Archived Military Matters
The About.com U.S. Military Newsletter
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MILITARY MATTERS
Newsletter #48
3/06/00
Howdy all, and welcome to the 48th 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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BACK-ISSUES: Back-issues of Military Matters are now available to read online at:
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/newsletters/blnewsletters.htm
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Last Poll: If China Attempts to Invade Taiwan, Should the U.S. Become Militarily Involved? 72 Percent of you said, "Yes."
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1348.1
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This Issue's Poll: Should High Schools which ban Military Recruiters Lose Federal Funding? Yes or No.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1474.1
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NEWS AND COMMENTARY:
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Pentagon going "all out" to Assist in Disney Movie: WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is going great guns to assist in filming Hollywood's newest potential blockbuster, "Pearl Harbor." In fact, the upcoming movie will get more cooperation from the U.S. military than any other film venture in about two decades, a spokesman at the Naval Sea Systems Command said this week.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1467.1
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Fort Bragg's New Commissary Almost Complete: Fort Bragg's new commissary is so large chairs will be placed at the end of the aisles for shoppers who need to take a rest. ''We'll have oxygen stations along the way,'' joked Dave Shaw, the commissary's store director. With an expected crowd of 3,500 customers a day -- bigger is better. The commissary, which is 93 percent completed, will be the largest in the Defense Commissary Agency, Shaw said. The building is about 45 percent larger than Fort Bragg's Main Commissary.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1463.1
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Army Cuts Maximum Deployment Time: WASHINGTON - The Army will apply a new policy limiting overseas duty to six months for members of the National Guard and Reserve to active-duty soldiers as well, a spokesman said Sunday.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1473.1
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Blue Angels Consider G-Suit Use: PENSACOLA - The Navy's air training chief has ordered the Blue Angels to look at wearing G-suits in the wake of an October crash that killed two of the precision flying team's pilots in Georgia. Rear Adm. Mike Bucchi told the Pensacola News Journal for Friday's editions that the Oct. 28 crash in Georgia led him to urge Blue Angels flight leader Cmdr. Patrick Driscoll to consider outfitting the team with the suits.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1465.1
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Services Not Uniform in Gay Harassment Training: WASHINGTON--In the next few months, every member of the armed forces, from private to general, is supposed to undergo instruction to stop harassment of gays in uniform. But the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have prepared widely differing, sometimes contradictory and often perfunctory lessons.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1462.1
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Accuser says she Repressed Some Memories: HURLBURT FIELD - A woman who says an Air Force rescue hero molested her when she was a child testified at his court-martial Friday that for years she suppressed some of her childhood memories. But the woman, 21, said photos and other mementos brought back "flashback memory" of groping and fondling by Col. James A. Sills, 48, originally from Fort Lauderdale.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1464.1
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Two Charges Reduced in Col Sills Case: HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - Two of several sexual misconduct charges against a U.S. air force rescue hero were reduced by a military judge after defence lawyers argued that prosecution witnesses failed to support the allegations.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1472.1
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Ex-Special Forces Sniper Arrested for Murder: A former Special Forces sniper suspected in the kidnapping and killing of his estranged wife and a string of other shootings and bombings in Mississippi and Tennessee was arrested Sunday in Lawrenceville, authorities said.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1461.1
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Soldier Sentenced to 56 Years for Murder: HILLSBORO, N.H. - A New Hampshire soldier has been sentenced to 56 years in prison for killing an Army policewoman in South Korea last August. Pvt. 1st Class Jacob Bowley of Hillsboro pleaded guilty to murder in the death of Sgt. 1st Class Jeanne Balcombe, the Concord Monitor reported Saturday.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1454.1
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Cow-Killer Sailors Avoid Prison: FALLON, Nev. -- Two former Navy airmen who shot to death eight pregnant cows in Nevada dodged stiff prison sentences after ranchers urged leniency. Joshua Osinski, 23, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Alan Peters, 21, of Coos Bay, Ore., faced up to 10 years in prison for killing the cows in September. At the time, the men were based at Lemoore, Calif., and had been training at Fallon Naval Air Station in Nevada. They were given less-than-honorable discharges after their arrest.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1453.1
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Rock Throwing Aftermath in Germany:: DARMSTADT, Germany - The deaths and charges have provoked a wave of guilt and bewilderment in this community of 7,000 Americans, many of whom wonder how such a tragedy could occur despite the extensive support systems designed for the families of U.S. service personnel. The tragedy also highlighted the peculiar self-imposed isolation in which American military personnel stationed here and elsewhere abroad often live.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1449.1
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First Online Voting Happens this Week: PHOENIX -- Virtual voting arrives this week, potentially making voting as simple as getting out of bed, firing up a computer and clicking on a presidential pick. But even some advocates of online voting have doubts about the way Arizona Democrats have organized the nation's first legally binding public election to allow Internet voting.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1471.1
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Democratic Fund Raiser Found Guilty: WASHINGTON -- A federal jury Thursday convicted a friend and political supporter of Vice President Al Gore for arranging more than $100,000 in illegal donations during the 1996 presidential campaign.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1446.1
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Gore Knew About Fund Raiser: LOS ANGELES -- For several years, Vice President Al Gore has maintained he knew little about the purpose of a 1996 luncheon in his honor at the Hsi Lai Buddhist temple that turned into an illegal money-laundering operation. But a growing body of documents shows that Gore would have had reason to believe the luncheon at a tax-exempt religious institution, which was attended by some of the Democratic Party's top fund-raisers, was for the purpose of raising political money.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1445.1
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Lockheed to Sell 80 F-16s to UAE: WASHINGTON -- The Lockheed Martin Corporation, the world's No. 1 military contractor, has signed a contract worth $6.4 billion to sell 80 advanced F-16 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, the company announced today from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1470.1
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Riding on Air: They call it a Landing Craft Air Cushion and it looks like something out of a science fiction movie or a Jules Verne novel. The LCAC on board the USS Tortuga, which is in port for Mardi Gras, is designed to carry up to 100 Marines and their gear off the ship to shore. In use, it rides four feet above the water on a cushion of air produced by four 63-inch diameter fans, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry Faircloth. The LCAC can travel at speeds up to about 50 mph.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1457.1
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Surfing the Web for Recruits: The high seas were not on his mind when Carlos Williams began surfing the Web for a job earlier this year. But after the 27-year-old Brooklynite submitted about 50 résumés on HotJobs.com, the most appealing response came from the Navy. An online recruiter told him that the Navy needed engineers and could provide money Williams needs to finish college. Williams had seen military recruiting ads before but says he "never really thought about joining the Navy." Now, he's nearly ready to enlist, unless his girlfriend talks him out of it.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1451.1
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U.S. Worried about Kosovo Border: RAGUE -- Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright said today that the United States is "very concerned" about growing tensions in the Presevo valley, the area of Serbia on the boundary with eastern Kosovo, and said she had spoken to Kosovo Albanian leaders to urge moderation.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1469.1
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Reserve Units to Defend Iceland: U.S. Army and Navy reservists were on hand at Ft. Devens in Ayer yesterday to announce the formation of a joint unit assigned to protect Iceland. The Iceland Defense Force Joint Reserve Unit will be overseen by Rear Admiral David Architzel of the U.S. Navy, commander in charge of defense operations in the tiny North Atlantic country.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1466.1
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US Troops Pitch in to Help Philipinos: ANISLAG, Philippines - U.S. soldiers pitched tent shelters Sunday to relieve overcrowding at evacuation centers where tens of thousands of people have been living to escape a volcano that began erupting last month. Disaster relief officials have been busy feeding more than 66,000 people and preventing diseases from spreading at the centers in the wake of a series of powerful eruptions by Mayon volcano, which remained relatively quiet for a fourth day Sunday.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1455.1
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U.S. Troops Arrive in Africa: Nearly 600 U.S. troops arrived in South Africa on Sunday to begin delivering food, medical supplies and tents. After a week in which more than 13,000 people were plucked from roofs, trees and utility poles by South African defense forces, Western countries on Sunday joined the final phase of the operation. Teams from Britain, Germany, Spain and France sent helicopters out on rescue missions, but with the floodwaters receding, relief workers said no more than 600 people remain marooned.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1447.1
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Troops Return from Venezuela: Their water purification mission over, 17 of 21 North Dakota Army National Guard soldiers will return from Venezuela next week, according to military officials. The 136th was among 400 U.S. service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard involved in Operation Fundamental Response, according to Marine Corps Capt. Jim Rich. The operation began on Dec. 17 and will end on Sunday.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1443.1
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China Threatens U.S. with Nuclear Attack: If the United States goes to the aid of Taiwan in the event of a mainland Chinese attack on the island, Beijing will be prepared to launch nuclear missiles at America if the situation warrants it, a Chinese Communist Party document warns.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1468.1
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31 Russian Troops Killed in Battle: MOSCOW - A top Russian commander said yesterday that Chechen rebels killed 31 Russian paratroopers in a gorge in southern Chechnya, in an upsurge of fierce fighting thwarting Russian attempts to subdue separatists in the region.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1460.1
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China Increases Defense Budget: BEIJING - Amid renewed tensions with Taiwan, China said Monday it will boost military spending by 12.7 percent this year. The spending hike for the People's Liberation Army - or PLA - the world's largest military, comes on top of an increase of the same percentage in last year's budget.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1459.1
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First "Eurocorps" Troops Arrive in Macedonia: SKOPJE, Macedonia - The first group of Kosovo-bound soldiers from Eurocorps, a four-nation European military grouping, arrived yesterday in Macedonia en route to the Serbian province. The 68 soldiers from France, Germany, Belgium and Spain are part of a 350-strong contingent of officers and troops that Eurocorps will provide to the NATO-led Kosovo peacekeeping mission headquarters. All four are also part of NATO.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1458.1
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Putin says Russia Should Join NATO: MOSCOW - Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an unexpected gesture to the West, suggested in a television interview today that Russia would consider joining NATO if the Western alliance agreed to treat Russia as an equal partner.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1452.1
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Pro-US Rally in P.R. Draws Thousands: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Waving U.S. flags and dancing to salsa tunes, tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans packed Old San Juan's tourist district to celebrate their relationship with the United States. Organizers called the rally an attempt to counter the ``separatist message'' sent to the United States by an 11-month battle to force the U.S. Navy out of its bombing range on the outlying island of Vieques.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1456.1
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Setting a Trap for Ourselves?: I often speak to military audiences about the future of conflict. Increasingly, the conflict of the future about which my listeners ask is the possibility of American military intervention in Colombia. Nothing so convinces soldiers of the inevitability of escalation as hearing their leaders make frequent promises to Congress that U.S. forces will not be required, if only military aid expands dramatically. When generals insist that "advisers" can handle the mission, Sergeant Rock starts packing his rucksack.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1450.1
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What's That, Flipper? You say Timmy Fell in a Well?: SITKA - As the Northern Edge 2000 military exercise moves to Southeast Alaska this week for naval training, among those taking part will be a pair of bottlenose dolphins. They are used by the military to locate underwater mines, lost swimmers and people missing in boating accidents.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1444.1
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AF Rescues 2 from British Tanker: VALDOSTA, Ga. -- Air Force personnel rescued two people from a ship hundreds of miles off the Atlantic coast after the men were injured in an accident that killed a member of their crew.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=1448.1
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LINK OF THE WEEK: Anthologies: Collection of stories written by current and former men & women of the military about serving our country.
http://www.webspawner.com/users/Anthologies/
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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 couple of memorable quotes:
"They're multipurpose. Not only do they put the clips on, but they take them off."
-Pratt & Whitney spokesperson explaining why the company charged the Air Force nearly $1,000 for a pair of pliers
It pays to haggle, but we should have gone back to Pratt & Whitney:
"What you're not recognizing is that the original proposal was significantly higher."
-U.S. Air Force major general, defending the purchase of a tool kit which included $1,496 pliers. Boeing's original asking price was $5,096.
For more military humor, check out the Military Humor Netlink on the About.com U.S. Military Site at
http://usmilitary.about.com/msubmenujokes.htm
A HREF="http://usmilitary.about.com/msubmenujokes.htm">(AOL Link)</A>
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With those words of wisdom, I once again leave you.,
Rod Powers
About.com's U.S. Military Information Site
