European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 6, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes q defense departments Dotty dispute 5 n Tulane drops mens 21 q dont put Stamps on Europe Apo 28 the authorized unofficial publication for the armed forces 352 april 1985 is Cony and sunday d 8693 a Reagan still has Hopes for says Central America wants peace Washington up president Reagan brushed off Nicaragua rejection of his peace plan they dont want to give up the cushy spot that they begot right Reagan said he is still hopeful that Nic Araguas Central american neighbors will begin leaning on them to at an Impromptu news conference before leaving the White House for his California Reagan was asked about a statement by nicaraguan foreign minister Miguel who said the administrations Call for a ceasefire and negotiations with the Contra rebels amounts to a declaration of they were saying that before they even heard what the plan Reagan i understand they dont want to give up the cushy spot that Treyve got right the presi Dent predicting that the people of Nicaragua will be highly supportive of his peace he said it is curious that in neighbor Ingel it was the government that made a peace offer but in it was the rebel asked again How he could sell the peace plan in the face of such Strong nicaraguan Reagan i dont think Treyve heard from their neigh Bors Are going to being leaning on them in announcing his plan Rea Gan said if it is the United states will provide Money to the Contra rebels Only for humanitarian purposes for the next 60 but no matter what happens after Reagan were not going to quit and walk away from the who Are fighting to overthrow the nicaraguan gov Reagan followed up his Call for Church mediated peace talks and a ceasefire in Nicaragua with a personal letter Friday to Pope John Paul which he entrusted to Senate Republican Leader Robert White House spokesman Larry Speakes refused to disclose the contents of the letter to the hands off retirement service chiefs Tell panel by Dwight trimmer Washington Bureau when a House armed services subcommittee asked the service chiefs earlier this week to suggest ways that the military retirement system could be the chiefs More on military Page they told the military personnel and compensation subcommittee that no changes Are needed and urged the panel to keep its hands off military retired the House armed services committee began its re View of the military retirement system this chair Man Les a leading critic of the is pushing for reforms this referring to the numerous studies of military retired pay without any major system Aspin said he anticipates an end to two decades of talk and talk and i want to see this brought to a head this Aspin its time now to begin making the necessary Aspin said we talking about cutting the pensions of those already retired or with Long service under the current its not fair or right to make changes after the but we can alter promises we Are making for future service and that what we have to i have not Given you a blueprint for an new retire ment James chief of naval told the i dont think we need what is according to Watkins and the other service is a better understanding of the present military retirement the chiefs pointed out that critics that contend Mili tary retired pay is too the Grace a Blue ribbon presidential panel looking at ways to re Duce government found the military retire ment system was six times More generous than private sector pension it simply is not six times More As has been said John Wickham army chief of Wickham referred to a defense department analysis showing that military retired pay is to times More generous than the average private retirement Wickham defended that it is not unreasonable nor unexpected that military retirement is somewhat More generous to induce individuals to accept the hardships and hazards experienced during a military the service chiefs also attacked Media reports that service members can retire after 20 years service with see pay on Page 8 March for King a photo Karen left and Gina wave homemade signs during a March in to Mark the 17th anniversary of the murder of Martin Luther King Story on Page panel approves billion for defense Washington up Senate armed services committee approved a fiscal 1986 defense budget of Al most billion cutting the growth in spend ing from the 6 percent sought by president Reagan to 3 the proposal provides Reagan with another 21 my missiles and takes the first tentative Steps that could Lead to closing some military it also provides some billion for the Star wars missile defense research Money to buy another 48 bib bombers and another Trident and proposes resumed production of chemical id advise him Reagan to accept these figures and be very said the committees 9arry i dont think Well have a the total approved on a 136 vote by the com was including about Billon for defens related projects in the Energy of the remaining billion is for military construction in the panel Cut some billion from reagans initial request of As for base the panel held up new construction Money at 22 bases and streamlined the Legal procedures needed to close a it directed the department to re port to Congress on the costs and savings associated with the listed As Well As for in the personnel the committee proposed a 3 per cent raise for uniformed starting and authorized another uniformed some 60 percent of what Reagan the Senate gop leaders on thursday announced an Overall budget agreement with the White House that called for no raises for any government workers in fiscal including the armed forces got a 4 percent raise the committee also approved million for the Navy to Start work on a Home port for the battleship Iowa at Staten and for a Carrier Battle group at the Money cannot be used until the Navy has justified to Congress the need and efficiency of putting the ships at those in the weapons the committee recommended a stall of sorts on the problem plagued air defense gun known by the acronym the administration request for million was Cut to and that Money is Only available after new the Purchase level of f14 Navy tomcat fighters was trimmed from 21 to purchases of air Force fighters were left As 180 f16s and 48 the Bill provides Money for 18 new including a Trident funds for starting the reactivation of another Money for 12 air Cushion Landing Craft and Money for a number of ship the United states has not made chemical weapons since and the committee provided billion for the chemical All out million of it for items such As protective clothing and the million would go for costs associated with initial production of modern binary despite the Senate committees favourable the House has fused at least three attempts to resume making chemical