USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, ARABIAN GULF - Until you see a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in action, terms like "forward presence," "power projection" and "military might" are merely Pentagon buzz words.

NAPLES, Italy - Expect the unexpected. That's a safe bet for military folks. For a few forward-deployed U.S. troops, Dec. 24 turned out to be exactly an unexpected type of day.

WASHINGTON - It's getting to be that time of the year again for a lot of government employees to either use it or lose it. "Use or lose" refers to using the extra leave accumulated on the books before the end of the leave year or losing it all.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department aerial demonstration teams kick off the new season in March and perform through November.

BRUSSELS - During a preholiday visit to Bosnia Dec. 22 President Clinton told American troops thanks to their efforts, the Balkan nation is no longer "the powder keg at the heart of Europe."

WASHINGTON - President Clinton called on Bosnians of all ethnic groups to fulfill the agreements made at Dayton and to work together to promote peace.

BRUSSELS - NATO is not just a one-way street. Mutual security goes both ways, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright told European allies here Dec. 16.

WASHINGTON - U.S. service members will be a part of any follow-on force in Bosnia after June 1998, President Clinton announced Dec. 18.

HOWARD AIR FORCE BASE, Panama - In the air operations center at Joint Interagency Task Force-South, blips on the computer monitor represent not a video parlor game, but a war.

BRUSSELS - NATO is one step closer to having three new allies committed to mutual defense.

BRUSSELS - War criminals beware, said NATO Secretary General Javier Solana following the capture of two indicted Bosnian Croat war criminals.

FORT LEE, VA. - They saved a baby from choking to death, personally delivered a bag of groceries left at a store, and returned lost wallets with large sums of cash. These deeds not only got the attention of commissary customers, but also received special "world class" recognition.

WASHINGTON - As we enter this joyous and festive season, let us pause to consider the tremendous role played by our troops in keeping the world peaceful and safe.

BOSTON - The greatest threat to America today is not Iraq or Iran. It's not North Korea or China. Nor is it terrorism or weapons of mass destruction.

BRUSSELS - As NATO military authorities began studying options for a follow-on force, Madeleine K. Albright told NATO allies, U.S. engagement in Bosnia serves U.S. interests.

WASHINGTON - The smallest units in recruit training will be same-sex if DoD accepts the recommendations of the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender-Integrated Training and Related Issues.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - As if they didn't face enough problems and potential threats, American cities today must confront a new menace -- terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Identification cards for all active status service members will share the common green color of the cards active duty members carry now.

WASHINGTON - All active duty and Selected Reserve service members will be vaccinated against anthrax bacteria, DoD officials announced Dec. 15.

PRINCE BIN SULTAN AIR BASE, Saudi Arabia - U.S. forces may have created an air-conditioned oasis here with cable news and swimming pools, but they can never forget one dire fact: Saddam Hussein looms to the north. They live and work in the shadow of Iraq.

WASHINGTON - This holiday season, American families will come together once again to celebrate their faith, to welcome the New Year, and to treasure the simple joys of life. Many of the blessings we enjoy -- a nation at peace, a prosperous standard of living and a safe and secure future -- are a legacy of the sacrifice and hard work of our dedicated civilians and armed forces. Throughout the holidays, our military forces and civilian employees remain on duty, supporting our operations and guarding freedom's frontiers in remote locations around the globe.

PRINCE BIN SULTAN AIR BASE, Saudi Arabia - When nature calls at 3 a.m., it's a struggle to don street clothes and hike to a latrine somewhere down the road. Anyone assigned to the U.S. Air Force 4404th Wing (Provisional) will readily tell you that's just part of life here in Tent City.

Washington - Separating or retiring service members expecting to file a claim for VA disability compensation will undergo a single physical exam prior to discharge under a new agreement between DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs.

WASHINGTON - Since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October, Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton has often been described as reserved ... unassuming ... the consummate warrior -- a man completely comfortable in combat boots and fatigues, and new to his current role of soldier-statesman.

WASHINGTON - DoD officials are already making changes to conform with the directives of the Defense Reform Initiative.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and his South Korean counterpart, Kim Dong-Jin, reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Republic of Korea treaty, saying U.S. forces in South Korea contribute to the stability of the peninsula and all of Northeast Asia.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi crisis has eased, but it has only been deferred, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said Dec. 9.

TUZLA, Bosnia - When Jason Amundsen wrote his mom in Minneapolis about what he sees each day as an Army civil affairs officer in Bosnia, she mobilized the home front.

BRUSSELS - Two years after the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division rolled across the Sava River from Hungary, NATO peacekeeping forces are still in Bosnia.

ARLINGTON, Va. - DoD will further consolidate mainframe data processing centers and streamline information services, Army Lt. Gen. David J. Kelley, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency announced Dec. 3.

LONDON - The British aircraft carrier H.M.S. Invincible and its complement of Royal Air Force Harrier jets are standing by in the Mediterranean ready to join American warships in the Persian Gulf if needed.

WASHINGTON - One idea in Defense Secretary William S. Cohen's Defense Reform Initiative has already saved the department money.

WASHINGTON - The United States beefed up its military presence in the Persian Gulf in late November in response to escalating tension between the United States and Iraq. About 29,000 U.S. troops, 22 Navy ships and 250 aircraft now stand ready in the region.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department logged its safest flying year on record in fiscal 1997.

WASHINGTON - Amid discussions of "asymmetric threats" and "transformation strategies," what does the National Defense Panel report to Congress mean for service members?

MANNHEIM, Germany - Some people overseas have a knack for buying great Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, U.S. Customs officials may disagree when it comes to mailing those gifts to the United States.

BRUSSELS - U.S. troops can expect to see more of their Russian counterparts.

BRUSSELS - Defense Secretary William S. Cohen is alerting Europe to the growing threat of chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.

BRUSSELS - NATO officials agree a follow-on military force in Bosnia will be necessary, but the role of U.S. troops remains undecided.

LIMA, Peru - As Marine Gen. Charles Wilhelm began a four-day visit here Nov. 30, the most pressing concern of his command was countering the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.

WASHINGTON - The newest study into consolidating military exchanges will be the last, said Buster Tate, Navy's director of force support and family programs.

WASHINGTON - A nontaxable basic allowance for housing replaces the variable housing allowance and basic allowance for quarters Jan. 1.

LIMA, Peru - Finding a peaceful solution to an ongoing border dispute occupied Marine Gen. Charles Wilhelm's thoughts as he arrived here Nov. 30.

WASHINGTON - If you think Defense Secretary William Cohen's recent Defense Reform Initiative is just about cutting jobs and infrastructure, saving money and increasing efficiency, think again.

WASHINGTON - The two-major-contingency bedrock of U.S. military strategy is really a force-sizing structure and should be discarded, said members of the National Defense Panel, Dec. 1.

KUWAIT CITY - The latest crisis with Iraq is not over, John Hamre told U.S. military men and women during a three-day visit to the Persian Gulf. The deputy defense secretary warned of difficult days ahead.

BRUSSELS - Saddam Hussein -- not the United Nations -- is responsible for sickness and death among the Iraqi people, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen told reporters Dec. 1.

KUWAIT CITY - U.S. forces are indispensable to maintaining peace in the Persian Gulf, John Hamre told U.S. service members during a three-day visit to the region.

TUZLA, Bosnia - People who choose a military life often face loneliness in lands far from home, Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre told American troops here. But in return for their personal sacrifice, they live "a larger life on a world stage."