Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) is heading up an effort in Congress to extinguish an initiative that allows new military recruits to opt to serve a portion of their service commitment in the Peace Corps. Kline argues that military volunteerism is different from all other forms of volunteerism. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) got the National Call to Service program into the 2003 defense appropriation measure, yet the Pentagon has not really pushed the option. Some defense analysts see that changing with the recruiting problems facing the Army. The possibility has attracted attention. (DR, 08/23/05)
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.