Veterans seeking information about federal food assistance may encounter outdated eligibility guidelines from the Agriculture Department, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.The Agriculture Department’s SNAP eligibility information did not accurately reflect changes affecting veterans and the program’s time-limited participation rules as of September 2026, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. GAO also found that veterans face misconceptions and other barriers to applying for benefits and recommended that USDA update its information and develop outreach materials specifically for veterans.The issue centers on SNAP’s three-month time limit for certain able-bodied adults without dependents who do not meet work requirements. Veterans were among the groups exempt from that time limit from September 2023 through July 2025. A 2025 law removed the categorical veteran exemption, meaning veterans can now be subject to the time limit unless they qualify for another exception. GAO found that USDA’s eligibility website had not been updated to reflect the change as of September 2026.Stakeholders told GAO that some veterans believe their VA benefits make them ineligible, that applying would take benefits away from someone else or that the application process is too difficult. They also cited problems with technology, documentation, communication and completing required interviews.“I lost my job 7 months ago, and I still haven’t found another one to replace it,” explained Derick Broadnax, an Army veteran who was denied SNAP benefits. “Food keeps getting more expensive and getting a good-paying job is tough for everyone to get right now.”An estimated 1.4 million veterans lived in food-insecure households each year from 2015 through 2020, according to research cited by GAO. An estimated 6.9% of veterans lived in households receiving SNAP in 2024. That figure measures veterans living in households receiving SNAP, not the percentage of veterans eligible for the program.Of 47 states with USDA-approved SNAP outreach plans for fiscal 2026, 39 identified veterans as a target population. Thirteen planned to provide information or application assistance at veteran facilities or centers, 11 planned to train government or nonprofit organizations that work with veterans, and six planned outreach at veteran events.USDA issued annual outreach priority memorandums encouraging states to target veterans from fiscal 2022 through fiscal 2025. USDA officials told GAO they did not plan to issue a similar priority memorandum for fiscal 2026 or fiscal 2027. Forty-four states identified veterans as a target population in their fiscal 2025 outreach plans, compared with 39 in fiscal 2026. GAO did not establish that the change in federal guidance caused the decline.The VA-USDA partnership on veteran food insecurity also has not operated as planned. The agencies established a memorandum of agreement in 2023, but their collaborative efforts slowed after USDA lost key staff in April 2025. Since then, the agencies have not held the workgroup meeting called for under the agreement and have not completed the agreement’s required annual review. Agency officials told GAO they consider the agreement to still be in place, but the agencies have not reviewed it as specified in the agreement.VA continues to screen veterans for food insecurity and connect them with assistance. VA screened 4.4 million veterans in fiscal 2025; about 103,000 screened positive and roughly 78,000 accepted referrals to a VA social worker or dietitian. VA social workers can assist veterans with SNAP applications and interviews.Beginning Oct. 1, federal reimbursement for allowable state SNAP administrative costs fell from up to 50% to 25%, shifting a larger share of those costs to states. GAO did not establish what effect the change will have specifically on veteran outreach.GAO made four recommendations. USDA should update its SNAP eligibility website, develop and distribute veteran-specific outreach materials in coordination with VA, and establish a formal mechanism for working with VA. VA received a corresponding recommendation to establish a formal mechanism for working with USDA. Both agencies concurred with the recommendations, and GAO lists all four as open.

The unemployment rate for the nation’s post-9/11 generation of veterans rose from 3.5% in August to 4.1% in September as the number of jobs added that month fell by more than 100,000, according to the final monthly jobs report released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics ahead of the November elections.The latest BLS data, gathered through mid-September, showed only 29,000 jobs added to non-farm payrolls in September, compared with the revised August figure of 133,000 jobs added, as the overall unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in August to 4.2% in September. The 29,000 jobs added were well below market expectations that the economy would add 84,000 to 95,000 jobs in September.The slower-than-expected job growth suggested that the job market, which has shown remarkable strength going back to the Biden administration despite rising gas and diesel prices, war with Iran, and tariff wars with once-firm allies, may be showing signs of weakening.In its report for September, the BLS said that the unemployment rate for all veterans at 3.5% remained the same as the 3.5% recorded in August, while the jobless rate for the generation of veterans who joined the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks went up from 3.5% in August to 4.1% in September.In response to the jobs report, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said that the BLS data showing that 9,000 manufacturing jobs and 12,300 construction jobs were added in September were “proof that President Trump’s reindustrialization agenda is working,” and Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council.When asked on Fox Business whether the BLS report was disappointing, Rogers responded, “No, not even a little bit.”However, Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long said the report was “disappointing for a lot of Americans — it’s still a low hire, low fire economy.” In a phone interview with Military Times, Long said that “wage growth has been totally wiped out by inflation.” She noted that average hourly earnings fell 3% on an annual basis in September, compared to the current 3.4% inflation rate.“Nothing here looks alarming,” Long said of the BLS report, but the overall “hope for hiring picking up is gone.” However, the market for veterans with blue-collar job skills “still looks pretty good,” she added.Despite the disappointing jobs report, “we’ve exceeded all our placement goals” for 2026, said Kevin Rasch, a retired Navy commander and now regional director in Florida for the Wounded Warrior Project’s Warriors to Work program. In a phone interview, Rasch told Military Times that the goal for 2026 was to find job placements for 1,375 veterans, and the Wounded Warrior program had already helped to find jobs for 1,535 vets, Rasch said He attributed part of the success of the Wounded Warrior program to “being a little bit more proactive in our outreach efforts. We’re meeting vets where they are.”

The views and opinion expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities mentioned.Five weeks before the midterms, I want to tell you about a question we asked 10,000 military spouses almost by accident: we asked them if they voted.The question was one of three civic engagement items we borrowed from the Census Bureau’s survey and tucked into the National Military Family Association’s Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship application out of genuine curiosity. The scholarship is open to spouses of all stripes—active duty, Guard, Reserve, retiree, disabled veteran, surviving—so the answers came from all of them.We asked how often they and their neighbors did favors for each other—watched each other’s kids, house sat, lent a tool. Military spouses do it at nearly double the rate of Americans generally. They’re helping a few times a week, a few times a month—the same rhythm of the help we find ourselves needing during long trainings and deployments. Nearly eight in ten military spouses had formally volunteered—more than half had done so at least monthly. These aren’t people disconnected from their communities. These are people who hold their communities together with their bare hands.Then we asked whether they’d voted in the past year.Among active duty spouses, 42% had. Every other kind of military spouse in the same pool—Guard, Reserve, retiree, disabled veteran, surviving—voted at 57% to 76%. When we broke it down by education, the gap held at every level: an active duty spouse with a bachelor’s degree voted at the rate of a some-college spouse in any other category. It held across rank. It held across income. The one thing that predicted the shortfall was active duty status itself. It wasn’t about who these spouses were. It was about where they were.Why?Most Americans vote where they live, and they learn what’s on the ballot the way you learn anything about your hometown: by being there. An active duty family arrives at a new installation, builds a support network from nothing, and moves again in two or three years. Most of us keep our voter registration in our home state or our service member’s state of legal residence, sometimes a thousand miles from where we sleep. In a presidential year, that costs a stamp. In a year like this one—a school board, a district attorney, a county commissioner, a judge—it costs knowing the election exists, requesting a ballot in time, and having any basis to choose among candidates in a county you left in 2021.I have spent my life in military families. I grew up in one, I’m a former military spouse, I’m raising three military-connected children. And as much as I hate to admit it, I once missed a consequential election because I couldn’t get my old address, my new address, and my registration reconciled in time. I’m fairly sure I filled out an absentee ballot wrong another year. And I do this for a living.So here’s what I want to say to every military spouse reading this: Register where you’re stationed.Not because it’s your civic duty. You’ve already done more civic duty than most people will in a lifetime. Register because you have a stake in this place, right now, whether your driver’s license says so or not.The school board sets the date when before-care and after-care registration opens—and if you’ve ever missed that deadline because you’d just moved, you know it’s not a small thing. In towns where military families are a quarter of the enrollment, that date might get set without a single one of us in the room. The county decides which roads get fixed, including the one your spouse drives to the gate at 0500, and the difference between a 15-minute commute and a 40-minute one is an hour a day you don’t get back between deployments and trainings and whatever else the military throws at you this year. The zoning board decides whether there’s a childcare center within ten miles of post. The library board decides whether it’s open on Saturdays.None of those people are elected in Washington. They’re elected in the county you live in, by the people who show up. And right now, that isn’t us.Yes, there are things to check. Your state of legal residence for taxes doesn’t have to change when your voter registration does; talk to your installation legal office if you’re not sure. But the mechanism is a form at the DMV or a state website, and it takes ten minutes. Most states’ deadlines for November are in the next two weeks. It’s not too late to get registered and have a say what happens in the community where you’re living.You live there. You get a say.One more thing: The federal government surveys active duty service members after every election and finds they vote about 24 points below civilians. It has never once surveyed their spouses. To get current data, we had to ask about voting in our scholarship application. You’re the people holding your community together, wherever you go. Our volunteering and favors data show that. But you’re not being counted where you live. Your community is the one outside the gate. Go put your name on its rolls.If you would like to submit an opinion for publication, it must be exclusive to We Are The Mighty. It should be a strong argument about an issue affecting the military, veterans, or the greater military-connected community, between 400 and 1,000 jargon-free words, and submitted as the body of an email rather than an attachment. Send submissions to info@wearethemighty.com with “OPINION” in the subject line. Please include an email address and phone number. We will protect the identities of current military members who wish to publish an opinion. Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty• Dale Dye says ‘decoration inflation’ turns medals into participation trophies• It’s time for the VA to recognize spouse proxy for catastrophic veteran illnesses• I served nearly 30 years explaining policy. The Survivor Benefit Plan still blindsided me. Opinion Opinion Active duty military spouses vote 25 points below civilians. The federal government has never asked why. 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When Nile Kinnick reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida in 1942, the head coach of the base’s football team couldn’t wait to greet him.Before joining the Navy, Kinnick played the sport at a high level for the University of Iowa. He was such a force that he accepted the Heisman Trophy, given annually to the best college football player in America, in 1939. Kinnick’s abilities intrigued NFL teams, with the Brooklyn Dodgers offering him the then-princely sum of $10,000 to sign. Kinnick pondered the generous contract, then attended law school instead.Also Read: ‘The Mosquito Bowl’ is based on a real World War II football gameWith war raging in Europe, Kinnick interrupted his studies and enlisted in the Naval Air Corps Reserve a few months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. When he arrived in Florida, Kinnick was still in football shape and undoubtedly would have improved the base team’s chances.But Kinnick’s mind was elsewhere. He was determined to become a fighter pilot.“[The coach] wanted to know how I would like to stay around here as an instructor and play football,” Kinnick wrote in his diary. “As politely, and yet as firmly, as I knew how[,] I told him I never again wanted to play any football, and that I would really rather go to the fleet than remain as an instructor.”Kinnick never wore a football uniform again. His life ended tragically during a training accident on June 2, 1943. Kinnick was 24 years old. Kinnick Could Do It All Iowa’s Nile Kinnick (2nd from left) spurned offers from NFL teams to go to law school. He then served as a Navy fighter pilot during World War II. (Getty Images) Kinnick, whose brother Ben was also killed during World War II, hailed from a family of achievers. His grandfather, George Washington Clarke, served as Iowa’s governor from 1913 to 1917. The year after Clarke’s time atop the state’s government, his daughter gave birth to Nile.Kinnick more than met any expectations. His football skills developed to such an extent that the University of Minnesota, then arguably the best team in the sport, considered adding him to its roster. The Golden Gophers, however, passed on Kinnick, leaving him to sign with Iowa.He became the most accomplished player in the Hawkeyes’ history. During that era, freshmen typically did not play on college varsity squads, so Kinnick only suited up for three years. His first two were largely uneventful, and Iowa only posted one victory in each season.Then came Kinnick’s breakout season. As two-way players were the norm nearly a century ago, Kinnick’s versatility was on full display. His primary position on offense was running back, where he led the team with five rushing touchdowns. Kinnick also was the Hawkeyes’ top passer, accounting for 11 scores through the air.That still didn’t present a full picture of Kinnick’s skills. He intercepted eight passes on defense, kicked extra points, and punted. The Hawkeyes scored 130 points in 1939, with Kinnick having a hand in 107, or 82%, of them.Iowa finished 6-1-1 and ranked ninth in the final Associated Press rankings.  Ditching His Plane in the Water A Grumman F-4F Wildcat flies past with aerobatic smoke trailing behind at the California Capital Airshow, Mather California, March 22, 2025. (U.S. Air Force/Charles Borsos) Kinnick became the fifth player ever to receive the Heisman Trophy during a ceremony on December 6, 1939, in New York City. Understanding the state of world affairs, Kinnick devoted a part of his acceptance speech to what was happening in Europe.“I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe,” Kinnick stated as the audience applauded. “I can speak confidently and positively that the players of this country would much more, much rather struggle and fight to win the Heisman award than the Croix de Guerre.”Although several Heisman Trophy winners served in the military, Kinnick holds the tragic distinction of being the only one to die at war. On June 2, 1943, Kinnick was at the controls of a Grumman F4F Wildcat off the coast of Venezuela when the aircraft began to leak oil.When Kinnick noticed the issue, he was four miles from the USS Lexington—the aircraft carrier from where he took off. Kinnick didn’t think he could return to the Lexington in time, plus he worried about risking the lives of military personnel there. Kinnick took the only other option available to him; he landed on the water.Rescue boats raced to the site, but they were too late. Kinnick was gone. They never recovered his body.“I nerve had a shock like that in my life,” said Al Couppee, who played with Kinnick at Iowa and had a brief NFL career with the Washington Redskins. “Hell, I thought he was going to live forever.” Iowa Names Stadium After Kinnick The University of Iowa named its football stadium after Nile Kinnick, who died during World War II, in 1972. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images) In significant ways, Kinnick’s memory has.Since 1972, the year that the University of Iowa renamed its football stadium after Kinnick, the school’s fans have flocked several times a year to Kinnick Stadium.They will do so again on Saturday when Iowa hosts Ohio State in a matchup of highly ranked teams. Some will pass a 16-foot bronze statue of Kinnick that stands outside the sports venue. And before the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes kick off, the captains will meet at midfield for the opening coin toss. An official will flip a coin that bears Kinnick’s likeness on one side, signifying “heads.”Kinnick is the rare college football stadium whose name honors a military hero or someone who died serving the United States. (It should be noted that several universities nationally play their home games in “Memorial Stadium” or similarly named venue.)Besides Kinnick Stadium, there is Michie Stadium—home of the Army Black Knights in West Point, New York. It is named after Dennis Michie (pronounced Mike-ee), the school’s first football coach who died in the Spanish-American War.And in Knoxville, Tennessee, the state’s flagship university plays its football games in a stadium named in the memory of  Gen. Robert Neyland. He served during both World War I and World War II.Those are special places for a college football fan. So is Kinnick Stadium.“There is no reason in the world why we shouldn’t fight for the preservation of a chance to live freely,” Kinnick once wrote. “No reason why we shouldn’t suffer to uphold that which we want to endure. May God give me the courage to do my duty and not falter.”Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty• 7 military lessons that made Roger Staubach a Hall of Fame football player• The Army Black Knights are the cleanest team in college football• Why military kids overseas have to outwork everyone to get recruited World War II Meet the only Heisman Trophy winner who died while serving during wartime By Stephen Ruiz Weapons Geissele wins $20 million contract for new Secret Service rifles By Miguel Ortiz Mental Health What a loved one should know when their veteran is contemplating suicide By Stephen Ruiz World War I The American-made ‘trench broom’ terrified Germans in both World Wars By Logan Nye Aircraft Navy awards Boeing $20B contract for F/A-XX sixth-generation carrier stealth fighter By Miguel Ortiz The post Meet the only Heisman Trophy winner who died while serving during wartime appeared first on We Are The Mighty.

President Donald Trump and his protection details have seen their fair share of very public security failures. As a result, the public has gotten a good look at the Knights Armament Company SR-16 rifles fielded by the United States Secret Service. Despite the KAC rifles being one of the most premium AR-style platforms on the market, with KAC’s KS-1 being adopted by UK Special Forces, the Secret Service updated to a new service rifle.Also Read: The weapons seen at the White House Correspondents Dinner shootingOn Nov. 25, 2025, the Secret Service published a Request for Information seeking a 5.56mm AR duty rifle and accessories. The Statement of Work specifically required a barrel length between 12.25 and 14 inches, not including the muzzle device. That muzzle device would also have to accept the HUXWRX FLOW 556K suppressor, which has to be mounted and delivered with the rifle.By Sept. 23, 2026, the $20,000,000 contract was awarded to Geissele Automatics. While neither Geissele nor the Secret Service would publicly comment on the specifications of the contract rifle, Geissele has been extremely successful with their Super Duty line of ARs.Originally a trigger company, Geissele became known for their crisp and precise race gun triggers for competition rifles. Combining competitive performance with combat reliability, the Geissele Super Select Fire trigger was adopted by Special Operations Command. With this endorsement, the semi-automatic versions of the SSF became the go-to triggers for civilian shooters and law enforcement. Secret Service and Homeland Security personnel stop for a group photo while providing security at the Republican National Convention, in Charlotte, N.C., August 2020. (U.S. Secret Service/Carlos Guerra) Geissele’s next milestone was the adoption of the MK16 Super Modular M-LOK rail for the Upper Receiver Group-Improved. Updating the M4 carbine platform to a lighter and slimmer handguard that can accept modern M-LOK accessories, the URG-I has been adopted by Army and Air Force Special Operations Commands as well as the Coast Guard’s Maritime Security Response Team in various lengths.While the military’s URG-I uses Daniel Defense barrels, Geissele created a proprietary barrel profile to offer with their complete Super Duty rifle. With this, Geissele evolved from an accessory manufacturer to a full firearms manufacturer. Featuring the same MK16 handguard as the URG-I, the Super Duty also includes Geissele’s world-class triggers.Originally offered to law enforcement officers, the Super Duty is now an extremely competitive option on the civilian market. With the release of the MOD1, Geissele updated the Super Duty with integrated steel QD inserts in the handguard and a HUXWRX flash hider. While Surefire muzzle devices and suppressors are the choice of SOCOM, HUXWRX has exploded in popularity with civilian shooters and law enforcement (including the Secret Service). Notably, SOCOM appears to be shifting towards HUXWRX with the HICAR program.Geissele is also famous for its Airborne Charging Handle which is included with the Super Duty. Offering ambidextrous manipulation, it remains accessible to the operator while reducing the risk of snagging on gear. Perhaps most importantly, the ACH features a shelf to minimize gas blowback to the operator while shooting suppressed. Paired with a low back pressure suppressor like a HUXWRX, the Super Duty is one of the best suppressed ARs on the market. Agents stand guard after an incident at the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Although certain features like barrel length for the Secret Service Geissele contract rifle were not made public, accessories in addition to the HUXWRX suppressor were noted. Specifically, the contract calls for the rifles to be equipped with MAGPUL MIAD Gen 1.1 grips and MAGPUL CTR stocks, both in black.While magazines don’t have to be supplied, the contract does require compatibility specifically with Magpul Gen 3 30-round PMAGs, both windowed and non-windowed. Gen 3 PMAGs feature an over-insertion tab to prevent feeding issues as experienced by a competitor in Delta34’s “All Skill, No Excuses” Match where participants all shot Geissele Super Duty rifles.The KAC SR-16s in use with the Secret Service, primarily with the Counter Assault and Emergency Response Teams, utilize 11.5-inch barrels. With the change to a slightly longer barrel, the Secret Service may be addressing a tactical requirement for increased range. The Geissele contract required functionality with 5.56x45mm ammunition from 55 to 77 grains, a minimum barrel life of 10,000 rounds, and accuracy of at least 2 MOA.Let’s just hope that the Secret Service doesn’t have to put any of their rifles, old or new, into action.Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty• CMP boss says M14s will be under $2,000. They have trench shotguns too.• This might be the best EDC handgun for troops who carried the M9• The SIG Sauer M7 is dead. How long does the XM8 have? 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