Tom Philpott
Tacoma News Tribune
Centreville, VA, United States
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Past articles by Tom:
In his final column, writer exhorts us all, including Trump, to respect the military
Tom Philpott, author of Military Update, is retiring the column. He says he’s been proud to provide information to those who serve in uniform and exhorts us all, including President Trump, to respect them. → Read More
'Military Update' Ends After 25 Years of Reporting for and About the Military
My intent always was to produce clear and accurate explanatory journalism for military and veteran communities. → Read More
As Commissary Sales Plummet, Pentagon Seeks 21 Percent Subsidy Cut
The fiscal 2020 defense budget asks Congress to slash funding for commissaries by $271 million, or 21 percent. → Read More
VA’s handling of caregiver benefits for wounded vets concerns Murray, other lawmakers
Washington Sen. Patty Murray and other lawmakers concerned with VA handling of caregiver benefits for gravely wounded and disabled veterans injured in the line of duty. → Read More
Senators Urge VA Not to Fumble Expansion of Caregiver Benefits
"VA continues to miss deadlines and not get it right," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. → Read More
Senators urge VA not to fumble expansion of caregiver benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie last December ordered suspension of further downgrades or stoppage of caregiver benefits to current recipients. Senators have praised to move, but say there is still a lot of work to be done. → Read More
Personnel Chiefs Blame Unsafe Housing on Leadership Failures
Town halls and home inspections are part of the proposed solutions. → Read More
Personnel Chiefs Blame Unsafe Housing on Leadership Failures
Commands across the military had not been attentive enough to the performance of housing contractors, officials said. → Read More
Plan to reduce ranks of military doctors concerns head of uniformed services medical school
President of military medical school is concerned about possible reductions in doctors for armed services. Up to 17,000 uniformed military medical billets could be lost. → Read More
Use Scalpel, Not Cleaver, on Medical Billets, USUHS Chief Urges
The president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences worries about cuts to uniformed medical billets. → Read More
Use scalpel, not cleaver on medical billets, USUHS chief urges
Like many military physician colleagues, Dr. Richard W. Thomas, a retired Army major general, ear-nose-throat surgeon and current president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), is worried about tentative Defense Department plans to eliminate more than 17,000 uniformed medical billets across the military health system starting in October 2020. → Read More
Task force backs a merger of the military's exchange services
The Defense Commissary Agency and the military’s three separate exchange services should be consolidated under a single resale enterprise for the purpose of streamlining above-store and back-of-store operations, says a business plan report the Defense Department is expected to endorse and send to Congress next month. → Read More
Task Force Backs Controversial Merger of Base Store Systems
A task force wants to combine the Defense Commissary Agency and the military's three separate exchange services. → Read More
Task Force Backs Controversial Merger of Base Store Systems
The plan could go to Congress as early as March. → Read More
New VA Rules on Access to Outside Care Leave Many Unknowns
Barebone details released last week raise many more questions than they answer, experts say. → Read More
New VA rules on access to outside care leave many unknowns
The number of veterans eligible for health care services in their communities, using networks of private-sector providers contracted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is expected to jump this summer when regulations setting new access standards for community care become final. → Read More
Appeals Court Gives Blue Water Vets the Win Congress Denied
What the ruling means for tens of thousands of sailors who served off Vietnam's coast. → Read More
Appeals court gives 'Blue Water' vets the win Congress denied
Unless the Department of Veterans Affairs successfully petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the decision in Procopio v. Wilkie, Blue Water veterans have won a victory denied them for two decades, both in the courts and Congress. → Read More
Appeals Court Gives Blue Water Vets the Win Congress Denied
Unless the Supreme Court reverses the decision, Blue Water veterans have won a victory denied them for two decades. → Read More
VA Misleads Veterans on Non-VA Emergency Care, Lawsuit Contends
The suit argues that these practices unfairly discourage appeals. → Read More