DefenseLINK, the Department of Defense's official World Wide Web information service, is now on line. The new service, which greatly expands the capabilities of the original DefenseLINK, provides direct access to the information services established by the military departments and selected DoD organizations.
The service, a joint effort by DoD Public Affairs and the Defense Technical Information Center, is a 24-hour, 7-day a week service accessible via web browsers at URL http://www.defenselink.mil/
DefenseLINK also provides access to several feature sections which include News, Fact File, Publications, Questions and Answers, and a Locator Service.
The DefenseLINK News section, which replaces the original DefenseLINK, carries DoD news releases, DoD contract award announcements (for award of $5 million or more), press advisories, memoranda for correspondents, daily public schedules for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, and transcripts of DoD news and background briefings and selected speeches.
The DoD Fact File provides fact sheets on DoD organizations; equipment; and, in the future, biographical information on U.S. military leaders.
The Publications section links to on-line copies of Department of Defense directives and instructions, and to on-line publications such as Defense Issues.
Under Questions? the user finds answers to many frequently asked questions, such as where to get military records or technical manuals, or how to arrange for a tour of the Pentagon.
DefenseLINK is also the site of the initial implementation of the Department of Defense's Government Information Locator Service, a new on-line service being developed by all government agencies to provide an on-line card catalog of information available to the public.
"DefenseLINK information service puts the Department of Defense in the fast lane of the Information Highway. Now, more than ever, access to DoD information resources is timely and convenient for anyone with World Wide Web capability. In turn, the American public, including people such as decision-makers, students, and those in industry, receive a broader picture and understanding of DoD capabilities and missions," said Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Ken Bacon.
