Not their job: Turning Afghanistan’s special forces into regular troops; U.S. military prepares for a sprawling response at home to Hurricane Matthew; Dozens of Afghan soldiers have gone AWOL in the U.S. in the past two years; Pentagon investigators cite Ash Carter’s former military aide for nightclub visits, ‘improper’ interactions with women; Veterans Affairs will begin covering IVF and adoption costs for wounded veterans;   A military blog by Dan Lamothe   Not their job: Turning Afghanistan’s special forces into regular troops A short bloody fight in Helmand province. By Thomas Gibbons-Neff  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   U.S. military prepares for a sprawling response at home to Hurricane Matthew The storm could wallop nearly a dozen military installations. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more »   Dozens of Afghan soldiers have gone AWOL in the U.S. in the past two years The disappearances come as the Afghan military faces desertion problems at home. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more »   Pentagon investigators cite Ash Carter’s former military aide for nightclub visits, ‘improper’ interactions with women An IG report said Lewis drank too much in public and engaged in "improper interactions with females" by drinking and socializing too closely with subordinates. By Craig Whitlock  •  Read more »   Veterans Affairs will begin covering IVF and adoption costs for wounded veterans After a long fight, the Department of Veterans Affairs is now allowed to pay for in vitro fertilization and adoption for combat-wounded troops who are no longer able to conceive naturally because of blast injuries. By Emily Wax-Thibodeaux  •  Read more »   Soldier killed in Afghanistan was a Green Beret fighting against the Islamic State Staff Sgt. Adam S. Thomas, 31, died in Nangarhar province. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   WorldViews Important stories from around the world, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Checkpoint:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Checkpoint or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071