MIL News Weekly

Edward: Welcome to the MIL News Weekly
for 2-8 November 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

The most pressing issue for active and
reserve military personnel during the

week of November 2 through November
8, 2025, remained the precarious

status of military pay due to the
protracted government shutdown.

While service members did receive their
scheduled end-of-the-month pay on November

1, the method used by the administration
to secure those funds created severe

uncertainty regarding future paychecks.

The Department of Defense
(DoD) secured $5.3

billion to cover the November 1
payroll, an extraordinary measure

achieved by pulling resources from
three distinct and vital accounts: $2.5

billion originated from the One
Big Beautiful Bill Act funds, $1.4

billion was diverted from the DoD’s
procurement account, and another $1.4

billion was sourced from the
department’s research, development,

test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funds.

This successful yet highly criticized
maneuver, achieved despite the

shutdown, satisfied the commitment to
pay troops for the first of November.

However, the funds tapped for
this payment are generally

understood to have been exhausted.

This fact prompted public concern
from officials, including Treasury

Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated
publicly on October 26, 2025, that

it was doubtful service members
would receive their mid-month pay on

November 15 unless Congress reached a
resolution to end the funding lapse.

This leaves the immediate financial
stability of the force contingent

upon legislative action, creating
immense internal anxiety.

The direct impact of missed pay is only
one facet of the crisis confronting

military families; a broader, more
insidious threat to financial readiness

is unfolding across the force,
threatening retention and morale.

At The Hill’s Veteran Voices Summit
on November 6, 2025, advocates

characterized the shutdown’s
overall effect as “disastrous” for

active-duty members and their families.

First, many military households rely on
the income of spouses who are federal

government workers, and those spouses
have experienced furloughs and lost

paychecks since October 1, effectively
cutting household income dramatically.

Second, the ongoing funding lapse
threatened the Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP), a program
relied upon by approximately 1.2

million veterans and their households.

Although a federal judge's ruling ensured
partial funding for the program in

November, the initial threat of a lapse
caused a surge in military families

seeking assistance from food banks.

Compounding these financial stresses are
severe logistical disruptions related to

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves.

As the Pentagon prioritized only
essential activities during the shutdown,

the PCS process has stalled for many
families, causing delays in travel,

shipments, and housing arrangements.

Numerous accounts surfaced this week
detailing the crisis of being caught

mid-move, including families who signed
leases at their new duty stations based

on official orders that were subsequently
placed in limbo due to the inability

to schedule household goods pickup.

The resultant financial strain means
that many families are faced with the

possibility of having to pay rent or
mortgages on two different residences

simultaneously, with one military
spouse noting the complete lack of

communication from agencies on how
to lessen this unexpected burden.

The combined effect of spousal
unemployment, food insecurity

concerns, and PCS chaos elevates the
budget impasse into a fundamental

quality-of-life and readiness
crisis for the All-Volunteer Force.

Acquisition Overhaul and
Defense Policy Shifts

Beyond the immediate financial struggles,
the Department of Defense (DoD) signaled

a radical shift in its long-term
operational and contracting philosophy

during the first week of November 2025.

In a major address delivered to
defense industry representatives on

November 7, 2025, at the National War
College, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth

announced that “The defense acquisition
system as you know it is dead”.

The speech promised an “unrelenting
onslaught” of reforms intended to

completely upend the bureaucracy and
speed up the delivery of capabilities

to the warfighter, telling contractors
they must adapt or “fade away”.

This push for radical speed is
being driven largely by Deputy

Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg,
focusing on improving the timeline

for major capability delivery.

Key initiatives include imposing
a "two-to-production standard" and

emphasizing scalable production
strategies, notably through the adoption

of Modular Open Systems Approaches (MOSA).

These approaches are designed to
increase the number of qualified sources

for systems and modular components,
fostering competition, reducing supply

chain bottlenecks, and decreasing
reliance on single-source suppliers.

While lawmakers, including Rep.

Donald Norcross and Sen.

Tim Sheehy, expressed encouragement
regarding Hegseth's engagement on

acquisition reform, the key challenge
remains successful implementation and

adequate resourcing over the coming years.

Simultaneously, the DoD is
formalizing crucial policy

regarding industrial base security.

The final rule implementing the
Cybersecurity Maturity Model

Certification (CMMC) program is set to
begin its phased, three-year rollout

on November 10, 2025, immediately
following this reporting period.

This program marks a major shift by moving
away from contractor self-assessment

to mandatory third-party verification
for most defense contractors who handle

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

For Reserve Component service members
who work as subcontractors in the

defense industry, this has immediate
professional implications: higher-tier

contractors are now required to confirm
that any subcontractor possesses a

“current CMMC status” appropriate
for the information being flowed

down prior to awarding a subcontract.

Contractors must also remain
fully compliant with the

long-standing DFARS 252.205-7012

requirement to report cyber incidents
within 72 hours of discovery.

Separately, on November 5, 2025,
the Defense Security Cooperation

Agency (DSCA) updated its security
assistance management policy, posting

Policy Memo 25-86 to revise Generic
Codes in Appendix 4 of the Security

Assistance Management Manual (SAMM).

This aims to synchronize data within the
Defense Security Assistance Management

System and improve the categorization
of defense articles and services related

to budget activity codes for missiles,
ammunition, communications equipment,

supply operations, and special activities.

Quality-of-Life Initiatives
and Legislative Action

Even with the shutdown severely
curtailing many operations, the DoD

has continued to advance Quality of
Life (QoL) initiatives intended to

address chronic readiness challenges.

These initiatives aim to provide
stability to service members and their

families by establishing Health Care
Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSA)

for service members and decreasing the
financial cost burden associated with

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves.

Furthermore, the DoD is expanding
professional development and spouse

employment opportunities through
the My Career Advancement Account

(MyCAA) program and actively
working to improve QoL conditions at

remote and isolated installations.

In Congress, lawmakers continue
to push for substantial structural

compensation changes in the 2025 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

A key proposal seeks a significant 15% pay
raise for junior enlisted service members

(E-1 through E-4) to ensure military
pay remains competitive with civilian

earnings, particularly for those with high
school diplomas or some college education.

Additionally, lawmakers are advocating
for the Pentagon to return the Basic

Allowance for Housing (BAH) coverage
to 100% of estimated costs, increasing

it from the current 95% coverage level.

Legislative Update: S.

3012, The Shutdown Fairness Act

A crucial legislative effort addressing
the financial uncertainty of active-duty

personnel failed in the Senate this week.

On November 7, 2025, the Senate failed
to invoke cloture on a motion to

proceed to the consideration of S.

3012, the Shutdown Fairness
Act, by a recorded vote of

53–43 (Record Vote Number: 609).

S.

3012 was introduced with the primary
intent of providing appropriations to

pay federal employees, including members
of the Armed Forces on active duty,

who are deemed "excepted" and required
to work during a government shutdown.

The bill’s passage would have legally
guaranteed the pay and allowances

for active-duty service members,
removing the administration's reliance

on drawing emergency funds from
defense programs to meet payroll.

The failure of this measure leaves
the financial security of the active

force highly vulnerable ahead of the
November 15 pay date, maintaining

pressure on Congress to resolve the
underlying appropriations crisis.

Issues That Affect
Retired Military Personnel

Retired military personnel and
federal annuitants received reassuring

confirmation regarding payment
security this week, alongside the

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

The Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) confirmed that the ongoing

government shutdown does not
impact scheduled annuity payments.

Federal retirees covered under the
Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)

and the Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS) continue to receive

their scheduled annuity payments on
the first business day of the month.

Likewise, the Defense Finance and
Accounting Service (DFAS) confirmed

that Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
annuitants received their scheduled

payments on November 3, 2025.

This demonstrates that the established
trust funds and administrative

mechanisms for these annuities are
insulated from the political volatility

of the appropriations process.

The official announcement of the 2026
Cost-of-Living Adjustment, based on the

Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Urban
Wage Earners and Clerical Workers,

revealed a persistent structural
disparity between retirement systems.

This disparity is especially critical
as inflation remains elevated, with

2026 marking the fifth consecutive
year the COLA adjustment has been 2.5

percent or higher.

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)
Retirees annuities will increase by 2.8

percent.

This adjustment aligns with the
full Social Security COLA increase.

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
Retirees annuities will increase by 2.0

percent.

The difference in COLA rates means that
FERS retirees, who include a substantial

portion of veterans and former military
personnel who transitioned to civilian

service, face a mandated reduction
in their cost-of-living increase

when inflation exceeds 2 percent.

This structural inequity directly
impacts the purchasing power of their

annuities relative to CSRS retirees.

Consequently, the National Treasury
Employees Union (NTEU) utilized the

announcement this week to renew calls for
the passage of the Equal COLA Act (H.R.

491 and S.

624).

This legislation seeks to eliminate
the COLA disparity between FERS and

CSRS retirees, ensuring that all
federal annuitants receive the full

cost-of-living adjustment when inflation
exceeds the 2 percent threshold.

Benefits Enrollment
and Health Plan Changes

The first week of November marked the
crucial precursor to the annual Open

Season for health benefits, signaling
major upcoming changes for retired

military personnel and federal annuitants.

TRICARE Open Season, the annual period
allowing beneficiaries to enroll or

make changes to their TRICARE Prime or
TRICARE Select plans, is scheduled to

begin on Monday, November 10, 2025, and
run through Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Similarly, the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) announced that the 2025

Federal Benefits Open Season, covering
the Federal Employees Health Benefits

(FEHB) Program, Postal Service Health
Benefits (PSHB) Program, and Federal

Employees Dental and Vision Insurance
Program (FEDVIP), will be held from

November 10 through December 8, 2025.

Annuitants are strongly encouraged to
review their coverage, as this is the

only period outside of qualifying life
events when they can make coverage

changes for the upcoming year.

On November 7, 2025, TRICARE
Communications announced that

beneficiaries should review their
2026 health plan costs, noting that

enrollment fees, premiums, cost-shares,
and copayments will change starting

January 1, 2026, based on law and the
federal cost of living adjustment.

OPM added that for 2026, six FEHB plans,
one PSHB plan, and one FEDVIP plan

will no longer be available, meaning
enrollees in these specific plans must

select new coverage during Open Season.

An important regional contract change
is also slated for the 2026 plan year.

The start of healthcare delivery
under TRICARE's new regional contracts

will shift six states—Arkansas,
Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma,

Texas, and Wisconsin—from the
East Region to the West Region.

For beneficiaries in these transitioning
states who pay their TRICARE coverage via

electronic funds transfer, it is mandatory
to provide recurring payment information

to TriWest Healthcare Alliance by January
1, 2026, to ensure continuous coverage.

Issues That Affect Veterans Affairs

The news cycle for veterans this week
was dominated by a mix of payment

security assurances, major policy
debates over presumptive conditions, and

the pending overhaul of how disability
claims are rated in the coming year.

This section focuses specifically
on issues pertinent to disabled

veterans and their related benefits.

VA Disability Compensation:
Payment Security and Rate Revisions

The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) provided consistent reassurance

during the shutdown, confirming that VA
benefits—including compensation, pension,

education, and housing benefits—continue
to be processed and delivered despite

the ongoing lapse in appropriations.

For November 2025, the standard
payment date is the last

business day of the month.

Because November 30 falls on a weekend,
the November disability payments

will be made on December 1, 2025.

Veterans’ monthly disability
compensation rates reflect a 2.5%

Cost-of-Living Adjustment
(COLA) effective for 2025.

This adjustment provides a modest
increase in monthly payments,

ranging from approximately $4.28

per month for a veteran with a
10% disability rating to $93.45

per month for a veteran rated
at 100% without dependents.

While the COLA ensures benefits keep pace
with inflation, a far more significant

issue for disabled veterans is the
forthcoming structural change to VA

disability rating criteria, slated
for implementation in 2025, which

will drastically alter how certain
common conditions are evaluated.

These changes are intended to streamline
claims processing, but they may

result in substantially different
compensation levels for some veterans.

Key changes to the 2025
rating criteria include

: The VA is introducing more objective
mental health rating criteria.

The evaluation will shift focus from the
veteran’s social or occupational impact to

the objective severity of their symptoms.

The intent is to achieve greater
consistency in claims evaluation, which

may lead to higher ratings for veterans
with extremely severe symptoms but

potentially tighter scrutiny for others.

The criteria for sleep apnea are
becoming significantly stricter.

Under the updated system, veterans using
a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

(CPAP) machine may now only receive a
10% rating, which marks a significant

reduction from the current 50% rating
typically awarded for CPAP usage.

The VA is moving to eliminate standalone
ratings for tinnitus, a condition

that previously qualified veterans
for a separate 10% disability rating.

The implications of these rating
changes are substantial, requiring

veterans currently receiving benefits
or planning to file claims to

understand the new objective guidelines.

Concurrently, the VA is rolling out modern
technology, including AI-assisted claim

reviews and improved online tracking
systems, as part of an effort to reduce

the persistent backlogs and accelerate
the overall claim decision timeline.

PACT Act Controversy and
Congressional Oversight

A major point of conflict and
concern emerged this week regarding

the integrity of presumptive
conditions under the PACT Act.

On November 6, 2025, reports highlighted
controversy over the VA's reported

decision to remove male breast
cancer from the list of presumptive

conditions covered under the PACT Act.

This policy shift immediately
drew legislative scrutiny.

House Veterans' Affairs Committee
Ranking Member Mark Takano led a letter

demanding that VA Secretary Doug Collins
immediately reverse the decision.

Lawmakers warned that a June 2025 VA
memo related to the change was issued

to comply with a political executive
order, which they argued contradicted

scientific evidence and violated the
intent of Congress to ensure timely

care for toxic-exposed veterans.

The members cautioned that redefining
eligibility based on ideology sets

a “dangerous precedent” for future
veterans’ benefits decisions.

The VA press secretary, Pete Kasperowicz,
publicly defended the agency's policy,

stating that the VA would continue
to provide care and benefits to

any veteran who could demonstrate a
service connection for the condition.

In response to this controversy, separate
Senate legislation was introduced, aimed

at requiring the VA to establish greater
transparency in the future when making

decisions regarding benefit policy.

Key Legislation Affecting
Disabled Veterans

Congressional efforts targeting
the financial security and service

capacity for disabled veterans saw
movement during this period, addressing

long-standing grievances related to
compensation and medical staffing.

The Disabled Veterans
Tax Termination Act, H.R.

333, seeks to fundamentally
reform military retired

pay provisions by expanding
eligibility for Concurrent Receipt.

It was introduced in the
House on January 13, 2025.

This bill addresses the
persistent financial inequity

known as the "disability tax."

If enacted, H.R.

333 would authorize veterans with a
service-connected disability rating less

than 50 percent to concurrently receive
both their military retired pay and

their disability compensation, ending
the required dollar-for-dollar offset

that currently applies to this group.

Furthermore, the bill would extend
Concurrent Receipt eligibility

to qualified disability retirees
who have less than 20 years of

retirement-creditable service.

This is a major effort to secure financial
fairness for a broader population of

veterans injured during their service.

The PRO Veterans Act of 2025, B.S.

423, is a bipartisan bill
focusing on bolstering the

workforce stability of the VA.

The bill has successfully passed both
chambers, clearing the Senate on April

8, 2025, and the House on July 21, 2025.

This legislation is essential
for improving service delivery,

particularly in medical fields.

It authorizes the VA to provide a
critical skill incentive to senior-level

employees on an individual basis, upon
approval by specified officers, such

as the Under Secretary for Health.

By allowing the VA to offer competitive
incentives, the bill aims to improve

staffing and retention in critical
medical and administrative roles, which

directly affects the speed and quality
of healthcare and benefits processing

that disabled veterans receive.

Ahead of Veterans Day on November
11, 2025, Congressman Mike Flood

announced the introduction of the
Stamp Out Veterans Medical Debt Act.

This legislation proposes an innovative
fundraising mechanism by directing the

United States Postal Service (USPS)
to issue and sell a special stamp.

The proceeds generated from the sale
of this stamp would be specifically

earmarked to fund medical care
and treatment for veterans.

Lawmakers supporting the bill
characterized it as a bipartisan

solution intended to alleviate the
“crushing weight of medical debt,”

thereby reinforcing the nation’s
commitment to supporting the recovery

and financial stability of veterans.

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.