1st Lt. Hailey Hodsden, a platoon leader with the regiment’s 4th Squadron, lost her life when the Stryker she was traveling in merged onto Autobahn 93 and was hit by the civilian vehicle. The other soldiers traveling in the Stryker were unharmed and the incident is currently under investigation, according to a statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

On the scene, civilian medical personnel treated Hodsden before transporting her to a local hospital, however, when she arrived at the hospital the medical staff pronounced the 24-year-old officer dead.

“Hailey was an exceptional leader,” said Lt. Col. Joseph M. Byerly, 4th Squadron Commander. “As the Saber family mourns her loss, we are reminded of the courage and commitment that she displayed each day. She was a true example for others to emulate.”

Hodsden was originally from Dripping Springs, Texas, before graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where she was commissioned as an Armor officer. Before the accident, Hodsden had been in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment for a little over a year.

“Lt. Hodsden was well-respected by all who knew and served with her. She was a valued Dragoon and teammate,” said Col. Robert S. McChrystal, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Commander. “We extend our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and fellow Dragoons.”

“For years, VA and DoD have enforced discriminatory policies harming service members and veterans,” said Sonia Ossorio, president of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women, filing one lawsuit in Manhattan and one in Boston, together with the Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic and the National Veterans Legal Services Program. “These members sacrificed for this country. They should not have to sacrifice their right to build a family.”

Currently, DoD and the VA healthcare policies state that service members and veterans can only receive access to IVF if they are legally married, have the ability to produce necessary sperm and eggs to build an embryo and their fertility is directly impacted by a severe injury, illness or service-connected disability.

The lawsuits claim that the current IVF treatment requirements are discriminatory and ask the court to declare the alleged discriminatory eligibility provisions unlawful. The lawsuits state that the current DoD and VA policies violate Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which grants due process and equal protection to everyone, alleging that the current policies discriminate against individuals on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, marital status and the cause of their infertility.

Ashley Sheffield filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston on behalf of a proposed class of veterans who are excluded from IVF access. Sheffield herself has been directly impacted by the IVF requirements in place by the VA. Due to injuries sustained during Sheffield’s service, she has developed issues that affect her fertility, qualifying her for the VA’s medical requirements, however, after seeking VA IVF services, she was denied due to being married to a woman.

“Like so many LGBTQ+ veterans, I honorably served in the Armed Forces, and I earned the health benefits that millions of veterans enjoy,” Sheffield said. “I’m shocked and disappointed that the VA is denying me and other veterans IVF benefits because we’re in same-sex marriages. We are entitled to equal treatment, and we should no longer be treated as second-class citizens.”

Sheffield’s case is not a singular experience, Lindsay Church, a non-binary NOW-NYC member, shared their experience in a statement at the press conference.

“My service came with severe injuries, leaving me disabled and unable to carry a child due to extensive damage to my ribs, sternum, spine, and torso,” Church wrote. “Despite my service-connected disability, my spouse and I do not have access to vital fertility treatments, such as IVF, because my disabilities are not to my reproductive system, and we are in a same-sex marriage.”

The VA only started providing IVF services in 2017, but with restrictions on who was covered delineated by Congress. Under pressure from rights advocates, VA has looked at loosening the rules but says Congress would have to enact the reforms. VA included such language in its 2023 budget plan, which would provide IVF to veterans who are single and in same-sex relationships, but the policy was not passed.

“We appreciate the VA’s proposal, but to our knowledge that budget proposal has not gone anywhere in this Congress,” said Yael Caplan, a representative from Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic. “So, if this Administration wants to stop unlawful discrimination, they can do so and stop enforcing these harmful conditions.”

NOW-NYC seeks revisions to this policy which include providing IVF services to same-sex couples, individuals who are single and access for individuals whose infertility has not been directly diagnosed as a result of military service.

The lawsuits specifically ask for the court to dismiss the requirements of marriage, the requirements to provide a sperm and an egg and the requirements that infertility be due to military services, citing these issues as discriminatory provisions.

“Ten years ago, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act because that heinous law treated same-sex marriages as invalid and dehumanized LGBTQ+ people,” said Michael Stefanilo Jr., a partner who leads the LGBTQ+ Civil Rights practice at the Boston location of Brody Hardoon, Perkins, & Kesten, LLP. “There is no excuse for the VA breathing new life into the bigotry that LGBTQ service members and veterans have faced for hundreds of years.”

The Army’s internal auditors will review whether officials at five installations correctly docked meal allowances from soldiers during field training events this year, according to an internal announcement reviewed by Army Times.

At stake is roughly $15 per field day for a typical enlisted soldier, and troops interviewed by Army Times were furious that the service is “counting pennies,” as one characterized the audits.

The audits, conducted by the Army Audit Agency, will check basic allowance for subsistence — or BAS — deductions from May and June at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Cavazos, Texas; Fort Drum, New York; Fort Carson, Colorado; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

BAS, according to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and Army regulations, is a monthly payment between $311 and $905 based on rank and availability of cooking facilities, intended to “partially offset” the costs of service members’ meals. Although virtually all troops beyond those in initial training receive BAS, many barracks-dwelling members must pay equivalent mandatory meal card charges.

Under the same regulations, though, units must deduct soldiers’ BAS on a day-for-day basis when they attend field exercises and eat “Government-provided” meals. The deductions add up, and can tear a hole in a soldier’s budget amid widespread food insecurity in the ranks.

Bryce Dubee, a spokesperson for the Army, said the audits are a “follow-up…to previous audits conducted on meal collection for field training” that indicated significant “non-compliance” with the deduction policy.

Although Dubee said the Army’s new HR platform, the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army, did not inspire the audit, the platform was highlighted in the internal announcement. The new program changed long-standing processes for BAS deductions.

According to the regulation governing Army audits, such efforts identify areas where improvements can be made, make recommendations to solve problems, and identify “potential monetary benefits” in cases of financial loss. The internal auditors often review complex or new pay-related programs. Last year, the agency found an experimental recruiting performance bonus program may have overpaid recruiters by nearly $500,000.

Before the new HR platform debuted, the deductions would occur after lower-level commanders submitted field exercise rosters to finance offices. According to an internal control checklist, division-level units are typically responsible for ensuring their units impose BAS collections in line with DoD directives and Army policy.

On social media forums devoted to the Army, soldiers discussed the pending audits and openly wondered if they’d see missed deductions retroactively applied as debt on their paystubs. In an email to Army Times, Dubee said the audits are focused on “process and compliance” rather than clawing back money from soldiers.

One former infantry NCO who spoke with Army Times, requesting anonymity because he isn’t authorized to speak to media, suggested responsibility for any mistakes should fall on administrative personnel rather than individual soldiers.

But the NCO, now a cyber warfare soldier, also questioned the practice of deducting the meal allowance during field training altogether.

Army regulations governing the allowance explicitly state BAS “is not intended to offset the costs of meals for family members.” But many military families try — and fail — to qualify for food assistance programs, and even the Pentagon’s new “basic needs allowance” for hungry families is not working as intended.

“If you’re an E4 and married, that’s an extra [$450] a month,” the cyber NCO said. “You want to tell the guy, ‘Hey, I know you’re in the field away from your family, and we fed you MREs, but we’re gonna completely wreck your budget this month and you just have to suffer.’”

Another soldier, an NCO stationed in Georgia, acknowledged the allowance is technically only intended for the soldier, but argued that “BAS is a vital part of [most service members’] monthly budget, especially with the current high inflation rates.”

In a text message to Army Times, he argued the service “should not be doing BAS deductions for field time…rations should be included in the training budget.”

Currently, it’s not clear whether the audits will expand to other installations should this round uncover widespread deduction failures. Dubee said the auditors “will make this determination.”

The purpose of the mandatory leave is to give soldiers an opportunity to rest and recuperate from the stress of military service, according to a June 22 memo by the base’s commanding general, Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III. Soldiers will be able to use the time to take a well-deserved break to rest and relax. Isenhower said in the memo that the Army hopes the move will improve soldiers’ resiliency and allow them to return to duty recharged and ready for action.

“Resilient soldiers are ready soldiers. I expect all ranks to use leave to build resilience,” Isenhower wrote. “Take well-deserved time off to recharge and to invest in relationships with family and friends. Remember, to the Army we are replaceable. To our family and friends, we are not. Take leave. Strengthen your social networks. Build personal resilience. Return ready to fight.”

The leave is mandatory for all uniformed personnel permanently assigned to Fort Bliss and can be either taken in bulk or spread out throughout the fiscal year. It will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2023.

The message behind the move is one that’s often echoed by rank-and-file soldiers across the force: Leave, when you can take it, is good for morale.

“During his first year of command, [Maj. Gen.] Isenhower assessed the climate of readiness and resilience at Fort Bliss,” Maj. Jessica Rovero said in a statement to Army Times. “He believes taking leave is a major component of building and maintaining resilience and wanted to underscore this obligation as the senior installation commander. This policy is his way of leveraging his role and authority to make it abundantly clear that leave is not merely a convenient benefit but also a critical component to building soldier readiness and resilience.”

According to a 2021 study published in the National Library of Medicine, greater unit support, marital satisfaction, and psychological hardiness produced soldiers with less anger, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. With this new mandatory leave, the Defense Department and the Army seem to be hoping that it will help them achieve increased work performance from their troops and stronger personal resilience.

The policy memo from Isenhower states that exceptions to this leave can be granted on a case-by-case basis by brigade commanders or the first O-6 in a soldier’s chain of command. However, this authority to make exceptions may not be further delegated.

“This policy is consistent with DoD and Army regulations and focuses on caring for our soldiers and families at Fort Bliss. It does not create any new administrative requirements for soldiers to take leave,” Rovero said. “It does not add an administrative burden on the chain of command, as our recent implementation of [Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army] makes leave expenditure for any unit a simple query pull, far easier than previous processes. Though it mandates 14 days of leave for every soldier, the timing of leave remains subject to mission requirements. Understanding that each Soldier and their family are different and may have good reasons to accrue leave, [Maj. Gen.] Isenhower delegated authority to O-6 commanders to approve exceptions to this policy.”

This policy comes after the Army rolled out a new human resources platform in December, articulating more transparency and fewer administrative burdens for soldiers. With this platform, soldiers can now make and track their own requests for leave, though as Army Times previously reported, some soldiers have complained of unit leaders going out of their way to inject bureaucratic barriers into the process.

Still, mandating leave for soldiers ranks among one of the better versions of “mandatory fun” out there.

More than 150 aircraft will take part, in all 50 states, to pay tribute to the first successful air refueling on June 27, 1923, 20 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, according to the National Museum of the Air Force. On that day, Army Air Service 1st Lts. Virgil Hine and Frank Seifert, flying a DH-4B — a two-seat, single-engine World War I biplane observation and bomber aircraft — passed gasoline through a gravity hose to another DH-4B piloted by Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter, accomplishing the first aerial refueling.

While the original mission of air refueling remains the same today, it is now done on a global scale. The flyovers Tuesday are one piece of the Air Mobility Command’s “100 Years of Air Refueling” campaign, created to educate the public about the vital role that AMC and air refueling plays in supporting the U.S. military.

“Air refueling propels our Nation’s air power across the skies, unleashing its full potential,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, the head of Air Mobility Command. “It connects our strategic vision with operational reality, ensuring we can reach any corner of the globe with unwavering speed and precision. Air refueling embodies our resolve to defend freedom and project power, leaving an indelible mark on aviation history.”

In the Chicago area, at least two KC-135 Stratotankers from the Illinois Air National Guard’s 126th Air Refueling Wing and the Air Force’s 906th Air Refueling Squadron will fly over parts of the state beginning with a scheduled 10:22 a.m. flyover in Springfield.

They will then head to Gurnee’s Six Flags Great America, Evanston’s Baha’i House of Worship and Northwestern University, and Chicago’s Navy Pier between 11:04 and 11:13 a.m.

The aircraft will then head south along the Mississippi River, reaching St. Louis’ Gateway Arch at approximately 12:10 p.m.

In New York and New Jersey, the flyover will begin with one KC-135, 8 KC-46s and 6 C-17s departing from the 305th Air Mobility Wing out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The route of flight will be visible from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania landmarks. There will be two formations flying the route, approximately 20 minutes apart.

New York

• Ithaca, 1:23 p.m.
• Buffalo, 1:43 p.m.
• Niagara, 1:51 p.m.
• Rochester, 2:01 p.m.
• Syracuse, 2:14 p.m.
• Albany, 2:34 p.m.

New Jersey

• Asbury Park, 1:03 p.m.
• Barnegat Light, 1:10 p.m.
• Atlantic City, 1:17 p.m.
• Cape May, 1:25 p.m.
• Philadelphia Airport, 1:42 p.m.

In Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, the flyovers will begin at Key Field Air National Guard Base in Meridian, Mississippi.

• Threefoot Hotel in Meridian, 9:15 a.m.
• Pascagoula, 9:45 a.m
• Waveland, 10:00 a.m
• The Vidalia Bridge, 10:30 a.m.
• Vicksburg National Military Park, 10:40 a.m.
• Mississippi State Capitol, 10:50 a.m.
• Arkansas Razorback Stadium, 11:55 a.m.
• Fort Smith, 12:10 p.m.
• Arkansas State Capitol, 12:30 p.m
• USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, 1:40 p.m.
• The Super Dome/Jackson Square, 1:55 p.m.

In Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. the 6th and 927th Air Refueling Wings will fly out of MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa.

Florida

• Cape Coral Bridge, Fort Meyers, 11:15 a.m.
• Tallahassee, 11:30 a.m.
• Key West, 11:45 a.m.
• Miami Beach, 12:20 p.m.
• South Palm Beach, 12:30 p.m.
• Tidal Cove Beach, Sebastian, 12:50 p.m.
• Interstate 4/Hwy 98 Intersection, Lakeland, 1:10 p.m.
• Skyway Bridge, St. Petersburg, 1:25 p.m.
• University of Florida Stadium, Gainesville, 2:40 p.m.
• Ocala, 2:45 p.m.
• Busch Gardens, Tampa, 3:00 p.m.

Georgia

• Georgia State Capitol, Atlanta, 12:30 p.m.
• Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, 1:00 p.m.

South Carolina

• South Carolina Capitol, Columbia, 1:15 p.m.
• Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, Charleston, 1:40 p.m.

In Alaska, the Air National Guard’s 168th Wing, will conduct KC-135 Stratotanker flyovers across the state starting at approximately 10:30 a.m. Times are listed on the wing’s Facebook Page.

The Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing will be flying over Sioux City at 9:50 a.m., West Lake Okoboji at 12:35 p.m. and Jack Trice Stadium in Ames at 12:55 p.m.

Iowa’s guard will also be flying over South Dakota and North Dakota. For South Dakota, check out the state capitol in Pierre at 10:25 a.m., the Badlands at 9:40 a.m., Mount Rushmore at 9:50 a.m. and Sioux Falls at 12:20 p.m.

For North Dakota, be at Theodore Roosevelt National Park at 10:20 a.m. and the state capitol in Bismarck at 11:40 a.m.

In Michigan, aircraft of the 127th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Bse will be participating. The approximate times:

• Blue Water Bridge, Port Huron, 10:20 a.m.
• Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and downtown Alpena, 10:40 a.m.
• Mackinac Bridge and Mackinaw City, 10:50 a.m.
• Sleeping Bear Dunes area near Maple City, 11:15 a.m.
• Downtown Grand Rapids, 11:45 a.m.
• Battle Creek Air National Guard Base and Battle Creek, 11:55 a.m.
• The Michigan State Capitol and downtown Lansing, 12:05 p.m.
• The Detroit River, 12:30 p.m.
• Selfridge Air National Guard Base, 12:35 p.m.

The Utah Air National Guard will perform flyovers across Utah, starting with an appearance over Utah State University at 9:40 a.m. and ending over Park City at 12:09 p.m.

For more details, check out your local news outlets or the Facebook pages of nearby Air Force and Air National Guard bases.

Citizens are encouraged to come out, watch and enjoy the show.