Beth Ford Roth

There are an estimated 1.8 million female veterans in the United States right now. Roughly 25,000 of them live in San Diego County. Women leaving the service have unique needs, and the Department of Veterans Affairs is working to keep up with those challenges.

Navy Lt. Leonard Robinson, 29, died December 15 of non-combat related injuries while home on leave in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Department of Defense has not given further details as to the circumstances leading to his death.

Starting January 1, the Marine Corps will require random Breathalyzer tests for troops. A December 12 Corps memo announced the Alcohol Screening Program, or ASP, to make sure Marines aren't drinking while on duty.

The Pentagon announced the deaths of three soldiers last week due to violence in Afghanistan. Army Staff Sgt. Nelson D. Trent, 37, died December 13 and Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari, 39, died December 14 in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Reid, 26, died December 13 in Landstuhl, Germany from wounds suffered in Afghanistan on December 9.

The death of Camp Pendleton Marine Sgt. Michael J. Guillory, 28, is under investigation, according to the Department of Defense. Guillory died December 14 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

A winning lottery ticket - to the tune of $170,827 - bought at Naval Base San Diego in September still has not been claimed. The folks at the California Lottery say it's been three months since the winning Mega Millions numbers were drawn, and the winning ticket buyer has just three months left to claim the money before that cash gets transferred to California's public schools.