Written by Spring 2023 M-VETS Student Advisor Connor Brantley.

Background

On December 20, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) into law. As part of the Act, Congress created a new remedy for DOD Service members separated on or after December 20, 2019 seeking an appeal of their discharge characterization and who have exhausted all available appeals with the appropriate Service Discharge Review Board (DRB) and Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCM/NR).[ Read more

Written by Spring 2023 M-VETS Student Advisor Megan Jones.

Background

The United States military is experiencing arguably the most challenging recruiting environment since the establishment of the all-volunteer force in 1973.

In 2022, all branches of the U.S. military struggled to reach their active-duty recruitment goals, with the Army, missing its goal entirely. Read more

Written by Spring 2023 M-VETS Student Advisor Kyle Elzey.

Background

On August 24^th, 2021, following the approval of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) issued the Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination of Department of Defense (DoD) Service Members memorandum, to ensure the health and operational readiness of the Force. Read more

Written by Spring 2023 M-VETS Student Advisor Hanna-Elizabeth B. Montgomery.

The Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022 was signed into law on January 5, 2023.[1] This Act makes two major changes to the Service Members Civil Relief Act, specifically concerning military families. Read more

Written by Fall 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Grace Roman.

Introduction

On December 27, 2021, President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA 22).[1]  NDAA 22 includes many notable changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) that must be fully implemented by December 27, 2023. Read more

Written by Fall 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Liz Faris.

Transgender rights have become a divisive political issue, as some lawmakers attempt to restrict access to bathrooms and medical care. Trump swung the spotlight onto transgender servicemembers in 2017 with a series of tweets. Read more

Written By Summer 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Greg Pelletier.

Approximately 3.6 million people in the United States currently have a security clearance.[1] Many of these individuals with security clearances are active-duty service members in the military. Other clearance holders include civilians with national security related jobs or defense contractors. Read more

Written by Summer 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Olivia Sznaza.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (“Camp Lejeune Justice Act”) was introduced to Congress in January, 2022 as a component of a broader piece of legislation called the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (“PACT Act”). Read more

Written by Spring 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Blake Pendleton.

In early May 2022, a draft opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization et al. was leaked to the public.[1] According to the draft, the Supreme Court appears set to overturn Roe v. Read more

Written By Spring 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Stephanie Whiteley.

The Army National Guard is unique from the other military branches. Unlike the active-duty Army or the Army Reserves, Army National Guard Servicemembers (“SMs”) play a dual role. They support both state and federal missions. Read more