Some of the 'Services' and 'Programs we have available
Welcome to Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida 'a Source for Veteran Resources'
180 W. Idaho Ave, Ontario, Oregon 97914
541-889-1978
VETERAN ADVOCATES THRIFT EMPORIUM
HEY FOLKS........ THIS EMPORIUM AND THRIFT STORE IS FANTASTIC AND SUCH AN ARRAY OF ITEMS AND CLOTHING!!!!!! GIVE US A SHOT AND COME ON DOWN TO CHECK US OUT YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD TIME!!!!
Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida has a rathar very nice Thrift Emporium with an excellent selection of donated items !! The prices range from 50 cents up - depending on the kind of items you are shopping for - We have an absolutely WONDERFUL staff of Volunteers eager to help you find items... it is open from 9am to 4pm Monday thru Friday - and you can bring donations Monday thru Friday from 9:30 am to 3:30pm.
Any Questions call 541-889-1978
BI-MONTHLY ARTICLES AND A FEW STORIES OF INTEREST
Veteran Articles published Bi-monthly
HISTORIC EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST
Veteran Articles published Bi-monthly
The Chairman of Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, Ronald Verini, writes two articles every month for publication in a Regional Newspaper, this article ."THE COST OF POLITICAL WHIPLASH...... BIG TIME TROUBLE AHEAD?"
will be published AUGUST 5,, 2026 Here is a part of Mr. Verini's article, and you can read the full article by clicking the red bar below.
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The Cost of Political Whiplash…Big Time Trouble Ahead?
August 5th, 2026 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
I believe there is a quiet, caustic toxicity eroding the backbone of America’s military, and is breaking our troops and it doesn’t originate on the battlefields of distant foreign nations. Yes, I believe it stems from the decapitated thought processes from the carpeted offices of Washington, D.C.!
For decades, service members and their families have been subjected to a relentless regime of political flip-flopping, goalpost-shifting, and "on-again, off-again" foreign policy decisions. Administrations commit troops to a mission then change the mission or abruptly pull the rug out. Orders are issued, canceled, extended, and then reissued under a different acronym. Strategic ambiguity might sound clever in diplomatic think tanks, but at ground level, it manifests as pure psychological warfare against our own troops. When those troops take off the uniform, that whiplash doesn't magically vanish. It follows them straight home, right here to the Western Treasure Valley.
Whether you look at the rural stretches of Malheur County, Oregon, or the sprawling suburban agricultural corridors of Caldwell, Nampa, and Fruitland, Idaho, the Treasure Valley is home to a deeply entrenched military and veteran population. These are families who live next door, farm our fields, and staff our local businesses.
For service members, whether they are twenty-year "lifers" navigating constant deployment shifts or junior enlisted personnel desperately counting down the days until their contract ends, the mental toll of strategic indecision is devastating:
Lifers spend two decades watching their sacrifices liquidated by political mood swings. They suffer the debilitating realization that the ground they bled to secure was abandoned overnight due to shifting domestic polling. If this is the new reality of how we are going to fight wars, then we need to prepare.
For those planning to separate, the "on-again, off-again" deployment tempo destroys any hope of a predictable transition. You cannot plan a civilian career, apply for college in Ontario or anywhere else, or buy a home when your discharge date is a moving target subject to sudden "stop-loss" actions or surprise operational rotations.
It is the spouses and children in the Treasure Valley who quietly bear the brunt. Reintegration is hard enough; constantly resetting the family dynamic because a deployment was extended, canceled, and then re-extended weeks later fractures households. Constant hypervigilance becomes the domestic baseline.
This isn't just standard operational stress. It is decision-making trauma, the psychological disintegration that occurs when human beings are treated as disposable tokens in an endlessly recalibrating game of geopolitical chess.
I am saying that politics has to change, and/or we need to prepare for the resulting trauma that is about to hit!
The Boise VA Medical Center and its satellite outpatient facilities, like the Caldwell VA Clinic, are ground zero for this incoming wave of systemic trauma. The VA was structurally designed to treat visible combat injuries and traditional, event-based PTSD. It is painfully ill-equipped for the chronic, complex psychological debris generated by institutional whiplash.
When veterans return to the Treasure Valley carrying chronic anxiety, and deep institutional distrust, they enter a VA system that is treating veterans who survived an ambushed convoy is straightforward; treating a veteran whose entire sense of purpose was shattered by conflicting high-level orders requires intensive, long-term specialized care. Without radical reform, our local VA infrastructure will simply collapse or, I believe at least suffer, under the weight of new, complex mental health crises.
If America continues to view its military force as a default, flexible dial to be turned up or down depending on the political news cycle, the national security apparatus will implode from the inside out through recruitment crises and veteran collapse. I think to prepare for, and halt, this crisis, the Nation must immediately commit to three fundamental shifts
AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS MONTH
HISTORIC EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST
Veteran Articles published Bi-monthly
Agent Orange Awareness Month (and the closely related Agent Orange Awareness Day on August 10) honors veterans impacted by toxic herbicide exposure during the Vietnam War. It raises education and support for long-term health issues like cancer and PTSD, while supporting advocacy and healthcare resources through groups like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. [1, 2, 3, 4]Key Facts and Background
- Core Observance: While Agent Orange Awareness Day is officially recognized on August 10 (marking the first aerial spraying in Vietnam in 1961), some advocacy groups extend education and campaigns through the month of October. [1, 2]
- Health Impacts: Exposure to the chemical is linked to numerous chronic conditions, including various forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and ischemic heart disease. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Ongoing Toll: Hundreds of thousands of service members and their families have faced generational health struggles or passing illnesses stemming from toxic exposures decades after active duty. [1, 2]
Ways to Support and Participate
- Education: Share information and stories to highlight the long-term, invisible wounds carried by Vietnam-era veterans.
- Memorial Events: Participate in virtual or in-person tributes, such as candle illumination events hosted by veteran service groups.
- Accessing Benefits: Connect affected veterans with accredited service officers to help file valid claims for Toxic Exposure benefits.
HISTORIC EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST
HISTORIC EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST
August 1st:
1774 - Joseph Priestley discovers Oxygen
the English Chemist isolated the gas.
1781 - General Cornwallis and British Army occupy Yorktown Virginia.
1789 - U.S.Customs begins enforcing the Tariff Act.
1812 - A rare Tornado hits Westchester County New York.
1834 - Britain Abolishes the Slave Trade.
1876 - Colorado becomes the 38th State.
1900 - 1st Michelin Guide is published.
1911 - Harriet Quimby 1st woman to get a pilot's license.
1911 - Omar Bradley enters West Point.
1914 - Germany Declares War on Russia.
1927 - Earliest date for an Academy Award Film.
1927 - Carter Family records first records in Bristol, Tennessee.
1932 - The George Washington Quarter goes into circulation.
1936 - Summer Olympic Games opened in Berlin by Adolf Hitler.
1941 - Yankees Pitcher Lefty Gomez sets MLB Record for most walks in shoutout.
AUGUST 2ND:
1776 - Formal Signing Declaration of Independence.
1790 - First U.S.Census conducted.
1961 - Beatles perform their first gig at Liverpools Cavern Club.
1937 - The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 passes in America rendering it and all its by-products illegal.
Actors Born on August 2nd: Myrna Loy, Carroll O'conner Peter O'Toole
August 3rd:
910 - the last Viking raid on England was repelled, led by King Edward.
1543 - French and Turkish Troops occupy Nice.
1775 - San Carlos, the first Spanish ship to enter San Francisco Bay.
1812 - Tecumseh's Native American force of 25 ambush Thomas Van Horne's 200 militiamen in Michigan territory U.S.Forced to retreat with 18 killed and 12 wounded and 70 that abandoned the battle!
1846 - Oregon Territory is divided between US and Britain along the 49th parallel.
1861 - Emlistment in US Army increases from 3 months to two Years.
1861 - President Lincoln signs the first personal US Income Tax law!! Imposing a 3% tax on income over $800.00.
1884 - Statue of Liberty is erected on Bedloe's Island, New York City.
1891 - Worlds first Travelers Cheques issued by American Express.
1905 - President Roosevelt hosts Russian/ Japanese peace commissioners in Oyster bay, New York.
1914 - 1st Electric Light installed in Cleveland Ohio.
1914 - US and Nicaragua sign treaty granting canal rights to the US.
1917 - The entire US National Guard is taken into National Service subject to Presidential not State orders.
1924 - 'Little Orphan Annie' comic strip by Harold Gray, first published by New York Daily News.
1926 - Harry Houdini after 1 1/2 hours escapes a coffin underwater!!
1936 - Jesse Owens wins the 200m race in record 20.7 seconds his 3rd Gold Medal in the Berlin Olympics!!
1953 - Movie 'From Here to Eternity' from book by James Jones - staring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra, released. Best Pic. Academy Awards 1954.
1957 - American Bandstand premiers on ABC TV Network.
DOD Officially Drops 180 Faiths - From Military's Recognized Religion List
Defense Secretary Hegseth previously announced the change due to an "impractical" system
Military.com has learned that the Department of Defense, for the first time in almost 10 years, has dramatically reduced its number of recognized religious faiths and belief systems by approximately 180.
The reforms mark the first time the list has been officially revised since a memo was issued March 27, 2017, decreasing the total number of faiths from 211 to its new number of 31. The changes were iterated in a May 20, 2026, memorandum issued by the Under Secretary of War and signed by Anthony Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness of the United States, and obtained by Military.com.
This latest revision to the faith codes comes at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to the Tata-signed memo, done to “streamline the DoW collection of religious preferences collection for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy.” It calls for the previously instituted faith and belief codes to be revised within a 60-day period from the issuance of the memorandum.
Here is the full list:
- Agnostic (AN)
- Baha'i faith (BH)
- Buddhism (BU)
- Christian - Assemblies of God (AG)
- Christian - Baptist (BA)
- Christian - Brethren (BR)
- Christian - Catholic (CA)
- Christian - Church of Christ (CC)
- Christian - Church of God (CG)
- Christian - Church of the Nazarene (CN)
- Christian - Episcopal/Anglican (EA)
- Christian - Evangelical (EV)
- Christian - Jehovah's Witnesses (JW)
- Christian - Lutheran (LU)
- Christian - Methodist (ME)
- Christian - Non Denominational (ND)
- Christian - Orthodox (OX)
- Christian - Other (CO)
- Christian - Pentecostal (PE)
- Christian - Presbyterian (PR)
- Christian - Quaker (QU)
- Christian - Reformed (RE)
- Christian - Scientist (SC)
- Christian - Seventh Day Adventist (SA)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (CJ)
- Hindu (HI)
- Islam (Muslim) (IS)
- Judaism (Jewish) (JU)
- No Religion (NR)
- Other Religions (OR)
- Sikh (SI)
Shielding U.S. Forces from Spies that Use Location Tracking
MILITARY FAMILY FOOD INSECURITY ISN’T NEW, BUT THE SHUTDOWN MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE
Americans serving abroad often carry devices that can share precise location data across .multiple commercial apps, services and data-broker systems, frequently in ways users do not fully understand. They may not know it. Our adversaries do.
This is not hypothetical.
In 2018, Strava, a popular GPS-based fitness app, drew a map of one of America’s most sensitive military installations. Soldiers had simply gone for a run. When the app published an aggregated “heat map” of user activity, the GPS trails of service members illuminated base layouts and operational routines for anyone with an internet connection, not through espionage, but through data.
That vulnerability has multiplied since then. In March 2026, reporting indicated that a French naval officer’s public fitness-tracking activity exposed the location of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
During recent tensions involving Iran, viral warnings circulated online claiming that location-enabled mobile applications could expose U.S. personnel movements, underscoring how credible and persistent this concern has become, even though military officials later said that specific message was false.
U.S. policymakers increasingly recognize that foreign adversaries, including China, can exploit commercially available sensitive data about Americans, including military personnel. These incidents reflect a simple but consequential truth: location data, when aggregated, leaked, or otherwise compromised, can reveal patterns of life, operational routines and sensitive infrastructure
MILITARY FAMILY FOOD INSECURITY ISN’T NEW, BUT THE SHUTDOWN MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE
MILITARY FAMILY FOOD INSECURITY ISN’T NEW, BUT THE SHUTDOWN MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE
By: Olivia Brinsfield, Content Manager
.When military pay is delayed or disrupted, families across the country feel the effects immediately. For some, it means deciding which bills to pay first or how to stretch what is left in the pantry.
The government shutdown did not create food insecurity among military families; it exacerbated what was already there. Each missed or partial paycheck shows what many have long understood: too many families are living on the edge, where even a short disruption in pay can threaten their stability.
The Crisis Beneath the Headlines
We’ve been hearing from military families everywhere who are worried about how to make ends meet. Some are rationing what’s left in their refrigerators; others are postponing bills, and many are turning to community food pantries.
Their experiences reflect a broader truth. Studies estimate that nearly one in four military families experience food insecurity, a statistic often overlooked in discussions about readiness and national defense.
Whether caused by a government shutdown, the high cost of living near military installations, or persistent challenges with spousal employment, the result is the same: families who serve the nation are struggling to meet basic needs.
A Hidden Struggle Made Visible
For Army spouse Amy C., the frustration runs deeper than a missed paycheck.
“This situation exposes how financially vulnerable many military families are. Too many are sunk if they miss one or two paychecks. It is disturbing that missing two weeks of pay can break so many people. This should be inconvenient, not life-changing.”
August is Awareness of Agent Orange Month
Information from the US Department of Veteran Affairs - It's Effects on Veterans
Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Your dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits.
"Agent Orange" refers to a blend of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed in the jungles of Vietnam and around the Korean demilitarized zone to remove trees and dense tropical foliage that provided enemy cover. Herbicides were also used by the U.S. military to defoliate military facilities in the U.S. and in other countries as far back as the 1950s.
In addition, VA has determined there is evidence of exposure to Agent Orange for Air Force and Air Force Reserve members who served during the period 1969 through 1986 and regularly and repeatedly operated, maintained, or served onboard C-123 aircraft (known to have been used to spray an herbicide agent during the Vietnam era). For more information about service qualifications and other eligibility criteria, visit our Agent Orange C-123 web page.
VA and federal law presumes that certain diseases are a result of exposure to these herbicides. This "presumptive policy" simplifies the process for receiving compensation for these diseases since VA foregoes the normal requirements of proving that an illness began during or was worsened by your military service.
A Veteran who believes he or she has a disease caused by Agent Orange exposure that is not one of the conditions listed below must show an actual connection between the disease and herbicide exposure during military service.
Eligibility - Service in Vietnam or Korea
VA presumes that Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides if they served:
- In Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, including brief visits ashore or service aboard a ship that operated on the inland waterwaysof Vietnam
- In or near the Korean demilitarized zone anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971
If you fall into either category listed above, you do not have to show that you were exposed to Agent Orange to be eligible for disability compensation for diseases VA presumes are associated with it. Check the list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam to confirm whether your service aboard a ship allows VA to concede you were exposed to Agent Orange..
Eligibility - Service Outside of Vietnam or Korea
Even if you did not serve in Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone during the specified time periods, you can still apply for disability compensation if you were exposed to an herbicide while in the military and believe it led to the onset of a disease. This includes:
- Veterans who served on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailandduring the Vietnam Era.
- Veterans who served where herbicides were tested and stored outside of Vietnam.
- Veterans who were crew members on C-123 planes flown after the Vietnam War.
- Veterans associated with Department of Defense (DoD) projects to test, dispose of, or store herbicides in the U.S.
If eligible, you must prove that you were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during your military service to be eligible for service-connection for disease VA presumes are related to Agent Orange exposure.
Exception: Blue Water Veterans with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may be granted service-connection without showing inland waterway service or that they set foot in Vietnam. This is because VA also recognizes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as related to service in Vietnam or the waters offshore of Vietnam during the Vietnam Era.
Diseases Associated with Agent Orange
VA currently presumes that some diseases resulted from exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange. The Veterans Health Administration's Public Health website lists these diseases VA presumes are associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service:
Evidence Needed
If you are seeking service connection for one of the diseases VA presumes is associated with exposure to herbicides during service, VA requires the following:
- A medical diagnosis of a disease which VA recognizes as being associated with Agent Orange (listed above)
- Competent evidence of
- service in Vietnam or at or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the dates shown above, or
- exposure to herbicides in a location other than the Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone.
- Competent medical evidence that the disease began within the deadline (if any). (See 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(ii) for more information on deadlines.)
If you believe that you have a disease caused by herbicide exposure, but that disease is not on the list of diseases associated with Agent Orange, you may still apply for service-connection. In these cases, VA requires all of the following:
- Competent medical evidence of a current disability,
- Competent medical evidence of an actual connection between herbicide exposure and the current disability, AND
- Competent evidence of:
- service in Vietnam or at or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the dates shown above, or
- exposure to herbicides in a location other than Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone.
Compensation Benefit
Monthly payment rates are based on the Veteran's combined rating for his or her service-connected disabilities. These ratings are based on the severity of the disabilities. Additional amounts are paid to certain Veterans with severe disabilities ("special monthly compensation") and certain Veterans with dependents. You can view the current Compensation Rate Tables to determine the amount you may receive.
How to Apply
- Apply online using eBenefits, OR
- Work with an accredited representative or agent, OR
- Go to a VA regional office and have a VA employee assist you. You can find your regional office on our Facility Locator page
For more information on how to apply and for tips on making sure your claim is ready to be processed by VA, visit our How to Apply page.
More Information
Check VA's Guide to Agent Orange Claims to learn more about how to establish eligibility to disability compensation and how much VA pays. You can also call the Agent Orange Help Line at 1-800-749-8387 or send an e-mail to GW/AOHelpline@vba.va.gov. You must provide your name, e-mail address, telephone and/or fax number, and VA file number/Social Security Number. We will do our best to respond within a reasonable amount of time (usually 3 to 10 workdays).
RESOURCES
- Appeals Modernization
- Military Sexual Trauma Coordinators
- Agent and Attorney Fee Coordinators
- Appeals
- Benefits A-Z
- Federal Benefits Guide
- Benefit Rates
- VA Code of Federal Regulations
- New/Update Military ID Card
- Claims Adjudication Procedures Manual/Live Manual
- Link to subscribe to receive email notice of changes to the Live Manual
Learn More
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD !!
whether you are a veteran or not, you can contact the 'Senate Veteran Affairs Committee', 'The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs', and the US Dept. of Veteran Affairs.
Just click on their links on our page titled "PROGRAMS/RESOURCES/BOD
Adopted on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Core PhilosophyThe text is built on Enlightenment principles and argues that:
- All individuals are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights.
- Governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.
- People have the right to alter or abolish a tyrannical government and institute a new one.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
CIVICS FOR LIFE !!!!!
CIVICS EDUCATION - BASIC & SIMPLE..
Civics Education
An educated citizenry is crucial for a healthy democracy. Whether or not you studied civics in school or wish to brush up, these adult education resources are here to help.
Being educated means going beyond the essential what of civics to understand the why. We invite you to read, watch and discover the richness of civics.
Colonial Period Before the United States, thirteen separate colonies settled throughout the eastern coast of North America. As ...More →
Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, ...More →
The Constitution The U.S. Constitution is the second government formed after The Articles of Confederation failed to meet ...More →
The Legislative Branch Article I of the US Constitution establishes the legislature as a bicameral body consisting of ...More →
The Executive Branch Article II of the US Constitution establishes the executive branch led by the President of ...More →
The Judicial Branch Article III of the US Constitution establishes the judicial branch. However, it only creates the ...More →
How Elections Work The United States has a long and storied history of democracy, and elections have been ...More →
What is the Electoral College? The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The Founding Fathers established ...More →
History of Political Parties For more than two centuries, the Democratic and Republican parties have been the two ...More →
State Government The powers of a state government in the United States are defined in the Tenth Amendment ...More →
Local Government Local government plays an integral role in the lives of citizens. It has a more significant ...More →
History Lessons The articles below provide access to valuable resources, including articles, videos, and courses that deepen knowledge ...More →
"In over half the states in the union, civics education is not required. The only reason we have public school education in America is because in the early days of the country, our leaders thought we had to teach our young generation about citizenship ... that obligation never ends."
— Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Minnesota National Guard, And Croatia Army
Celebrate 30 Years of Partnership
By Army Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh, Minnesota National Guard
Minnesota and Croatia celebrated the 30th anniversary of their partnership through the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program during Exercise Combat Power 26, near Slunj, Croatia, June 29.
"This partnership is best measured not only in years, exercises or official milestones, but in people," said Nicole McGraw, U.S. ambassador to Croatia. "It is measured in Croatian and American soldiers who have trained together, learned from one another and form a kind of trust that only comes from serving side by side."
The SPP joins a U.S. state with a NATO-allied nation to strengthen military capabilities, enhance interoperability and foster long-term institutional relationships. The celebration came just days after the 35th anniversary of Croatian independence, June 25.
Over the years, members of the Minnesota National Guard and Croatian Armed Forces served together in Afghanistan, trained alongside one another in Minnesota and Croatia and exchanged expertise in areas including cyber defense, medical capabilities, explosive ordnance disposal, water purification and military modernization.
Thirty years later, Exercise Combat Power 26 provided another opportunity for the two forces to train together.
"This exercise is more than a training event," said Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the general staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, during the ceremony's opening remarks. "It is a good opportunity to exchange knowledge, share experiences and build professional relationships. Armed forces readiness has never been more important than today."
SMART BOMBS: MILITARY, DEFENSE AND NATIONAL SECURITY
By Harry J, Kazianis, 1945
Military Quote Of The Day By Alexander The Great: “I Am Not Afraid Of An Army Of Lions Led By A Sheep; I Am Afraid Of An Army Of Sheep Led By A Lion.”
Alexander the Great became king of Macedon at 20 in 336 BCE, after his father Philip II was assassinated. He died in Babylon on 10 or 11 June 323 BCE, aged 32. In fewer than thirteen years he destroyed the Persian Empire, took Egypt, reached northwestern India and founded or renamed more than seventy cities. He left no adult heir and no settled succession.
Alexander the Great Won an Empire Before He Turned 33 – “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” The line is widely attributed to Alexander the Great, but no surviving ancient source securely connects the modern wording to him. The oldest documented form is attributed by Plutarch to the Athenian commander Chabrias.
The attribution is doubtful. The idea still fits Alexander’s career. He inherited an army from his father, Philip II of Macedon, then used speed, personal courage and tactical flexibility to destroy the Persian Empire and march as far as northwestern India.
Alexander was born at Pella in 356 BCE, the son of Philip and Olympias. Aristotle served as his tutor. The World History Encyclopedia notes that he became king at only 20 in 336 BCE after Philip’s assassination. He ruled for fewer than 13 years.
Philip II Built the Army Alexander Inherited
Alexander’s victories began with Philip’s reforms. Macedonian infantry fought in a deep phalanx with long sarissa pikes. Companion cavalry supplied the striking arm. Hypaspists, archers, javelin troops and engineers gave the army options beyond a frontal advance.
Alexander coordinated those units at high speed and often led the cavalry attack himself. Repeated wounds reinforced his reputation for sharing the dangers he demanded of his soldiers. His army integrated siege engineers, naval forces and local troops, giving him enough flexibility to keep campaigning after the great open-field victories over Persia were complete.
Before invading Persia, Alexander secured his throne. He campaigned in the Balkans and returned south when Thebes revolted in 335 BCE. The city was destroyed, warning other Greek states how quickly he would punish rebellion.
Basic Cadet Training
Prepares New Cadets for Academy Life
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn, U.S. Air Force Academy
Every summer, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado introduces its newest basic cadets to military life through basic cadet training. Over 38 days, military training instructors and cadet cadre teach the customs, standards and teamwork that prepare them for the academic year and life in the Cadet Wing.
"The basics are leaving an environment where they excelled and are joining a group made up of the nation's most accomplished men and women," said Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Sarah Price, basic cadet training cadet group commander. "It's a significant transition that causes them to reassess their strengths and weaknesses."
The grueling course serves as the academy's largest leadership development program and is a no-fail mission where the cadet cadre must lead effectively, Price said.
"Our focus is creating a training environment that is challenging, disciplined, safe and purposeful to develop the next generation of Air Force and Space Force officers," she said.
Teaching and Enforcing Standards
Cadet cadre are upper-class cadets who have received specialized preparation from academy military trainers before leading the daily basic cadet training curriculum. They teach and enforce military standards throughout classroom instruction, physical training and practical exercises. The basic cadets learn to march in formation, military customs and courtesies, the honor code, and Air Force, Space Force and academy history.
"[Basic cadet training] is demanding because meaningful growth rarely occurs within our comfort zones," Price said. "We intentionally built structured mentorship into this year's program where cadre spend dedicated time investing into the trainees."
Senators introduce bill to abolish military draft agency
By Tanya Noury - Military Times
A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled legislation on Thursday that would dismantle the government agency responsible for maintaining the military draft database of young, eligible men.
The bill — advanced by Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. — would phase out the Selective Service System,citing its annual operating cost of more than $31 million per year. The senators argued that the agency has been largely defunct since 1973, the last time the United States conducted conscription.
“The Selective Service is an outdated program that costs millions of taxpayer dollars to prepare for a military draft that Americans don’t want or need,” Wyden said in a statement. “Our volunteer military forces are the strongest in the world, and there is no need to replicate the same draft that sent two million unwilling young men to war 50 years ago.”
Paul, in a separate statement, added: “I’ve long stated that if a war is worth fighting, Congress will vote to declare it and people will volunteer. This outdated government program no longer serves a purpose and should be eliminated permanently.”
In its 2024 annual report, the SSS acknowledged a recent decline in registration rates, but noted that an automated registration provision could help bolster future enrollment levels.
Congress later incorporated the rule change into the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The shift from a system of self-registration to automation is set to take effect in December, with noncompliance constituting a felony offense.
U.S., Canadian, Thai Navies
Sharpen Maritime Capabilities During Exercise CARAT Thailand
By Navy CPO, Mike Wright,Commander , Destroyer Squadron 7
The United States concluded the landmark 32nd iteration of Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Thailand, July 15, in Sattahip, Thailand, reinforcing America's enduring commitment to a free, open and secure Pacific region.
Over 10 days of at-sea and shore-based training with the Royal Thai Navy and Royal Canadian Navy, U.S and partner forces sharpened the combined maritime capabilities that underpin regional security cooperation.
This year, the United States expanded its contribution to the exercise, demonstrating the breadth and integration of American maritime power. U.S. forces participated with a multimission P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft assigned to the Commander, Task Force 72 and U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutters the USCGC Emlen Tunnell and the USCGC Charles Moulthrope assigned to the Expeditionary Cutter Squadron.
These units operated with a Royal Thai Navy surface force, including the frigate HTMS Taksin and the frigate HTMS Saiburi
"It's been an honor to operate with our Royal Thai Navy partners for the 32nd iteration of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Thailand," said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mike Ross, commodore of Expeditionary Cutter Squadron. "We were given the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coast Guard fast response cutters, which we plan to maximize to further partnerships and address shared maritime concerns."
The at-sea phase in Sattahip and the Gulf of Thailand included complex training scenarios focused on antisubmarine warfare, air defense, surface action group coordination, mine countermeasures and search and rescue training. These exercises advanced the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian and Thai forces' abilities to refine their tactics, techniques and procedures in a dynamic maritime environment.
CURRENT IDEAS ABOUT THE USE OF KETAMINE ON PTSD FLASHBACKS
Search Assist
Recent studies suggest that ketamine may be effective in treating PTSD, particularly when combined with psychotherapy. Research indicates that ketamine can enhance the extinction of traumatic memories and improve symptoms more rapidly than traditional therapies.
bbrfoundation.org
Yale Medicine
Overview of Ketamine in PTSD Treatment
Ketamine is being explored as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to its rapid effects on mood and anxiety. It is an NMDA receptor antagonist that can induce changes in brain connectivity, potentially enhancing therapeutic outcomes when combined with psychotherapy.
Mechanism of Action
How Ketamine Works
- Memory Reconsolidation: Ketamine may help modify traumatic memories during their recall, making them less distressing.
- Neuroplasticity: It is believed to temporarily increase the brain's ability to rewire itself, which can aid in the therapeutic process.
Treatment Approaches
Combined Therapies
- Ketamine Infusions: Administered in low doses, ketamine can be combined with exposure therapy to enhance treatment effectiveness.
- Intensive Therapy Programs: Some studies involve a 7-day treatment combining ketamine infusions with trauma-focused psychotherapy, aiming for significant symptom relief.
Study Findings
- Pilot Studies: Research indicates that a single ketamine infusion may enhance the extinction of traumatic memories, improving outcomes for PTSD patients.
- Long-term Effects: While initial results are promising, further studies are needed to understand the long-term benefits and safety of ketamine in PTSD treatment.
Eligibility and Considerations
Who Can Participate
- Age Range: Typically, participants are between 21 and 70 years old.
- Exclusion Criteria: Individuals with certain psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or severe personality disorders, are generally excluded from studies.
Ketamine represents a novel approach to treating PTSD, with ongoing research aimed at confirming its efficacy and safety in clinical settings.
THERE ARE MANY ARTICLES ABOUT THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT FOR PTSD. SUGGEST YOU GOOGLE "KETAMINE THERAPY FOR PTSD" TO READ ALL THE RESEARCH AND TESTING NOW HAPPENING.
SOME OF THESE STORIES MIGHT CATCH YOUR ATTENTION...
Why troops secretly relate to SpongeBob’s ‘I’m a Goofy Goober’ spiral
Observation Post by Clay Beyersdorfer
It happens about 80 minutes into “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.” SpongeBob, denied a promotion and humiliated in front of his co-workers, wanders into the Goofy Goober Ice Cream Party Boat. He proceeds to spiral.After a binge of sundaes and shame, he stumbles on stage, belting out a shredded guitar solo rendition of “I’m a Goofy Goober (Rock!)” in front of a confused crowd. There’s glitter. There’s foam. There’s full-throttle emotional release.
And if you’ve spent any amount of time in uniform, you’ve likely seen that clip — or at least a meme of it — shared with eerie sincerity. Maybe you laughed. Perhaps you rolled your eyes. But maybe, just maybe, it hit a little too close to home.
For all its absurdity, SpongeBob’s “Goofy Goober” breakdown has become an unlikely touchstone in military circles, particularly among those who know what it feels like to carry more than they’re allowed to say.
It’s the screaming catharsis that never happens in a formation. The ridiculous meltdown captures the quiet, internal ones that don’t make it into war movies. Every service member who’s ever needed to cry and didn’t, who’s ever felt out of place in their own civilian life and who’s ever tried to joke their way through pain that had no good language. SpongeBob just says it louder.
Military culture breeds stoicism. You learn quickly not to complain, hesitate or show weakness. And when the mission ends and the uniform comes off, all that armor doesn’t just evaporate. It calcifies. You carry it home, to your relationships, jobs and silence.
SpongeBob, in contrast, is absurdly open. He is the emotional inverse of everything military training drills into you. He’s hopeful. He’s naive. He wears his feelings on his sleeves — and when those sleeves get dirty, he cries about it in a room full of strangers.
And that’s the point. Strangely, that scene feels honest. Honest about what it feels like when you’ve been holding it together for too long. Honest about what happens when the ridiculousness finally outweighs the rules. SpongeBob’s meltdown is a stand-in for the veteran who doesn’t drink to party, but to forget. It’s the laugh-before-you-snap moment familiar to anyone who’s ever been “fine” until they weren’t.
The song “I’m a Goofy Goober” isn’t just silly. It’s defiant. When SpongeBob shouts, “I’m a kid, you say? When you say I’m a kid, I say: Say it again!” he’s rejecting the labels people assign to him. He’s rejecting the structure. He’s saying, “I’m still me, even if I don’t fit what you think I should be.”
That hits hard when you’ve gone from commanding missions to being told to use the kiosk at the DMV. When you’ve gone from decision-making in high-pressure scenarios to being passed over for jobs because “you don’t have corporate experience.” When you’ve buried friends, you get asked to “tone it down” in staff meetings.
It’s easy to laugh at SpongeBob’s dramatics. But a lot of veterans would tell you it’s the closest thing to what their emotional breakdown might look like — if they ever let themselves have one.
When the military tried to give soldiers personal flying platforms
NICHOLAS SLAYTON Task & Purpose
UPDATED JAN 1, 2026 12:53 PM ESTIn the 1950s the Navy and Army worked on small VTOL machines to make troops go airborne. They worked, just not well enough.
For decades the United States military has dreamed of developing jetpacks to ferry troops around. Personalized flying machines could turn an infantryman into an airborne fighter. But alongside rocket-propelled soldiers, the U.S. military also once gave personal vertical take-off and landing machines a shot.
They are better described, and are classified as flying platforms. Soldiers would stand on a small platform, which itself was over a large fan that would generate lift and get troops airborne. Steering itself would actually be simple: soldiers would lean, tilting the platform and directing it where they wanted to go, almost like a surfboard.
In the mid-1950s the Office of Naval Research, in a joint project with the Army, began to see if flying platforms would be both feasible and practical. And it turns out, the personal VTOL machines worked. Troops did fly on them
According to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the idea for flying platforms started in earnest in the late 1940s. In 1953 the Army began its flying platform projects, contracting with Hiller Aircraft and de Lackner Helicopters. The Office of Naval Research was already working with Hiller, so a joint-service venture started. De Lackner created its DH-4 Aerocycle (designated the HZ-1), which had a smaller platform right above spinning rotors. It worked but was shelved due to the risk.
More success came with the Hiller projects. The Office of Naval Research got Hiller’s first design, the 1031-A-1 flying platform. It stood 7-feet tall, with an 8-foot-in-diameter platform, with the fan almost as wide. With two engines, it could hit a top speed of 16 miles per hour. The flying platforms were meant to be stable enough and easy enough to control that soldiers on them could still aim and fire small arms while airborne. Photos from some of the tests of the 1031-A-1 show service members aiming and firing rifles while in the sky
The Army, after giving up on the Aerocycle, turned to Hiller, getting a larger version of the 1031-A-1 with more thrust. The Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee began testing in 1957, with three engines. However the increased size made the idea of kinesthetic control impractical. Soldiers could not easily steer or maneuver on the Pawnee. Attempts to adjust the power and size didn’t resolve the issue.
That time the US military burned down one of its own bases with a ‘bat bomb’
WILD BATS WITH NAPALM,
WHAT COULD GO WRONG????
by Joshua Skovlund, Task & Purpose
Bats use echolocation to find food and places to rest. Add in an incendiary device glued to their chest, and you now have a firestorm that can wreak havoc on any enemy. Or so Pennsylvania dental surgeon Dr. Lytle S. Adams thought during World War II.
The problem is that you don’t know where they will go once released. Add to it that it’s generally a bad idea to mix explosives, adhesives, and wildlife.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Adams made a fateful trip to the Carlsbad Caverns National Parkduring a vacation to New Mexico. He was awed by the hundreds of thousands of bats that nested in the caves.
The bats were still on his mind later in day as he drove away when news came across the car’s radio of the attack on Pearl Harbor. According to the National Institute of Health, he was “outraged over this travesty, [Adams] began to mentally construct a plan for U.S. retaliation.
The idea Adams came up with — a ‘bat bomb,’ with 1,000 bats carrying napalm into a city full of wooden buildings — led to one of the U.S.’s most bizarre weapons development programs of all time, one that Adams believed could bring about a quick end of the war but did little more than burn down a flight training base in the U.S.
Adams knew that buildings in Japanese cities were predominantly built of wood. His idea was to develop an empty bomb case that, rather than hold explosives, would hold 1,040 bats toting napalm-like incendiary gel with timed fuses. Dropped over Tokyo, the bats would create a hellish cyclone with incendiary devices throughout Tokyo, hopefully bringing about an end to World War II
Adams put his idea in a letter to the White House, where he had professional contacts who got the letter to President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was interested, if cautious, telling staffers, “This man is not a nut. It sounds like a perfectly wild idea but is worth looking into,” according to author Jack Couffer’s book, “Bat Bomb: World War II’s Other Secret Weapon.”
Couffer was a young filmmaker who had grown up studying bats and other birds as a teenager. He would go on to a career making dozens of nature documentaries, but he was drafted into the Army early in World War II and assigned to the bat bomb project and witnessed much of its three-year development.
The development and testing, dubbed Project X-Ray, was based in New Mexico. The program developed a metal bomb casing with three horizontal layers, similar to upside-down ice cube trays, where bats would nest. To keep them docile — or as docile as a bat strapped with a bomb can be — they would be placed in an artificial cold-induced hibernation. The “bat bomb” was designed to be released from high altitudes just before dawn, when bats naturally seek out a place to sleep during the daylight hours.
Tips to achieve the ultimate dirty Navy-style coffee mug
Sarah Sicard MilitaryTimes
The Navy may have the most complicated rank structure when it comes to its ratings system, but there is another, much more uncouth method for establishing hierarchy among sailors: Filthy coffee mugs.
It is a commonly-held truth in the seafaring service that one can tell a higher-up from a newbie based on the amount of sludge that lives in the bottom of one’s coffee cup.
So, in the interest of salt, here are some professional tips, from Navy veterans, to get an optimally seasoned mug.
1. Always drink black coffee. Milk or creamer curdles and introduces bacteria into the mix. Sour lactose creates a hostile environment — not ideal for going years without washing your mug.
2. Drink the whole cup of coffee. Don’t leave even a drop behind. You want to season the mug with a faint film, not swigging day-old coffee every morning.
3. For extra flavoring, take the leftover coffee grounds from the filter and let them rest in the cup for a few days before dumping it out. Treat your mug like a cast iron skillet.
4. If you need to, rinse it lightly with just a little water. This is only to be done in cases where the buildup is starting to become untenable.
5. Don’t wash the mug with the soap. Ever. You might be tempted every now and again to give it a good soak. Don’t. You will lose all the flavoring, respect from your near-peers and any chance at an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy.
VA's updated list of Agent Orange sites outside of Vietnam
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released in January an updated Department of Defense (DOD) list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested or stored by the United States military.
“This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam."
DOD conducted a thorough review of research, reports and government publications in response to a November 2018 Government Accountability Office report.
“DOD will continue to be responsive to the needs of our interagency partners in all matters related to taking care of both current and former service members,” said Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper. “The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals and will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.”
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including an Agent Orange Registry health exam, health care and disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Their dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits.
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
by Sarah Sicard, Observation Post
Is there anything sweeter — literally or figuratively — than biting into the plastic-wrapped chemical compound of luxuriously spongey cake with vanilla cream that is a Twinkie?
Perhaps not. But the original Hostess delicacy was once something else entirely. The preservative-filled dessert that many once believed could withstand nuclear war got its start as a banana cream shortcake, until World War II changed everything.
In 1930, a baker named James Dewar began experimenting while serving as manager of Continental Baking Company’s Chicago area plant in River Forest, according to the Chicago Tribune. He wanted to prove that shortbread could serve a purpose outside strawberry shortcake.
“The economy was getting tight, and the company needed to come out with another low-priced item,” he told the paper. “We were already selling these little finger cakes during the strawberry season for shortcake, but the pans we baked them in sat idle except for that six-week season.”
While in St. Louis on a work trip, Dewar saw a billboard for “Twinkle Toe Shoes,” and thus found the name for his compact confections.
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