(CNN) – Two American tourists have been kidnapped in the southern part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a security official said Friday.

Obama Announcing New Programs for Vet Hiring

President Barack Obama plans to announce a new job-hiring plan that could see thousands of post-9/11 veterans filling first responder positions across the U.S., as well as a conservation program intended to put 20,000 vets to work restoring and protecting the nation’s national parks.

In winding down war, a fundamentally different challenge in Afghanistan than in Iraq

The narrative that the Obama administration has laid out for winding down the war in Afghanistan has a familiar feel: It is intended to evoke the gradual withdrawal from Iraq.

Marine Fights Conviction for Suicide Attempt

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A discharged Marine private who slit his wrists in a suicide attempt is fighting his military conviction for deliberately injuring himself, arguing the punishment is inconsistent with the armed forces’ efforts to battle a rise in suicides during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Combat troop ailments drive medical retirement backlog

Tens of thousands of combat troops who undergo routine health checks before returning home need treatment for ailments ranging from bad backs to mental illness, helping to drive a backlog of troops waiting for medical retirements, new Pentagon data show.

Danger Pay Now Calculated By the Day

WASHINGTON — Starting this month, the Defense Department will calculate imminent-danger pay by the day rather than the month, a cost-cutting move the department estimated last year could save $30 million annually.

U.S. government, military to get secure Android phones

(CNN) – Some U.S. officials this year are expected to get smartphones capable of handling classified government documents over cellular networks, according to people involved in the project.

Lake Onterio ReelSilver Charters offers ten percent all fishing packages. Located on Port Ontario, on the Salmon River, 6 hours charters are $425; 8 hour carters are $550; 10 hour charters are $675.

Tony G. – Salmon River NY Drift Boat Guide hunts for everything from Northern pike to walleye to bass to King Salmon, Coho salmon, brown trout and steelhead.  They also offer ice fishing and turkey hunting from the drift boats.  The tour company offers 15 percent military discounts for active duty military with ID for the guided drift boat tours or wading trips.

Military Travel Zone offers up to $100 rebates based on the number of nights stayed.  Book through the site to receive $20 rebate for a 3-night stay; $30 rebate for a 5-night stay; $50 for an 8-night stay; $75 for a 10-night stay; and $100 for a 12-night stay.

Purchase rims from Military Discount Rims and get your rims and tire packages shipped to your door balanced and mounted.  The shipping is free with free locks and lugs.

Cannonball Runner Charters from Bernhard’s Bay, New York offers active duty military a full day charter at half price, with ID.  Six-hour charters (half day) are $500; full day (8-hour) are $600. For further information, call 315-675-3143 or 315-952-6200.

Catch 22 Fishing Charters in North Syracuse, NY, found a 10 percent discount for active duty military with ID.  4 hour fishing (1-4 people) is $375.00/day; 6 hour fishing (1-4 people) is $480.00/day; 8 hour fishing (1-4 people) is $620.00/day.

Midway Charters in Sandy Creek, New York, offers 20 percent discount off published fishing trip rates with military ID. Six-hour morning fishing (1-4) is $600; eight-hour morning trips (1-4) is $750; ten-hour morning trips (1-4) are $900; four-hour evening trips are $500.

Other Woman Fishing Charters in Lake Onterio, Oswego, New York, offers a 20 percent discount.  A six-hour trip (1-2 people) is $480; a six-hour trip (up to 6 people) is $520; an eight-hour trip (up to 6 people) is $650; a ten-hour trip (up to 6 people) is $800.

Trophy Dreamcatcher Guide Service & Charters out of Pulaski, New York offers active duty military with ID 15 percent discount off all charter trips including river drift boat charters, and Oneida Lake walleye and smallmouth bass. The boat is piloted by a U.S. Coast Guard Master Captain.  River and lake fishing are available as well as hunting trips for pheasant, deer and turkey on 2,000 acres of private land.

TSI Charters out of Oswego, New York offers military with ID a 10 percent discount.   SSI fishing charters go after salmon and trout during half or full day excursions from

April through September.  All supplies, including bait and tackle, fish cleaning and personalized attention are included.

*Some offers may no longer be available. Offers may change with out Veteran Journal’s knowledge.

One of the guests in the congressional gallery at last week’s State of the Union address was Roxana Delgado, an advocate for soldiers returning home with traumatic brain injuries. Her husband, an army sergeant who NPR profiled in June, 2010, had been dramatically affected by the concussion he received from a roadside blast in Iraq.

Panetta: US, allies will shift Afghan mission to training next year

BRUSSELS — The U.S. and its allies will formally change their military mission in Afghanistan to training and advising Afghan troops next year, a shift meant to extricate the alliance from a combat role after more than a decade of war, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Wednesday.

DOD adds Vicodin, Xanax to drug testing, offers 90-day amnesty

TOKYO — The Defense Department announced an expansion of its drug testing program Wednesday to include widely abused prescription medications containing hydrocodone and benzodiazepine, but it’s offering an unprecedented 90-day amnesty period for servicemembers to come clean or get treatment.

NATO Report: Taliban Expect to Retake Afghanistan

Once the U.S. ends its combat mission in Afghanistan — which Defense Secretary Leon Panetta anticipates will happen next year — the Taliban expect to resume power, a secret NATO report says..

‘Hemp Solo’ Says Pot Laws are Veterans’ Issue

William Solomko knows he’s making a lot of people angry by using the famous POW/MIA image as the logo for his pro-marijuana website, Veterans for Weed United. He doesn’t care.

Probe: Air Force punished Dover whistleblowers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators have concluded that Air Force officials at the military mortuary in Dover, Del., illegally punished four civilian workers for blowing the whistle on the mishandling of war remains.

Pakistan Concedes Advantages to US Drone Strikes

Pakistan on Tuesday acknowledged “tactical advantages” to U.S. drone strikes on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but appeared to shrug off the unexpected confirmation by Washington of attacks on its soil.

Civilian deaths due to drones are not many, Obama says

President Barack Obama candidly addressed the United States’ covert drone program in an online discussion group, officially acknowledging the controversial use of the unmanned aerial vehicles in Pakistan and elsewhere, and defending their missions, according to The New York Times.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators have concluded that Air Force officials at the military mortuary in Dover, Del., illegally punished four civilian workers for blowing the whistle on the mishandling of war remains.

Pakistan Concedes Advantages to US Drone Strikes

Pakistan on Tuesday acknowledged “tactical advantages” to U.S. drone strikes on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but appeared to shrug off the unexpected confirmation by Washington of attacks on its soil.

Civilian deaths due to drones are not many, Obama says

President Barack Obama candidly addressed the United States’ covert drone program in an online discussion group, officially acknowledging the controversial use of the unmanned aerial vehicles in Pakistan and elsewhere, and defending their missions, according to The New York Times.

U.S. officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran

WASHINGTON — Even as al-Qaida’s ability to attack the United States continues to diminish, Iran is more willing to attack the United States and American interests overseas, the top U.S. intelligence official told Congress on Tuesday.

Marine hit by grenade rates MoH, buddies say

Lance Cpls. Kyle Carpenter and Nick Eufrazio were posting security together on a dusty rooftop in Afghanistan when an insurgent tossed a hand grenade at them. The world melted in a white-hot blast, and the two men were rocked by an explosion that could be heard nearly a mile away.

‘I’m very alive’: Army veteran declared dead 4 times

The U.S. Veterans Administration has declared him dead four times, but Miller, a Brevard County resident, has refuted the claims.

BRAC Threat Takes DoD Budget Fight to Next Level

If the Pentagon didn’t already have Congress’ attention for its appeal to prevent next year’s round of automatic budget cuts, it does now.

St. Louis Parade on Iraq War’s End Draws Thousands

ST. LOUIS — Looking around at the tens of thousands of people waving American flags and cheering, Army Maj. Rich Radford was moved that so many braved a cold January wind Saturday in St. Louis to honor people like him: Iraq War veterans.

Pentagon Prepares for New Military Talks With Iraq

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to begin talks with Iraq on defining a long-term defense relationship that may include expanded U.S. training help, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s chief policy aide.

If the Pentagon didn’t already have Congress’ attention for its appeal to prevent next year’s round of automatic budget cuts, it does now.

St. Louis Parade on Iraq War’s End Draws Thousands

ST. LOUIS — Looking around at the tens of thousands of people waving American flags and cheering, Army Maj. Rich Radford was moved that so many braved a cold January wind Saturday in St. Louis to honor people like him: Iraq War veterans.

Pentagon Prepares for New Military Talks With Iraq

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to begin talks with Iraq on defining a long-term defense relationship that may include expanded U.S. training help, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s chief policy aide.

Kadena airman enters guilty plea in death of fellow servicemember

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — A Kadena airman admitted in court Monday that he plotted with the wife of a fellow servicemember to murder her husband months before cutting his throat with a hunting knife in an off-base apartment last year.

Hawaii-based US Marine in hazing-suicide case goes to trial

A Hawaii-based lance corporal accused of hazing a fellow Marine who committed suicide while in Afghanistan will appear in court Monday after agreeing to a plea bargain, The Associated Press reports.

Sundance Documentary Examines Rape in US Military

PARK CITY, Utah – The U.S. Department of Defense estimates that more than 19,000 military men and women were sexually assaulted by fellow troops in 2010 while serving in the armed forces. At least 20 percent of servicewomen and 1 percent of men – an estimated 500,000 troops – have experienced sexual trauma while serving.

VA sees ‘paperless’ claims as critical to ending backlog

The only way to achieve VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s goal for 2015 — that every disability compensation claim gets processed within 125 days and with 98 percent accuracy — is to shift to a paperless claims system.  And that transformation has begun.

IED attacks in Afghanistan set record of 16,000 this past year

Attacks with makeshift bombs hit a record high of more than 16,000 in Afghanistan in the past year, and the increasing harm they cause to Afghan civilians indicates insurgents may lack strong leadership, military officials say.