Fort Carson, Colorado will save money when Colorado Springs Utility takes over its electric and natural gas system next year, The Gazette reported. “We can use our bigger buying power and our labor and hopefully support them to help keep costs minimal,” the utility’s chief operations officer, Travas Deal, said about a new deal with the base. Col. Nate Springer, the base’s garrison commander, said the arrangement “immediately makes us more resilient.”…

Seven congressional Democrats from Maryland, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, have asked the National Guard inspector general to look into potential bias in the Maryland National Guard. “[W]e ask that you identify the root causes of any racial disparities in acceptance, dismissal and graduation rates of officer candidates,” they wrote in a March 18 letter. “We further request that you recommend corrective action based on any findings of your investigation.”…

The Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a new research center in Providence, Rhode Island by partnering with Brown University, AP reported. “From better patient outcomes to systemic changes, we’re continually pushing to improve VA access and services for our veterans, and this new facility is a vital part of that mission,” said Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.), an Army veteran.

Army photo from Fort Carson by Rick Emert