The American Homefront Project
The American Homefront Project features reporting on military life and veterans issues.
We're visiting bases to chronicle how troops are working and living. We're meeting military families. We're talking with veterans to learn about the challenges they face. We cover major policy issues at the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs, and we report on family issues service members and veterans experience in their daily lives. From the youngest military recruits to the veterans of World War II, we're reporting in-depth stories about Americans who serve.
Funding for The American Homefront Project comes from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
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In 2021, Congress reversed a policy that blocked students with dependents from continuing their studies at the highly competitive military academies. The change is scheduled to take effect in the upcoming school year.
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Most of the military has restarted a program that allows green card holders to become U.S. citizens faster if they enlist. Trainees can start and finish the naturalization process during basic training. The change comes at a time when the military is having trouble attracting recruits and retaining those already in uniform.
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The law passed last year makes millions of veterans eligible for new benefits, including post 9/11 vets who were exposed to burn pits.
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People exposed to tainted water on the North Carolina Marine base from 1953 to 1987 can sue the government, but judges are hoping to keep the litigation from dragging on for years.
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The Biden administration is working to allow tens of thousands of Afghans to remain in the United States. After the Taliban takeover two years ago, they were allowed to come to the U.S. under a temporary program, but that program is scheduled to expire this summer.
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Under a new Army program, West Point students are working with the Defense Department to address climate challenges that could affect national security.
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Smaller companies can offer unique solutions to problems the military faces, but they can struggle to break into a defense industry that can be frustrating to navigate.
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The Pentagon has put in place 'The Brandon Act' — named after a Navy sailor who died by suicide in 2018. It allows service members to go outside their chain of command to seek confidential mental health treatment.
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About 70,000 inspections yielded more than 2,100 findings of mold. Now, the Army has begun a service-wide initiative to detect and clean it up sooner.
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The law’s backers say it will cut red tape so spouses can continue their careers without interruption. But it’s not clear yet exactly how the law will work or how states will comply.