European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 o stars and stripes tuesday March 20 2007 stars stripes Thomas e Kelsch publisher John d Panasiewicz general manager it col Daniel r Todd Usan commander news and editorial Robb 6rindstaff Doug Clawson executive editor managing editor Brooks e Bowers opinion pages editor Pacific Joe Gromelski electronic edition editor assistant managing editors Karen Willenbrecht news Christopher six Brian Bowers features Sean Moores sports Thomas p Sheen Pacific news editor Patrick Dickson addresses us mail unit 45002 Apo a 963375002 International mail 2317 Roppo Ngi 7chome Mina Toku Tokyo 1060032 Japan fax Dan 2293132 Civ 03 34088936 email readers forum advertising marketing circulation Central office 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630900 or Civ 202 7610900 fax 202 7610890 editorial director 52914th St new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 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that the air Force was considering dropping some required training including antiterrorism aware Ness from its training Cycle wants to Cut ancillary training by article March this is in Light of the fact that the air Force lost 19 members to the terrorist bombing of Khobiar towers in 1996 the total might have been much higher except for the actions of an airman on sentry duty who noticed that the daily sewer truck was out of location for the time that it was parked in front of the towers and evacuated several floors before the blast he obviously had some Type of antiterrorism training on one hand i hear the air Force complaining that it is being called on to per form army missions on the front lines but on the other that airmen dont need Basic awareness training against a predominant threat i appreciate the work that the air Force does in the War on terrorism tee us you think stars welcomes your comments Oik Init ornate and columns m published in the values Jefe of topics of import Tancin Hie lives of  All letters must Sigried and must Intig Deishe writers address or base band Telephone please Limi tall tetters to m words we Josf Rife Tolje tight to edit letters for length taste and clarity of fib Star Tam stripes t 45002 Apo a 96337s t6i0 via fax from Japan 0334088936 on 2293271 t email to air Force please make sure that your airmen Are prepared for it for their Sakes sgt Pete Stanford Camp Arifian Kuwait whats the Bronze Star policy when we leave Iraq All e7s and above will receive Bronze stars for doing their duty but none of the lower enlisted will the soldiers who spent every Day on the Road and the soldiers who treated More than 100 trauma patients in just the first six months of deployment will not is this an army wide policy what Are the qualifications for a Bronze Star do you have to be in the military for 14 years or be a second lieutenant just to qualify a lot of hardworking soldiers Are not recognized for their work when a Soldier can spend an hour holding someone else stomach inside the persons body in a Des Perate attempt to save a life he or she has earned a Bronze Star More than somebody who held a few formations most soldiers receive the army commendation medal for their service while deployed which is the same award you can get for doing Well on a Board or run Ning fuel missions in the Field it was disappointing to see so Many soldiers hard work and sacrifices go unnoticed during my last deployment it would be a shame to see that happen again pvt Charles Aggen Camp Liberty Iraq China working to become superpower by John j Tica Cik or on March 4 chivas National peo Ples Congress announced that it would increase the country Mili tary budget 178 percent in 2007 to a total of billion despite that this was the biggest single annual increase in Chi Nas military spending its government reassured the world that this spending hike was Normal and need not worry anyone but the evidence suggests that chivas in tent is to Challenge the United states As a military superpower within a decade perhaps much sooner China will be americas Only global competitor for military and strategic influence director of National intelligence Michael Mcconnell told the Senate on feb 27 that the chinese Are building their military in my View to reach some state of parity with the United states nor is this a revelation to Washington policymakers Mcconnells predecessor John Negroponte testified to the Senate Intelli gence committee in february 2006 that China is a rapidly rising Power with steadily expanding global reach that May become a peer competitor to the United states at some Point in june 2005 Secretary of state Condo Legezza Rice observed that the United states must help integrate China into the International Rule based Economy before it be comes a military superpower Rice with a doctorate in soviet studies and experience in the White House during the last Days of the cold War would not use the term superpower lightly despite the chinese communist party leaderships Espousal of chivas peaceful Rise the unprecedented peacetime expansion of chivas military capabilities betrays a Clear intent to Challenge the United states in the Western Pacific and establish itself As the regions predominant military Power with chivas massive Gap and military spending at an estimated 45 percent of Gap the resources that Beijing now de votes to its armed forces surely make it a top global Power us intelligence agencies can plainly see where the Money is going China is Assem bling a Bluewater Navy with a submarine Fleet of 29 modern boats including 13 super quiet Russia made kilo class subs and 14 chinese made song and Yuan class diesel electric submarines at least 10 More of these submarines Are in chivas ship Yards together with five new nuclear Ballis tic missile and attack boats chivas surface Fleet is undergoing a similar modernization chivas Power in the air and in space is also on the Rise the Peoples liberation army air Force has about 300 russian de signed fourth generation sukhoi27 flank ers and a number of chinese built jian11 planes and 76 sukhoi30 Multi role jets with russian and israeli assistance the Pla air Force has acquired 50 or so jian10 fighters based on us f16 technology and reportedly plans to build 250 More chivas rocket forces Are also expanding at an unprecedented Pace with production and deployment of Short Range ballistic mis doonesbury Siles targeted at Taiwan increasing from 50 per year during the 1990s to Between 100 and 150 per year today presumably output from chinese icbms factories is expanding at a similar Pace most recently chivas Jan 12 test of direct ascent kinetic kill vehicle technology coupled with attempts to Blind or laser illuminate a us reconnaissance satellite in 2006 Are convincing Evi Dence of the Plas intention to neutralize us military assets in space indeed chivas 2006 White paper on National defense describes a China that is moving onto the offensive its army Aims at moving from regional defense to trans re Akmal mobility and improving its capabilities in Fairground integrated operations Lon distance Maneu vers rapid assaults and special operations its Navy Aims at gradual Extension of the strategic depth for offshore defensive operations and enhancing its capabilities in integrated maritime operations and nuclear counterattacks its air Force Aims at speeding up its transition from territorial air defense to both offensive and defensive operations and increasing its capabilities in the areas of airstrike air and missile defense Early warning and recon Naissance and strategic projection the ultimate question must be whether Beijing leaders have any purpose in Assem bling a military machine worthy of a super Power other than to have the strength to Challenge the United states strategic Posi Tion in Asia it is time to take chivas Mili tary expansion seriously John j Tkacik or is the senior research fellow in China policy in the asian studies Center at the heritage foundation a Washington think tank by Garry Trudeau wuhau6uf your grand notorious a Kane toss Lvi no no it a Ama 6kanny Granny 15 that you Why mvsp5r