MIL News Weekly

Edward: Welcome to the MIL News Weekly
for 5 - 11 October 2025, your essential

guide to the latest news impacting
the military and veteran community.

Whether you're currently serving in
uniform, a military retiree, a veteran,

or a family member, this is your source
for the critical updates you need to know.

Each week, we cut through the noise to
bring you the most important developments

from the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.

We’ll cover everything from new
policies and pay raises affecting

active and reserve forces, to changes
in healthcare and benefits for

retirees, and the latest on VA services
and legislation for our veterans.

Let's get you informed.

Here’s what’s happened this past week.

Issues That Affect Active and
Reserve Military Personnel

Operational Impacts of the Government
Shutdown (01 October 2025 Onward)

The primary issue confronting active and
reserve military personnel during the

week of 05 October through 11 October 2025
was the continuation of duty without pay.

The lapse in appropriations, effective
since 1 October 2025, mandated that

active-duty personnel and Active Reserve
members must continue reporting for duty

and executing assigned tasks, particularly
those supporting national security.

However, under current contingency
guidance, no pay or entitlements

were disbursed, leaving personnel
unpaid until Congress passes a

Continuing Resolution or the Fiscal
Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act.

Once legislative action restores
funding, all backpay is mandated

to be provided retroactively.

This financial uncertainty places
a dual burden on the force.

Although military personnel are
considered essential and legally

required to report (an excepted
activity), the reliance on independent

support mechanisms is heightened.

Non-appropriated fund (NAF)
activities, such as exchanges

and commissaries, remained fully
operational across installations

because they are funded separately
from the annual appropriations process.

This NAF network, coupled with essential
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR)

programs (like dining facilities,
physical training, and essential

childcare), provides a crucial financial
and logistical buffer for families

facing immediate financial hardship.

Furthermore, emergency support
resources, including the Military

OneSource call center, the Navy-Marine
Corps Relief Society, crisis

intervention, and religious counseling,
continued without interruption.

Operational impacts extended beyond pay.

Non-essential training and
travel faced restrictions.

Inactive Duty Training (IDT) drills
for reservists were permitted only

if they supported excepted functions;
otherwise, Reserve component Marines

were instructed to return home.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves
were limited to those ordered before

01 October 2025, or those directly
associated with critical, excepted

activities, such as accession and
initial entry training, which proceed

to maintain recruitment pipelines.

Legislative Progress:
Authorization and Appropriations

Amidst the shutdown, the Senate
achieved a major legislative milestone.

On 9 October 2025, the Senate passed S.

2296, the National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026.

This comprehensive measure authorizes
appropriations for defense activities,

military construction, and personnel
strengths for the coming fiscal year.

The passage of the NDAA is a
necessary political step but is not

sufficient to resolve the pay lapse.

The NDAA grants the legislative
authority for the Department of Defense

to spend funds, but the actual release
of money requires the passage of the

appropriations bill, specifically H.R.

3944, the Military Construction
and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture,

and Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2026, or a

short-term Continuing Resolution.

Therefore, despite the Senate’s action
on 09 October 2025, the financial anxiety

for active duty members will persist until
the appropriations process is finalized.

Key Policy and Benefits Extensions

Two significant, favorable policy
changes directly affecting active duty

and reserve components took effect
this week, providing a measure of

security during the fiscal uncertainty.

First, a critical extension of the
TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) Survivor

Benefit took effect on 1 October 2025.

This change allows survivors of
non-activated National Guard or

Reserve members who held TRS coverage
at the time of the sponsor's death to

continue or purchase coverage for up
to three years from the date of death.

This is a massive expansion from the
previous six-month benefit period for

sponsors who died prior to 1 October 2025.

By providing up to three years of stable,
affordable health coverage, this policy

significantly reduces the immediate
financial and medical insecurity faced by

surviving families, enhancing the overall
security proposition of reserve service.

Second, the expiration date for the
Reserve Income Replacement Program

was extended from December 31, 2024,
to December 31, 2025, via Section

611(a) of related legislation.

This program is essential for providing
income replacement payments to certain

Reserve component members who experience
extended and frequent mobilization for

active-duty service, offering vital
economic stability for those frequently

cycling in and out of active status.

Finally, the DoD implemented a final
rule amending the Defense Federal

Acquisition Regulation Supplement
(DFARS) to implement inflation adjustment

requirements, effective 1 October 2025.

This adjustment, mandated by 41 U.S.C.

1908, ensures ongoing adjustments in
government contract costs, a measure

vital for maintaining operational
readiness and procurement stability.

Issues That Affect
Retired Military Personnel

The Critical 2026 Cost-of-Living
Adjustment Outlook

For retired military personnel and
all federal annuitants, the news focus

during 5 October through 11 October 2025
centered on the pending calculation for

the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

Retirees previously received a 2.5

percent COLA for Civil Service
Retirement System (CSRS) annuities,

military retirement annuities, and
Social Security benefits in January

2025; Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS) annuities received a 2.0

percent COLA.

The calculation for the 2026 COLA
relies on measuring the percentage

change in the Consumer Price Index
for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical

Workers (CPI-W) between the third
quarter (Q3) of 2024 and Q3 of 2025.

Data released in this period indicated
the August 2025 CPI-W figure showed a 0.30

percent increase over the previous month.

The decisive data point, the CPI-W figure
for September 2025, which finalizes

the Q3 average, is scheduled for
release on Wednesday, 15 October 2025.

The anticipation surrounding the 15
October 2025 data release is immense

because the same economic metric—the
Q3 CPI-W—drives the adjustments for

military retired pay, Social Security,
and, by legislative mandate (S.

2392), VA disability compensation.

This statutory linkage confirms that
the financial outlook for nearly

all federal annuitants and disabled
veterans rests upon this single

forthcoming government economic release.

TRICARE West Region Contractor
Transition Logistics

Retired military beneficiaries relying
on TRICARE faced operational changes

this week following the contractor
transition in the West Region.

TriWest Healthcare Alliance has assumed
the role of the new regional contractor.

This transition is particularly relevant
for retirees living in the six states

that moved from the East Region to
the West Region: Arkansas, Illinois,

Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin.

A critical logistical deadline
was 30 September 2025.

This date marked the expiration
point for active referrals and

pre-authorizations issued by the previous
contractors (HNFS or Humana Military),

unless the referral expired earlier.

The week of 05 October 2025 represents
the immediate post-deadline period.

Retirees who failed to secure new TriWest
referrals or update payment information

face the risk of service interruptions
or non-covered specialty care.

Beneficiaries affected by the
region change are strongly advised

to proactively engage with TriWest
immediately to establish new accounts,

confirm coverage, and secure new
provider network referrals, as the

transition is now fully operational.

Congressional Action
Affecting Federal Employees

One recently enacted law, while
primarily focused on the current

VA federal workforce, has long-term
positive implications for retirees.

S.

423, the PRO Veterans Act of 2025, which
passed earlier this year, authorizes

the VA to provide critical skill
incentives to senior-level VA employees.

This law directly aids current VA
federal employees by offering specialized

retention pay, particularly for employees
whose positions, though primarily

at the VA central office, perform
functions at other VA facilities.

The intention is to stabilize
and retain high-quality

leadership and clinical talent.

For retired federal employees,
this legislation contributes to the

quality of service provided by the VA.

A more stable and highly skilled
VA workforce ultimately enhances

the reliability, efficiency, and
quality of the health care and

benefits system upon which millions
of military retirees depend.

Issues That Affect Veterans Affairs

Financial Continuity
and Legislative Mandates

Despite the government shutdown that
began on 01 October 2025, VA disability

benefits for the month of October
2025 were distributed on Wednesday, 01

October 2025, the first day of the month.

This continuity of payment, in sharp
contrast to the immediate pay lapse

experienced by active duty personnel,
is possible because mandatory veteran

benefits are typically funded a
year in advance, providing essential

financial stability for disabled
veterans during times of fiscal crisis.

The current base compensation for a
veteran with a 100 percent disability

rating is $3,831, with the maximum
possible payment for a veteran with

qualifying dependents reaching $4,388.

The legislative efforts in Congress
during the week of 05 October through

11 October 2025 focused heavily
on ensuring future financial and

administrative stability for veterans.

Key Veterans Affairs
Legislation Passed by Congress

S.

2392 – Veterans’ Compensation
Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025

This bill proposes to increase the
rates of compensation for veterans

with service-connected disabilities
and the rates of Dependency and

Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for their
survivors, effective 1 December 2025.

The mandated percentage increase
will be equal to the percentage

increase determined for Social
Security benefits (the 2026 COLA).

This legislation ensures that disabled
veterans and their survivors receive

compensation increases commensurate
with changes in the cost of living.

Mandates a COLA increase for
service-connected disability

compensation, additional compensation
for dependents, clothing allowance, and

DIC payments for surviving spouses and
children, effective 01 December 2025.

Effect on Current and Retired
Federal Employees: The legislation

does not directly affect the
pay or benefits of VA employees.

However, it requires current VA
employees within the Veterans Benefits

Administration (VBA) to execute the
administrative adjustment of all

affected compensation rates following
the 01 December 2025 effective date.

Major Veterans Bills Passed by
the House (05–11 October 2025)

The House of Representatives passed a
slate of eight bipartisan bills aimed

at modernizing VA administration,
health care, and claims processing.

These bills impose new
administrative responsibilities on

the current VA federal workforce.

H.R.

3481 – Delivering Digitally
to Our Veterans Act of 2025:

Aims to modernize and streamline
the digital interface and service

delivery mechanisms used by the VA.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: Current VA employees,

particularly in IT and the VBA, will
experience changes in workflow as

systems are modernized, with the goal
of achieving greater efficiency in

processing claims and veteran requests.

H.R.

1107 – Protecting Veteran Access to
Telemedicine Services Act of 2025:

Designed to protect and potentially
expand the availability of

telemedicine services for veterans,
ensuring continuity of remote care.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: Current VA medical staff

and clinicians benefit from the
statutory backing of telemedicine,

enabling greater patient reach and
flexibility in scheduling and delivering

care, potentially alleviating stress
on physical VA medical facilities.

H.R.

3579 – Veterans Readiness and
Employment Program Integrity Act:

Focuses on improving the oversight,
effectiveness, and integrity

of the Veterans Readiness and
Employment (VR&E) program.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: Current VA counselors and VR&E

staff will likely face updated auditing
and reporting requirements designed

to increase program transparency and
ensure appropriate resource allocation.

H.R.

3854 – Modernizing All Veterans and
Survivors Claims Processing Act:

Explicitly targets the acceleration
and efficiency of handling all claims

submitted by veterans and survivors.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: Current VBA claims processors

and examiners will be directly affected
by new processing protocols, which

are intended to reduce backlogs and
improve overall performance metrics.

H.R.

3400 – TRAVEL Act of 2025:

Addresses reforms related to
travel reimbursement procedures for

veterans accessing VA health care.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: Current VA administrative

staff responsible for processing
veteran travel claims will implement the

changes, with the goal of simplifying and
expediting reimbursement for veterans.

H.R.

3767 – HPSP Improvement Act of 2025:

Likely focuses on improving the Health
Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)

to better attract and retain health
care professionals within the VA system.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: This bill supports the

recruitment of future VA clinicians,
benefiting the overall quality and

capacity of the VA health care system by
stabilizing the current federal workforce.

H.R.

3494 – VA Hospital Inventory
Management System Authorization Act:

Authorizes the modernization of
inventory tracking systems within

VA hospitals to improve supply
chain efficiency and reduce waste.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: Current VA logistics and

administrative staff will receive
new, modernized tools for managing

supplies, thereby improving operational
efficiency within VA medical centers.

H.R.

2334 – Servicemember
Residence Protection Act:

Provides specific protections related to
housing or residence for servicemembers.

Effect on Current and Retired Federal
Employees: While primarily affecting

active duty and reserve members,
VA benefits counselors may need

to understand its provisions when
advising veterans regarding housing

stability and loan guarantees.

The passage of this significant
legislative package underscores

a concerted effort by Congress
to drive efficiency and

modernization within the VA system.

However, the successful transition
from legislative mandate to operational

reality rests entirely upon the current
federal workforce, which must absorb

new technology and protocols (H.R.

3854, H.R.

3494) before the long-term
efficiencies can be realized.

PACT Act Implementation
and Transparency Shift

The Promise to Address Comprehensive
Toxics (PACT) Act remains the largest

health care and benefits expansion in VA
history, continuously extending access for

millions of veterans exposed to burn pits,
Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.

The VA continues to stress its commitment
to providing care and benefits to

generations of veterans and survivors.

A notable procedural change for
tracking the PACT Act implementation

took effect this month.

Starting 01 October 2025 (the
beginning of Fiscal Year 2026), the VA

transitioned the PACT Act Performance
Dashboard from a monthly publication

schedule to a quarterly publication.

The last monthly dashboard published
was Issue 53 on 19 September 2025.

The VA maintains that this shift is part
of its commitment to transparency and

accountability, ensuring stakeholders
are provided with performance metrics.

However, reducing the frequency of
reporting inherently decreases the

real-time visibility and public scrutiny
of the claims processing progress.

While this move may reduce the
administrative burden on VA staff

associated with monthly data compilation,
it simultaneously introduces three-month

gaps in official claims data for
external watchdogs and Veterans Service

Organizations, impacting immediate
public accountability regarding claims

completion rates (which stood at a 73.4

percent approval rate as
of early September 2025).

And that's your Weekly Briefing.

Staying on top of these changes
is key to navigating your career,

your retirement, and your benefits.

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We’ll be back next week with another
roundup of the news that matters most

to the military and veteran community.