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Pen and paper were replaced by mouse and pad at the E-Gov 2000 trade show in Washington this week, as federal agencies showcased some of their efforts to push government operations into the information age.

Army officials presented a prototype medical supply system. When the Army goes to war, each command takes a predefined set of medical supplies called an assemblage. Until a few years ago, soldiers tracking these supplies used World War II-era methods: pencil and paper. But the prototype system, known as the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support Assemblage Management System, will electronically track what medical supplies have been used and re-supply each command automatically.

The Bureau of the Public Debt showed off a Web site allowing citizens to engage in auctions of U.S. Treasury securities - Treasury bills, notes and bonds. Citizens can also make online purchases at the TreasuryDirect site.

The Social Security Administration displayed Access America for Seniors, one of a series of Web sites dedicated to serving specific populations and helping them locate vital government services.

The Navy demonstrated its LIFELines Quality of Life initiative, which attempts to help far-flung sailors, Marines and their families feel more at home during long deployments or while on assignment in foreign countries.

Finally, the Treasury Department previewed a pilot project designed to enable citizens who pay their taxes electronically to conduct their transactions online.