Army News, benefits, careers, entertainment, photos, promotions - Army Times HOME

Weapons & warfare

War casualties affect millions

WHAT’S UP: A Duke University study has found that between 4.3 million and 6.5 million people know someone killed or wounded in operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. The study, reported in the online publication Structure and Dynamics, which covers anthropology and related sciences, attempted to study the number of people affected by casualties to determine the wider implications of battle losses. The estimates come from looking at family size and mutual acquaintances.

WHAT’S NEXT: The report also tries to judge Iraqi resistance to the U.S. war effort by looking at the number of casualties in Iraq and people detained by U.S. forces, then calculates their family sizes and personal, work and school relationships. It estimates there are 10.3 million people in Iraq who know a person killed by U.S. forces and up to 8 million who know someone detained by U.S. forces.

Education

Free SAT, ACT test prep kits

WHAT’S UP: A group of National Football League players and eKnowledge Corp. are continuing their offer of free $200 SAT and ACT test preparation programs to all active-duty, reserve and retired military members and their families. Those who receive the free program pay $9.95 for the cost of packaging, processing and shipping. Visit the Defense Department Web site www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil and click on the “Donation: VSG/NFL Players” button at the top left. The Web site confirms your military status, then forwards you to the order page for program requests. Requests also can be made by telephone at (951) 256-4076. Families can use the program for one year after receiving it.

WHAT’S NEXT: Since the program began in 2005, eKnowledge and the Victory Sports Group, representing a group of NFL players, have shipped 48,352 programs worth about $9.8 million to military families. They’ve received tens of thousands of letters of thanks. A spokesman for eKnowledge said the company and the players have agreed to sponsor the program for at least the next few years, and if demand continues, they are working to make it permanent.

The military

VA secretary talks draft

WHAT’S UP: Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson, a decorated Vietnam veteran, said Dec. 21 that a military draft would be good for society and that draft deferments would be harmful. The Associated Press said Nicholson, in New York to announce a program to help homeless veterans, said a draft brings “people from all quarters of our society together in the common purpose of serving,” but cautioned a return to conscription would have problems, such as deciding whether to include women. “I think if we bring back the draft, there should be no loopholes for anybody who happens to be drafted,” he said.

WHAT’S NEXT: Nicholson, who issued a subsequent statement that he does not support a return to the draft, was expressing views shared by many other Vietnam veterans about the benefits of having a random slice of society serve in the military. But whenever the issue is mentioned, the Bush administration and the Defense Department reiterate their staunch opposition to the idea as something that is unnecessary and would cause more problems than it would solve.

Law & justice

Shooting spurs diplomatic flap

WHAT’S UP: Kyrgyzstan’s new president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, wants to renegotiate a status-of-forces agreement with the U.S. because he does not want American service members in his country to have diplomatic immunity. “We cannot permit another state’s servicemen who are in Kyrgyzstan to fulfill their mission in Afghanistan to commit actions as a result of which our citizens die, and to avoid being brought to account,” he said in a national television interview. His concerns are based on the death of a driver for an aircraft services company who was shot at a security checkpoint to an air base being used by the U.S.

WHAT’S NEXT: The shooter, an American service member, will not face local murder charges because of a diplomatic agreement that Bakiyev wants to annul. A U.S. investigation found the shooting was in self-defense, but the Kyrgyzstan parliament passed a resolution asking the government to consider closing the U.S. air base because of the question of legal jurisdiction over criminal acts. While the dispute continues, Bakiyev has asked that the service member, reported to be an Air Force security guard, be ordered to stay in Kyrgyzstan so he is available to answer questions.

Shortage of the week

Where’s that kilt been, laddie?

The U.S. military, unfortunately, has considerable experience dealing with shortages of equipment and supplies, but it’s safe to say American service members have never had to deal with the problem facing Scottish troops — they are being forced to share kilts because a contract for new ones has been delayed.

Two regiments of Royal Scots merged in August, requiring a change of kilts. The new garb was supposed to be ready in January, but contract problems that have not been fully explained have thrown a wrench into the schedule for delivery.

The Associated Press reports there are just 320 kilts available for 5,000 soldiers who are expected to wear the ceremonial garb while marching, which will require some sharing in the short term. The whole thing raises anew the long-debated question of exactly what a Scot wears under his kilt, and whether he should let others know if it turns out that kilt may be passed on to someone else.