4th US Soldier's Body Recovered from Lithuanian Swamp

The body of the fourth U.S. soldier who vanished along with three others last week in Lithuania was recovered Tuesday, the Army announced, bringing to a close an exhaustive search following the sinking of a 70-ton M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle into a quagmire of mud and water.

The Army has not released the names of the soldiers pending notification of the next of kin. The bodies of the other three soldiers were recovered Monday.

Democratic Senator Is Putting Holds on VA Nominees to Protest Trump's Plans to Cut Its Workforce

WASHINGTON | Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego announced Tuesday he will block the confirmation of top leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs, raising the stakes in Democrats' bid to get the Trump administration to back off plans to cut jobs from the sprawling agency that serves millions of military veterans.

Gallego, a Democrat and Marine Corps veteran, made the announcement just hours before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs was scheduled to hear testimony from three nominees for the VA who are military veterans themselves. It marked a significant escalation in the Democrat's effort to counter President Donald Trump's plans to slash federal agencies and a sharply partisan move on a committee that has often been marked by cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.

Military Bonuses Would Be Tax Exempt Under Bill from House Republican

Under a bill introduced in the House on Tuesday, bonuses for enlisting and reenlisting in the military would be tax-exempt.

The bill, from Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., would afford all service members the same tax benefits as troops deployed to combat zones, who don't have to pay taxes on bonuses or other income they receive while deployed.

"Military service members raise their right hands to defend our country and, in return, they deserve to keep every cent of the bonus they earn," Mast, an Army veteran who lost both of his legs while serving in Afghanistan, said in a statement. "This bill removes the unfair tax burden that has long affected military bonuses and keeps hard-earned money in the pockets of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Guardians."

The tax exemption in Mast's bill would broadly apply to any "enlistment, accession, reenlistment, retention, incentive or other bonus paid ... to a member of the armed forces of the United States in exchange for the agreement of the member to accept a commission as an officer, extend an active service commitment as an officer, enlist, reenlist or extend an enlistment as an enlisted member in an active or reserve component, or enter into a reserve affiliation agreement," according to a copy of the bill text shared with 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Defense News ahead of its public release.

Under current law, most military allowances, such as the Basic Allowance for Housing, are tax-exempt. But other pay, including bonuses, is taxable income.