WASHINGTON, July 20, 2001 – (This is a summary of the top American Forces Press Service
news stories for the week ending July 20, 2001.)
*** QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW IS 'WELL ALONG,' RUMSFELD SAYS Work on the Quadrennial Defense Review, the "blueprint" to U.S. military transformation, is on track, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said July 18. The QDR "is a tough process. It is an important process. We've had wonderful cooperation, and we're well along in that process," Rumsfeld told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. Conducted by congressional mandate, the QDR evaluates military force structure, capabilities, and resource requirements. Its recommendations are to be provided to Congress Sept. 30. Rumsfeld called the QDR a balancing of risks. "We're trying to look at operational risks and evaluate them," he said. "We're trying to then look at the risks of not doing a proper job for our people, and balancing that against operational risks. We're looking at the risks of failing to fix the underfunding that went on for a long period of years with respect to modernization and readiness." Full story *** PROPOSED 2002 ACTIVE DUTY PAY TABLE DoD officials have released the proposed fiscal 2002 active duty military pay tables. The tables incorporate the proposed 4.6 percent pay raise service members would get if Congress approves the Bush administration's fiscal 2002 DoD budget request and the targeted pay raise aimed at mid- level NCOs and officers. If requests are approved, all service members would receive at least a 5 percent pay raise, with some receiving up to 10 percent. If approved, pay raises would go into effect Jan. 1, 2002. Online Pay Tables Printable Microsoft Word version *** BRIGHT LIGHT SIGNIFIES MISSILE INTERCEPT SUCCESS If the bright flash of light wasn't proof enough, the cheers that erupted in the Pacific Missile Range control room proved the success of the most ambitious U.S. missile defense test conducted to date. At 11:07 p.m. Eastern time, a missile defense kill vehicle launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands homed in on and destroyed a target warhead launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The interception took place more than 140 miles above the Earth. The kill vehicle slammed into the warhead at more than 15,000 miles per hour. "Tests take several weeks to deduce the data, but we believe we have a successful test in all aspects at this time," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish, director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. He emphasized the test is "one stop on a journey. We have a long road ahead." Full story *** DoD LOOKING FOR MONEY TO FUND READINESS, MODERNIZATION The U.S. military is walking a fine line between maintaining today's forces and preparing for defense transformation, DoD's senior leaders told the House Appropriations Committee July 16. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Army Gen. Henry Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the defense subcommittee that years of underfunding and overuse have taken a toll on the department. Rumsfeld said DoD, just to continue ongoing programs, would need $18 billion more than the $347 billion the administration recently requested. "To get well by 2007 -- that is, to meet current requirements in areas like readiness, proper flying time, training, maintenance and so forth -- would cost the American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more, and that's before calculating the additional investment that will be needed for transformation," he said. Full story
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