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Clinton's Veto Won't Affect Ft. Bragg Housing

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Soldiers moved into the new barracks on Monday
FORT BRAGG — President Clinton put his line-item veto pen to work Monday. He's usingit to control military spending. That means 38-military projects aregetting the axe. One casualty was an Urban Terrain Complex at Fort Bragg.But several new housing plans at Bragg will go on as planned.

One of those projects was celebrated Monday. Badly needed upgrades werefinally finished at several Bragg barracks. Soldiers started moving intothe newly renovated buildings Monday.

Holes in the walls, dripping facets, peeling paint. This was life in thebarracks for hundreds of Fort Bragg soldiers.

Specialist Paul Davis and 135 other soldiers moved out and into their newhome Monday - a two million dollar newly renovated barracks.

The new rooms also have a built in sink and home-sized refrigerator. In the basement, there is a washroom so the soldiers can wash their muddyclothes without having to drag them to their rooms.

The biggest change is in the washers and dryers. In the old barracks therewere only 12 washers and dryers for every 136 soldiers now there is onewasher and dryer for every eight soldiers.

It's the kind of improvement the army is counting on. Millions of dollarsare being spent to build new barracks, many already under construction atFort Bragg. And the hope is that by giving soldiers a place they don'tmind calling home, they'll look forward to going to work.

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