European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Defense Secretary William Perry expected to be mainly a numbers Man has become a Force on foreign policy. Perry key member of the Clinton team by John Lancaster the Washington Post defense Secretary William j. Perry is emerging As the unexpected heavyweight of the Clinton administration s beleaguered foreign policy team. At first Blush the mild mannered former engineering professor hardly seems suited for the role. His background tends toward technology and management riot grand strategy. He trembles visibly in front of television cameras. He recently said he could Quot think of about 16 reasons Quot to have passed up the defense Secretary s Job and gone Home to California. But a Little More than two months after he inherited the Post from Les Aspin Perry it 66, has made his Mark staking out firm and at times. Controversial a positions on such High priority National Security matters As Russia Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Korea. At the same time uniformed leaders say Perry has restored a sense of order and discipline to the Pentagon streamlining the department s policy shop by eliminating two of six assistant Secretary jobs and conducting Crisp Clear meetings that begin on time and often end with a decision. _ in the process he has helped repair the Clinton administration s sometimes prickly relationship with military leaders who chafed under Aspin s lax management style and perceived habit of limiting major decisions to a Small Circle of civilian aides. Quot he s doing terrific Quot Gen. Merrill a. Quot Tony Quot Mcpeak the air Force chief of staff said in an interview. Quot he s confident but not overbearing. He always asks others what their views Are. Quot i think the Premier example is the korean scenario. There was a feeling of disconnectedness and All of a sudden Bill Perry stepped on stage As the spokesman of the policy As Well As an obvious  visibility has its Price. Some state department officials bridled at Perry s recent Effort to define the administration s Russia policy As one of Quot pragmatic partnership Quot Perry s own coinage according to an aide a and suggested that he had overstepped his authority. However Secretary of state Warren Christopher in a recent interview he perception is that he was a Safe Choice who would confine himself to reorganizing the Pentagon but in fact he has stepped out rather smartly As an articulator of  a Loren b. Thompson. Georgetown University called Perry Quot a very gifted communicator Quot and denied any policy Daylight existed Between him and Perry. Quot i Don t regard him As being tougher or different than i am Quot Christopher said. Perry s rising prominence within the administration May have less to do with making policy than explaining it. In frequent speeches interviews and several television appearances Perry has established a reputation for Lucid and unambiguous statements. In that respect Perry benefits by comparison with Christopher who has been criticized for Lack of leadership and clarity and National Security adviser Anthony Lake who has largely avoided the limelight. Quot the perception is that he was a Safe Choice who would confine himself to reorganizing the Pentagon but in fact he has stepped out rather smartly As an articulator of strategy Quot said Loren b. Thompson Deputy director of National Security studies at Georgetown University. A Quot on Korea Perry is saying the hard things and the state department is saying let s wait and see his willingness to say the hard things where others Are shrinking from it puts him in a position where one can t help but compare him to other members of the National Security  Perry s relative bluntness May have caused consternation in some parts of the administration but it also could prove a political asset to a president who has been accused of ducking hard choices in foreign policy. In effect Perry As defense Secretary can take the Tough positions while president Clinton casts himself in a More statesmanlike role playing a kind of Good cop to Perry s occasional bad cop. On organizational matters Perry has moved swiftly to put his own stamp on the Structure of the Pentagon dismantling the so called mini state department that Aspin had created within the department s policy secretariat. Quot it was too diffuse Quot Perry said of his decision to eliminate two assistant Secretary jobs that Aspin had established. Quot we had created a number of different entities which were awfully hard to coordinate. One Way of dealing with that was to decrease the number which we did Quot Perry s penchant for efficient management is evident in his daily schedule which begins with a 75-minute staff meeting each morning at 7 15. He has delighted his three service secretaries who were All but ignored by Aspin by sitting Down with them three times a week. Short subject former Marine omes to a mysterious end. By Jon Marcus the associated press David Cox dreamed of being a Marine forever of one Day joining the corps elite Security guard school. Those dreams were crushed by a court martial like the one in the movie a few Good men. Cox left the marines and worked one Job after another never really settling Down. Three months ago he disappeared leaving behind an uncashed paycheck and this keys to his truck. His decomposed body was found face Down april 2 on the Banks of Massachusetts Charles River shot once in the Back of the neck and three times in the Torso. The killing has baffled family friends and investigators. Quot this Guy had a very Normal life Quot said Cox a. Older brother Steven of Natick mass. A the was a very sociable very outgoing Guy. That a Why what happened to him was completely out of character for the lifestyle he  like his father before him David Cox joined the marines As soon As he graduated from High school. He was posted to the . Navy base at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. While there he was one of 10 marines accused of beating a Comrade. Seven defendants accepted plea bargains but Cox and two others chose courts martial. They argued that officers had authorized illegal hazing and were cleared of aggravated assault charges in 1987. Cox and some of his co defendants thought their Case was the basis for the 1992 movie a few Good men in which two marines at Guantanamo Bay Are charged with murdering another recruit. The films producers have insisted that the movie based on the Broadway play is fictional. The court martial delayed Cox a promotion. He went on to scout sniper school and served in Panama and Korea. But Cox a reputation followed him and he chose to be honorable discharged from the corps in 1989. A Cox started a hauling and landscape business sold cutlery and ran a Home upholstery cleaning service. At the time he disappeared he was working part time during the Christmas season for United parcel service. A the was trying to get into something he Felt was a Good Niche a a Steven Cox said. A when you come out of the Marine corps you re highly trained As a Soldier but its not like College you come out with virtually nothing applicable to the civilian  his disappearance was reported Jan. 4 by Elaine Tinsley his 21-year-old Girlfriend with whom head been living since the summer. His 1985 Ford pickup was still in the driveway with the keys inside. No Money had been withdrawn from his Bank account three months later acting on a tip from a canoeist police found Cox a body partially buried under Brush a mile from the nearest Road. He was carrying $90 and his Drivers License and wearing the same clothes he had on when he disappeared a Green camouflage jacket jeans and sneakers. Nina Flaherty a spokeswoman for the Norfolk county District attorneys office said investigators have few leads a they Are scrutinizing everything right now Quot said Steven Cox. Quot everything is a  David Cox the stars and stripes monday april 18,1994