A Pentagon evaluation found some services taking too long to process COVID vaccine exemption paperwork. There are currently eight psychedelic therapy trials taking place across the country through the VA. The Pentagon stopped accepting deliveries of the newest F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in summer 2023 as software problems snarled the jets' latest upgrades. The ARRW program's future has been in doubt since a key test was unsuccessful a year ago, but one more test remains. The White House's budget request for fiscal 2025 calls for a 2% reduction in the size of the Veterans Affairs workforce next year. The Pentagon is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for mental health and suicide prevention programs, among others. The Air Force's fiscal year 2025 budget request largely maintains the current workforce while boosting research-and-development spending. Veterans Affairs programs would get another significant bump in fiscal 2025 under the budget request released by President Joe Biden on Monday. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he's worried funding constraints are keeping the service from transitioning quickly to more resilient space systems. Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of March 11, 2024. Load More