European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday March 20, 1987 the stars and stripes Paga 9 House votes new go Bill permanent b . Bartman Washington Burnu Washington As the House of representatives voted overwhelmingly to Moke the new i Bill a permanent program an april i deadline on sign for the temporarily extended Veter ans educational assistance program was Rasi approaching. The Senate is expected to follow the House s Lead on the new go Bill while inc Reagan administration continues to grumble Over the toss of the lower Cost leap program everyone thinks this new go Bill is so great but no one has Ever explained to me what s so meat about it one administration official said. Service members however appear to like the new program much better than the leap. Up id its end in 198s, inc Overall participation in the leap was about 20 percent Pentagon figures show. By contrast 67 percent of new recruits in january of this year chose to participate in the new of Bill. The Pentagon reports 270,000 cur rent and former who paid up to s 2,700 each into the leap plan have tailed to take advantage ofas much As $8,100 in educational benefits. The leap replaced the old of Bill Jan i 1977, and ran until the new i Bill took effect on an experimental basis on june 30, 1985. But since some Servic members round out too late hat the leap had ended. Congress gave hem an extra five months to sign up Tor the program. That period ends this month. Server end Nibert who would like to join the program must donate Between 525 and $ i onto the fund officials said. The cult amount of $2,700 also can be paid in one instalment if desired. Members can use leap benefits during the last six months of their first Lour of Active duly or any time after their sixth year of Active duty if they choose to stay in the military. Once they leave the service they must use the benefits within 10 years or they will be declared ineligible. There is no time limit for obtaining refunds on contributions which if used far educational purposes Are tripled by the government with some military skills qualifying for extra bonuses. One administration source lament ing the leap i end said you could take your Money out of it whenever you wanted. With inc new i Bill once you sign up that s it. They keep Tak ing Money out of your pay Check. And you can t take your Money out until you leave the spokesmen for the House armed services committee said the veterans administration suggested having the Money held until a leaves the military because Loo Many members were taking their Money out Early for other than educational Pur poses. The new i Bill provides $300 a month in educational benefits once a recipient leaves the military up to 110,800. Servic members in a few skills with critical shortages can receive up to $25,000. Contractor run clinics May come to Europe by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington the army spurred on by its surgeon general s de Light with new contractor run medical clinics in the slates Hopes to expand the concept to Europe and perhaps allow civilian employees to use the facilities. The new program primary care for the uniformed services has cased Back lots at military outpatient locations said col. Douglas Brandel of the army sur Geon general s office the medical con tractors care package plans also have been less costly than in House military programs he said. The four Primus clinics now operating in the Stales offer free primary preventive care for Active duty and retired service members and their families. The program is paid for by the army s medi Cal budget. Brandel said it seemed Likely such facilities in Europe would be made Avail Able to civilian personnel As Well. The clinics Are one aspect of an on going military Effort to turn certain functions Over to the private sector which joint services exercise lacked coordination Pentagon study says Washington a a major exercise last summer involving military unit thai would be used in the event of a Middle East crisis was largely successful but spotlighted some coordination and communication problems says a Penta gon report. The report on the exercise which was code named Gallant Eagle 86, faulted the . Navy Marine corps and air Force for a Lack of coordination among pilots flying ground attack missions and the Navy and army for some confusion in unloading equipment from cargo ships. On the ground marines and members of the army s 82nd airborne div Dis played an outstanding ability to link up with each other after soldiers parachuted in inc report said. But without elaborating the report also found More work was needed to improve the spotting and tiring of artillery pieces to cover the activity of ground forces. The study also found Azacs planes had been unable to off clively use a satellite link for communication although hat problem was solved by using differ ent equipment. Gallant Eagle is the largest Field training exercise held in the United slates involving the strategic movement of forces by Scal Ift and Airlift into a simulated area of responsibility the report said Gallant Eagle 86 deployed Over 35,000 personnel drawn from All four services and the coast guard. From the standpoint of required joint tactical and operational skills and a realistic logistical environment they successfully executed the most ambitious exercise in the series to the exercises which Are sponsored by the . Central come arc held annually with exercises conducted every other year in the egyptian desert. The . Central come would be responsible for military operations in the Middle East and persian Gulf Region in the event of a crisis. Last summer s exercise was conducted in july and August primarily at two bases in California. The Complete report on the War games has been classified bul a censored version of the document was released by the Pentagon wednesday. H discloses the exercise involved 34,897 service members two military Scal Ift come cargo ships and 297 Strate Gic Airlift missions that moved 17,400 troops and 5,148 tons of cargo. The exercise also included More than 700 close air support sorties by Jet fighters and extensive operations involving helicopters b-52 bombers High Alti tude reconnaissance jets and special operations forces. A significant problem was that Stan Dard operating procedures for close air support varied from service to service the study found even though coordination improved As the exercise progressed common procedures and terminology were not used. To control Navy Marine air Force air on the logistics Side inc report complained there was no single focus for command and control with authority to direct both army and Navy elements involved in unloading the sea lift ships Altair and Cape decision. Often can provide services at lower costs. In addition to saving Money the army would like to relieve crowding at european outpatient clinics bulging with service members families. European Sites under consideration Are All in Germany and include Stuttgart Nuernberg Frank Furt Heidelberg Mann Heim and Baum older. In the slates the army plans to add several Primus locations a year until it reaches 26 within five years. A schedule for establishing the clinics in Europe won t be set until a final decision is made on whether to go ahead with the overseas expansion. Costs of the program in Europe arc Likely to be different but no one knows yet what those costs will be. Brandel said since the doctors will be required to have training from the United slates. Brandel guessed that most of the medical personnel would be americans. We re hoping we can attract doctors who might be interested in spending some time working in Europe like some teachers do he said. As in the Stales Primus locations overseas would be placed in locations closest to the potential patients. Cairo rain detail for Carter of photo egyptian soldiers sweep Hehiy Wiler thursday at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier in Cairo Egypt where Assassin Fulcd president Anwar Sadat also is buried. A rare rainstorm hit be grim wednesday night and troops were culled in id Titan up the grounds before a Teil by former pics Idun Carter
