SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Defense Secretary William S. Cohen carried the case for increased defense spending to the American people Jan. 28 in a speech to the Illinois legislature here.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials are taking advantage of satellite communications and the World Wide Web to improve the quality of life of service members, reservists and defense civilians.

WASHINGTON - The United States will cut its Bosnia force by 700 troops in April during a 10 percent strength reduction announced by NATO, Pentagon officials said Jan. 26.

WASHINGTON - The United States is meeting Iraq's increased aggression head-on and will continue to do so as long as it lasts, according to Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. missile fired at an Iraqi radar site Jan. 25 went astray and exploded in a residential neighborhood near the city of Basra in southern Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Qaseem Ali Uqdah and Abdullah Hamza Al-Mubarak share a common goal. Both former enlisted men aim to help make life a little easier for people in the armed forces who share their faith.

WASHINGTON - The Reserve component chiefs led by example Jan. 25 by receiving the first in a six-shot series of anthrax vaccinations here during a ceremony at the Reserve Officers Association midwinter conference.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department will enroll up to 66,000 military retirees over age 65 in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program at eight locations nationwide.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials insist the mandatory anthrax vaccine has proven to be safe.

SEOUL - After arriving here mid-afternoon Jan. 14, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen flew directly to Camp Humphreys, south of here, to meet U.S. soldiers before returning to the capital for talks with Korean officials.

WASHINGTON - The fiscal 2000 DoD budget "reflects the effort we have made to listen to the men and women who are serving us," said Defense Secretary William S. Cohen. "We hear them, we understand what's on their minds and we want to help."

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 1999 - Between 18 million and 22 million former and current service members are eligible to receive certificates honoring them for their parts in winning the Cold War.

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials are consulting with NATO allies to see what course of action should be taken to deal with the latest violence in Kosovo. Designated NATO forces are now on 48- hour alert.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon will spend $6.6 billion over the next six years to develop and possibly deploy a limited national missile defense system.

WASHINGTON - Imagine serving four years on active duty and then getting a full college scholarship -- and $400 a month to live on.

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - Thousands of U.S. service members are part of the relief operation here in Honduras, but the effort's special for one soldier -- he's helping to rebuild his home.

WASHINGTON - Military volunteers often perform many hours of service to their communities and the military wants to recognize their efforts.

WASHINGTON - The United States is sending a Patriot missile battery to Turkey as a precautionary measure against Iraqi threats made immediately after Operation Desert Fox in December.

WASHINGTON - Military families stationed where there are no Defense Department schools now receive an allowance to send their children to a private or boarding school of their choice.

WASHINGTON - Sometimes, one person's troubles can trigger a whole lot of change. That's what happened when family policy officials here learned of one service member's plight.

WASHINGTON - The Year 2000 computer problem won't affect DoD's ability to pay service members, and troops don't need to do anything special to protect their personnel or medical records, Deputy Defense Secretary John J. Hamre said here Jan. 14.

FORT LEE, Va. - Commissary shoppers starting Feb. 1 face a new $25 administrative fee if their checks bounce on the Defense Commissary Agency.

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - Churches and companies throughout America were readying to send food and supplies to Central America in November even before Hurricane Mitch's floodwaters receded. But how to get it there?

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - The 53 airmen and soldiers of the Joint Task Force–Bravo Joint Security Force here have one of the most important jobs of all -- keeping U.S. personnel and their equipment safe and secure.

WASHINGTON - DoD continues to need two more rounds of base closures, said Robert Bell, special assistant to the president for national security affairs.

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - Hurricane Mitch body-slammed them two months ago, but the Honduran people have dusted off and now seek help in standing on their own feet again. They ask for seeds.

WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON U.S. air forces patrolling the northern no-fly zone struck Iraqi missile sites in two separate incidents Jan. 14.

TOKYO - Defense Secretary William S. Cohen reacted sharply to North Korea's demand for payment in order to open a suspected nuclear site.

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan - For Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Machrael, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen's promise to improve the military retirement system couldn't come at a better time.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and coalition pilots are operating in a highly charged environment now that Saddam Hussein has stepped up violations of the no-fly zones over Iraq, according to Navy Capt. Mike Doubleday, a Pentagon spokesman.

WASHINGTON - Desert Fox has left Saddam Hussein shaken and desperate, according to Marine Corps Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who headed the December operation.

FORT JACKSON, S.C. - "You have a length of rope and you have to get your team and all your gear up that 15-foot wall. Oh, and you can't touch anything below four-and-a-half feet. That's contaminated. Time is of the essence. Do you have any questions?"

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - It's 3 a.m. and Marine drill instructors interrupt your beauty sleep by slamming the door to your hut and yelling for you and your teammates to get out of the rack, get your gear on and get outside -- NOW!

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Make basic training tougher. This is the challenge given to the military services by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen.

CATACAMAS, Honduras - Joint Task Force-Bravo's "hub and spoke" logistics system is proving its effectiveness every day in getting relief supplies to those who need it most in this hurricane-ravaged nation.

WASHINGTON - Reports from DoD's oldest TRICARE region show a high level of success in controlling costs, improving access and maintaining quality.

TOKYO - Pledges to U.S. service members of better pay and benefits and promises of assistance to East Asia security mark Defense Secretary William S. Cohen's visit to Japan and South Korea Jan. 10-16.

WASHINGTON - The United States is sending more planes to the Persian Gulf in light of Saddam Hussein's persistent violations of the no-fly zones over Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Two new TRICARE demonstrations promise expanded health care at least temporarily to thousands of military retirees and eligible family members over age 65.

WASHINGTON - Service members and spouses want better operating hours and child care at their fitness centers, and more organized physical activities, according to a recent defense survey.

WASHINGTON - The president's proposed fiscal 2000 defense budget will meet the military's most critical needs, the nation's top military leader told Congress Jan. 5.

WASHINGTON - In the fourth strike against Iraqi targets in 11 days, U.S. air forces in the northern no-fly zone over Iraq fired upon an Iraqi mobile missile system.

WASHINGTON - White Sands Missile Range, N.M., is seeking military and civilian participants from throughout DoD for its 11th annual Bataan Memorial Death March April 18, 1999.

WASHINGTON - Saddam Hussein, in the aftermath of Operation Desert Fox, is venting his frustration by challenging coalition forces patrolling U.N.-mandated no-fly zones, Pentagon officials say.

WASHINGTON - Settlement of a disputed contract for the delivery of military health care in the northeastern United States favors DoD and military health care beneficiaries, TRICARE officials announced Dec. 28.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance program enrollment open season will be from April 24 to June 30, Office of Personnel Management officials recently said.

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - Commerce, trade and much needed supplies are once again flowing throughout the hurricane-ravaged countryside here thanks to the long, hard efforts of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps bridge builders.

WASHINGTON - U.S. strikes against Iraqi military targets last month during Operation Desert Fox did more damage than defense officials first thought.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Air Force Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron will perform more than 70 shows at more than 40 locations this year in the United States, Canada and Europe.

WASHINGTON - President Clinton pledged Jan. 2 in his weekly radio address to increase defense spending $12 billion in fiscal 2000.