Archived Military Matters
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MILITARY MATTERS
Newsletter #41
2/10/00
Howdy all, and welcome to the 41st 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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Last Poll: Do You Think it's a Good Idea to Recruit High School Dropouts? This vote was *VERY* close. 51 percent said, Yes - Everyone Deserves a 2nd Chance; and 49 percent said, No - If you can't hack high school, you can't hack the Military.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1064.1
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This Issue's Poll: Should Women be Required to Register for Selective Service (The Draft)? Yes - True equality requires this; or No - The military won't need additional women during combat.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1109.1
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NEWS AND COMMENTARY:
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San Diego gets 2 More Carriers: The Navy has rendered a verdict on where its Pacific coast carriers will be homeported. And the winners are: San Diego and Everett, Wash. Two more nuclear carriers, the Nimitz and the Ronald Reagan, will join the John C. Stennis in San Diego. Up north, the carrier Abraham Lincoln will remain homeported at the naval station in Everett, Wash., rather than move to the Puget Sound naval shipyard in Bremerton, Wash.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1085.1
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New Lightweight Howitzer for Marines: The Corps' next lightweight howitzer has it all: more firepower, more accuracy, more mobility. The Lightweight 155 mm Howitzer, still under development, provides commanders increased flexibility to, from and on the battlefield without sacrificing the long-range firepower of the older, heavier cannons. The howitzer weighs in at 9,000 pounds -- 7,000 pounds lighter than the M-198.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1082.1
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Biological Defenses of the Future: WASHINGTON -- What if your red blood cells could be armed to fight off disease? What if one vaccine could protect you from a host of biological agents? What if you could purify a canteen of water in minutes?
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1080.1
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Russia-China Military Ties: BEIJING-China's purchase of two $800 million, Russian-built destroyers, the first of which sailed through the Strait of Taiwan this week en route to a Chinese naval base, highlights a blossoming military relationship between Moscow and Beijing that is raising concerns in Asia and the West.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1098.1
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French Cowards?: KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Yugoslavia -United Nations policemen led by a veteran officer from Midland, Tex., charged into a jeering, chanting Serbian mob in this city in northern Kosovo last Thursday night, trying to reach several colleagues and ethnic Albanians who were under siege in an apartment building. When one of the Serbs struck the lead officer in the back with a wooden stick, knocking him to the ground, the officer turned around, expecting to see French peacekeeping soldiers charging to his rescue. Instead, he saw their backs as they retreated toward two armored personnel carriers and a nearby apartment building, several officers said.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1096.1
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Training Turns into Real Thing: What started out as a search-and-rescue training run ended up as the real thing last month for a Coast Guard team in the waters off Honolulu, Hawaii.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1088.1
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Russians Bomb Rebel Hide-Outs: URUS-MARTAN, Russia -- Russian planes on Wednesday bombed Chechnya's southern mountains, where the main rebel forces are believed to be concentrated, while militants staged hit-and-run attacks on federal posts in Russian-controlled territories.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1078.1
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More on Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. and British warplanes killed three Iraqis and wounded eight others in an airstrike on southern Iraq on Wednesday, state-run television reported.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1075.1
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US Wants Europe to take its Share: With no end in sight to the violence in Kosovo, the Pentagon has begun efforts to relieve the pressure on US peacekeepers in the breakaway province. Defense Secretary William Cohen on Tuesday criticized Europe for not contributing enough money and civilian police to the region, where eight Kosovars were killed and more than 20 injured in rioting last week.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1074.1
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Deutch Volunteers to Give Up DOD Clearance: WASHINGTON - John Deutch, the former CIA director who lost his access to agency secrets last summer for violating security rules, volunteered Tuesday to give up his Defense Department industrial security clearances. Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said the clearances would be withdrawn.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1107.1
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Yugoslav Defense Minister Slain: VIENNA, Austria--A gunman firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle killed Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic as he dined in a Belgrade restaurant surrounded by military and secret-police buildings Monday night.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1106.1
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Prescription for Disaster: Besides Anthrax, there are suggestions that Iraq has produced other, as yet unidentified, agents of great significance. It has acknowledged production of three bacterial agents (Botulinum toxin, Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium perfringens) and is also known to have produced aflatoxin, a fungal toxin, and wheat smut, a fungal antiplant agent, as well as a plant-derived toxin, Ricin. Finally, Iraq carried on a research program on three reported viral agents: Infectious Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis virus (Enterovirus 70), Rotavirus, and Camel Pox.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1102.1
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Engineers Strike at Boeing: Unionized engineers and technicians struck the Boeing Co. over a new contract yesterday, threatening to disrupt the manufacturing of commercial aircraft at the world's largest aerospace company. Most of the strikers are in the company's Commercial Airplane Group, but some also support military aircraft and space businesses.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1101.1
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Green Eggs on Face: Alexander "Sandy" Vershbow, our ambassador to NATO, is asking for help on an important "issue . What's the issue? Well, it involves a request that the Military Budget Committe approve funding within the NATO Bosnia peacekeeping force budget "of a new psyops [psychological operations] project." A cloak and dagger operation? Not quite. This project is the publication and distribution of "Sneetches," a children's book written by Dr. Seuss. The text will be translated into Serbo-Croatian. The intent is that the message of living in harmony with others will be transmitted to children and their parents.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1099.1
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Army Shells Ranch House: The regular sounds of artillery training at Fort Hood, Texas, never bothered Becky Shoaf until the first 155 mm shell hit so close it rocked the walls of her house. "We were used to hearing artillery on the base ... it shakes the windows a little. But it felt like a vehicle had run into the house," said Shoaf, who survived an artillery barrage recently when an 155 mm Paladin howitzer accidentally fired a dozen live rounds at her family's 300-acre ranch.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1092.1
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Now, THAT'S a Recruiter!: When Tecora Holmes accompanied her daughter, Wynoka Grice, to the recruiting station to talk about Wynoka's enlistment, she walked in as just a mom. But after the recruiter asked, "Why aren't you joining the Navy as well?" Tecora hardly hesitated. When the mother and daughter walked out, they had both signed up to join Uncle Sam's Navy.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1086.1
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Most Navy Academy Grads get 1st Choice: Thanks to swelling ranks of fourth-year midshipmen, the Naval Academy this year will funnel more surface warfare officers, aviators and submariners to the fleet than last year. If graduation were to happen today, 935 seniors would fan out to 19 different communities, up from 879 one year ago. Of those 935 seniors, 92.4 percent are going to the community of their first choice.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1084.1
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Vietnam Vet Memorial Stamp: WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2000 -- The U.S. Postal Service recently unveiled a new Vietnam Veterans Memorial commemorative postage stamp to honor all veterans, particularly those who died in battle or are listed as missing. The 33-cent Vietnam Veterans Memorial stamp portrays a veteran touching "The Wall," where more than 58,000 names of those killed or listed as missing are inscribed on black granite. The stamp was illustrated by Robert Rodriguez of Pasadena, Calif., and designed by Carl Herrman of Carlsbad, Calif.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1079.1
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Military Love is Special: Loving a soldier takes something extra, and takes a lot out of you. As military spouses, as it is with wives of policemen, firemen and others, you become unflappable, somewhat of a superwoman. You have to be when you have to live with a cloud of daily uncertainty over your life. It makes you stronger and makes you grow up, whether you want it to or not. And you learn that love comes in a whole array of new forms.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1073.1
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Amn Faces Discharge After Twice Refusing Shots: An airman at RAF Mildenhall, England, who already lost two stripes for refusing his anthrax vaccination faces the possible end of his military career. Airman 1st Class Lee P. Quetel, a fuel specialist with the 100th Supply Squadron, said he was notified Jan. 28 that an administrative discharge board would be convened against him in March.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1094.1
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Bates Waives Article 32 Hearing: DOVER, Del. - An Air Force pilot who faces a possible court-martial for refusing to take the anthrax vaccine waived his right to a military hearing that was scheduled for yesterday at Dover Air Force Base. In a letter he sent to the Air Force officer who would have presided, Bates said he was waiving his right to the Article 32 hearing because he believed the Air Force was using the proceeding merely to publicize the safety of the vaccine.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1087.1
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Bush, McCain Step up Battles: ROCK HILL, S.C. -- With the Republican presidential race essentially down to a two-man contest, Gov. George W. Bush continued his attacks on Sen. John McCain' s fund-raising.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1077.1
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Pay Won't Solve Retention Problems: Nearly 1,000 troops from all the services were surveyed recently by the General Accounting Office in an attempt to determine why so many are getting out as soon as their service commitment is complete. It turns out that 62 percent of enlisted personnel and 40 percent of officers list a lack of cheese in field rations as their primary reason for hanging up the old BDUs. OK, I made up that last part. But it's as good a reason as any. The fact of the matter is that respondents to the poll listed dissatisfaction with "work circumstances" and not pay as the primary reason they plan to take a discharge after their current obligation is complete.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1091.1
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More Army Re-Enlistment Bonuses: The Selective Re-enlistment Bonus program has expanded again, bringing to more than 400 the number of re-up options with bonuses. There are 208 military occupational specialties in the regular and Targeted SRB programs. Within the eligibility list, there are a variety of re-enlistment options for specific installations and additional and special skills.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1090.1
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Navy Wants Control of Career Sea Pay: Navy leaders will gain the power to beef up Career Sea Pay for sailors willing to serve extended shipboard tours, if they get their way in the fiscal 2001 budget. Navy officials say they want to build on precedent-setting pay-and-benefits increases in last year's personnel budget by untying sea pay rates from limits now set by law. The proposal shifts control of Career Sea Pay rates from Congress and gives it to the secretary of the Navy, who would gain authority to pay hefty allowances to sailors willing to stay at sea beyond their normal tours.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1089.1
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Corps Lowers Promotion Standards to Captain: It used to be that the Marine Corps wanted not only fully qualified first lieutenants for promotion to captain, but also the best qualified of the bunch. In fiscal 2001, being qualified is good enough. The board will convene Feb. 29 in Quantico, Va., with orders to select every fully qualified first lieutenant for promotion to captain.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1083.1
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Bill to Restore Vet Health Benefits: WASHINGTON -- Contending it is time for the nation to start keeping its promises to military retirees, lawmakers pressed Wednesday for legislation to restore full health-care access for all retired career servicemen.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1076.1
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Hero Gets his Due: Alfred Rascon, a soft-spoken Army medic who saved his platoon during a hellish firefight in a Vietnamese jungle 34 years ago, was awarded the nation's highest honor yesterday by President Clinton at an emotional White House ceremony. The Howard County resident received the Medal of Honor as teary-eyed Army mates, who credit their lives to Rascon and fought for years to get him the honor, looked on.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1097.1
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Examining the Budget: WASHINGTON -- The $291.1 billion Pentagon budget proposed by the Clinton administration today not only reflects peacetime concerns about improving the lives of those who serve but also looks ahead to the challenges of a national antimissile defense and quick-and-dirty regional combat.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1108.1
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US Wants UN Force in Congo: UNITED NATIONS - After weeks of discussion on the many-sided war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Washington introduced a resolution to create a U.N. force of 5,537 and Wednesday was seeking funds to pay its share. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she expected to pay about $42 million toward the operation, which U.S. officials estimate will cost about $160 million in the first year.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1105.1
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More Oversight on Air Force One Flights: WASHINGTON - Safety investigators Wednesday urged the Federal Aviation Administration to strengthen oversight of presidential flights after analyzing a close encounter with two commercial aircraft near Washington's Reagan National Airport in 1998. In a letter to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended increased supervisory staffing at Reagan National and a requirement that supervisors always listen to radio traffic in addition to watching presidential flights on radar.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1104.1
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Aiding Columbia's War: THE REVOLUTIONARY Armed Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym FARC) have been fighting for power for nearly four decades. They have little support among Colombia's people, but thanks to payoffs from the drug producers they protect, the FARC has grown into a 15,000-man army equipped with the best weapons and communications technology money can buy--better, by and large, than the Colombian army has. Small wonder, then, that the FARC now controls nearly a third of the country, including a Switzerland-sized zone ceded by President Andres Pastrana--a token of negotiating good faith that the FARC has not seen fit to reciprocate.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1103.1
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Funding the Military: Prognostications are often ripe targets in Washington warfare, and this year long-term estimates of defense spending have proved more controversial than usual. Experts agree that defense spending is going to increase steeply over the next decade or so. The disagreements tend to be on how much. Two prominent think tanks have produced dueling analyses on the real costs of the military's current wish list. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) figures the Clinton administration's defense plan will cost more than $100 billion a year more than official estimates, while the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) calculates that the plan is off by only $50 billion a year.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1100.1
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Shades of Vietnam: Although President Clinton seems unaware of it, the $1.6 billion he is requesting to fight coca production in Colombia amounts to intervention in another country's civil war. Neither the president nor the secretary of state has given the American people any coherent explanation of what is at stake in Colombia or of how massive military assistance can do anything but make matters worse.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1095.1
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AF Puts Finishing Touches on Don't Harass Policy: The Air Force still is putting the final touches on its "don't harass" policy and plans to issue new training guidelines for all airmen by late February or early March. In the meantime, airmen have received a letter from senior leadership re-emphasizing that "harassment, threats or ridicule of individuals or groups based upon their real or perceived differences, including sexual orientation," will not be tolerated.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1093.1
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Show me Your Tatoo: Want to be an officer? Before you're selected, the Marine Corps wants to see -- and judge -- your tattoos. Since January, enlisted Marines applying for warrant and commissioned officer selection boards must show commanders their tattoos and send pictures of the body art to the selection board. This prescreening, another means to enforce the Corps' tattoo policy, is designed to prevent Marines with inappropriate tattoos from being selected.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1081.1
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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: Veterans Education and Training. The Labor Department's brand new Site to assist military veterans with employment issues.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/vets/
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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: Airman Jones was assigned to the induction center, where he advised new recruits about their government benefits, especially their GI insurance.
It wasn't long before Captain Smith noticed that Airman Jones had almost a 100% record for insurance sales, which had never happened before. Rather than ask about this, the Captain stood in the back of the room and listened to Jones's sales pitch.
Jones explained the basics of the GI Insurance to the new recruits, and then said: "If you have GI Insurance and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay $200,000 to your beneficiaries. If you don't have GI insurance, and you go into battle and get killed, the government only has to pay a maximum of $6000."
"Now," he concluded, "which bunch do you think they are going to send into battle first?"
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With those words of wisdom, I once again leave you.,
Rod Powers
About.com's U.S. Military Information Site
