European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Choppers in Mothballs helicopters now stored in Luxembourg a 21 at support co Doh is helicopter in route to storage facility in Luxembourg.  Ayda Edidio Page 14 stories by Daryl. Green staff writer the choppers Rose above Itic morning fog that aces to be a constant Al Coteman army air Field in Mannheim Germany and mad their Way Loward their rip Van Winkle rest i Luxembourg the Uhls and oh-58s were some o 100 helicopters bound tort e 2lsl support come s Reserve storage a Lively in be Membourn they will be mothballed in to 50.000-Square-fool warehouses until they Are needed said it col Warien a kempt the command s Avtalion officer in charge Al the project. Storing air Rall in theater is a new concept that allows he aircraft to remain close to the people who May need them again Kempl said the army used to Send All at its aircraft to the Stales for storage and upgrade a costly practice. The savings the army sees with a healer storage is in the massive Cost o sending them the helicopters Over to the slates fixing Thorn then sending them or other aircraft Back Kempl said. Kempf Cal images the shipping cos alone to Send helicopters Back to the sales a i More than s2.0qo per aircraft and you would have to add four Homes that in Laboi costs he said in storage the helicopters will remain fuelled and ready to operate. The batteries will be removed and placed on a slow charge contractors will perform maintenance. Ii the Call goes Oul for the aircraft it can be Fly Abl in 90 minutes that s the criteria Kempf said. The helicopters will be used to replace other aircraft that have to be removed from service Lor any number of the stars and stripes reasons. They will be returned to the Supply system and made available Louinia As a valid need arises or Token out of Mothballs to strengthen forces in an emergency situation to acco modal e the choppers the s3 million vehicle storage tacitly was modified Al a Cost of $250.000, said Cape Charles e Arndi malarial officer for the general support Center Benelux Moduli cations included explosion proof wiring rubber hours to prevent Sparks special Light futures and a Sprinkle system of Light fuel fires. The modification look tour weeks of planning and labor before everything was ready to receive Iho firs i aircraft. The first helicopters went Inlo Mothballs nov. 4. Humidity in the Lac Lily is maintained Between 30 percent and 50 percent allowing the aircraft to be stored in sort of a state of suspended animation Kempf said. The general support Center Benelux operates the Beni Emburg act Vimy and a facility in Sanem Luxembourg it also leases 12 warehouses in Belgium. The Center stores All types of supplies except ammunition and controlled medical items said maj. Claude m. Flou tree Center commander. Among the items stored in Luxembourg Are 62,000 tone of combat vehicles including w.1 Lanks 16.320 tons of wheeled vehicles Cannon tubes trailers Oil generators radio sets communications equipment Small arms clothing and combat rations. We have the biggest concen Ralian of Materiel in one spot anywhere in Dod and said whether other army air Rall will go into storage in a similar Way still remains to be seen. Quite frankly we don11 know Kempf said. We re now moving Inlo a new Era for a to Sadr with any surety that we would store cobras or apaches or chinooks or anything is a Lilllan bit premature at this