For Poland, the F-16 deal speaks to national pride, to defending the borders of a country ravaged by war and to getting the kind of first-class military equipment that will secure its position in the modern world and cement its ties to the West.
Nor has it made the Arab oil-exporting states any less conscious of their own economic and strategic interest in a reasonably stable flow of oil to world markets, or their eagerness to buy first-class military equipment from the United States or to enjoy the benefits of U.S. protection against Iranian or other aggression.
There seemed to be about 10 degrees of hierarchy, starting with first class and military in uniform, followed by three categories of elite status, plus various levels of status on partner airlines, and then lesser tiers determined by things like what kind of a credit card travelers used.
LAWSON, Issac S., 35, Sgt. First Class, Army National Guard; Sacramento; 49th Military Police Brigade.
Thompson served in the Marine Corps from 1991 through 1994 and left the service as a private first class, according to his military service record.
PRIESTAP, James D., 39, Sgt. First Class, Army; Harwood, Mich.; 46th Military Police Company.
"I'll be honest -- I didn't want to go back," said Sgt. First Class Bob Adrian, who was a military police officer in the gulf war in 1991.
On Oct. 1, she had a private meeting with a superior officer, said George Roach, a retired Army sergeant first class who served as the military liaison with the family.
Platoon leader Sergeant First Class Randy Johnson, on his third military tour of duty, was looking through the hatch above him for signs of buried bombs ahead.
Caamaño was awarded the "Cruz de la Orden de Merito Militar" (The Cross of the Order of the Military Merit) first class for his actions.
