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| Thousands of military spouses have Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage, but haven't been charged premiums because they weren't properly enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System. These families could owe hundreds of dollars. What do you think VA and defense officials should do?
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Past Polls:
| With another round of base closures looming on the horizon, do you think your base should stay open or shut down?
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| How much do you think tsunami relief efforts will improve the worldwide image of the U.S. armed forces?
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| The Defense Department plans to increase drug testing of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, to ensure they don?t become addicted like Soviet troops did in Afghanistan in the 1970s and ?80s. What do you think of this plan?
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| If the Defense Department uparmored vehicles in Iraq more quickly, how much do you think that would help reduce U.S. casualties?
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| The Defense Department recently announced that troop strength in Iraq would increase to 150,000, up from about 138,000. Is this sufficient?
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| Do you think the Department of Veterans Affairs is ready to handle the expected sharp increase in requests for medical care from veterans of the war on terrorism?
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| What effect will President Bush?s re-election have on the war in Iraq?
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| The Army is planning to officially place women in combat-support units on the front lines. What do you think of this idea?
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| Who is ultimately responsible for protecting service members from unscrupulous sales pitches for insurance or financial products?
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| Do you have confidence in the absentee-ballot process?
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| Pentagon leaders want to reduce overseas home-basing by about 70,000 during the coming years. How do you feel about this plan?
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| The Pentagon plans to make patronizing a prostitute a criminal offense, subject to court-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. What do you think of this idea?
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| As of Sept. 1, organizers have raised only $2.9 million of the $17.9 million needed to build the Pentagon memorial honoring the 184 people who died there Sept. 11, 2001. Do you think the federal government should step up and fund the construction?
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| Who do you think will win the Commander-in-Chief?s Trophy this year?
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| Knowing what you know now about the Abu Ghraib prisoner-abuse scandal, what would you do if you saw fellow service members doing something wrong?
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| In a couple of recent cases, service members faced scrutiny for expressing less than total support for the war in Iraq. A soldier says he stripped of an R&R rotation and had to change wedding plans, after writing a critical opinion piece that appeared in The Washington Post. And several Marines may be in trouble for their appearance in Michael Moore?s controversial film, ?Fahrenheit 9/11.? Is such treatment fair?
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| Lariam, the anti-malaria drug widely used in the armed services, has ? in rare instances ? been linked to side effects including hallucinations, paranoia, hearing loss and other problems. Given the risk of side effects, and the known dangers of the disease, which would you rather do?
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| When Congress authorized high-deployment pay -- up to $600 per month for service members who exceed specified limits on the number of days they can be deployed without extra compensation, no mention was made of it being a peacetime pay. The Defense Department now says it is just that, a peacetime -- not a wartime -- pay. Is this fair, given the extenuating circumstance of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom?
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| Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn, introduced a bill that would rename the Pentagon the Ronald Reagan National Defense Building, in honor of the late president. What do you think of Frist?s idea?
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| Which would you rather have: benefits such as housing, schools, child care and commissaries, or more cash in your paycheck to offset the costs of those benefits on the open market?
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| Do you think violence against U.S. forces will diminish after June 30, when Iraqis are scheduled to take control of their government again?
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| Do you think the military justice system will give soldiers accused of mistreating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison fair trials, free of undue command influence?
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| Do you think Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Richard Myers should keep their jobs, in light of allegations of prisoner abuse at Al Ghraib Prison in Iraq?
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| Do you think Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Richard Myers should keep their jobs, in light of allegations of prisoner abuse at Al Ghraib Prison in Iraq?
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| Who do you think is more culpable for recent allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison?
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| The U.S. General Accounting Office recently found serious problems with the military's mail service for troops deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. In your experience, how would you rate the military's mail service during deployment and contingency operations?
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| From what you've seen and heard to date, do you think John Kerry has offered a comprehensive strategy for how he would deal with the situation in Iraq if he is elected president?
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| What do you think about the news media's coverage of the war in Iraq?
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| Should the military do more to accommodate families who wish to go to Dover Air Force Base, Del., to meet the remains of loved ones who die?
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| Should the Defense and Veterans Affairs budgets be considered for possible cuts in order to increase spending for other domestic programs in 2005?
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| Do you think call-ups of National Guard and Reserve forces are helping or hurting retention?
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| The Defense Department is preparing guidelines for issuing a new Global War on Terrorism Medal. Do you think this is a good idea, or should the Pentagon come up with separate campaign medals for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom?
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| Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently told Senators that the present high demand on the military is "very likely a spike." How do you feel?
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| Given the hackers, viruses and other security concerns associated with the Internet, would you be willing to vote online by electronic ballot if given the opportunity?
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| Do you think U.S. forces in Iraq taking adequate steps to protect civilians and thus avert accusations of committing war crimes?
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| What do you think will happen to the operations tempo by the end of 2004?
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| What effect do you think the capture of Saddam Hussein will have on attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq?
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| Do you think possible adverse side effects of anthrax and smallpox vaccines are worth the risk?
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| Will the amount of a selective reenlistment bonus be a determining factor as to whether or not you continue your military career?
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| Who do you think is behind the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq?
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| Active force strength is now about 1.4 million. Also, of the 1.2 million National Guard and reserve troops, 154,600 are now mobilized. Is this enough manpower to meet current demands?
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| Should the Defense Department decriminalize consensual sodomy in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down state laws prohibiting such acts?
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| Do you think the Army is taking adequate steps to protect convoys in Iraq?
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| Although some service members like the M9 .9mm pistol, which is standard for all four branches of the armed forces, it has its share of critics. The Marine Corps may replace the sidearm for some Marines after users in Iraq complained about its reliability and stopping power. What do you think?
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| Should the greater workload placed upon reservists and National Guard members warrant an overhaul of their pay and benefits package?
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| Should the U.S. send more American troops into Iraq, or would the peace process there be better served if other countries would commit peacekeeping forces?
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| Do you think higher rates of combat pay should go only to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the Pentagon suggests? Or should everyone in the broader Persian Gulf and Central Asia combat zones get the higher pay?
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| Would peacekeeping efforts become more successful if the U.S. tries to rebuild Iraq under a program similar to the Marshall Plan, which spurred the economic recovery of Germany and Japan after World War II?
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| Would you support keeping the temporary higher rates of imminent-danger pay and family separation allowance in effect past their planned Sept. 30 expiration date, even if that could mean less money is available for other pay-and-benefits increases?
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| Would you support keeping the temporary higher rates of imminent-danger pay and family separation allowance in effect past their planned Sept. 30 expiration date, even if that could mean less money is available for other pay-and-benefits increases?
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| Do you agree with the military's new "aggressive tactics" in Iraq aimed at reducing the sporadic but relentless attacks on American troops? Do you think it will help or hurt reconstruction efforts in that country?
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| Do you think the United States should send peacekeepers into Liberia?
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| The Pentagon's plan to redeploy forces could lead to the creation of joint multiservice overseas bases. What do you think about this idea?
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| What do you think about the "bring them on" challenge President Bush issued July 2 from the White House, referring to those who attack U.S. troops in Iraq?
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| Should the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down state laws that banned private consensual homosexual acts be used to change the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy?
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| The Defense Department is considering a significant shift in the placement of troops worldwide. While plans are far from complete, forces now stationed at bases in Europe, Korea and Japan could be redeployed elsewhere, and some accompanied tours could become unaccompanied. In your opinion, how would such a reorganization of troops affect you?
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| How much did property damage during your last permanent-change-of-station move cost you out of pocket?
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| Do you think the U.S. military is capable of providing homeland security and carrying out overseas missions simultaneously?
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| A proposed military tax relief bill in Congress would broaden combat-zone tax filing rules, give service members more time to meet the two-year residency requirement to qualify for tax exclusions when selling a home and provide some other benefits. Do you think lawmakers should pass the legislation before they tackle President Bush's proposed tax cut plan?
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| Do you think the U.S. military should have done more to prevent lawlessness and looting in Iraq?
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| Now that Saddam Hussein's regime has been toppled, do you think President Bush would be right if he asked U.S. troops to oust leaders of any other country or countries that are suspected of harboring terrorists or stockpiling chemical and biological weapons?
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| Do you think U.S./coalition forces will win the battle for the "hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people?
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| How do you think that embedding journalists with military units has affected coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in comparison with coverage of past conflicts?
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| How do you feel the war in Iraq is progressing?
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| Do you feel adequately trained and equipped to operate in a battlefield where chemical and biological agents are deployed by an enemy?
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| Do you think deployments to Southwest Asia and other areas have compromised the security and safety of stateside installations?
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| Do you agree that U.S. troops should be committed to a combat role in the Philippines?
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| In light of reports of infertility among some veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, some troops deploying to the Persian Gulf area are having their sperm frozen. If you deploy to the Persian Gulf region for a possible war with Iraq, would you consider -- or would you want your husband to consider, if he deployed - freezing a sperm sample before you go?
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| How confident are you that the U.S. military has taken adequate precautions to prevent a recurrence of the Gulf War illnesses that arose after the conflict of 12 years ago?
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| A new General Accounting Office study suggests the Defense Department should cancel its plans to spend tens of millions of dollars to build new barracks during the next 10 years. The GAO rationalizes that it would be cheaper to simply pay everyone a housing allowance to live off base, and most people want to live off base anyway. What do you think?
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| In the wake of the revelation that 500,000 medical records are missing and probably stolen from TriWest Healthcare Alliance, are you worried that your military personnel and medical records may not be adequately protected and that you may be subject to identity theft?
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| A Pentagon study shows that junior enlisted personnel and junior officers earn more than their civilian counterparts. The Bush administration is talking about reducing the overall 2004 military pay raise, but defense officials are discussing additional targeted raises for midgrade and senior personnel. Would you favor a reduction in pay raises for junior personnel to give more experienced people bigger raises?
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| Should status-of-forces agreements be changed to allow easier transfer of U.S. service members suspected of committing crimes to police authorities in host countries?
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| Should the military?s body-mass index (BMI), used to determine who is overweight and who isn?t, be changed?
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| Do you think Iraq will cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors?
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| What do you think of the Nov. 3 attack by an unmanned CIA Predator aircraft, in which a high-level al-Qaida official and five others, including a U.S. citizen, were killed?
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| Would a pre-emptive strike against Iraq be ethical?
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| Do you agree with the Bush administration's plan to notify Israel first before beginning any offensive against Iraq?
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| Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Lambert, commanding general of U.S. Army Special Forces Command, issued an order Sept. 12, saying, "there is no longer a need for Special Forces to grow beards and wear indigenous clothing" in Afghanistan. The soldiers have been ordered to return "to normal standards of uniform and appearance." Do you agree or disagree?
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| Is it fair to increase random drug testing?
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| Concurrent receipt: Should disabled military retirees be allowed by law to collect both full military retirement pay and VA disability pay?
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| Should the military declare establishments in Korea that employ trafficked women off limits?
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| Should the U.S. invade Iraq?
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| Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resisted increases in troop strength, but some members of Congress warn that personnel shortages are having dire consequences on service members and their families. Can the military continue to meet its responsibilities around the world without more people?
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| A bill before Congress would let Guard and reserve members draw retired pay at age 55 instead of 60, as under current law. The cost: about $1.4 billion a year. Should this be a budgetary priority?
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| Should the Crusader artillery system be saved or killed?
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| A provision pending in Congress would give police departments access to the military database service members? DNA samples for use in serious criminal investigations. How do you feel about this?
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| Does the military need a new special pay to compensate service members for frequent short or unanticipated deployments?
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| Should the military offer 18-month enlistments, as Congress is now proposing?
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| Should military training areas be exempt from environmental protection laws?
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| Should military people stationed overseas be exempt from taxes?
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| How do you think military benefits compare with those offered by civilian employers to their employees?
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| Should U.S. troops be used as peacekeepers in Afghanistan?
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| Should Congress step in and mandate 25-percent cuts in permanent changes of station? Or should the individual services make their own determination?
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| Should service members be allowed to sue the government for invasion of privacy if the services release personal information like personnel and medical records to the public?
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| Once stocks of anthrax vaccine become available again, how should the Defense Department proceed?
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| The 2002 Defense Authorization Act directs name changes for the military retirement homes. The Naval Home in Gulfport, Miss., and the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home in Washington, D.C. are to become the Armed Forces Retirement Home ? Gulfport, and Armed Forces Retirement Home ?Washington.
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| Will you participate in the new Thrift Savings Plan, which allows service members to save tax-deferred dollars for retirement?
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| How should the U.S. government deal with John Walker, the 20-year-old American captured while fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan?
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| Should accused terrorists who are not U.S. citizens be tried by military tribunals or civilian courts?
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| How do you think charitable donations that were collected following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon should be used?
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| Is the Bush administration placing too much faith in air power in the war on terrorism?
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| Stockpiles of the anthrax vaccine cannot now be used because the Food and Drug Administration has not certified the plant of the sole manufacturer, BioPort Corp. If that vaccine were made available anyway - on a voluntary basis - would you ask to receive the shots?
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| Should Reserve or National Guard law-enforcement professionals be allowed to serve as sky marshals on commercial airliners?
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| Would you support shooting down a civilian airliner with passengers, if you knew it was being used in a terrorist attack?
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| As part of President Bush's $1.3 trillion tax cut, American taxpayers have begun receiving rebate checks in the mail, up to $300 for singles and $600 for married couples. How are you going to spend your federal income tax rebate?
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| Before year?s end, the Army Uniform Board may recommend consideration of a redesign of the Army Class A and B uniform. If you were on the board, what would you vote to do?
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| Does the Army need the Crusader automated howitzer?
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| Should service members who perform funeral duty get extra benefits?
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| A panel of military law experts wants to eliminate criminal penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for adultery and consensual sodomy when the actions do not interfere with military missions or undermine morale. Do you agree with that proposal?
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| Should all service members receive the same pay raise or should those in certain jobs be targeted for higher increases?
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| Which service branch do you think will fare the best under Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld?s planned reorganization of the military?
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| Do you believe Pentagon leaders will place too much emphasis on operations in space, at the expense of other programs?
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