Defense Tech: SOLDIER "DEATH BENEFITS" M.I.A.: "Last month, the Bush administration announced that, in the Pentagon's 2006 budget, there would a big bump in the so-called 'death benefit' for military families. If a soldier was killed in war, administration officials promised, his loved ones would get a $100,000 lump sum -- up from just $12,420 -- plus an extra $150,000 in life insurance payouts. It seemed like a great idea. Everybody cheered.

rummy_whoosh.jpgBut then, something curious happened. Or rather, didn't happen. The Pentagon never included the money for a bigger death benefit in its budget. So now, the Army has gone to Congress, asking for an extra $348 million to keep the administration's word."