Military News Briefs for the Week Ending Sept. 15, 2000

 

 Prepared by the American Forces Press Service
 
 (This is a summary of the top American Forces Press Service 
 stories for the week ending Sept. 15, 2000.)
 
 ***
 
 YOU CAN SAVE, TOP MONEY EXPERT SAYS
 
 Even when you're sure you can't afford to, you can save money, 
 according to financial planner and best-selling author Ric 
 Edelman.
 
 Speaking at the DoD Family Readiness Conference in Phoenix, 
 Ariz., in late August, Edelman shared ideas on how service 
 members can create wealth without really trying.
 
 Tip: Pay yourself first, taking advantage of automatic payroll 
 deductions -- and sending your next pay raise to the investment 
 of choice. Tip: Spend only paper money. Every night, throw 
 pocket change into a piggy bank. Deposit proceeds once a month 
 into your checking account and send a check for that amount to 
 your investment.
 
 Full story
 
 ***
 
 FORMER POWs MAY QUALIFY FOR PURPLE HEART
 
 Former American prisoners of war may be eligible to receive the 
 Purple Heart medal due to a little-publicized four-year-old 
 change in the award rules.
 
 Congress passed legislation in 1996 modifying Purple Heart 
 eligibility rules to include all former U.S. POWs deliberately 
 injured or wounded by their captors. No POWs had been eligible 
 prior to a nonretroactive 1962 rule change. 
 
 Applicants must present supporting evidence, such as 
 repatriation medical exams or a witness statement. If in doubt, 
 apply. Use Standard Form 180, "Request Pertaining to Military 
 Records," available at Department of Veterans Affairs service 
 and medical centers; and online at 
 http://web1.whs.osd.mil/forms/SF0180.PDF.
 
 Full story
 
 ***
 
 DoD DEFENDS READINESS RECORD
 
 People wanting to know if U.S. forces are ready "should ask 
 Saddam Hussein," Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said Sept. 
 7. Speaking at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, Cohen said 
 the United States has the best forces in the world. 
 
 "I think we should ask [Iraqi dictator] Saddam Hussein whether 
 or not [U.S.] forces were ready to carry out Operation Desert 
 Fox," he said. "I think we should ask [Serbian President 
 Slobodan] Milosevic as to whether or not we were ready to carry 
 out the Allied Force operation in Kosovo."
 
 Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said during a Pentagon press 
 conference Sept. 7 that the United States is spending close to 
 $300 billion per year on national defense. "It's more than all 
 our NATO allies combined are spending," he said.
 
 Full story
 
 ***
 
 DoD'S REVAMPED POV SHIPMENT SYSTEM'S A CUSTOMER PLEASER
 
 Service members who shipped their cars to Europe never used to 
 know where their wheels were until the freighter docked in 
 Bremerhaven, Germany. Whenever.
 
 Then, they had to go to Bremerhaven to claim their vehicles. 
 That's all passe now. 
 
 Nowadays, the Military Traffic Management Command in Alexandria, 
 Va., uses computers and the Internet to ensure customers can 
 locate their vehicles 24 hours a day by visiting the "Where is my
 POV?" Web site at www.whereismypov.com. It also operates some 35
 processing centers in the United States and overseas -- six in
 Germany alone -- to make deliveries more convenient.
 
 Full story
 
 ***
 
 PACE TAKES SOUTHERN COMMAND HELM
 
 Marine Gen. Peter Pace took command of the U.S. Southern Command 
 in Miami Sept. 8 and pledged to cooperate with hemisphere 
 partner nations to ensure the continued growth of democracy, 
 prosperity and freedom.
 
 Pace, 54, is a Naval Academy graduate and received his fourth 
 star immediately before assuming his new command. He succeeds 
 Marine Gen. Charles E. Wilhelm, who retired after 37 years of 
 service and received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal 
 from Defense Secretary William Cohen.
 
 Southern Command's area of responsibility includes 32 Latin 
 America and Caribbean nations.
 
 Full story
 







  

    

      
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