From: bergman@afnews.pa.af.mil (CMSgt Mike Bergman)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: AF News Svc 11/12/92
Date: 13 Nov 1992 08:44:19 -0600
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu


869.  Clinton's views
870.  Guilty NCO
871.  AAFES answers
				   &    &    &
				   &    &    &
				   &    &    &
869.  Clinton's views
by TSgt. David P. Masko
Air Force News Service
     WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- President-elect Bill Clinton says his top priority
is keeping a strong military, and will move forward on his proposal to allow
gays in the military.
     "The pillars of our national security and foreign policy ought to be a
different, but still very strong defense," said Clinton during his first
televised press conference Nov. 12.
     "My top priority will be settling on a multi-year plan for a defense
budget that I think keeps the defense of this country the strongest in the
world, and deals with the necessity to down-
scale."
     Clinton also reiterated his position on homosexuals in the military
saying, "I'm going to move forward on that."
     "My concern here is to do it in a way that's most appropriate for the
management of the whole national security, and military interests of the
country."
     The president-elect also said he will lift the ban on homosexuals in the
military after he consults with "a lot of people about what our options are,
including people who may disagree with me about the ultimate merits."
     During Veterans Day activities at Little Rock, Ark., Clinton said he does
not want in any way to condone any improper behavior, but the question of
homosexuals in the military is "simply status."
     "Should people who have served their country with distinction, many of
them with battlefield ribbons, and who have never had any kind of question
about their conduct raised be booted out of the military?" Clinton asked.
     "We don't have a person to waste in America.  We spend too much time
worrying about how to keep one another down and too little time worrying about
how to lift each other up."
     Also on Veterans Day, Clinton said the United States needs to invest more
in airlift and sealift "because in this uncertain world, we never know where
we might be needed."
     While Clinton is proposing a more high-tech military, he's also backed
more troop cuts in Europe and in future defense budgets.
     Nevertheless, the Pentagon is saying the fiscal 1992 drawdown will not
only be the largest for the Department of Defense since 1972, it will also be
the largest for each military department.
     "In other words, it's not merely some sort of anomaly for one department,
it's the largest for all the departments -- Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marines," said Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams Nov. 10.
     In the fiscal 1993 defense budget, the Bush administration asked Congress
for a base force of 1,644,200 by fiscal 1997.  At the end of fiscal 1992, the
base force was at 1,807,000, or 160,000 active-duty troops to be cut over
three fiscal years, Williams said.
     However, there's still a risk in breaking the force, depending if
Congress wants a lot of money quickly out of the defense budget, he said.
     Clinton has stressed the "necessity of a down-scaled" military in the
defense budgets he is proposing.
     "The only way to do that is to take it out of the personnel account,"
Williams said.
     "The other danger, of course, in terms of breaking the force, is if we're
forced to rapidly draw down the number of people who are deployed overseas.
If we're forced to pull a bunch of people out of Europe faster than we can do
so in a manner that is easy on those people, then that potentially would be a
problem," Williams said.
     "But I hope Congress will resist that temptation."


870.  Guilty NCO
     MARCH AFB, Calif. (AFNS) -- In a bizarre set of circumstances that rivals
a Hitchcock movie, an Air Force pararescueman, missing and declared dead by
the military five years ago, was found and prosecuted for desertion and
bigamy.
     SSgt. James Douglas Pou, pleaded guilty to the two charges during a
general court-martial at March Nov. 10.  In addition to a bad conduct
discharge, Pou received 18 months confinement, forfeiture of all pay and
allowances and reduction to E-1.
     After Pou disappeared under mysterious circumstances on May 12, 1987 --
while assigned to Kirtland AFB, N.M. -- he assumed an alias in San Diego,
where he illegally remarried and fathered three children.  At the time of his
disappearance, he had a wife and two children.
     Pou was declared dead May 22, 1987, after an extensive 10-day search.  He
was first listed as missing when he failed to show up to teach a class on
emergency medical procedures for rescuers at Kirtland.
     Agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations apprehended Pou
June 10 in San Diego, living a double life with a new wife and children.  He
was officially charged by the Air Force June 25, and has been confined at
March since his apprehension.
     At his request, Pou was tried by military judge alone.  An additional
charge of larceny against him was dropped by the Air Force in a pre-trial
agreement.


871.  AAFES answers
     DALLAS, Texas (AFNS) -- In a move to improve service, the Army and Air
Force Exchange Service has decided to let its managers talk directly to
customers in open dialogue meetings.
     Beginning this month, AAFES general managers at each Army and Air Force
installation will start a monthly program called "Meet the Manager."  This
program replaces the old "Let's Talk" program which AAFES has done on a less
formal basis for some years.
     Under "Meet the Manager," each general manager will set aside a time each
month to be available in the main exchange to talk with customers and discuss
their concerns, while also informing customers of AAFES programs.
     Managers will also walk through the store to meet customers and hear what
they like and don't like about the exchange, officials said.
--

-- 
         
      // \\
    //     \\                    Air Force News Agency 
   |         |               Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, USA
   \\  {*}  //                   bergman@afpan.pa.af.mil  
   \  CMSgt  /      ___________________ /____________________________________
   \  Mike   /   
   \ Bergman /
     \     / 


Newsgroups: soc.veterans