Archived Military Matters
The About.com U.S. Military Newsletter
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MILITARY MATTERS
Newsletter #34
1/17/00
Howdy all, and welcome to the 34th edition of Military Matters, the newsletter for About.com's U.S. Military Information Page. If you need information about anything concerning the Military, please try http://usmilitary.about.com. If you know anyone who is interested in military matters, please feel free to email them a copy of this newsletter.
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http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/pages/mmail.htm.
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** SPECIAL EVENT ** Join us for a special chat event with Vietnam War Hero and best-selling military author Dale Dye on Thursday, Jan 20, at 9:00 PM (EST), 6:00 PM (PST).
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/bldaledye.htm
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Last Poll: Should U.S. Military Forces be Used for "Preemptive" Strikes on Known Terrorist Locations? 74 Percent of you said, "Yes - We need to strike before they do.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=801.1
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This Issue's Poll: Should the U.S. establish a civilian-manned, "World Police Force?" (Yes - It would help relieve the burden on the military, or No - We're already involved too much in peacekeeping).
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=833.1
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NEWS AND COMMENTARY:
To read the full stories, click on the link below. If you are not a member of our Forum, and don't wish to join, you may still read the story by clicking on "Enter as a Guest" when you see the login screen. You can join very easily at: http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/membership/join.htm Members, of course, may post responses to any of these story items.
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Marine Commandant Stood Tall: Last Friday the Marine Corps laid to rest at Arlington one of its finest commandants, Gen. Leonard F. Chapman Jr. Those who are privileged to wear the Marine uniform owe a lasting debt to him for his leadership during one of the most difficult periods of the modern era.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=832.1
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National Guard to Form Terrorist Response Teams: WASHINGTON - The National Guard will begin building rapid-response teams in 16 more states to fill a hole in the nation's shield against domestic terrorist attacks.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=831.1
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Soldier Charged in Rape, Slaying of Kosovo Girl: VITINA, Yugoslavia -- A U.S. soldier serving with the international peacekeeping force in eastern Kosovo was charged Sunday with sexually assaulting and killing an 11-year-old ethnic Albanian girl, the U.S. military announced.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=815.1
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Military Sends Condolences to Family of Slain Girl: VITINA, Yugoslavia - The top U.S. military official in Kosovo sent his condolences to the family of an 11-year-old ethnic Albanian girl who was sexually assaulted and killed, allegedly by an American soldier serving in Kosovo.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=829.1
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Who Killed Arkan?: Whoever killed Serbian warlord Zeljko Raznatovic (better known as Arkan) on Saturday wanted it to look like a mob hit. "But there's only one serious organized crime family in Serbia, and it's headed by Milosevic," says TIME Central Europe bureau reporter Dejan Anastasijevic. "Arkan was a member, and he did a lot of dirty work for Milosevic.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=823.1
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GAO Finds Problems with AF Agent Orange Study: SAN DIEGO -- A federal agency has found numerous problems in an Air Force study on the health effects of Agent Orange, the controversial herbicide used during the Vietnam War.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=822.1
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Real Cops as "World Police?": The Clinton administration doesn't want the U.S. to become the world's policeman. But it wouldn't mind having world cops. Floating around the White House is a proposal by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that would have the U.N. set up a standby force of several thousand policemen, who would rush into war-torn areas to keep law and order.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=820.1
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DODS Looking for More Teachers: ARLINGTON, Va. -- The agency that administers DoD schools on military bases overseas is about to make it easier for spouses of military service members to get teaching jobs. Beginning April 1, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools will accept teacher certifications from individual states, said Ray Tolleson, interim director of the DoD Education Agency. DoDEA operates both overseas and domestic DoD schools.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=817.1
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CW Contamination Unlikely at Nasiriyah: The Department of Defense today released its final report of events at the An Nasiriyah Southwest Ammunition Storage Point. The report, first published in July 1998, found it "unlikely" that chemical agents were released during the aerial bombardment and subsequent ground demolition activities at An Nasiriyah, Iraq.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=816.1
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Gun Maker Says "No" to Gun Shows: DENVER -- The nation's largest gun manufacturer has begun instructing distributors not to sell its firearms at gun shows, apparently the first policy of its kind, The Denver Post reported Saturday.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=814.1
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Future of Missile Defense Program Rests on Tests: WASHINGTON (AP) - If all goes as planned Tuesday, a 121-pound "smart rock" will steer itself into the path of a mock warhead about 140 miles above the central Pacific Ocean. It will create a celestial collision the military hopes will give its multibillion-dollar national missile defense project a big boost. Or maybe not.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=830.1
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Chinese Programmer Sentenced: DAYTON, Ohio -- A Chinese programmer convicted of gaining unauthorized access to an Air Force computer was sentenced Friday to four months in prison.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=824.1
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Just Following Orders, Sir!" Last March a $45 million Global Hawk ummanned Drone on a simulated mission surprised its manned F-16 chase plane by rolling onto its back at 400 mph, diving and smashing into the California desert. An investigation found that the plane had even prepared to die: It shut its engine down, erased classified computer data and set its flaps for a death spiral. Turns out it was just following orders.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=819.1
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Army After Next: The Army After Next ideas may empower U.S. soldiers, giving them better armor, smart weapons, better sensors and more tactical information. In the Battle of Gettysburg, 165,000 Union and Confederate soldiers battled in 1863. Today, the Army would need 400 men to win the day. A single squad of 11 Army After Next soldiers - able to call on airborne cameras and sensors, and smart missiles alongside their own high-tech capabilities - could hold that same battlefield.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=810.1
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Army Investigates Apache Flight Control System: DAYTON, Ohio -- The U.S. Army has launched a special investigation into a complex flight-control system suspected in more than 60 aviation incidents involving Apache helicopters, including a fatal crash last year near Kosovo that helped ignite a national debate over the readiness of the Apache fleet.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=809.1
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Russian Bombs Rain on Checknya: GROZNY, Russia -- Russian warplanes circled incessantly over Chechnya's capital yesterday, showering bombs on Grozny as the military vowed to step up its weeks-long effort to penetrate the city's centre.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=828.1
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Special Forces to Protect G.I. In P.I.: Crack assault troops and police will soon be deployed in red-light districts of Angeles City in the Phillipines to protect visiting US troops. Officials of Angeles City in Pampanga, southwest of Manila, fear communist hit squads could target US troops to gain publicity.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=827.1
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What Happens When you Ignore your Military?: The mighty Red Army that many once feared could roll across the plains of northern Europe today cannot even contain an insurgency within its own borders.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=811.1
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Marine Accused of Attempted Rape in Okinawa:: A U.S. Marine has been arrested and accused of trying to rape a Japanese woman at a disco on the Japanese island of Okinawa, police said. Lance Cpl. Oswald McDonald, 29, dragged the woman into a corner of the disco Friday and attempted to sexually assault her, a spokesman for the Okinawa Prefectural police said.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=826.1
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AF Pilot Charged for Refusing Vaccine: DOVER, Del. -- A decorated pilot believed to be the highest ranking Air Force officer to refuse the anthrax vaccine was charged Friday with disobeying an order.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=825.1
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Ex School Superintendent Charged for False Medals: PANTHER VALLEY, NY - Former Panther Valley School District Superintendent Raymond E. Aucker faces a Feb.11 arraignment in federal court in WilkesBarre on a charge of falsifying his military records to show he had received medals and awards. The U.S. attorney general on Jan. 6 filed papers in U.S. District Court, Scranton, charging Aucker with changing his Navy discharge papers to include the Vietnam Campaign Medal and Service Ribbon, a Purple Heart and a Navy SEAL medal that doesn't exist.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=812.1
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The McCain Mutiny: Call it the McCain Mutiny. Some veterans are causing problems for John McCain with his most crucial constituency. As South Carolina's Feb. 19 primary approaches, Bush's soldiers are doing their best to convince veterans that McCain isn't conservative enough for them. The charge is questionable. But, ominously for McCain, it appears to be sticking.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=821.1
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DOD to Fix TriCare Woes: WASHINGTON -- Complaints about TRICARE have not fallen on deaf ears. Defense leaders say they have heard about service members' frustrations, and plans are under way to fix the system.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=818.1
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Iran Might Have Nukes: WASHINGTON - In a sharp departure from its previous assessment of Iran's nuclear capacity, the Central Intelligence Agency has told senior Clinton administration officials that Iran might now be able to make a nuclear weapon, according to several United States officials.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=813.1
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DO YOU HAVE A MILITARY WEB SITE? If so, and you would like to make a little money, plus give your viewers access to the latest and greatest in military information, About.com will pay you for traffic you drive to the About.com U.S. Military Web Site. Details are at:
http://affiliates.about.com
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LINK OF THE WEEK: Income Tax information for active duty military, retirees, and Veterans.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/taxes/bltax-menu.htm
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CHAT: Dennis Fauchier (DennisHOST) will be hosting General Military Chats every Saturday from 6:00 PM (EST) to 7:00 PM (EST) and every Wednesday from 12:00 PM (EST) to 1:00 PM (EST). Edward Hanrahan (AssassinHOST) will host every Saturday night from 9:00 PM (EST) to 1:00 AM (EST).
http://usmilitary.about.com/mpchat.htm (<A HREF=" http://usmilitary.about.com/mpchat.htm">AOL Link</A>)
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MILITARY HUMOR: A D.I.'s Rules to Date His Daughter:
Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.
Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.
Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose his compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.
Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.
Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."
Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.
Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?
Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.
Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. On issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.
Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.
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With those words of wisdom, I once again leave you.,
Rod Powers
About.com's U.S. Military Information Site
