European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 18 2007 stars and stripes Page truck bomb hits near Lushada Security Post by Joseph Giordono stars and stripes bad driving skills turned into a bit of Good Fortune for american and iraqi troops monday near Lushada Iraq a suicide truck bomb attack was averted when a dump truck intended to be a bomb overturned on the Way to its target us military officials said the apparent target was the Lushada joint Security station one of some 30 planned outposts dotting Baghdad As part of the beefed up Security plan initially military officials said the dump truck was Laden with explosives and containers of nitric acid an apparent attempt at crude chemical warfare on the part of insurgent bombers but later on tuesday officials said that the containers held fuel not acid the containers were consistent with those normally used to transport nitric acid but upon examination they were found to be filled with gasoline a Mili tary statement read common Industrial ing chlorine have increasingly been used As components in Large scale bomb Ings since january military officials have said at least eight bombings have included the use of chlorine which can sicken people after the initial effects of a blast Are Felt but on monday the Driver never got that far according to military officials an american patrol happened upon the Over turned dump truck and at first went to give the Driver assistance soon however they realized the truck was rigged As a bomb the Driver was taken into custody and confessed that he was paid to attack the joint Security station in Lushada which also houses the towns iraqi police Sta Tion officials said the bomb consisted of eight fuel containers eight directional fragmentation explosives devices and two Large Aliber artillery rounds officials said the explosives and fuel were taken away by ordnance disposal troops according to tuesdays statement the Driver of the dump truck told troops he had been paid to carry out the at tack email Joseph Giordono at Pentagon announces changes to healthcare system for troops the associated press Washington under criticism for poor treatment of wounded soldiers the Pentagon announced new measures tuesday to provide More health screen Ings improve its record keeping system and simplify an unwieldy disability claims system testifying before a House panel Michael Dominguez Princi pal Deputy under Secretary of de sense and maj Gen Gale Pollock the army acting surgeon Gener Al acknowledged a need for major changes in the outpatient treat ment of wounded soldiers and vet Erans they expressed Confidence in a new leadership team overseeing Walter Reed army medical Cen Ter following disclosures of shoddy treatment in february and urged lawmakers to be patient the new initiatives come follow ing a blistering report last week by an Independent review group co chaired by former army secretaries John 0 Jack Marsh and Togo d West that found Money woes and Pentagon neglect were to blame for Many of the prob lems at Walter Reed on tuesday Pollock and Dominguez said they had already begun implementing changes even As they awaited the findings of several investigations under Way by presidential commissions task forces and congressional committees they included creation of a working group when Small packages bring big changes our Spring Auto loan can help visit our website or ask a Community Bank associate about a 100 financed Aoto loan and our easy application  credit subject to approval and Normal credit standards apply operated by member Odic of senior military leaders to Speed disability determinations and work to eliminate inconsistency testing systems to facilitate sharing of inpatient records electronically with the department of veterans affairs conducting additional health screenings for service members three to six months after they re turn Home Pollock also said the army was taking Steps to Speed up followup medical appointments meanwhile the army also has begun investigating complaints involving medical care made to its new Tollfree number Navy stops contract for combat ships stars and stripes the Navy has pulled the plug on one of two littoral combat ships being built by Lockheed Martin in january the Navy announced it was temporarily Stop Ping work on littoral combat ship 3 which had just begun construction the move came after lock heed Martin announced that the first ship that was nearing completion was significantly Over budget Navy officials said earlier this year that they were trying to reach an agreement with lock heed Martin on a Price for los 3 both sides would have shared the costs if los 3 surpassed the agreed upon Price but on thursday Navy Secre tary Donald Winter announced that the two sides had failed to reach such an agreement mean ing the contract for los 3 has been cancelled general dynamics will continue to build two other littoral combat ships according to a Navy news release if the Cost performance be comes unacceptable then Gener Al dynamics will be subject to similar restructuring require ments the news release says