European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 07, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 7, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 report warns of Reserve unit shortages could hamper deployment study says b  Washington Huri us Washington the army probably would have enough com Hal reserves for the crucial first 30 Davs of a nato War but it amid be hampered by shortages in Reserve support units a congressional budget office report says. Recent condition ratings show hat Reserve units on the average Are much less ready than Active units the study says. The Overall cravings fur fiscal years i9k2 through 1984 show that most Active units arc rated c-2 substantially ready or c-3 marginally ready the report says. By contrast most Reserve units Are rated c-3 or c-4 not ready the study results do not necessarily slum that the army could not meet its own deployment plans which arc classified the report says. But the results do suggest that under reasonable assumptions consistent with unclassified information the army would have difficulty in meeting requirements especially for Early deploying support  a defense department spokesman said inc army just received a copy of the report and would need a week or More to study it before commenting. The Reagan administration plans to add two Active divisions by the end of the decade and seeks to hold Down costs b keeping the Active Force at  soldiers Anil relying increasingly on part time selected reservists. Historically Reserve forces have Cost 30 percent to m percent less than Active ones during peacetime the re port says. The army has been increasing its Reliance on reserves to provide artillery engineering armoured , transportation medical and maintenance support for Active combat units. The congressional budget office believes 42 percent of army forces required in the first month of a major european War would be reserves. The study bases its conclusions on the army s ability to fight in scenarios employing assumptions that Musl remain untested until War Breaks out. One widely accepted scenario for fighting a european War Calls for some Reserve units to be available in 10 Days about 40 percent within 30 Day Sand the rest  Jodais. The study Ulso relies on a series of assumptions about the Rales at which reservists will re enlist and the supplies or experienced Anil non prior service recruits that will be available military members warn that readiness ratings can be misleading. I or example after a highly ready unil begins to receive the new my tank its rating could plummet to the lowest level. Thai could happen Een though in still had a full complement of older m-60 tanks with which its soldiers were familiar and proficient. Also there ire differences in readiness among Ilie measured categories personnel equipment on Viand. Equip ment condition and training some Reserve units scheduled to fill out Active tines in a crisis Are far More ready than later deploying support units i he budget office says thai even by the end of the decade Reserve readiness still will be Well below thai of the Active forces those troops Are to supplement and support. Two specific problems stand out the High proportion of units in both the army Reserve and the army National guard rated not ready in equipment on hand and the High proportion of units in the army Reserve rated not ready in  the report says. Reports from Reserve units suggest they still May be Short 25 percent of inc Dollar value of the equipment they need iwo years from now the study says. Shortages also May exist for spare parts ammunition and Oiher support equipment it says More important except for tanks Many of the army s new weapons will Imi be available in the i serves for years. But inc missions being transferred from a tic units to reserves Call for the reserves in use and maintain the same equipment the Active Force uses. The budget office report was prepared at the request of the subcommittee on military personnel and compensation Tif the House armed services committee. Some gis May learn 2nd skill while in . By Check Vinci Washington Hureau Washington the army is considering giving All soldiers in space imbalanced jobs a secondary skill while they arc serving in the United so alas if a Job cannot be found in their specially. The army has about 51,000 soldiers in 37 space imbalanced skills those in which 55 percent or More of inc Aulhorn cd positions arc located overseas said sol. Maj. William Pierce of the military personnel Center enlisted personnel management directorate. Many of inc space imbalanced jobs Are in the air defense area Hawk mis Siles. Per things the multiple launch rocket system Pierce said. Others Are associated with new equipment such As the  tank and Bradley righting vehicle and certain radar and communications while the army generally has enough people in those skill Fields the problem has been finding jobs  i Host soldiers when they arc on mandatory stateside Tours since most of the slots Are overseas. Pierce although a recent change requires All soldiers in space imbalanced skills in Cradis Li-5 and above to have a secondary specially which makes in easier to find them stateside jobs there is no such requirement for soldiers in grades h-4 and below he  the new proposals soldiers in space imbalanced jobs would be trained in a secondary skill in route to i hair stateside div so Ilion Pierce said inc army would like to assign those soldiers at inc sustain ing base for their primary specially. For example soldiers with  y skills associated with the Hawk missile cd the proposal soldiers would work said. Personnel officials have not decided whether to allow the Soldier to select his own secondary skill or to assign one to him. What Well probably do is put the sol Dier s name Grade primary specially and qualifications into a computer which will kick out a list of maybe 25 skills thai the Soldier would be qualified for Pierce said. Maybe Well offer him five out of the 25 to pick from or maybe Well just assign him something thai parallels his primary if he s a Lank Mechanic Well give him a secondary As a wheeled vehicle Mechanic. But we can t just pick a secondary out of the Blue. If a missile crewman is told he s going to be trained As a Cook and will be flipping eggs fur the next three years he might not try very hard in Cook school Pierce said. Pierce said the army has often had to improvise in the past. The first Choice has been to assign the Soldier in his primary mos. Ii Hal could t be done we tried to gel them mos Imrit Criar posit runs Drill sergeants museum cos Range cos. Ailing that we tried to gel them into a secondary mos if they had  the last resort has been to have Llie installation where the Soldier was assigned find a Job for him. He said. I or example if there was a blot Hal required one Soldier they d assign iwo to it. We Haven t had a situation where sol Diers have been Silling Home with nothing to do. But the system really has l utilized some of these troops very  Pierce s office will begin a Survey next week regarding the new proposals. We re going to talk to  Proton Cal offices of the air defense and artillery centers at tort Bliss and fort Sill since those brunches have Many of the space imbalanced  he said. Although soldiers in grades h-5 and above arc now required to  a secon Dary Mosi of them have never rained in the secondary. We want to find oui How and Why those cos picked their secon Dary and How we can make them proficient in those  Pierce said he also will Lalk to soldiers in grades l -4 and below about How much input they should have in selecting their secondary skills. Cranking out the Holiday tunes adding to inc Christmas spirit of music while they look oter trinkets in Hamburg s Weihnacht Markt is Ger hard  with his old fashioned bar the stores and indulge in food and glue main.  claims he makes an Rel Organ. Shoppers along inc City s acceptable Liting As a year round in Lerlaine and says americans in Ham Burg Are the Best , fashionable Moe Short  Are treated to his