Government Executive - Authors - Linda D. Kozaryn

Defense budget includes $94 billion for military pay, allowances

Linda D. Kozaryn — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 00:00:00 -0500

"We're competing with the private sector for the best young people in our country," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told members of the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday. "We can't simply count on their patriotism and their willingness to sacrifice alone."

The proposed budget also includes $4.2 billion to improve military housing. This would put the department on track to eliminate most substandard housing by 2007, Rumsfeld said. This is three years sooner than originally forecast.

Money is also allocated to reduce out-of-pocket housing costs for service members living off base from 11.3 percent today down to 7.5 percent in 2003. This would put the department on the track to eliminate it by 2005, he said.

About $10 billion would go for education, training and recruitment, he said, "and a breathtaking $18.8 billion to cover realistic costs for military health care."

Anyone who visits America's troops "can't help but come away with just enormous confidence in their dedication, their patriotism, their confidence, the training they've had and the very high state of morale that they bring to the important work that they're doing," Rumsfeld told committee members.

"They put their lives at risk for our country, and we all are deeply appreciative and grateful to them," he said.

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U.S. troops to help safeguard Olympics

Linda D. Kozaryn — Thu, 17 Jan 2002 00:00:00 -0500

Some will be competing athletes; some will be military band members and honor guards. Most will be doing their part to ensure the games are safe and secure.

The 2002 U.S. Olympic team includes 15 soldiers--mainly Army National Guardsmen. Of those, 11 are members of the Army's World Class Athlete Program. Two are coaches and two are alternates who only compete in case of injury to a primary team member.

About 4,500 active duty, reserve and National Guard members are on tap to help federal, state and local authorities provide security and respond to emergencies. The military will provide logistics, communications, physical security, explosives-detection dog teams, temporary facilities and aviation support.

"Security has always been a high priority in preparing for the Games," said Air Force Lt. Col. Lisa Bogdanski, a Joint Task Force Olympics spokeswoman. "Since Sept. 11, we've only strengthened our resolve to do what we can to make the Games safe and to work as closely as we can with other federal, state and local agencies."

She said most of the deploying troops are National Guardsmen from 22 states. About 1,900 are Utah Guardsmen activated by the governor to help provide law enforcement. The remaining 2,600 will support other agencies and the Utah Guard, Bogdanski noted.

The U.S. Secret Service has the lead for security at the Games. The FBI is the lead agent for preventing terrorist threats, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is responsible for coordinating the federal response to any unexpected incident.

U.S. officials expect about 70,000 to 80,000 visitors to arrive daily in Salt Lake City from Feb. 8 through Feb. 24. More than 10,000 officials are slated to provide security in the city of 800,000 people. In comparison, the last Winter Olympics in America took place in 1980 in Lake Placid, N.Y. About a thousand federal, state and local officials provided security in the town of 2,700 people.

Security preparations for the 2002 Winter Olympics have been under way since 1995, when Salt Lake City was selected to host the Games. Security officials have applied lessons learned from the terrorist attacks at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics and at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, U.S. officials re-evaluated security plans for the Olympics to close any gaps that remained.

To serve as a deterrent, much of the security at the Games will be highly visible, according to U.S. officials. Utah Guardsmen will patrol airport terminals, for example. All baggage at Salt Lake City's airport will be screened for explosives.

Visitors at all venues will be subject to metal detectors. Security officials will use biometric scanners to identify athletes and Olympic officials. Cameras will record visitors' movements. Portable X-ray equipment will be used to inspect suspicious mail.

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Pentagon compromises on Army beret issue

Linda D. Kozaryn — Mon, 19 Mar 2001 00:00:00 -0500

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki announced his intent last October to issue the beret to all soldiers and started a controversy among current and former Army Rangers and in Congress. The black beret has been worn traditionally only by Rangers, an elite, highly trained combat group. Under a compromise, Rangers will begin wearing tan berets.

After contention over the decision reached the White House, President Bush asked Defense to review the Army's decision and Rumsfeld asked Wolfowitz to look into the matter. After meeting with Shinseki, the deputy told reporters the headgear change is linked to the Army's plans to transform from a heavy force to a lighter, highly deployable force over the next 10 years.

"As we looked at our transformation of the entire institution," Wolfowitz explained, "we thought it important to have a symbolic and a visible demonstration that this Army was prepared for change and undertaking it." Switching to the black beret, he said, "gets this Army moving in the direction that's going to facilitate that change."

Wolfowitz and Shinseki spoke about the decision at a Pentagon news briefing Friday. Wolfowitz said that after hearing the general's explanation, he felt it was important that Shinseki present his view to the American people.

Shinseki said the decision regarding the black beret announced last October and the tan beret announced yesterday are "about change."

"The Army will change to remain the most capable and the most respected Army in the world," the general said.

A day earlier, the Army had approved a request allowing its elite Rangers to wear tan berets instead of black, he noted. Special Forces will retain their distinctive green berets. Army airborne soldiers will continue to wear their distinctive maroon berets.

"Change, as all of us know, is difficult, especially in the proud and respected institutions," Shinseki said. "But we are transforming this most powerful Army from its Cold War legacy force into an objective force that will be strategically responsive and dominant for all the broad range of missions we are asked to perform."

Throughout the nation's history, Shinseki said, many different units have worn berets. Armor, cavalry and other units have worn the black beret in the past.

"Because of that shared history in our Army," he said, "the black beret remains the most relevant color for wear Armywide today. So at the time of our decision to expand the wear of the black beret last fall, the Ranger regiment was invited to consider, if appropriate, another distinctive color that it might select to designate its formations."

The Rangers considered several options and then requested the tan beret, he said. "The Ranger tan beret will continue to symbolize that great regiment and its challenges for the 21st century," Shinseki said. "Whatever those challenges are, Rangers will continue to lead the way."

Such decisions, he noted, "are about our excellence as soldiers, our unity as a force and our values as an institution.

"This is about teamwork--teamwork that's based on that foundation of trust and confidence between soldier and soldier, between leader and led, between unit and unit serving side by side all across the Army. So this is about the magnificence of that American soldier who has been defending our country for 225 years."

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley is working on an implementation plan that should be done soon, he noted. Army leaders planned to complete the change by the Army's birthday in June. Wolfowitz noted that date might change depending on what DoD's acquisition people say is feasible.

Procurement of the black beret from contractors outside the United States also became an issue. Wolfowitz said DoD is reviewing the method of purchase. The Army set a requirement and the Defense Logistics Agency responded, he said.

"We're looking into whether DLA responded properly," Wolfowitz said.

Pressed by reporters on whether or not the Army will go ahead with the purchase contracts, Wolfowitz said, "we haven't canceled anything yet."

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Task force urges Defense Department crackdown on domestic violence

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 13 Mar 2001 00:00:00 -0500

The panel's 12 military and 12 civilian members agree that message must come from "the top," so they're asking the Defense Department's senior civilian leader to put out the word.

"An unequivocal statement from you will send a powerful signal throughout the department. It will make clear that this matter must be addressed decisively, judiciously and unwaveringly," task force co-chairs Marine Lt. Gen. Jack W. Klimp and Deborah D. Tucker wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

In a report sent to the secretary Feb. 28 and presented to staffers of the House and Senate armed services committees on March 9, the task force outlined its initial findings. The report also contains 59 recommendations to improve Defense's response to domestic violence, ranging from increasing military police training to enhancing victim safety.

The panel labeled the first of its 59 ideas--the zero- tolerance memo--"The Mother of All Recommendations." It asks the Secretary to sign a proposed memorandum stating that domestic violence is a pervasive problem within society that transcends all ethnic, racial, gender and socioeconomic boundaries, and it will not be tolerated in the Defense Department.

Rumsfeld has 90 days to review, comment and forward the report to Congress.

Overall, the task force report calls on Defense to address domestic violence as it has other social problems that can adversely affect national security. Panel members noted that Defense has worked effectively, for example, to eliminate racial and gender discrimination by establishing equal opportunity policies.

The Pentagon's "zero tolerance" policies have significantly reduced alcohol and drug abuse. A similar policy would help prevent domestic violence, the congressionally mandated panel said.

The proposed Rumsfeld policy memo, Klimp told American Forces Information Service reporters, would set the command atmosphere the general considers "key to resolving almost every issue in the military."

"When the leader of the Department of Defense says, 'This is not good,' that [message] will percolate down through the chain of command," the general said. "Commanders can make it clear within their organizations that this kind of conduct is not appropriate for members of the armed forces and it won't be tolerated."

If signed, Rumsfeld's memo would form a rock-solid foundation for the panel's recommendations, said Tucker, Klimp's civilian counterpart. During a telephone interview from her office in Austin, Texas, she said the memo would stress the "importance the Secretary attaches to ferreting out appropriate ways to intervene and prevent domestic violence."

The task force report is posted on the Defense Domestic Violence Task Force Web site at www.dtic.mil/domesticviolence/index.htm.

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DoD to issue new guidelines on felines

Linda D. Kozaryn — Fri, 25 Aug 2000 00:00:00 -0400

Too many stray cats on base. What's a commander to do? Shoot them? Poison them? Bag them and dump them downtown?

Hold on. Don't do anything hasty. There are other options. The Armed Forces Pest Management Board advocates treating stray and feral cats humanely, according to Peter J. Egan, environmental biologist with the board, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. That means no poison-ever-no leg traps and no shooting, except in dire situations.

Most military installations have stray and feral cat populations, he said. Strays are lost or abandoned pets. Feral cats are those born in the wild and never domesticated.

"Usually, we have feral cat problems when they're around a playground or other public area where a lot of people come into contact," Egan said. Or, in some cases, cats prey on protected wildlife on base.

Cats living at remote industrial sites on an installation aren't necessarily recognized as a problem, he said. "You don't even know they're there until you come out late at night with a couple of cans of cat food. All of a sudden they come out of the woodwork."

The cats ultimately become the base commander's responsibility, Egan said. "Failure to prevent or control a feral cat population amounts to inhumane treatment of animals," according to the management board's 1996 guidelines on dealing with the problem.

DoD has no formal policy on how to deal with stray and feral cats, only guidelines, Egan said. "We offer options, depending upon the situation."

Base veterinarians and installation commanders have policies on pets, he said. That's within their purview. Pests, on the other hand, are dealt with through the Armed Forces Pest Management Board.

Technical Information Memorandum No. 37, produced by the board, provides a number of ways to deal with stray and feral cats. It also points out issues base officials need to consider in deciding a course of action.

The board is revising its guidelines to include a Web site, ways to promote responsible pet ownership and ways to contact local animal welfare organizations willing to help with feral cats. Egan said he hopes to see the new guidelines published this fall.

"Our approach has always been to use the best practices possible to control them," Egan said. "The guidance we try to give people is that it's got to be legal and it's got to be humane."

DoD's guidelines suggest trapping the cats and turning them over to local animal shelters for adoption, or if necessary, euthanasia. DoD guidelines also mention the "trap, neuter, return" approach advocated by such groups as Alley Cat Allies in Washington, D.C., Operation Catnip in Raleigh, N.C., and the Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego. However, they stress that this option should only be used at industrial facilities and shipyards where potential conflicts with people and wildlife are minimal.

This approach is at the heart of a grass-roots campaign to rescue strays and humanely reduce the feral population. The animals are trapped, and kittens and domestic cats are culled out and put up for adoption. The feral cats are neutered and returned to their environment to live out their lives in "managed care colonies" that should shrink as members die off, provided new strays and ferals don't join the group.

A network of animal welfare organizations has set up a toll-free number, 888-738-7911, and a Web site to reunite owners with lost pets and help people find homes for animals or locate local animal welfare organizations. People sometimes suggest poisoning, drowning or gassing cats, Egan said. First, there's no EPA-registered poison for cat control. Beyond that, however, all three are considered inhumane practices-and that makes them illegal.

"Others suggest shooting the cats," he continued. "That's not a very good solution because people don't like to see anyone shooting cats. Oftentimes the cats are in and around housing areas, so shooting them would not be very safe.

The guidelines say shooting may be an option when other means are not available or have been ineffective, or in emergencies such as a rabies outbreak when human health is at great risk. "Strict command approval must be obtained in advance, and proper public affairs coordination must be effected," the guidelines state.

Nobody loves a cockroach-except maybe an entomologist- and no one feels bad when we kill one, Egan said. But killing cats-even feral ones-is another matter entirely. Destroying cats oftentimes becomes a public relations nightmare. The Armed Forces Pest Management Board highly recommends that local pest control officials coordinate cat control plans with the base commander and public affairs officials.

The base should have a good reason if they intend to destroy feral cats, Egan stressed.

"In some parts of the country, we have problems with rabies, other parts we have problems with plague. Those would probably be the two biggest reasons we would deal with cats as a true problem," he said. "In some areas, we find cats are preying on endangered species. By law, DoD is required to protect endangered and threatened species. That would be another reason to get them out. Otherwise, they're just a nuisance, too many cats in one place."

Recently, Egan said, the board received complaints from people "who felt it hurt their sensibilities" to call a cat a pest. "I can appreciate their position. Most dogs and cats are viewed as pets. But it's also true that when you have a lawn, a rosebush growing where you don't want it is sometimes called a 'weed' because it's in your way."

A wild cat preying on endangered species or that has fleas or may be carrying rabies no longer falls in the pet category, he said. "We're not saying that all cats are pests. We're saying that under certain circumstances anything we like can be a pest."

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DoD announces child care fee hike

Linda D. Kozaryn — Thu, 29 Jun 2000 00:00:00 -0400

Fees at military child care facilities will increase by about $1 to $2 more per child each week for the 2000-2001 school year, DoD officials announced June 21.

The fees keep pace with estimates of inflation. DoD family policy officials review and update child care fees annually.

Depending on their total family income, DoD families will pay between $40 and $116 per child per week during the upcoming school year. The fee represents about half the cost of child care, the remainder is paid with appropriated funds from Congress.

How much parents pay for military child care is based on the family's total income. This includes all earned income - wages, salaries, tips, long-term disability benefits and voluntary salary deferrals. It also includes service members' combat pay, housing and subsistence allowances, and the value of meals and lodging furnished in-kind to military personnel residing on military installations.

Installation commanders set fees within DoD ranges. This gives the commander flexibility to adjust fees based on the cost of living in the local area. Commanders also have the authority to use an optional high-cost fee range in areas where it is necessary to pay child care providers higher wages to compete in the local labor market.

Installation child development centers may begin charging the following fees anytime between Aug. 1 and October 1.


 Category       Total Family    Range of Weekly         Optional High

 Income         Fees Per Child          Cost Range      

 I              0-23,000                $ 40 -  53              $ 45 -  56

 II             23,001-34,000     50 -  64                55 -  68

 III            34,001-44,000     61 -  76                67 -  81

 IV             44,001-55,000     74 -  86                80 -  92

 V              55,001-69,999     88 - 100             91 - 105

 VI             70,000+          103 - 114               104 - 116

Commanders may offer a 20 percent fee discount for each additional child from the same family. Hardship waivers may be granted for families in unique financial circumstances.

Category 1 ($0-$23,000)
Service Hours per week  5       10      15      20      25      30      35      40      50
Minimum $4      $7      $11     $15     $18     $22     $26     $29     $38 
Maximum $5      $10     $15     $20     $25     $30     $36     $41     $51 
High Minimum    $5      $8      $12     $17     $21     $25     $29     $33     $43 
High Maximum    $6      $11     $16     $21     $26     $32     $38     $43     $54 

Category 2 ($23,001-$34,000)
Service Hours per week  5       10      15      20      25      30      35      40      50
Minimum $5      $9      $14     $19     $23     $28     $33     $38     $48 
Maximum $6      $12     $18     $24     $30     $37     $43     $49     $61 
High Minimum    $6      $10     $16     $21     $26     $31     $37     $42     $53 
High Maximum    $7      $13     $19     $26     $32     $39     $46     $52     $65 

Category 3 ($34,001-$44,000)
Service Hours per week  5       10      15      20      25      30      35      40      50
Minimum $6      $11     $17     $23     $28     $35     $41     $47     $58 
Maximum $7      $14     $22     $29     $37     $44     $51     $59     $73 
High Minimum    $7      $13     $19     $25     $31     $39     $45     $51     $64 
High Maximum    $8      $15     $23     $30     $39     $47     $54     $62     $77 

Category 4 ($44,001-$55,000)
Service Hours per week  5       10      15      20      25      30      35      40      50
Minimum $7      $14     $21     $28     $36     $43     $50     $57     $71 
Maximum $8      $16     $24     $33     $42     $50     $58     $66     $82 
High Minimum    $8      $15     $23     $30     $39     $46     $54     $61     $76 
High Maximum    $9      $17     $26     $36     $45     $53     $62     $71     $88 

Category 5 ($55,001 - 69,999)
Service Hours per week  5       10      15      20      25      30      35      40      50
Minimum $8      $16     $25     $33     $42     $50     $59     $67     $83 
Maximum $9      $18     $28     $38     $48     $57     $66     $76     $94 
High Minimum    $9      $17     $26     $36     $44     $53     $61     $70     $87 
High Maximum    $10     $20     $29     $40     $50     $60     $69     $79     $99 

Category 6 ($70,000+)
Service Hours per week  5       10      15      20      25      30      35      40      50
Minimum $9      $18     $28     $38     $47     $59     $68     $77     $95 
Maximum $10     $20     $33     $44     $53     $64     $74     $86     $107 
High Minimum    $10     $19     $29     $40     $49     $60     $70     $79     $99 
High Maximum    $11     $22     $34     $45     $55     $67     $77     $88     $111

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DoD forum puts spotlight on military families

Linda D. Kozaryn — Wed, 31 May 2000 00:00:00 -0400

Defense Secretary William Cohen is hosting a first-of-its-kind Military Family Forum Wednesday at the Pentagon.

About 100 military family members, 68 active duty and 32 reserve, from throughout the services will meet with the Cohens and top defense leaders. DoD officials say the day- long conference is designed to promote grassroots communication and exchange quality of life "best practices" around the globe.

Good quality of life is essential to military morale and readiness, according to Cohen. DoD's overall goal is to build strong, cohesive communities and career commitment. DoD's challenge is to balance mission demands with support programs that provide respite, build morale and develop a strong sense of community.

The forum provides family members an opportunity to talk directly to the secretary and his wife. Forum topics include health care, housing, pay and compensation, child and youth services, education, operations tempo, spousal employment, family support and readiness, relocation, and retiree and survivor benefits.

The conference will underscore quality of life achievements to date and focus attention on some key challenges facing the military. The forum will conclude with a dinner for the family members hosted by the Cohens and attended by members of Congress.

DoD's Office of Family Policy recently compiled statistics giving an overview of the "military family." Officials said the data show much progress has been made in the area of child care and other family concerns, but much more remains to be done.

About 55 percent of the military's 1.4 million active duty members are married, and about 46 percent of active duty members have children.
Nearly 40 percent of the nearly 1.3 million children with military parents are under age 6.
Military members marry and have children younger than civilian counterparts, DoD officials said.
About 6 percent of active duty members are single parents. About 8 percent provide some level of support for elder relatives.
Commanders responding to an August 1999 DoD survey rated financial management, indebtedness, spousal employment, parenting skills and spousal abuse as their top family support concerns.
While U.S. military forces are located throughout the world, about 82 percent are stationed within the United States. Nearly 56 percent of active duty members in the United States live off base; about 63 percent of those overseas live on base.
A 1998 Rand Corp. study concluded that one-fifth of enlisted service members felt financially squeezed. One- quarter of enlisted personnel reported having received food stamps, welfare or other public assistance in the past year.
DoD officials say spousal employment affects retention, the need for child care, and the need for relocation and financial management assistance. About 63 percent of junior enlisted spouses work outside the home, most say to provide basic necessities.
Military families move twice as often as civilian counterparts, and the government typically reimburses them only half to two-thirds of the costs they incur.
More than 100,000 family members with special health or educational needs are enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program.
About 10,000 children receive special education services from DoD schools; another 2,000 developmentally delayed infants and toddlers participate in early intervention programs.

In his 1999 Military Family Week message President Clinton said, "Our military families are the heart of our nation's armed forces." DoD officials said the military family forum is an opportunity for military families to be heard. ]]>

DoD implements smart card program

Linda D. Kozaryn — Thu, 28 Oct 1999 00:00:00 -0400

The military adage "hurry up and wait" may become as obsolete as brown boots and C rations once the Defense Department issues smart cards.

DoD wants smart cards to replace active and reserve component military ID cards. The cards would also be issued to civilians and certain contractors with access to DoD facilities.

Smart cards are equipped with an electronic chip, a magnetic strip and a barcode. They've proven to be efficient time savers that can be programmed for use everywhere from dining facilities to weapons armories. They can be used to grant physical access to defense facilities and to electronically access computer networks.

The card can hold information about service members' inoculations, medical and dental records, finance allotments and other data.

Smart cards could help eliminate standing in line, filling out forms and other processing chores, according to defense officials here. Instead of moving service members from one station to the next, a simple swipe of the card would provide all the necessary information. Flight manifests and deployment processing could be completed in minutes rather than hours.

The need for information security is the driving force behind the decision to employ smart cards, according to Ken Scheflen, director of the Defense Manpower Data Center here. The card would serve as the individual identification key, or "PKI" for "public key infrastructure," that provides additional layers of security on DoD's computer networks.

Defense officials say a critical element of this infrastructure is that it requires strong and substantial evidence of the individual's identity. Key holders would use their PKI to access DoD computer systems and secure facilities, make secure online transactions and for other security purposes, officials said.

Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre has authorized the department to implement the program, which military officials have been working on in one form or another for more than a decade, Scheflen said. The decision follows a series of tests done by the services over the past two years, he said.

Congress designated the Navy, under the direction of the DoD's chief information officer, as the lead agency for the $145 million program, which would be implemented from fiscal 2000 to 2005. The cost of implementing the program in fiscal 2000 would be about $13 million.

Defense officials said the first year would be devoted to developing software and obtaining card stock and hardware. During the second year, hardware would be installed in the more than 800 sites worldwide where the military currently issues ID cards and at about 75 new sites. As the equipment is installed, local officials would then begin issuing smart cards.

"We do not plan to convert dependent or retiree ID cards because no requirement has been identified that would justify the expense," Scheflen noted. The cards will cost about $6 each, he estimated.

"The greatest thing about the smart card is that it allows an organization to take a hard look at its business processes to make them more efficient and to make life easier for the people in the field," said Mary Dixon, director of DoD's new Access Card Office.

The services will be able to program cards to meet their needs, Dixon said. "The plan is for the components to get a certain amount of space on that chip that they can use for any application they choose," she said. A Marine program, for example, uses smart cards to access weapons armories.

The services recently conducted tests in Hawaii. During a visit to Oahu, Dixon said, she watched service members use their smart cards to zip through a Navy dining hall head count station while she had to stop and fill out a form. At the end of each day, she noted, Navy officials quickly tallied the names and information provided electronically by the cards. Deciphering handwriting on the paper forms is much more difficult and time consuming, she added.

The Army in Hawaii uses smart cards during its deployment readiness processing, Dixon said. Once a month, units that deploy regularly go to a gymnasium or auditorium for what previously was a long, tedious process, she said. Service members would carry all their finance, personnel and medical records and walk around to 12 stations.

"Now they can take that smart card-no papers-and dip it into the first card reader and it checks for the 12 different things," Dixon said. Instead of going to 12 tables each month, service members now go only to stations where they have a deficiency.

"It reduces a process that used to take a day or even longer, down to a period of hours," she said. "So that means those people are now available to do training or other jobs as opposed to standing in line, hurry up and wait."

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DoD raises military child care fees

Linda D. Kozaryn — Wed, 07 Jul 1999 00:00:00 -0400

Fees at military child care facilities will increase by about 1.6 percent for the 1999-2000 school year, Defense Department officials announced June 29.

Depending on their total family income, DoD families will pay $39 to $114 per child per week during the coming school year. This represents a weekly increase of $1 to $3 per child.

DoD family policy officials review child care fees annually. Based on this review, DoD plans to adjust its fees using the inflation rate of 1.6 percent included in the president's fiscal 2000 budget, according to Carolee Van Horn, a Family Policy Office specialist here.

The fee covers only a portion of the actual cost of child care, Van Horn said. Appropriated funds authorized by Congress pay the remainder.

"Regardless of income, all parents receive some subsidy since the government pays a portion of the cost for all," she said.

DoD views child care as critical to overall mission accomplishment, according to Linda Smith, Office of Family Policy director. "The mobile military lifestyle can be stressful for young families," she explained. "On average, military families move every 2.9 years. They do not have the stability of neighbors or nearby family to help them with child care responsibilities."

Increased deployments and separations make military life even more demanding, Smith said. "By providing child care, we are helping military members balance the competing demands of the military mission and family responsibilities. We strongly believe this contributes to readiness and the retention of a highly skilled work force."

In 1998, Van Horn pointed out, the average DoD weekly fee was $70. For that, a child each day received up to 11 hours of care, breakfast, lunch and two snacks. Nationally, the average weekly fee for comparable center care ranged from $100 for infants to $85 for pre-schoolers.

How much parents pay for military child care is based on the family's total income. This includes all earnings-wages, salaries, tips, long-term disability benefits and voluntary salary deferrals. It also includes service members' combat pay, housing and subsistence allowances, and the value of meals and lodging furnished in-kind to military personnel residing on military installations.

Installation commanders set fees within ranges established by DoD. They can adjust fees within the range based on local cost of living conditions, Van Horn said. Commanders can also use an optional high-cost fee range if qualified child care providers earn higher wages in the local labor market, she added.

Installation child development centers may begin charging the following fees anytime between Aug. 1 and Oct. 1.

 Category  Total Family   Range of Weekly     Optional High
           Income         Fees Per Child      Cost Range
 
 I         0-23,000       $39 -  53           $44 -  56
 II        23,001-34,000   50 -  64            55 -  68
 III       34,001-44,000   61 -  76            67 -  82
 IV        44,001-55,000   74 -  87            80 -  93
 V         55,001-69,999   89 - 100            92 - 104
 VI        70,000+        102 - 114           103 - 116

Commanders may offer a 20 percent fee discount for each additional child from the same family. Hardship waivers may be granted for families in unique financial circumstances.

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Web site helps military families move

Linda D. Kozaryn — Thu, 03 Jun 1999 00:00:00 -0400

Packing up and moving the spouse, kids, pets and everyone's stuff every couple of years is an inherent part of military life. The Defense Department has created a financial planning tool to help make moving easier.

A new Internet Web site, www.militaryacclimate.com, is designed to help active duty service members prepare for their next move whether they're moving across town or around the world, or making their final permanent change of station back to civilian life. The Web site projects moving expenses and forecasts the cost of living at the new station, according to Iris Bulls, a family policy specialist at DoD's Office of Family Policy.

Right now, the Web site offers information on 225 military bases in the continental United States, Bulls said. By the end of the year, it will also feature 75 overseas locations where U.S. service members are routinely stationed.

A 1996 Air Force survey, she noted, found service members spent about $930 in out-of-pocket expenses during each move. This includes such moving expenses as cleaning and painting, meals, gas and oil, temporary lodging, and damaged or lost household goods.

These costs can mean money trouble, particularly for junior grade service members with children, Bulls said. "$10 here, $20 there, adds up quickly," she said. "In the midst of a move, it's hard to step back and see it as a continuum from first getting your orders until you're finally settled in."

"You may find yourself at the end of the move with bills much higher than you anticipated," she said. "It can put you in arrears, especially when you move into a rental and have to pay a security deposit, the first month's rent and, in some cases, the last month's rent."

Service members who fail to prepare adequately for their move often end up turning to the Army Emergency Relief, the Air Force Aid Society or Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society for financial assistance, Bulls said. "You really have to plan," she advised. "You have to know where you're going, how much it's going to cost and where you're going to stay and for how long."

Military Acclimate helps estimate the cost of a move based on personal requirements and military allowances. It also compares service members' current financial standard of living to communities in and around the new duty station. The Web site provides a "best-fit analysis" that lists important neighborhood demographics, along with a ranking of the communities around a selected military installation.

Using Military Acclimate coupled with a visit to the installation Family Center Relocation Assistance Manager can greatly assist first time movers, Bulls said.

"Only 30 percent of our people live on base," she said. "The rest are going to be in the civilian community, so there's a big demand to know that kind of information."

Let's say a soldier and his family are transferring from Fort Bragg, N.C., to Fort Hood, Texas, for example, Bulls said. "They can compare the cost to rent or to buy a home in Fort Bragg to Fort Hood as well as what the schools are like in the area. It even gives them the SAT scores, the student-teacher ratio-an entire 'market basket' look at the community."

Users fill out a worksheet and the software program does the math and tells users their entitled allowances, based on rank or grade, when they move. "It will even estimate how much furniture you have, so that you know how much you'll be allowed to ship," Bulls said.

Military Acclimate also provides links to other DoD Web sites that feature specific information on the military community at the new site, Bulls noted. Relocation assistance managers at every major installation for example, run the Standard Installation Topic Exchange Service, known as SITES.

SITES, at www.dmdc.osd.mil/sites, provides a wealth of information on military housing, child care and other base facilities and services. When used together, SITES and Military Acclimate provide the member and family a good idea of the resources and costs in their next community, Bulls said.

Military Acclimate is similar to programs used by realtors in the corporate relocation industry, Bulls said. "We've had the program tailored to specifically address the needs of our military personnel and to make it user-friendly," Bulls said. Because it's Web-based, the program can be easily updated to reflect up-to-date information. "When we get comments from people using the program, the contractor can revise the program it to make it more responsive to the needs of our members."

DoD's Office of Family Policy and the Military Personnel Policy office recently surveyed 20,000 service members who permanently changed stations last summer, she noted. Family policy officials expect to announce the results by the end of July. DoD plans to use the results of the study to better meet the relocation needs of members and families, Bulls said.

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New DoD policy requires security pledge

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:00:00 -0500

Leading by example is one of the basic tenets of military leadership. Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre did just that, March 18, when he reaffirmed his commitment to protect classified information.

Hamre, along with 10 members of his personal staff, solemnly pledged to "accept the obligations and acknowledge the responsibilities associated" with being granted top- level security clearances. They are the first of about 400,000 military and DoD civilians slated to do so in the coming months under a new policy DoD issued in early February.

Defense Secretary William S. Cohen signed a memorandum Feb. 5, titled, 'Personal Attestations Upon the Granting of Security Access.' It affects every active duty and reserve military member and DoD civilian employee with a Top Secret clearance or access to sensitive compartmented information (SCI) or special access programs (SAP). Effective Feb. 15, they "must make a verbal attestation that he or she will conform to the conditions and responsibilities imposed by law or regulation on those granted clearance or access," the policy states.

This verbal attestation, or pledge, is designed to restore "a sense of obligation and honor," to those granted top- level security access, according to Hamre. "It's a special privilege to be given access to special information, and there's a personal commitment that goes with that," he said.

The pledge must be witnessed by at least one person in addition to a presiding official. Senior defense officials aim to fully implement the new procedure within 60 days.

The new policy is the result of a year-long security review, Hamre noted. Recent reports of Chinese espionage at U.S. nuclear labs did not prompt the decision to require verbal pledges, he said, but do serve to underscore the gravity of such security violations.

Hamre said he told Cohen several months ago that the department needed to bring back the significance and personal commitment associated with being granted access to special information. "Since the end of the Cold War," he said, "the security system has became somewhat lax due to the lack of a clear opponent. We let a lot of the basic discipline for security atrophy."

Acquiring a top-level clearance became simply part of an administrative routine-almost a nuisance, Hamre noted. As a result, people were unaware of the commitment they were making to safeguard classified information. Signing a written personal attestation was merely "a road bump" in the process, not a solemn vow, Hamre said.

"It was one of those things you signed when you got your building permit," he said. "We lost the sense of obligation that went with it. This has to be more than just signing a form as though you're getting a parking pass."

As the deputy assembled his immediate staff for the ceremony in his Pentagon office March 18, he noted that people granted top level clearances "become custodians of some very important information on behalf of the American people."

As the group of military and civilian assistants raised their right hands to make the pledge, he said, "We're going to personally affirm that this is our responsibility as employees to honor and protect this country by protecting information that is shared with us."

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Clinton sympathizes with military families

Linda D. Kozaryn — Fri, 05 Mar 1999 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON -- Most people don't know how hard service members work, or how stressful military life is for families, according to the nation's commander in chief.

"I don't think Americans who aren't involved with the military have any idea how rigorous most of the training schedules are and what is involved," President Clinton said in an interview with Janet Langhart Cohen, anchor of "Special Assignment," a new Armed Forces Radio and Television Service program.

Clinton and Langhart Cohen, wife of Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, discussed a range of military issues Feb. 25 while en route to Tucson, Ariz., aboard Air Force One. "Special Assignment" will premiere on military TV outlets later this month.

Frequent deployments are especially tough on family members, Clinton said in the interview. People don't realize how quickly service members returning from foreign lands or sea duty have to go back out again, he said, and military duty can be dangerous, disruptive and sometimes even boring.

But overall, Clinton noted, today's service members can take pride in the fact that they are erecting a defense for the 21st century. Rather than opposing a single enemy, they deal with "a hundred little problems, each of which could become a big problem and swallow the world up," he said.

"They are making the world safe for genuine self-determination, for freedom, for free commerce, for free exchange of ideas, in a way that no generation has ever tried to do, or had to do before," he said.

A strong economy and high operations tempo are taking their toll on the military, Clinton told Langhart Cohen. The armed services, particularly the Navy, are encountering increasing difficulty retaining skilled professionals and attracting new recruits.

"With the unemployment rate under 4.5 percent, wages rising at twice the rate of inflation now for the last couple of years -- there are so many compelling opportunities for young people outside the military that it's harder to recruit and retain," the president said.

Clinton aims to improve service members' lot by accelerating quality of life improvements, increasing pay and adjusting the retirement system. He noted that the Defense Department is working to change pay scales to reward people who stay in the military as they reach certain levels of achievement and service.

But, the president pointed out, the military must operate within its budget ceiling. "We have to measure what we need to do for our troops and their families against the absolute imperative of being able to pay for training, which is [becoming] more and more expensive," he said. "The more sophisticated the equipment is, the more expensive it is to train on, which is why we developed so many computer simulation programs."

The president said he'd like to do more for the military's men and women, but the armed forces can't trade off readiness and modernization for quality of life. "If we're going to do more, then we need to work it out with Congress so we're not robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said.

Service members would not like it if the administration made it impossible for them to fulfill their missions, Clinton added. "You don't want a bunch of equipment out there that you can't run because you don't have spare parts or you haven't kept upgraded to high safety conditions."

Since the end of the Cold War, "we've been trying to work out how to fairly fulfill our responsibilities to promote peace, freedom and prosperity, consistent with our ability to afford it, and the need for our allies to assume their fair share of responsibility," he said.

Military people are on the "cutting edge of this sea change," Clinton noted. They are part of "a profound historic transformation in the world." The United States is now the dominant military power in the world, and has no dominant military opponent, he remarked.

As evidenced by the U.S. military role in Bosnia, Korea and a prospective role in Kosovo, Clinton said, other nations trust the United States because it has no territorial ambitions; and does not seek to impose its will on other countries. "They really know we're there for peace and security," he said.

Service members should be proud of the role they've played in restoring peace in Bosnia and aiding hurricane victims in Central America, Clinton stressed. He reported receiving letters from troops who questioned why they were being sent to Bosnia and who later said it was the right thing to do after they saw the tragedy there firsthand.

When the U.S. military, the most well-organized institution in our society, goes into a war zone, Clinton said, it represents both order and goodness. When American troops see people's reactions to their arrival, most of them are very proud to be there, he said.

"I never will forget one prominent officer who went to Haiti, who told me, 'When you sent us down there, I just didn't know about that, but I'm glad we gave those people a chance to save their country."

If the United States is called upon to help restore peace in Kosovo, Clinton said, European allies will take the lead. U.S. troops will make up only 14 percent of the NATO-led force. "But it's a critical 14 percent, because it bolsters the confidence in our NATO allies that there really is a European alliance, number one, and, number two, the Kosovar Albanians want us there.

"Most Americans didn't know a thing about Kosovo or Albania until this whole thing started, but these folks knew about America," Clinton said. "They knew about the American military, and they trust them to keep their word and do what they say they're going to do."

Today's service members will have a legacy to be proud of, Clinton said. "Fifty years from now, when they look back, they will see that they didn't bring an end to an era of slaughter the way the World War II generation did, with heroism and great sacrifice, but they did put America's military might to work in building a new world, which is something that I think their children and grandchildren will be very, very proud of."

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Troops applaud pay, benefits proposal

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 29 Dec 1998 00:00:00 -0500

CAMP DOHA, Kuwait-Pay raise? Fifty percent retirement? Service members here say a resounding: "Yes! It's a great move. It's a morale boost. It's the right thing to do." They hope Congress approves it.

Service members at remote sites on the Arabian Peninsula and at sea in the Persian Gulf hailed the Pentagon's proposed pay and benefits package as a long overdue step in the right direction. They said it proves military leaders are listening and that someone cares.

That's exactly the message Defense Secretary William S. Cohen hoped to send when traveled to the region in late December. The secretary said he wanted to thank military men and women for Operation Desert Fox, the successful air campaign against Iraq, and personally tell them about the compensation package he'd announced a day earlier at the Pentagon.

Troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and aboard the USS Enterprise cheered when the secretary declared the Pentagon is seeking the biggest pay raise since 1981. The goal is a 4.4 percent pay raise for fiscal 2000 and a 3.9 percent hike per year through fiscal 2005, Cohen said.

The proposed package will also change the redux retirement system. Under the proposal to change redux, service members retiring after 20 years of service will receive 50 percent of base pay rather than the current 40 percent. The redux system affects all service members who joined after Aug. 1, 1986-approximately two-thirds of the force.

At Prince Sultan Air Base, Cohen addressed several hundred of the 4,000 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing troops who enforce the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Air Force Capt. Debbie Meserve, of Shaw AFB's 79th F16CJ Fighter Squadron, said that later that night talk around camp focused on the pros and cons of staying in the military.

"People who were considering getting out-airmen finishing up their first term and nine-year guys considering getting out before that 10-year mark-are now going to wait and see," the Severn, Md., native said. "The monetary benefits are definitely getting them thinking. A lot of them are just waiting to see how it works-the details."

Several F15C Eagle crew members from Eglin AFB's 60th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, said news of the proposed pay raise definitely sends service members a signal.

"That's a big sign to our young folks that the leadership is committed to the military," said Chief Master Sgt. David Gless, squadron maintenance superintendent. "Our young folks need that signal from the top level leadership that says they do care about them."

Because of the pay gap, eroded benefits, and particularly, frequent overseas deployments, Gless, a 21-year Air Force veteran from Warren, Ohio, said his biggest concern is retention. "Experienced people are walking out the door," he said.

Pointing to an F15C avionics technical sergeant standing nearby, Gless said, "Guys like him, you can't replace. He has lots of experience." It takes four years to train avionics specialists, the chief noted, and at that point, "you just get somebody where they're capable of being on their own."

Despite the sacrifices involved, most career service members love their jobs, Gless said. "The number one reason why we do the things we do, it's not about money, it has to do with pride in performing the mission. It's all about doing things for the American people. That's what it all boils down to."

But lately, Gless confessed, even he sometimes questions whether it's worth the long hours and separations from his wife, Cynthia, 17-year-old son Derek, and 15-year-old daughter, Brandy. This year, squadron members have spent more than seven months away from home on deployments in Turkey, Bahrain and now in Saudi Arabia.

"Quite honestly," Gless said, "I don't want to leave this job, but they're going to force me into doing it based on the pace. I want to balance my family with the Air Force. I've never worried about the money, if that was the case I'd have gotten out a long time ago. I love the accomplishment at the end of the day."

Pointing at the sophisticated gray fighter jet to his left, Gless said, "There's nothing better than to take something like that and put it in the air. That's a kick in the pants."

Staff Sgt. Billy A. Kerr, an F-15C crew chief from Des Arc, Arkansas, with 13 years Air Force service, echoed Gless' concerns about the loss of experienced people and frequent deployments. He hopes the pay and benefits proposal will boost morale and retention rates.

"This trip over here is my sixth trip to the Middle East since 1994," Kerr noted. "All totaled, I've spent seven months in this part of the world this year, and I'm not the only one who's done it. It's very hard on family life and it's very hard on personal life in general."

Kerr said he's fortunate that his wife, Katherine, is understanding. "My wife has learned to deal with it," he said. "She's not thrilled with it when I leave, but it's become an accepted part of our lives. She's been very helpful and supportive and I praise the Lord for that. But it's hard for the wives or husbands who stay behind and take care of all the things their spouse would normally take care of and take care of their children."

The Air Force has changed dramatically since Kerr first enlisted, he said. Then, you went to work each day and came home each night. Now, there are fewer overseas bases, fewer people, and far more overseas deployments.

Still, the NCO said, he plans to continue his military career. "To be totally honest with you, I enjoy serving my country. I like getting out there working on aircraft and getting dirty. I don't like the long hours too much, but generally I enjoy what I'm doing. "I grew up in a small town in Arkansas, worked as a farm hand as a teenager," Kerr recalled. "To come out here to work on airplanes-it's a better job and better benefits than being a farm hand ever was. But, there are down sides to it. I can understand why people want to get out. It's a difficult life and it's not for everybody."

Tech. Sgt. Shaun Churilla, an F-15C avionics specialist, assigned to the squadron, is a 12-year Air Force veteran from Pittsburgh. The fact that his wife, Julie, is an Air Force staff sergeant, means she understands the demands of his military duty.

"For a long time, I never thought I could be married," Churilla commented, "not until I could find someone who'd understand me being away from home so much and the long hours that we put in on the aircraft. She understands the mission comes first, but there's a lot of wives who don't."

Pay alone isn't going to take care of the retention rate, Churilla advised. "You have to look at the amount of time we're gone from home and the opportunities people miss with their children-their son or daughters first words, their first step. Trying to further your education-that's hard to do when you're away from home five or six months a year."

Senior Airmen Jonathan Spencer, an F15C crew chief from Carmel, Ill., has six years service. He hasn't yet decided whether he'll stay for 20 years and the proposed changes will be a factor in his decision. "This shows that they're thinking about us," he said.

The main factor affecting his future is a quest for security for himself, his wife Sonja and 2-year-old daughter Alison. "I like the security of the Air Force, but on-the-other hand, I can find security elsewhere, too. Plus the deployments-this is my third deployment this year. I'm not really getting to see my daughter a lot. It's a hard decision as far as the family is concerned."

Senior Airmen Brad Lapelley, from Laconia, N.H., another six-year veteran, plans on staying in the Air Force and welcomed the talk of more pay. "I got out in '92 for about six months. I did the young airmen thing, thought I could do better, but I had a hard time finding good work so I came back in. While I was out, I joined National Guard. I like working on airplanes but it wasn't enough just working on airplanes once a month."

Overall, Lapelley said, "the money's not that bad. There are a lot of jobs where you're not going to get paid as well as this, especially if you don't have a college education. Without that you're not going to find a decent job. The Air Force gives you the training and benefits and you're doing more challenging stuff. If you like to travel, it's definitely the career field to go into."

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U.S. officials declare victory in Iraq mission

Linda D. Kozaryn — Mon, 21 Dec 1998 00:00:00 -0500

During the course of four nights, American and British bombs and missiles struck 100 Iraqi military targets. Defense leaders praised U.S. service members for the success of Operation Desert Fox.

The United States achieved its goals, Defense Secretary William Cohen said at the Pentagon Dec. 19. "We've degraded Saddam Hussein's ability to deliver chemical and biological weapons," he said. "We've diminished his ability to wage war against his neighbors."

Army. Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed Cohen's assessment. "I am confident that the carefully planned and superbly executed combat operations of the past four days have degraded Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction program, his ability to deliver weapons and his ability to militarily threaten the security of this strategically important Persian Gulf region."

During the 70-hour operation, Shelton reported, American and British planes flew more than 650 strike and strike support sorties. U.S. ships launched more than 325 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Air Force B-52 bombers dropped more than 90 cruise missiles.

Cohen said military officials developed and refined the plan for Desert Fox over the last year. "We concentrated on military targets and we worked very hard to keep civilian casualties as low as possible," he said. "Our goal was to weaken Iraq's military power, not to hurt Iraq's people."

Since the Gulf War, Hussein has chosen "confrontation over cooperation," Cohen said. "To the extent that there are civilian casualties, only Saddam and his brutally destructive regime are to blame."

Throughout the air campaign, Cohen said, American forces performed with great speed and skill. There were no U.S. or British casualties. He stressed, however, that service members face risks every day in the course of their duties. He recalled four naval officers who died when their aircraft collided on the USS Enterprise in early November.

"That night Lt. Cdr. Kurt Barich, Lt. Cdr. Meredith Loughran, Lt. Brendan Duffy and Lt. Charles Woodard gave their lives in defense of their country," the secretary said. "Our condolences and sympathies continue to go to their families and loved ones."

Shelton commended the military men and women who conducted Desert Fox for their professionalism, dedication and courage. "This was truly a team effort," the chairman said. "Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of our total force, active, reserve and National Guard, together with our great British allies all contributed to the success achieved during the operation. It was one team and one fight."

The chairman addressed his thanks to crisis response force families. "I know it's been difficult, especially during the holiday season, to watch your husband, wife, son or daughter, mom or dad, pick up that rucksack one more time to answer our nation's call. America is very proud of you all."

The end of Desert Fox does not mean the end of the U.S. presence in the region, Shelton pointed out. Defense officials intend to evaluate the size of the force needed to "keep an eye on Saddam," he said. "Make no mistake about it, we will maintain a significant capability there to defend our national interests and the security of the region as we have for many years."

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Cohen, Shelton praise Desert Fox warriors

Linda D. Kozaryn — Fri, 18 Dec 1998 00:00:00 -0500

America's military men and women deserve high praise for executing Operation Desert Fox, the Pentagon's senior leaders said Thursday.

"It is inevitable that during conflict our focus will be on our weapons and their effectiveness," said Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "but we must not lose sight of the fact that it is our people who make the difference."

Shelton and Defense Secretary William Cohen saluted service members on the second day of Desert Fox, the air campaign designed to degrade Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction program and his ability to threaten his neighbors.

The chairman said the nation's soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines make America the super power that it is. "We owe our men and women in uniform carrying out this operation a great deal," Shelton said.

Cohen noted that military men and women frequently work under adverse conditions, and each day, they risk their lives practicing wartime skills.

"In wartime or peacetime, they're out there training," the secretary said. "When I was in the Gulf in August, the temperature on the ships was 160 degrees-combined humidity and heat. Nonetheless, they had made 2,000 launches during the month of August."

Each week, as units work to maintain high combat readiness, Cohen said, troops' lives are lost. "Their lives are in danger just by virtue of the fact that they are the best fighting force in the world," he said. And during operations like Desert Fox, they face new threats.

"Those pilots flying over Baghdad run the risk of being hit by surface-to-air missiles," Cohen said. "They run the risk of being captured. Service members in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia run the risk of a Scud missile attack."

But, Cohen said, protecting U.S. forces is a top military priority. "We have taken every defensive measure that we can. They are prepared. Our military is performing extremely well, and every American should be proud of the troops participating in Desert Fox."

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DoD concerned about recruiting shortfalls

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 01 Dec 1998 00:00:00 -0500

Pentagon officials are pleased with the overall number and quality of this year's recruits, but they express concern about Army and Navy recruiting shortfalls in fiscal 1998.

"Overall, we did very well; over 97 percent of the goal was met," said Air Force Col. James R. Holaday, deputy director for accession policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy. "DoD has very high quality standards and those quality standards were met among that 97 percent."

In general, however, the Defense Department is concerned about meeting personnel needs, Holaday said. While the Air Force and Marine Corps met and even surpassed annual recruiting goals, the Navy fell short by about 12 percent-6,900 sailors-and the Army fell short by a little under 1 percent-about 800 soldiers.

"We are concerned about that, and we are taking action to try to turn that around in fiscal 1999," Holaday said. While looking for ways to attract more recruits, the military will not sacrifice quality, he stressed. There are no plans to lower enlistment standards to enable people with less education or lower qualification test scores to join, he said.

Since 1992, the military has required 90 percent of its new recruits to have high school diplomas, and 60 percent must score in the top half on the Armed Forces Qualifications Test. "It's a very tough standard to meet and our recruiters are meeting it," Holaday said. "I don't see any move afoot to lower that goal."

The current plan is to add more resources to the overall recruiting effort. This includes offering enlistment bonuses, enhancing educational benefits, upping the number of recruiters and adding more money to the advertising budget.

Education and training opportunities are the biggest draw for potential recruits, Holaday noted. "The Montgomery G.I. Bill is a very strong attractant. Plus, all the services have programs that augment and enhance the educational opportunities that are already in place."

The military also plans to add more recruiters to the 14,000 or so already in the field, Holaday said. This will "increase the presence in high schools, community and junior colleges, where we know there are young people that meet the requirements. They're the right age, they're qualified, they're smart. Those are the people we're looking to recruit."

He said a 30-year low in the unemployment rate in the civilian sector means a tougher time attracting potential soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. "Our real competition right now is the economy," he said. "There are more opportunities for people to work at other jobs as they come out of high school. The economy has also produced a lot of money for kids to go to college, so we're seeing more going straight to college instead of coming into the armed forces as a means to finance their education."

Military officials plan to increase the advertising budget, which already totals more than $200 million a year. Recruiting is a sales-oriented business, Holaday said, and whether you're selling cars or military careers, advertising is important.

"All the services use commercial advertising agencies to make sure that we're on the leading edge all the time," he said. "As we face further challenges in competition with the economy, I think you'll see more innovative commercials."

Men and women already in uniform can help the recruiting effort by becoming role models, Holaday said. "Across the country and in Congress, there are fewer people that have had military experience," he noted. "During the drawdown in the late 1980s, we sent a lot of people home and they may not have had a very positive military experience since they were asked to leave.

"That is one more reason why every service member-almost 1.4 million of them-should become that role model and help foster an awareness across the country of the military and what it has to offer."

Recruiting affects every member of the military, Holaday said. "Every person in uniform today should be concerned about recruiting, because recruiting has a direct impact on readiness. The only way to sustain the force we have today is to recruit new people."

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Military readiness top priority, Clinton pledges

Linda D. Kozaryn — Wed, 25 Nov 1998 00:00:00 -0500

Saluting U.S. military forces in South Korea for serving in an ever-more dangerous land, President Clinton pledged to make military readiness the nation's top priority.

For 45 years, U.S. troops have contributed to the struggle for freedom on the divided peninsula. That struggle "requires strength, courage and a lifetime of dedication," Clinton said Nov. 22 at Osan Air Base, South Korea, to service and family members who braved cold winds to hear him speak.

The president stopped at Osan and in Seoul during a trip to Japan, Korea and Guam Nov. 18 to 23. He thanked the American and South Korean military forces for their service on behalf of all Americans.

"Sometimes it's easy to forget that even in peacetime, military work is difficult and dangerous," he said. "Tensions have gone up and down on this peninsula over the years, but always there are risks." Clinton noted the threat from North Korea has loomed ever larger in recent months.

"Lately, signs of danger have intensified with incursions from the north, provocative missile tests and the question of a suspect underground installation. So we must remain vigilant," he said. "And thanks to you, we are."

North Korea is a major concern when it comes to the threat of weapons of mass destruction, according to the president. "Here at Osan," he told the uniformed men and women, "you are critical to this most dangerous battleground, deterring and, if necessary, defending, against chemical and biological attacks."

Until North Korea fully commits to playing a constructive role on the peninsula, Clinton said, the United States must maintain ready forces there. "Our ability to succeed in promoting peace is uniquely due to the fact that we can back up our diplomatic efforts with military force," he explained.

Clinton acknowledged that military duty involves much sacrifice. "We ask so much of you-to travel far from home, to work long hours, to risk your lives. We ask so much of your families-lengthy separations, career and school transitions.

"We owe an awful lot in return-at least the training and support you need, the tools to do your job, from high-tech equipment to the most basic spare parts, and the quality of life you deserve."

Highlighting recent efforts to add more money to defense coffers, Clinton said Congress has approved adding $1.1 billion for readiness and recruitment in this year's budget. Another $2 billion was added to cover operations in Bosnia.

"We shifted another $1 billion in existing defense funds to readiness needs," the president said. "I've approved pay raises that will significantly reduce the gap between military and civilian pay."

Readiness-for first-to-fight forces, ships at sea, strategic and tactical air forces-will continue to be a top priority, Clinton pledged. "You have made the world a better place and you will continue to do so. You have made us very proud and we will continue to be very proud."

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Cohen gets earful from troops overseas

Linda D. Kozaryn — Thu, 15 Oct 1998 00:00:00 -0400

UDAIRI RANGE, Kuwait-At first, the troops were hesitant. No one in the group dared to raise a hand.

"It's your chance to ask me anything you want," Defense Secretary William Cohen told the military men and women gathered to greet him. "This chance doesn't come often."

Still, no one stepped forward.

"So you want me to go back to Washington and report everything's fine?" Cohen asked.

This caused a rumble among the crowd. Finally, someone raised a hand. "Sir, I'd like to ask about our retirement."

After this troop made the opening leap, others began firing questions at the nation's defense leader.

"Is the military really committed to raising our pay to match our civilian counterparts?" one asked.

"Will there be more money for training?" asked another.

"What about spare parts?"

"Will women be allowed to serve in the infantry?"

"How are we going to deal with Kosovo? With Iraq?"

Throughout his October trip to the Persian Gulf, Cohen talked with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines about their concerns. At this remote site, about 80 miles from Iraq, and other locations throughout the region, Cohen told troops the nation is grateful for the sacrifice they are making to keep America strong.

"Everybody back home respects what you're doing," he said. "The military is the most admired institution in our country." He told the forward-deployed troops that the president, Congress and service chiefs are determined to improve military quality of life and readiness.

"The service chiefs and I are determined to make sure the American people know what you're doing and that you get the tools, training and technology, pay and benefits, to remain the best fighting force in the history of the world," Cohen said.

During stops aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Gulf, at Army Central Command Qatar, with Navy and Air Force personnel in Muscat, Oman, and elsewhere, Cohen addressed hundreds of service members and responded to their questions:

Retirement

"Everywhere I go, people talk to me about the retirement plan," he said. "If you stay longer, our country benefits. If there's rapid turnover, it's very costly and we lose your professionalism."

Congress changed the retirement plan in 1986 to give people incentives to stay longer in the military. The change was passed for the right reasons, Cohen said, but it's had the opposite effect. "People are leaving because of it. We're going to address this issue."

He said military leaders are now looking at changes that will restore service members' incentives to stay in the military.

Downsizing

The President, Congress and senior military leaders recognize that the military has made sacrifices and downsized as a result of the spending caps imposed by the balanced budget, Cohen said.

"Now we've reached the point where we've downsized about as low as we can go and still do our mission. What we have to do is start investing in quality of life for you and in readiness.

Pay

Cohen said a 14 percent difference in pay exists between service members in grades E-5 and above and equivalent private-sector workers. The military is committed to narrowing that disparity, he said, but the economy today is the strongest it has been in 30 years, so the private sector can offer a lot more than the military can.

"I don't think the military is ever going to be in a position to be able to pay completely equal to what you can earn in the private sector," the secretary admitted. "But there have to be other compensatory things, which make the military more attractive to you.

"Most of the men and women who join our forces do it for a variety of reasons," Cohen said. "Pay is one issue, but that's not the only issue. We're going to narrow that gap as much as we can, but still recognize it will probably never be exactly equal."

"We still are the most ready, capable force in the world, but we have to deal with some of the issues like pay, the growing gap between what's available in the private sector and what you're earning as soldiers."

Housing and Health Care

"When I go down through the list of issues I have to contend with, pay is No. 1, retirement is No. 2, operational tempo is next, then housing and then health care," Cohen said.

"We have not been able to adequately address our housing needs," the secretary said. "Right now, we've got a very long period of time before we could ever hope to refurbish much of the housing stock that we have.

"We've tried to ... leverage what limited money we have to get the private sector involved to produce more housing. It's not where it needs to be, but that is an issue we're trying to address in next year's budget."

Regarding health care, Cohen said the new TRICARE system is being implemented now. "There's been a lot of criticism, but hopefully, we'll be able to work out both the funding and a lot of the snags we've hit with it."

Training

"Training is one of the most important factors contributing to high morale and a sense of readiness," Cohen said. Joint training budget cutbacks of about 25 percent have impacted readiness, he said. "We intend to put some more money into the training budget."

Spare Parts

"I added a billion dollars this past year just for spare parts, because I started to see a shortage of spare parts was causing a morale problem," Cohen said. "People have equipment they can't work on because they have to wait for orders to come through, or cannibalize something else. That starts to affect morale. When we see that, we say, OK, we've got to plus that up."

Operations Tempo

"We're going to make sure we don't overuse you, that we don't overburden you with more and more deployments and longer and longer times away from home and families. Because if your families aren't happy, you won't be happy and you won't stay in."

"Are We the World's Policemen?"

"The answer is no," Cohen said. "We can never afford to become a prisoner of world events.

There are some areas of the world where U.S. engagement is compelling, either to protect U.S. interests or to contribute humanitarian aid, he said.

"We try to be very selective on where we become engaged because of the pressure it puts upon a smaller force," he said. "We are conscious of the fact that we are demanding more and more of fewer people. It's having the impact of driving people out [of the military]. We try to exercise as much caution and prudence as we can. We try to be selective. We can't be everywhere."

The United States is also asking allies to share the burdens of these missions, Cohen said. "I've tried to make it very clear that if we're providing most of the air force going in to Kosovo, we ought to call on the Europeans to pick up most of the load if ground troops are required to oversee a peace agreement."

Kosovo

"The fires in Kosovo have started to burn and should they go unchecked it could spread to other countries throughout the region, even into such NATO countries as Greece and Turkey. It's important for our interests not to have that happen.

"What has happened? He [Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic] has driven some 300,000 to 400,000 people away from their homes. He has killed hundreds. He now has between 50,000 to 75,000 people living up in the hills and mountains without adequate food, clothing or shelter. They run the risk of starving or freezing to death [as winter descends]. That is not a tolerable situation for anyone concerned about humankind."

The United States and NATO have made it clear to Milosevic that NATO is prepared to use military force to resolve the crisis, Cohen said. NATO signed an activation order Oct. 13 authorizing military action and gave Milosevic a 96-hour stay to comply with U.N. demands on Kosovo. If NATO air strikes begin, however, the United States will contribute about 260 of the 430 allied aircraft to be used.

"There is a very substantial force being organized to take action if it becomes necessary," Cohen said. "We're hoping it won't be necessary, that we won't have to deploy any American troops, that we won't have to put our pilots [at risk]."

Iraq

Saddam Hussein has played cat-and-mouse with U.N. weapons inspectors for nearly eight years. The United Nations insists Hussein comply with Security Council resolutions. Cohen stressed the ongoing dispute is between Iraq and the United Nations, which must enforce its demands on the Iraqis or risk its credibility.

"We've maintained a force of roughly 20,000 men and women throughout the gulf region. We can increase that force level by up to 40,000 within a 96-hour period. We have also doubled the number of cruise missiles we have on hand. We have a very formidable force that can take action quickly if it becomes necessary."

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Cohen promises better pay, benefits

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 13 Oct 1998 00:00:00 -0400

MANAMA, Bahrain-Pay and retirement. These are the top two issues service members raise whenever Defense Secretary William S. Cohen asks, "What questions do you have for me?"

Whether they're at a stateside base or aboard an aircraft carrier here in the Persian Gulf, service members ask about the disparity between military and civilian pay and about the military's reduced retirement plan. In reply, the Defense Secretary says, things will improve.

The President, Congress and military leaders are going to do whatever is necessary to keep America's military the most ready, capable force in the world, Cohen said Oct. 9, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"That means satisfying your needs as well," Cohen told about 300 sailors gathered in the aircraft carrier's hangar. The secretary visited the ship during a seven-day, six-nation trip to the Persian Gulf region Oct. 7 to 14.

Recent congressional hearings focused on personnel issues and their impact on readiness, Cohen said. "When we start to lose good people, when we see that there are real stresses placed upon on your lives that make it not tolerable and not gratifying to you, we make the changes necessary," he said.

Cohen attributed the military's reduced benefits to the balanced budget agreement, which capped military spending. "I want to make clear to all [service] members, if they are upset or have questions or criticisms, they should look at the political environment in which we've had to operate."

The balanced budget agreement resulted in hardship and downsizing for the military, Cohen noted, but for the nation, the end result has been beneficial. "We now have a situation where we don't have deficits of $350 billion every year. We now have a balanced budget and we have surpluses. So we've made the sacrifices; now we have to go back and say let's get it back in balance."

For the military, competing with the strongest civilian economy in decades is a real challenge, Cohen admitted. The military and private companies both seek the most qualified people, he said. "I must be frank with you, it's always going to be difficult to match what's going on in the civilian sector."

When military colleagues bail out for higher pay and better opportunities in the private sector, it places enormous pressure on service members, Cohen said. "We want to convey to you it's important to resist that pressure because we're going to deal with the issues most important to you. We're going to make life in the military as attractive to you as possible," he promised.

During the past few months, Cohen said he has queried service members about their concerns. Senior commanders and service chiefs met with President Clinton and appeared before Congress to review issues impacting quality of life, and ultimately, readiness. As a result, Cohen said, the administration plans to take action.

"We're going to take into account the kind of pressures you're under, operational tempo, the pay differential, the retirement plan," the secretary said. "We will propose some changes to the pay and retirement and other quality of life issues that have had an impact in recent months."

The goal is to present "a credible, responsible budget to the Congress and say this is what we need to keep us strong," Cohen said. "It's going to require some increases; how much we can't say at this point."

The military needs to invest for the future, Cohen said, but not at the expense of service members' quality of life. "We are inching our way back up and getting the procurement accounts in place," Cohen said. "We also have to make sure that we don't have so much focus on procurement that we don't take care of you."

In order to have "the best equipment the world can provide," Cohen said, about $60 billion a year is needed for procurement. Presently, $42 billion is allocated for new equipment, but by fiscal year 2001, DoD will hit the $60 billion mark, he said.

Although modern equipment is important, it does not outweigh the need to recruit and retain quality people, Cohen said.

The United States "still has the most ready, capable force in the world," he said. "There is no one in the world who can compete with us in terms of our military might and power. We have to make sure that we keep it that way."

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DoD Looks to Cut Tail

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 20 May 1997 00:00:00 -0400

Just as service members are expected to be lean, mean, fighting machines, so should the rest of DoD, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said last week.

"Just as we want our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to be more agile, more flexible, more capable -- with lighter equipment so they can move faster -- we want our force structure to be leaner and more agile as well," he said. "We've had a 33 percent cut in our force structure, but only an 18 percent reduction in infrastructure -- bases and facilities. We're carrying excess weight."

Meeting with DoD internal media reporters four days before unveiling the Quadrennial Defense Review, Cohen said review results call for "modest" cuts in personnel and infrastructure over the next five years. Without giving exact figures, Cohen said the proposed personnel cuts are aimed at DoD's "tail" rather than its "tooth."

"We want to make sure whatever cuts we recommend come mostly out of combat support, civilian, Reserve and National Guard," he said. "We've tried to minimize the impact on the combat forces. We've tried to maintain our combat strength. We don't want to see that diminished."

Cohen called the cuts prudent and responsible. He discounted national defense observers who want more radical approaches, such as cutting the force in half, withdrawing from Asia and Europe and applying any savings to research and development.

"We don't think that's a responsible course of action," Cohen said. "If you do that, you lose the ability to shape events. You lose the ability to respond [to a world crisis.] You would, in fact, compromise our ability to respond as effectively because that technology, while promising, has not matured yet."

Cohen stressed the personnel cuts in the review are proposals that need the consent of Congress. These recommendations are based on DoD's six-month self-examination. He said panel of civilian defense experts has until the end of the year to complete a second, independent review and to make further recommendations.

Congress will then evaluate the Pentagon's and the expert panel's findings, he said. "BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] proceedings obviously have to be approved by Congress. The same is true with recommended cuts in the forces. We have to work hand and hand with Congress."

Periodic reviews such as the 1991 Base Force, 1993 Bottom-up and now the Quadrennial Defense reviews play a vital role for the department, Cohen said. "Any organization should always be willing to look at itself to say, 'How can we do things better? Are we preparing for the future?' It's healthy -- it's prudent to constantly examine ourselves to say, 'Are we on track?'"

The Quadrennial Defense Review started with the proposition America's military system is working well, Cohen said. "We happen to be the envy of the world," he said. Visitors from the around the globe ask DoD for help with downsizing, restructuring and modernizing. "The Russian minister of defense, the Ukrainian minister of defense -- all of these countries are coming to us and saying, 'We want to be more like you.'"

Review proposals "make sense for the present, near-term, mid-term and long-term," Cohen said. "We tried to determine what we need to do in terms of reforming our operations and support functions to save enough money to put into the modernization program."

In an earlier interview, Cohen said DoD's goal is to shift $12 billion to $15 billion from the operations account to modernization. "We're going to make investments in the kind of technology that will reduce the need for large numbers [of people] by putting more capable weapons systems into the hands of our fighting forces," he said.

But technology should not be seen as "a silver bullet or magic elixir," Cohen warned. "Even though we are depending on technology to help revolutionize the military, giving us total dominance over any battlefield, we still have to have people," he said. "If you keep reducing the size of the force, saying we now have the technology that will overcompensate for any loss of people, you miss a very important [point]."

Forward-deployed troops shape people's opinions, Cohen said. They reinforce U.S. commitments to allies and send a strong message to potential adversaries that America is prepared to respond, he said. While DoD intends to modernize at a fast rate, Cohen said, defense officials must balance the potential, the possibilities and the promise of tomorrow with today's reality.

One military requirement that won't change is the need to recruit and retain quality people, Cohen said. "We have some remarkable scientists who can conceive, imagine and develop the most sophisticated equipment ever seen in the world, but it will be useless unless we have quality people coming into the military," he said.

Defense officials are considering things important to troops -- aggressively addressing inadequate housing, ways to help with day care, schools, Cohen said. "We have placed people at the top [of DoD's priority list], their quality of life second and then modernization under that. I hope that that message will get out to all of the troops."

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Pentagon Sage Honored

Linda D. Kozaryn — Wed, 07 May 1997 00:00:00 -0400

Defense secretaries come and go, but DoD's public servants stay to carry out the mission, William S. Cohen said during Pentagon Public Service Recognition Week ceremonies.

Cohen looked toward David O. "Doc" Cooke, the Pentagon's director of administration and management, while making this statement. Cohen said in the short time he's been in office as the nation's 20th defense secretary, he's come to understand Doc Cooke's success.

Cooke, DoD's senior civil servant, has been head administrator and manager of Washington Headquarters Service at the Pentagon for nearly 26 years. Cooke has been involved in defense management within the five-sided headquarters for almost 40 years.

His age, DoD officials say, is a mystery. His secret to success: "Doc Cooke makes it seem as if the secretary of defense is in charge," Cohen said, "but as you all know, the Doc is the rock."

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Cohen Tells Civilians: Be Impudent

Linda D. Kozaryn — Wed, 07 May 1997 00:00:00 -0400

Defense Secretary William S. Cohen called on DoD's civilian work force to revolutionize the way the department does business.

DoD is slimming down and at the same time attempting to modernize to remain a strong, ready force capable of dealing with 21st century threats, Cohen said. "We're going to call upon each of you to examine ways we can do things better, smarter and cheaper," he told DoD employees at a Public Service Recognition Week ceremony May 5.

Navy Secretary John H. Dalton, Air Force Secretary Sheila E. Widnall, Army Undersecretary Joe R. Reeder and Army Lt. Gen. John J. Cusick, Joint Staff logistics director, also attended the hour-long tribute to government workers.

Cohen said he is enormously impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of DoD's "can-do" employees. America's armed forces are the best, most capable military force anywhere in the world, he said, but "they couldn't carry out their functions -- as tough and arduous as they are -- without your help."

He then called on DoD civilians to help revolutionize department operations. People need to ask "impudent questions that challenge the older order of things," he said. "That's precisely what's happening with the Quadrennial Defense Review."

Like the 1991 Base Force Review and the 1993 Bottom-up Review, the Quadrennial Defense Review asks basic questions about America's defense for the new era. "We're asking, What kind of armed forces do we need for the next century?," Cohen said. "What do we want our forces to do and how do we want them to carry out those duties? What programs, policies and technologies do we need, and how are we going to pay for them?"

One aim of the review, he noted, is to provoke national debate about defense strategy, requirements and resources. "We have to have a bipartisan discussion that's inclusive, not only of the policy makers in this administration and Congress, but also of the American people. The QDR is clearly going to outline the choices for our country and the risk involved in each of these choices."

Cohen commended DoD employees working on the review as well as normal duties. "It's like trying to overhaul your engine while you're driving down the highway," he said. "But somehow you seem to be doing it and doing it well."

A driving force behind the review is the administration's effort to balance the federal budget. The defense budget is set at $250 billion (plus inflation) for the foreseeable future, Cohen said. "That may sound like a lot of money, but the fact is, in 1985, we were spending roughly $400 billion in today's dollars."

DoD has made substantial reductions over the past decade, Cohen said, cutting force structure by a third and procurement by two-thirds. Further changes are necessary to operate within the projected budget, he said. DoD civilians can do their part to streamline operations and reduce redundancy in day-to-day operations, he said.

Cohen is due to report to the president and Congress on the Quadrennial Defense Review May 15. Noting reporters in the audience, he declined to reveal any of the much-anticipated findings, but he joked, "I will tell you about some of the ideas the QDR has rejected.

"For example, he said, "someone proposed the Air Force hold bake sales to pay for the F-22s [fighter jets]. That one came from the Army, I think. We also dropped the idea that we ask Bob Dole for a big loan. Someone had the temerity to suggest people cut the secretary of defense's speeches in half so everyone could get back to work. I personally squashed that one."

In a more serious tone, Cohen said, the review has totally rejected business as usual. "We have to change, and we're going to change," he said. "By the turn of the century, the department will not be the same organization it is today. That change has to begin today."

Just as corporate America had to change to remain competitive, DoD must change to live within its resources, Cohen said. "For decades, America was on top of the world in virtually every category. When I was growing up, for example, nearly every automobile on our highways was made in America. It was a Cadillac, an Oldsmobile, maybe even a DeSoto or a Nash Rambler. Then something happened. In the early 1970s, the cars traveling on our highways were quite different. They were Hondas, Toyotas, Mazdas ... made not in America, but principally in Japan."

Corporate America took a hard look at themselves and found they'd gotten soft and flabby, Cohen said. They realized they had to restructure their organizations to get lean. They went through a painful process of downsizing, rightsizing and outsourcing -- shedding excess weight keeping them from being competitive in the international environment. As a result, Cohen said, corporate America is back on top.

Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry and Undersecretary for Acquisition and Technology Paul G. Kaminski started DoD's business revolution with acquisition reform. "We were loaded down with an obsolete system of acquiring our technology," Cohen said. Reform is called for in other areas such as travel reimbursement and using credit cards instead of a voluminous purchase order system, he said.

DoD has some 1,300 pages of travel reimbursement regulations, Cohen said. Most companies in the private sector have about 13. "We could save approximately a billion dollars a year just in that facet of our operation alone."

While the review percolates in Pentagon offices with the final brew still to come, the overall message is already clear: "We need to find ways to shift money from our operations and support budget into the acquisition of new systems," Cohen said. "We've got to find ways to do things better and cheaper and faster."

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New DoD Blueprint Coming

Linda D. Kozaryn — Fri, 02 May 1997 00:00:00 -0400

What does the future hold for the military? Will there be further troop cuts? Base closures? These are some questions to be answered May 15.

That's when DoD will unveil its blueprint for the future. It's called the Quadrennial Defense Review.

Mandated by Congress, the review is an overall look at the military's structure, strategy and resources. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen is slated to report results to President Clinton May 15 and to Congress May 19.

The review "is a blueprint for Congress to see whether we can reach consensus on how we modernize our forces for the future, how we maintain the right strategy for today and well into tomorrow," Cohen said here April 29.

"Everything is on the table" is the catchall phrase Cohen, Deputy Defense Secretary John P. White, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. John M. Shalikashvili and other department leaders use to describe the scope of the project that's been the talk of the Pentagon for months.

Since the review was announced in December, service chiefs, agency heads and other DoD officials have gathered for countless briefings and meetings dealing with some tough questions. Can DoD modernize the force for the 21st century and stay within the president's projected $250 billion plus inflation annual defense budget? Can the military cut more troops and remain prepared to meet future threats? Should the civilian side of DoD be drawn down?

As the May 15 deadline nears, speculation grows on what the report will recommend in personnel cuts, base closures and overall restructuring. An April 29 New York Times story predicts DoD may cut as many as 50,000 soldiers and cut Navy and Air Force budgets for high-tech fighter jets. Pressed by reporters, Cohen called early reports of troop cuts "speculative and premature." But he did admit DoD has excess infrastructure.

"It's clear by virtue of the fact that we've had roughly a 33 percent reduction in force structure, but [only] about an 18 percent reduction in infrastructure," Cohen said. "That leaves a fairly significant excess capacity, which has to be addressed. Whether or not it comes in the form of a BRAC [base realignment and closure] or some other process is something we intend to discuss in the next several days."

DoD's overarching goal is to maintain flexible, ready and strong forces, Cohen said in an April 28 speech at the University of Georgia. "They have to be flexible enough to carry out any mission -- all the way from warfighting to emergency evacuations," he said. "They have to be ready enough to respond to any crisis quickly, and they have to be strong enough to dominate any aggressor early on in the battle."

Preparing for future challenges requires a robust modernization program, Cohen said. "We have the world's most powerful military, and our strategy is to keep our forces without any peer. We don't want to engage in a fair fight, a contemporary war of attrition. We want to dominate across the full spectrum of conflict so that if we ever have to fight, we win on our terms."

Cohen said the purpose of the Quadrennial Defense Review is to make a thorough examination of the entire defense structure while asking, "How should we shape ourselves? What kind of role should we play in the world today? And then, devise a strategy and develop the resources necessary to match up to that strategy."

DoD officials are working on seven areas: strategy, force structure, modernization, human resources, information operations/intelligence, infrastructure and readiness.

While defense leaders work within the Pentagon, civilian national security specialists consider the same issues. Cohen appointed an independent panel of nine civilian defense experts - - former military chiefs and civilian department officials -- to assess the ongoing review. The National Defense Panel will also provide an independent report to Congress Dec. 15. Cohen will name a second independent panel soon to look at DoD's civilian support structure and defense agencies.

Throughout the Defense Department, military and civilian defense experts are evaluating how best to protect vital U.S. interests in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. They're considering how to deal with the threat of domestic and international terrorism. They're looking at the role and cost of U.S. forces in peacekeeping operations. They're studying how to maintain mobile forces capable of rapidly responding to regional conflicts. One overriding factor in all the debate is staying within a set budget aimed at helping the nation balance the federal budget.

In April, the National Defense Panel conducted outreach seminars in Arlington, Va., to give panel members a wide range of private- and public-sector opinions on national defense. Defense specialists from some of the nation's top think tanks presented views before the panel. Experts from the Brookings Institute, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the American Enterprise Institute addressed the first seminar. Experts from the Heritage Foundation, the Center for Defense Information and the Business Executives for National Security addressed the second.

Some outside defense experts told the panel the military should be ready and able to deal with 1 1/2 contingencies rather than the two called for in the 1993 Bottom-up Review completed under Defense Secretary Les Aspin. Others call for an international crisis force rather than U.S. ground troops to handle long-term peacekeeping operations and other contingencies. Many seek ways to reduce high deployment rates -- personnel tempo -- in military units.

Civilian business executives are focusing on the "tail to tooth ratio" of support forces to combat forces. Some business experts say DoD can get better, more efficient services and support at a lower cost by using techniques pioneered in America's private sector.

They recommend DoD continue efforts toward acquisition reform and reducing infrastructure through base closings. They propose civilian contractors provide payroll, fire, police, medical and other support services. They suggest privatizing military family housing and depot maintenance.

The Quadrennial Defense Review is not expected to answer all questions by May 15, said Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon. But it will serve as a framework for an evolving process, he said. Decisions are being made that will affect procurement, base structure, inventory maintenance, and the number of service members and civilian employees.

"This is a large undertaking that involves a strategic assessment and statement that will guide our thinking over the next 10 to 15 years," Bacon said. "What we're trying to do is decide what challenges face us and how best to organize and fund ourselves to meet those challenges."

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DoD Child Care Leads Way

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 29 Apr 1997 00:00:00 -0400

In 1985, Linda K. Smith heard the keynote speaker at a national conference call DoD's child care program "the ghetto of American child care."

She was humiliated.

April 17, Smith heard President Clinton hail military child care as the nation's model of excellence.

She was ecstatic.

"People need to be proud of what's happened," said Smith, director of DoD's Office of Family Policy. "We really have come a long way. A lot of people have invested a lot of hard work to come this far."

When Congress passed the 1989 Military Child Care Act, Smith said, it expected DoD's child care program to do for child care what the military has done for racial integration and drug and alcohol reduction. But at the time, she said, many commanders did not believe their military mission included caring for service members' children.

As more and more spouses moved into the work force, however, "child care became an integral part of the military doing its job," Smith said. "As every parent knows, it's a basic issue of being able to go to work." The result: DoD's child care program grew and steadily improved, Smith said.

The president lauded DoD's program during The White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning. He praised the military for requiring its child care programs to meet national standards. He commended DoD for providing adequate funding;strict oversight; improved caregiver training, pay and benefits; and strong family care networks.

In a memorandum to Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, Clinton asked the military to help improve child care throughout the nation. He asked DoD officials to partner military programs with civilian community child care facilities. He also wants the military to create training centers, share program information and help train welfare recipients at DoD child care facilities.

Military child care came into the national spotlight when Smith's office responded to a White House request for a report on department support for children. Smith's staff met a three-week suspense date, publishing a report entitled "Department of Defense: Our Children, America's Future -- Defense Policies and Programs for Children in Their Earliest Years." It earned an "A- plus, plus" from White House officials, Smith said.

The report outlined DoD's child care policies and programs, highlighting the fact that 72 percent -- 337 out of 466 -- of DoD's programs for children aged three months through five years are nationally accredited. Only 5 to 7 percent of civilian centers are accredited. DoD required the rest of their programs to meet national standards by 1996. All are now in the process of being accredited, Smith said.

DoD has the largest employer-sponsored child care program in the world, serving more than 200,000 children aged three months to 12 years, Smith said. The program includes 466 pre-school-age centers, about 350 school-age programs and nearly 10,000 family care homes.

"We have the quality we do because we subsidize the program," Smith said. The department helps make care affordable for military families -- DoD's fiscal 1997 child care budget is $273.3 million. Parents pay about 50 percent of the cost, Smith said. Military parents pay about $65 per week, whereas parents in civilian communities may pay anywhere from about $120 up to about $200 a week, she said.

"A lot of government money goes into child care in the civilian world -- somewhere around $4 billion -- but it's all in subsidies to low-income families, as opposed to child-care providers," Smith said. "We give money to programs rather than to parents." Giving money to parents may buy child care, she said, but it doesn't necessarily buy quality, training or improve child care providers' wages.

DoD child care providers earn about double what civilian counterparts earn in pay and benefits, Smith said. DoD pays about $10 an hour including benefits. Providers start at GS-2 and work up to GS-4. Civilian community providers generally earn minimum wage -- $4.75 an hour, she said.

In 1990, DoD's program linked training required for national certification with pay incentives, Smith said. "Our [annual] turnover rate has dropped to below 40 percent as opposed to what it used to be -- about 65 percent in the states to as high as 300 percent overseas. People stay with us, and because they have standardized training, they can transfer within the services and maintain their grades." Most of DoD's child care providers are spouses of active duty or retired military members, Smith said.

The new challenge for Smith and her staff is to fulfill the president's request. Expanding DoD services will take money -- about $3 million a year, Smith estimates. Family policy officials are seeking added funding for fiscal 1997 to get new program initiatives rolling, she said.

Clinton tasked DoD to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to develop child care center partnerships. At many installations, Smith said, partner programs are already underway. Military child care facilities will broaden efforts to adopt civilian centers, helping with accreditation and sharing training programs, she said.

Clinton asked DoD to set up "Child Care Programs of Excellence" to serve as models for child care centers, family child care homes and school-age facilities. DoD officials are considering naming 13 to 20 existing military programs to serve as regional training models, Smith said. "People can come in and look at how we do things," Smith said. "They can see how we approach inspections, training, accreditation."

Military child care program managers would apply for program of excellence status and compete for funds to expand staffs and services to train state and local providers.

DoD plans to set up a speakers bureau to train local military child care officials for public appearances in surrounding communities, Smith said. DoD officials are slated to speak at this year's annual conference sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told DoD officials they will be on the agenda of a White House conference on child care in September, Smith said.

At the president's request, DoD will make information available on training and compensation, accreditation and evaluation, playground and facility design and financing strategies. Smith said her staff hope to establish a clearing house for child care information. They will also model a child care home page after the family center website they are currently preparing for public access via the Internet.

Clinton also tasked DoD to work with local officials to use military child development centers and family child care homes as training sites for welfare recipients. The Marine Corps at Quantico, Va., has such a program under way, Smith said. Prince William County, Va., pays for a 90-day job training program which places people in Marine Corps child care facilities. Trainees do not replace DoD workers, but supplement the staff, Smith said. "We get additional help; they get on-the-job training."

The Quantico program is working well and management is quite happy with it, Smith said. Marine Corps officials are particularly impressed with the quality of the people they're getting. "There are a lot of displaced homemakers who, because of divorce, are suddenly thrown onto the welfare roles," Smith said. "There's no guarantee of a job, but I wouldn't be surprised if we end up hiring some of them."

All trained under the president's initiative will be taught parenting skills, and they will work with certified child care providers, Smith said. They will also go through the same screening process as regular hires. All DoD child care providers undergo intense background checks, she said. "We would not relax that standard."

Over the years, Smith said, DoD has truly become "a mover and a shaker" when it comes to effecting social change. "Change is often painful at first, but eventually, people understand and are proud of what they've accomplished," she said. "I hope the military is proud of what it's accomplished in child care."

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Recycled Paper Only, Says DoD

Linda D. Kozaryn — Tue, 22 Apr 1997 00:00:00 -0400

Recycled paper. It's not quite as white, but it works just as well, and DoD officials say most people can barely tell the difference.

DoD is taking the lead as the first federal agency to buy only recycled paper for copiers and printers, Pentagon officials announced on April 17.

DoD uses about 65 percent of all the copy paper the General Services Administration buys for the federal government, officials said. Until now, only 18 percent of the paper bought by the federal government was recycled paper.

"Making the switch to copier paper with recycled content is an important part of meeting our environmental commitments because we use more paper than any other agency," said Defense Secretary William S. Cohen. "With this one act, we are able to realize substantial environmental savings."

DoD buys about 2.1 million 5,000-sheet boxes each year, said Sherri Goodman, deputy under secretary of defense for environmental security. "Each week, the Pentagon buys 1,400 boxes of paper," she said. "If you laid them end to end, the paper we use in one week could stretch from Washington to Miami."

Using recycled paper saves trees, energy and money, Goodman said. DoD officials estimate the Pentagon's switch will save about 150,000 trees, 35 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 60 million gallons of water each year.

DoD will use recycled paper as long as it costs less than virgin paper, Goodman said. At present, recycled paper costs about five cents less per box, so based on 1996 sales, DoD will see a net savings of about $105,000 a year.

Fran McPoland, the administration's federal environmental executive, hailed DoD's new policy as a major step toward compliance with President Clinton's 1993 executive order on federal acquisiton, recycling and waste prevention.

Executive Order 12873 stresses "the importance of using the government's purchasing power to stimulate markets for recovered products and reduce the need to dispose of waste materials," McPoland said. It requires federal agencies to establish procurement programs for designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as items containing recovered material.

"Printing and writing paper is one of the biggest targets on the list," McPoland said. The federal government purchases 20 billion sheets of paper a year from GSA and the Government Printing Office, she said. That's equal to 10 million sheets for every hour of a 40-hour work week.

"Although we have made great strides in buying recycled products over the last four years, our performance in purchasing recycled copier paper has been more than disappointing," she said. "Governmentwide, the compliance levels for 1996 were close to about 17 percent. This is due, in part, to a system that allows government officials to continue procuring the same items purchased for years and years without change."

By switching to recycled copy paper, DoD has set an important precedent and serves as an example for the rest of the government, McPoland said.

"DoD's new mandate will help provide a much-needed price stabilizing effect on recycled paper prices by stimulating recycled paper production capacity by more than 2 million boxes every year," she said. "The impact of this policy is so tremendous, we have already started conversations with other federal agencies interested in following DoD's footsteps."

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