Archived Military Matters
The About.com U.S. Military Newsletter
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MILITARY MATTERS
Newsletter #56
5/01/00
Howdy all, and welcome to the 56th 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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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Surviving Boot Camp (Part III) - In Part III, we discuss Army Basic Training, which is conducted at several locations throughout the United States.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/weekly/aa043000a.htm
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Previous Poll: Should the U.S. use a Draft to help Alleviate Military Recruitment Problems? 50 percent said(A) Yes; 15 percent said (B) No; and 34 percent said (C) Only in times of war (current policy).
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/polls/bldraft.htm
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This Issue's Poll: How Should the U.S. Navy Integrate Women on Submarines? (A) They Shouldn't - Submarines should be an all-male force; (B) Convert Existing Subs - ($300,000 per female berth); (C) Establish an All-Female Submarine; (D) Build future submarines to include separate male/female berthing
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/polls/blsubs.htm
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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:
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The Reenlistment Crisis: Close to 200,000 people will voluntarily leave the armed forces this year, a significant, costly and increasing drain on military manpower with debilitating effects across all the services and at all levels of rank and experience. The exodus of experienced officers and enlisted personnel means that many more people must be recruited and trained, at a time when the military already has severe recruiting problems and training budgets are stretched to the breaking point.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2190.1
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Activists Stick to Vieques: VIEQUES, Puerto Rico --Two U.S. Navy warships approached Puerto Rico on Sunday as a handful of grandmothers, politicians, students and a Catholic bishop prepared to resist attempts to remove them from the Vieques target range. Activists warned the removal of protesters and possible arrests, expected as early as today, will only intensify the yearlong conflict.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2186.1
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Aids may Cause Future Wars: Convinced that the global spread of AIDS is reaching catastrophic dimensions, the Clinton administration has formally designated the disease for the first time as a threat to U.S. national security that could topple foreign governments, touch off ethnic wars and undo decades of work in building free-market democracies abroad.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2182.1
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Recruiting is getting Tougher Every Day: Recruiting has never been tougher, Defense Department officials say, as an increasing number of high school graduates have greater access to college and job opportunities in a robust economy. ``It is a very challenging recruiting climate,'' said Army Lt. Col. Catherine Abbott, Department of Defense spokeswoman. ``All services are working hard to reach their goal.'' The military is jumping online, revamping advertising campaigns and hiring young recruiters -- and more of them -- to get young people to join.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2171.1
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Clinton may Delay Missile Defense System Decision: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton may not decide until November whether to deploy a national missile defense system after having indicated earlier that a decision was due by late summer, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. Critical to whether the Pentagon will recommend that the United States deploy a national missile defense system will be a June test to see if a missile can hit a mock warhead.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2148.1
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Navy Vets Rushing to get back into Uniform: The red-hot civilian job market isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be. That's the implicit lesson behind the growing number of Navy veterans who are putting on their uniforms and returning to service. Recruiting officials say that 1,472 "Navets" and other-service veterans, or "Osvets," returned to the fold in the first six months of fiscal 2000, which started Oct. 1, 1999. That nearly matches the 1,852 recruited during all of fiscal 1999 and is more than three times the 528 recruited the first six months of the last fiscal year.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2131.1
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Fast Food is a Military Way of Life: It's almost mealtime. What to eat today? For Airman 1st Class John Raphael, a Laboratory Phase II student at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., it's simple. "My stomach starts talking," he says, then pauses as if listening. After a moment, he nods, having received his orders. "Today, it's telling me pizza." These days, "to go" and "fast" no longer apply just to fast-food restaurants. They apply as well to a smaller, busier military. The pace is hectic, the lunch/dinner break short. Many people lack the time, inclination or (for some barracks residents) facilities to prepare meals. So the Burger Kings, Subways, Pizza Huts and Taco Bells on or near military installations are getting more and more business.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2130.1
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National Guard takes Command in Bosnia: TUZLA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Texans, attitudes and all, have come to Bosnia in a big way. Since the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, small deployments of National Guard members from Alabama and elsewhere have been sent here to help enforce peace among previously warring ethnic factions. Now some 700 members of the 49th Armored Division of the Texas National Guard have assumed "command and control" of the U.S. sector of the NATO peacekeeping operation in Bosnia. It is, as Mendez felt compelled to point out to a non-Texan visitor, "a history-making rotation." Not since Korea has a National Guard division been given headquarters command over active duty U.S. troops.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2189.1
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Remains of Downed US Jet Found in Bosnia: SARAJEVO -- (Reuters) NATO-led peacekeepers said on Friday they had found the wreckage of a U.S. fighter jet downed over Bosnia in 1995 whose pilot was eventually rescued by U.S. Marines. The wreckage was found by mine clearers scattered across a wide area of northwest Bosnia, north of the town of Drvar, in a mountainous, inaccessible area littered with landmines, Colonel Tom Begines of the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) told reporters.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2184.1
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Air Force General Takes Command of NATO: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gen. Joseph W. Ralston, who takes over as supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe on Wednesday, has earned great respect as both a warrior and diplomat in his 35-year Air Force career. But unlike most of his predecessors in the NATO job, he has little experience in Europe. Ralston, 56, will replace Army Gen. Wesley Clark as the top commander of NATO forces. As is traditional, Ralston also will be commander of U.S. European Command, in charge of all 100,000 U.S. forces in Europe.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2188.1
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China Intercepts U.S. Aircraft: TAIPEI -- (Agence France Presse) A U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted Thursday by the Chinese air force off eastern China when it was spying on Chinese military movement, it was reported here. The U.S. RC-135 aircraft, from Okinawa, was intercepted at 28,000 feet on the skies of East China Sea, Taiwan's ET Today Internet news quoted an unnamed general here as reporting. "This was the first time in three years the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force scrambled to intercept an unidentified aircraft out of its airspace," the general was quoted as saying. "The move suggested the some PLA units, very likely ballistic missile units, must be moving on the borders of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces," he said.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2169.1
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Young Russians Fight the Draft: The Russian Army says Vassily Barzhenov is a draft dodger and a malingerer. Military officials have battled him in court for five years. Now, he is left with a criminal record and is no closer to his goal of serving his country by some means other than bearing arms. "If only generals could read, perhaps all this wouldn't be happening," says the young apartment repairman. He means Article 59 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantees any citizen the right to perform "alternative service" if conscription "goes against his convictions or religious faith." At a time when the Russian military relies heavily on conscripts to fight in Chechnya, Mr. Barzhenov's case and others like it are important tests of the independence of Russia's judicial system and the integrity of constitutional law. It also comes at a time when tens of thousands are evading the draft, and the parliament is considering passage of a law that would effectively send conscientious objectors to labor camps.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2164.1
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Chinese Military Exercises: A threat of War?: TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwanese defense officials and experts are disputing whether China's stepped up bomber flights and naval maneuvers are an attempt to intimidate Taiwan. The news of the military activity detected by Taiwan's intelligent services made the front pages of the island's leading newspapers Wednesday, sending Taiwan's jittery stock market down 4.3 percent. Military officials said the drills might be a prelude to threatening war games to intimidate the island as its new president, Chen Shui-bian, prepares to take office May 20. Chen has said he has no plans to seek independence unless China attacks to force a reunification.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2154.1
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Captain Couple will Retire Together: A few weeks after Ensign Jack Caffrey met Ensign Gloria Huitsing on his first tour of duty at the Navy hospital in Philadelphia, Caffrey asked one of the other nurses for a date. She turned him down. "Ensign Huitsing would kill me," he recalls her saying. "She's put the word out that everyone has to keep their hands off you." Ultimately, though, Caffrey didn't mind. He was a nurse in general medicine and Huitsing, as Caffrey put it, "was the foxy little chick in the ICU," or intensive care unit. They married three years later and, on Thursday, will retire together as two of the top-ranking nurses in the Navy and the first husband-and-wife Navy nurse team to reach the rank of captain.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2187.1
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Female General's Board Ties Questioned: Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy, the highest-ranking woman in the Army, served on the boards of three Florida companies started by Democratic fundraiser Terence McAuliffe, a close friend of President Clinton, a Washington-based watchdog group said yesterday. The Center for Public Integrity said Kennedy sat on the boards of two holding companies and one insurance company that were started in 1997 and dissolved last year without making any profits. The center said Kennedy's service on the boards might violate Defense Department ethics rules. But the Army emphatically rejected that view, saying she had obeyed all regulations both in seeking prior approval from Army lawyers and then in properly disclosing her role. She never received any compensation and, in fact, never attended a board meeting, the Army's statement noted.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2170.1
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U-2 Pilot Finally Gets his Due: ACRAMENTO - Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 spy plane pilot who was shot down over the Soviet Union and captured in 1960 during the height of the Cold War, is at last being honored for the fateful mission. Powers was held by the Soviets for two years, but the former Air Force captain was considered a CIA employee, not military. He was not recognized as a prisoner of war until 1998, 21 years after his death, when declassified Cold War documents revealed his mission was a joint operation of the CIA and Air Force. On Monday, exactly 40 years after Powers's capture by the Soviets, his wife, son, and daughter will accept the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, the Department of Defense Prisoner of War Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal on his behalf. The ceremony will take place at Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2166.1
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Vietnam Vet Awarded Silver Star: Staff Sgt. Jimmy Walker's heroic actions on Dec. 2, 1968, earned him a Silver Star. He received it Thursday -- 31 years and four months later. In what can be best described as a belated medal presentation -- the original award recommendations slipped through Pentagon cracks -- Walker, 57, accepted the nation's third highest wartime decoration from Fort Benning commander Maj. Gen. John M. LeMoyne.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2163.1
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Vets ask for More Agent Orange Compensation: WASHINGTON - A Vietnam veterans group asked the Veterans Affairs Department on Friday to add diabetes to the list of diseases linked to Agent Orange and other herbicide exposure during the war. THE VIETNAM VETERANS of America, in two petitions to VA Secretary Togo West, also urged the department to consider the total "in-country effect," analogous to what has come to be called "Gulf War Syndrome," in determining disability compensation.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2185.1
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Record Army Officer Promotions for May: Let the promotion parties begin. There will be 2,650 officer promotions in May, the biggest monthly total since the Army began downsizing nearly a decade ago.The clear winners: first lieutenants with 47 months of commissioned service who will be promoted to captain May 1. The reduced time-in-service requirement -- long-planned to help ease the captain shortage -- is finally paying off for promotable lieutenants. In all, a staggering 2,102 basic-branch captain promotions have been authorized for May.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2138.1
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Pentagon: Don't be too Generous to Vets: The Pentagon opposes overly generous veterans' benefits, which senior officials warn could entice experienced troops to exit the military and be replaced by recruits with short-term attitudes toward service. Offering too much help in the transition to civilian life could make getting out appear more attractive as the military competes for the same talent pool as the booming economy, officials say.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2140.1
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Targeted NCO Pay Raise: A congressman has agreed to champion bigger pay raises for midcareer enlisted members. Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., whose district includes Camp Lejeune and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, introduced legislation April 13 to boost pay for E-5s, E-6s and E-7s on Oct. 1. His bill, the Non Commissioned and Petty Officer Pay Table Equity Act of 2000, would give midgrade enlisted members pay increases roughly equal to the targeted raises for midgrade officers that take effect July 1. The result would be a $31 monthly boost in basic pay for E-5s, a $49-a-month hike for E-6s and a $56-a-month increase for E-7s.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2136.1
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DOD Revamping PCS Process: WASHINGTON -- DoD is revamping and simplifying its permanent-change-of-station process to make it easier, faster, less expensive and less stressful for more than 700,000 service members and their family members who move around the world each year. The initiative is targeted at scrapping mountains of paperwork, eliminating out-of-pocket expenses and creating a user-friendly, Internet-based, personalized, state-of- the-art relocation system. When the new system is implemented, service members will, among other benefits, save hundreds of dollars in out-of- pocket expenses, spend less time filling out paperwork and visit fewer offices to in- and out-process, according to Stephen Rossetti, director of the Defense Integrated Travel and Relocation Solutions Office in Arlington, Va. Rossetti said under the plan, that includes proposals before Congress, service members would be offered no- receipt-required, lump-sum payment for temporary lodging expenses, temporary lodging allowances and even a monetary incentive not to ship "junk" cars overseas.
http://forums.about.com/ab-usmilitary/messages/?msg=2110.1
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You can read more military news on the About.com U.S. Military Site at:
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/news/newsindex.htm
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Around and About:
Military Rank & Insignia: When did 2nd Lt's get butter-bars? How did Colonels get Eagles? These and other interesting trivia facts about U.S. Military rank & insignia.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blrankhistory.htm
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Tattoos: Can you have a tattoo in the Army? Read the FAQ on Army Tattos.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blartattoo.htm
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Weight & Fitness Charts: Do you fall within Army weight guidelines? Could you hack the Army fitness test? Check out Army Fitness & Weight requirements.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/arfitness/blarfitness.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
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MILITARY HUMOR: A Marine dies in combat and wakes up to find he is in hell. He's really depressed as he stands in the processing line waiting to talk to an admittance counselor. He thinks to himself "I know I lead a wild life but, Hell, I'm a Marine. We're expected to live wild lives. I wasn't that bad. I never thought it would come to this."
Looking up he sees that it is his turn to be processed into hell. With fear and heavy heart, he walks up to the counselor.
Counselor: What's the problem, you look depressed?
Marine: Well, what do you think? I'm in Hell.
Counselor: Hell's not so bad, We actually have a lot of fun. Do you like to drink?
Marine: Of course I do. I'm a Marine.
Counselor: Well then, you are going to love Mondays, On Mondays we drink up a storm. You can have whiskey, rum, tequila, beer, whatever you want and as much you want. We party all night long. You'll love Mondays. Do you smoke?
Marine: Yes, as a matter of fact I do.
Counselor: You are going to love Tuesdays. Tuesday is smoke day. You get to smoke the finest cigars and best cigarettes available anywhere. And you smoke to your heart's desire without worrying about cancer because you are already dead! Is that great or what? You are going to love Tuesdays. Do you like to fight?
Marine: Of course I do. I'm a Marine!
Counselor: You are going to love Wednesdays. That's Fighting Day. We challenge each other to fights to see who's the toughest in Hell. You don't have to worry about getting hurt or killed, because you're already dead. You are going to love Wednesdays. Do you gamble?
Marine: Show me a Marine who doesn't!
Counselor: You are going to love Thursdays, Because we gamble all day and night. Black jack, craps, poker, slots, horse races, everything! you are going to love Thursdays. Are you gay?
Marine: Of course, not! I'm a Marine!
Counselor: Oh (grimaces) , you're going to hate Fridays.
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
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With those words of wisdom, I once again leave you.,
Rod Powers
About.com's U.S. Military Information Site
