European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 9, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 bolsters presence Central America by Bill Keller and Joel Brinkley new York times in the last two the Southern from its tropical Hilltop Headquarters in has presided Over the establishment of a sophisticated military apparatus in Central while president Reagan and his top advisers say the use of american military Force in the Region is an unlikely and undesirable last the military is pre pared for according to military officers and diplomats in Washington and Central authorities say this has been accomplished with a vigor Ous Tempo of War construction of staging areas and listening the creation of an elaborate intelligence net work and a major Effort to fortify Allied the military once devoted almost exclusively to defending the Panama was expanded in the name of protecting stability throughout latin More the officials its focus has narrowed on which the Reagan administration believes is the main threat to peace in Central the military officers and diplomats said in interviews that the buildup of the Southern one of six global subdivisions of the american is now largely Complete and that it is adequate to carry out any Likely emergency in the these officials also challenged what they called the apparently popular belief that if the United states was drawn into direct military involvement in Central it would inevitably Lead to a Vietnam style according to american military and intelligence assessments presented at the highest Levels of the govern the United states could quickly and easily rout the sandinista who govern an intelligence official whose opinions have been solicited by members of the National Security Council said that an invasion of Nicaragua was undesirable from a propaganda Point of but that if it be came necessary it would be like falling off a As Congress begins another round of debate Over How to Deal with both supporters and opponents of administration policies Are examining the military options embodied in the Southern come with renewed one reason is that the administration has begun talk ing More openly about the risk of american military involvement if Congress continues to Block less drastic such As renewed military Aid to the backed nicaraguan rebels seeking the overthrow of the sandinista and Central american officials the unpredictable behaviour of the nicaraguan govern ment could increase the likelihood of american involve ment at any american military officials say the activities at the Southern come Are prudent preparation for such Dan i can say with some Confidence that the exercises have provided us with a significantly improved capability to operate in the said Charles who Heads the commands task Force in some on the other have Long seen the muscle flexing at the Southern come in a More ominous Eugene Carroll a retired Admiral who is director of the Center for defense a group often critical of the wrote last year that accelerating military preparations in Central Amer Ica suggest that the decision has already been made by president Reagan to Send troops into House speaker Thomas Oneill brushing aside the presidents consistent statements that he is deter mined to avoid sending combat troops to Central Amer said in Ive said All along that i dont think the president of the United states will be Happy until British Guiana venezuelan cuban military advisers sent Home by the sandinista a photo american troops Are Down the decision to use military Force would be made in but the preparation and execution arc the responsibility of the Southern known As the a Cluster of neat Frame buildings under Coconut has changed Little in size or appearance since a few years ago when the in the words of its William was one of those final assignments on the Way to but in 1983 the Southern comes importance began growing in that year the fight ing one antigovernment insurgency in Al Salvador while underwriting another in without fan fare rewrote the commands Mission once assigned primarily to defending the Panama the command was among other re to counter soviet and cuban militarization and other destabilization there would not even be a United slates Southern command i am had it not been for the propensity of these marxist Leninist to pursue their own ignoring the aspirations and needs of their own Peoples in Central Paul head of Southern told the Senate armed services committee in a few Days before he Gorman is widely considered responsible for changing the command to suit its new when i came to Panama two years i found an army component very Well designed to defend the pan Ama canal against brawlers and but ill suited for supporting allies in the he told the Senate he promptly disbanded the army canal oriented mechanized infantry unit and sent to Washington for experts in medi Cine and within a year of germans Southern come had begun to build or enlarge eight airfields in Honda using engineering battalions brought in for military a member of the Senate intelligence com Mittee who has toured the installations recently de scribed them As a pretty sophisticated staging at in the Central Highlands West of the largest Airstrip was dedicated last feb the Al weather runway shimmers like a Mirage in the midst of a sprawling military town of Wood camouflaged antiaircraft emplacements and repair it can handle any plane the military including jumbo c5 and c141 transports and High performance fighter Palmerola is Home for joint task Force the american operating Arm in established in 1983 to train build and maintain shared organize War games and assist american Mili tary missions in the in the last the buildup has the fiscal 1986 for Calls for moving to Southern come a detachment of c7 Caribou a plane of Vintage that can land on undeveloped airs Gorman told the Senate whereas 30 airfields in Central America can handle c130 cargo the Little Caribou can deliver troops or Materiel to some 900 much of the More recent activity at Southern come is not visible at involving