News 6 Mashup: June 14, 2021

Here is a News 6 mashup of top stories for the week of June 14, 2021, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

Lawmakers Urge Protections for Afghan Allies

Lawmakers are urging President Biden to protect Afghan allies as troop withdrawals continue. “It would be a moral failure to transfer the responsibility to protect our Afghan partners onto the shoulders of the Afghan Government. The time is now to honor our promise,” a group of 22 lawmakers, which included veterans, wrote in a letter, reported Military Times. The lawmakers have recommended Guam as a “transitioning point” for those who may eventually be admitted to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visas program. Military Times reports that “18,000 individuals are awaiting entry into the United States through the program, not including their spouses and children.”

Supreme Court Denies Draft Case

Last Monday, the Supreme Court declined to consider a case that could have resulted in opening the draft to both men and women who turn 18. The court made their decision in part due to decisions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, who plan to “incorporate into the next national defense bill,” reported NPR. This is not the first time the topic has been brought to the Supreme Court—a similar case was dismissed in 1981 because women were not eligible for combat roles at that time. “In 2013, the Department of Defense lifted its remaining bans on women in combat,” said NPR.

Trust in VA Up 24%

“Trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs among veterans is up 24% since 2016,” reported Federal News Network. This positive upswing comes as part of the effort to repair and improve the VA following years of negative experiences. This number was crunched from 257,000 survey respondents between January 1 and March 31 of this year. The surveys explore what the VA refers to as the “3 E’s”: ease, effectiveness, and emotion. The surveys ask questions on areas such as difficulty navigating the facility for treatment, understanding the provider and the care plan assigned, respect toward the veteran, and a number of other questions to gauge a veteran’s experiences.

This Week in History

Did you know there was another American flag before our beloved Stars & Stripes? The Grand Union Flag similarly contained 13 alternating rows of red and white stripes, but instead of white stars on a blue background, the upper left-hand corner canton contained the Flag of Great Britain! Alas, this flag did not last; on June 14, 1777, Continental Congress formally approved the Stars and Stripes as the national symbol. Read more of the starried history of our national flag at britannica.com.