efforts to constrain Donald Trump's military authority, announcing they will support a War Powers Act resolution in response to the US president's go ahead for airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The veterans – some of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan – were strongly critical of Trump's decision to launch what they called 'preventive air strikes' without US congressional approval, drawing explicit parallels to the run-up to some of America's longest recent wars. 'Twenty years ago, in their rush to appear strong and tough, politicians – from both parties – failed to ask the hard questions before starting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,' they wrote in a letter led by Representative Pat Ryan to Trump sent on Monday. 'We refuse to make those same mistakes.' Their intervention comes as multiple war powers resolutions are gaining momentum on Capitol Hill, with the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, pushing for a vote as early as this week to rein in the president's military actions. The veterans did not specify which measure they would support, as competing versions are being drafted by different Democratic factions alongside a bipartisan effort. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was enacted to limit the US president's ability to commit armed forces to fight abroad without congressional consent in the form of a vote. Representatives Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, have been championing one bipartisan resolution, while the ranking Democrats on the House foreign affairs, armed services and intelligence committees are preparing an alternative, according to Punchbowl News. Democratic aides described the latter to the outlet as providing cover for members uncomfortable with backing the Massie-Khanna approach, though lawmakers will not be discouraged from supporting both measures. The adamance against the legality of America's involvement has only intensified since Trump's Saturday night strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, and the line from centrist to progressive Democrats has been to charge the president with executive overreach. The New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Trump's impeachment, describing the attacks as 'a grave violation of the constitution and congressional war powers', while the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, accused the president of misleading Americans and dramatically increasing the risk of war. For the 12 veteran House members, the issue cuts to the heart of their military oath. 'We all swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Article 1 Section 8 explicitly requires a vote by Congress to declare war,' they wrote, demanding clear answers about military objectives, estimated costs and potential American casualties before any escalation. The signatories included Representatives Gilbert Ray Cisneros Jr, Eugene Simon Vindman, Chris Deluzio, Jimmy Panetta and Ted Lieu. Still, their letter walked a careful line on the broader Middle East conflict, labeling Iran as 'evil' and pledging continued support for Israel while warning against the strategic limitations of military action. 'While destroying nuclear sites may achieve initial tactical success, it far from guarantees longterm strategic victory,' they argued. The dispute has built on uncomfortable divisions within Trump's own party, most notably with conservative influencers and independent news media that lean to the right, with Massie and Senator Rand Paul emerging as Congress's most vocal Republican critics of the Iran strikes. But Trump has since escalated his rhetoric, posting on Truth Social about potential 'regime change' in Iran and asking: 'MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!' Congressional leaders have also expressed frustration over the administration's failure to provide adequate consultation before the weekend operation. While Schumer received a call from Trump officials, he was reportedly not told which country would be targeted, and Jeffries 'could not be reached until after' the strikes had begun, according to the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
Associated Press
13-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
The stars and stripes fly, in photos, as Flag Day approaches
More than 75 years after Flag Day became U.S. law, the stars and stripes grab our gaze these days in constant portraits of how Americans see their country's promise — sometimes dotted along historic graves of military veterans, draped upside down over a protester, or painted on a barn. Flag Day commemorates the 1777 approval of a national flag design by the Continental Congress. It was established by federal law in 1949 as June 14. Observances preceded that, including in 1891 at a Philadelphia house of Betsy Ross. But the fervor for the flag that exists today has strong roots in the Civil War, when flag bearers were regarded with particularly high honor. At the Betsy Ross House, a flag bearing a circle of 13 stars for each of the colonies is flown. And at a family farm near Loring, Kansas, 38 stars are painted on the flag on its barn, the number of states when the barn was built in 1884. Those throwback versions and others are still around, but the 50-star flag is never far from view. It has been patterned on a pro golfer's shorts, colored onto the roof of a business, and brandished during confrontations at public demonstrations. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
