Military.com

The Department of Veterans Affairs has released its annual 32-page Veterans Day resource guide for teachers, youth leaders and community organizations. The document covers the holiday's history, lesson plans and age-appropriate student activities, flag etiquette, information on military awards like the Medal of Honor, and a directory of veterans organizations. It also includes the official national Veterans Day poster and ceremony templates for local tributes.

Veterans Day, observed each Nov. 11, began as Armistice Day in 1919 and was renamed in 1954 under President Eisenhower. President Trump is set to mark the day with a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, as veterans nationwide can access discounts with proof of service.

New York City's Department of Homeless Services has withdrawn from the VA's Grant and Per Diem program, which has funded transitional housing for more than 200 veterans at the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence in Long Island City for nearly two decades. The withdrawal took effect Oct. 1, at the start of a new federal fiscal year and grant cycle, creating uncertainty over continued federal support for the shelter.

The city and the VA offer conflicting accounts of what happened. DHS says the VA offered only about 30% of its previous funding and attached conditions tied to Trump administration executive orders that it claims would have required discriminating against transgender veterans. The VA disputes that characterization as false, saying it could not justify a larger award after evaluating the facility, which has faced longstanding complaints over overcrowding, violence and mismanagement, some now part of a federal lawsuit against the city and its nonprofit operator. DHS says services remain uninterrupted under the city's right-to-shelter mandate, but how lost transitional funding and support services will be replaced remains unresolved.

The Department of Defense has confirmed the non-hostile death of a U.S. Army officer supporting operations tied to the ongoing war with Iran. A defense official told Task & Purpose the female soldier, over 35, died after a medical incident aboard a military flight bound for Saudi Arabia; the Pentagon logged the death as "undetermined" in its casualty system without releasing her identity.

The war, which began in late February, has disrupted energy markets and pushed up U.S. oil prices, with no resolution in sight. President Trump told the UN General Assembly this week he faces a choice between a peace deal or further military escalation against Iran, while defending the conflict and pressing allies for economic isolation of Tehran; Iran's delegation walked out during his remarks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump remains open to meeting Iran's president.

The Pentagon puts total U.S. military deaths in the conflict at 19, with over 800 wounded, though the Washington Post has reported at least 22 fatalities, a figure the Pentagon disputes.