NewsBytes September 25, 2026

In this issue:
VA Tops Three Million Claims
Lincoln Strike Group Suicide Attempts
Spouse Commission Holds First Meeting
Greenland Pact Expands Arctic Access
FRA Convention Opens Next Week

VA Tops Three Million Claims
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on September 22 that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has processed more than 3 million disability benefits claims in fiscal year 2026, passing the mark as of September 18 with nearly two weeks remaining in the fiscal year. The total surpasses the previous record of 3.001 million claims set in fiscal year 2025, making this the second consecutive year the department has crossed the 3 million threshold.

According to the VA, the average time to complete a disability claim has fallen to 75.6 days, down from 141.5 days in January 2025, and the claims backlog has dropped by more than 70 percent over the same period. The department reports a claims processing accuracy rate of 94 percent, its highest in two years, and says it has delivered more than $207 billion in compensation and pension benefits to veterans and survivors so far this fiscal year. VA Secretary Doug Collins credited automation, digital intake, and expanded staffing, stating that "putting Veterans first means making VA benefits faster, better and more convenient."

The FRA commends the VBA for sustaining record throughput while absorbing the claims volume generated by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. Timely decisions are central to the Association's disability compensation reform agenda, and a veteran waiting 75 days is far better served than one waiting 141. Speed, however, is only half the measure. FRA has formally written to the VA asking how many claims were closed because a veteran missed a Compensation and Pension (C&P) examination, and the Association is still awaiting the department's answer. That data will shape the training of FRA's Veterans Service Officers, who can then make the case to veterans at the time of filing that attending every scheduled C&P exam is essential to protecting their claim. The Association will continue to watch accuracy and appeal rates closely to ensure that faster adjudication never becomes a mechanism for reducing earned compensation, and that Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen receive every benefit the Sacred Trust promises them.

Lincoln Strike Group Suicide Attempts
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao disclosed in a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) this week that eight service members assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Group attempted suicide during the group's current deployment. The Navy reported no suicide deaths during the deployment. Among the incidents previously reported, a Sailor went overboard in early August and was rescued, and another was stopped by shipmates from jumping from the carrier in March.

The Lincoln strike group, roughly 4,500 to 5,000 personnel, has been deployed for more than 10 months and conducted over 200 days of combat operations in the Middle East, including during the conflict with Iran. The carrier went 286 days at sea before its first full port call, in Thailand, after being relieved by USS George Washington (CVN 73) in late August, and is approaching the post-Vietnam carrier deployment record of 326 days set by USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in May. Earlier reports described food shortages and mail disruptions aboard. Navy officials had previously disputed accounts of mental health strain aboard the Lincoln, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said earlier this month that the Navy is applying lessons from recent grueling deployments to improve logistics for follow-on carriers.

The FRA is deeply concerned by the human cost of sustained operational tempo across the fleet. Readiness cannot be measured by hulls and aircraft alone; it rests on the health and resilience of the Sailors and Marines who crew them. The Association urges Navy leadership and the Armed Services Committees to restore predictable deployment lengths, guarantee regular port visits and reliable logistics for forward deployed crews, and expand confidential, career-safe mental health care at sea. FRA also reaffirms its position that a warfighter in crisis must be met with clinical care, not punishment. Beyond the Lincoln, the Association is working with a coalition of partner organizations to identify the root causes of the ongoing mental health crisis across the military and veteran community and to develop strong, lasting solutions. Any Shipmate or family member in need can reach the Veterans and Military Crisis Line 24 hours a day by dialing 988 and pressing 1, or by texting 838255.

Spouse Commission Holds First Meeting
The President's Military Spouse Commission, established by executive order in August 2026, held its inaugural meeting at the White House on September 21. The commission is chaired by Jennifer Hegseth, spouse of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and is composed of spouses of senior military leaders. It will report annually at the end of each fiscal year and is authorized for two years unless extended.

The commission reported receiving input from military families across five priority areas: childcare and education, which accounted for nearly 40 percent of messages received; spouse employment; health care access; housing; and military to civilian transition. Officials highlighted two early actions. The Defense Health Agency has issued a memorandum requiring military treatment facilities to accommodate a patient's request to have a spouse or other attendant present during medical appointments. A new childcare pilot will also allow fee assistance funds to be used with faith-based, license-exempt providers at five locations, four of them in sea service fleet concentration areas: Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Naval Base Kitsap, and Naval Base Point Loma, along with Arlington.

The FRA supports efforts to relieve the pressures that frequent moves and long deployments place on military households. Spouse employment, reliable childcare, and stable housing are retention issues, and the Association has long held that family readiness is inseparable from force readiness. FRA welcomes the commission's early focus on Navy fleet concentration areas and will track its recommendations to ensure that Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard families, including Coast Guard households often stationed far from Department of War installations, are fully represented as policy moves forward.

Greenland Pact Expands Arctic Access
The United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Government of Greenland signed an agreement on September 22 amending and supplementing the 1951 Defense of Greenland Agreement. The accord affirms Danish sovereignty over Greenland and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination while granting the United States expanded, long-term basing rights on the island.

Under the agreement, the United States will expand operations at Pituffik Space Base and establish two new defense locations, at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig on the eastern coast. U.S. forces are granted free access to and movement between defense areas by land, air, and sea, and U.S. vessels may operate undersea in Greenland's territorial waters except as mutually agreed. Countries outside NATO are barred from establishing military bases, stationing forces long term, or gaining significant control over natural resources such as rare earth minerals without the consent of all parties. President Trump said the United States will immediately begin developing a significant military presence on the island.

The FRA follows Arctic security developments closely because the High North is increasingly sea service territory. Expanded access in Greenland will place new demands on Navy submarine and surface forces and on Coast Guard icebreakers, which remain in short supply. The Association will press Congress to ensure that any new Arctic mission is matched by authorized end strength and quality of life support for the Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who will stand watch in one of the world's most demanding operating environments.

FRA Convention Opens Next Week
Delegates and national leaders will gather at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for the 98th FRA and 93rd Auxiliary FRA National Convention, running September 29 through October 2. The convention sets the Association's direction for the year ahead, including the legislative priorities FRA will carry into the final weeks of the 119th Congress and the opening of the 120th.

This year's convention arrives at a decisive moment. The Major Richard Star Act remains stalled despite broad bipartisan cosponsorship, the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act is headed toward final action this fall, and the current continuing resolution expires December 11. Delegates will also take up member welfare, branch engagement, and support for transitioning sea service personnel, the grassroots work that gives FRA's voice weight on Capitol Hill.

The FRA encourages every Shipmate attending to take part fully in the legislative sessions and to bring what they learn back to their branches. Members who cannot travel can stay engaged through their local branch and the FRA Action Center. Grassroots participation remains the Association's strongest tool for holding Washington to the Sacred Trust and protecting the earned benefits of all current and former sea service personnel.