European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 15. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 3 House panel urges hefty boost in funds for conventional arms by Chuck  Bureau Washington in its first version or the fiscal 1988 defense authorization Bill the House armed services commit Lee sent a message id the administration More attention must be paid to conventional weapons the committee voted to meet and income cases exceed the Pentagon s re quest for big Lickl conventional weapons while slashing funds for systems such As the my missile the strategic de sense initiative and the b-1b bomber. In general the committee move Money from strategic systems into conventional systems indicating its concern that priorities expressed in the defense budget request have been skewed the wrong Way stated the report accompanying the Bill. The committee added $2.3 billion for conventional weapons ammunition and support equipment with particular emphasis on army aviation and ground forces equipment. We increased army procurement by4 percent pumping More Money into helicopters and tanks that the Pentagon gave Short shrift to in its headlong drive for exotic solutions to Security Chal Lenges committee chairman rep. Los Aspin d-wis., stated in the report. The committee added 1145,5 Milli Onlo buy 120 More my Abrams tanks than the Pentagon requested and $33 million for 40 More Bradley infantry fighting vehicles the committee also significantly changed the Pentagon s plans for the future of army helicopters which called for an end to the army s three main Heli copter programs by fiscal 1992, rep. William Dickinson r-a1a. Accused the Pentagon of seeking the Cut backs to make its proposal for a next generation helicopter the Lex a necessity rather than a luxury. The Penta gon tends to give up on today s equip ment that works in search of tomorrow Panacea. Thai s not prudent  the committee Cut funding for the Lex from $267 million to $50 million while adding $60 million to fund re search an improvements for the Blackhawk and Apache helicopters. In strategic weapons the committee approved funding for the mid Gilman missile and the Trident submarine an missile but Cut most other strategic pro Grams. The funding request for the strategic defense initiative was slashed by a third to $3.5 billion and even that level offending passed by Only two votes. The committee also Defeated an amen Mentlo endorse Early deployment of ski by a 27-22 Vole. The committee decided to fund the administration s request for 21 my mis Siles but voted to Cut funds to begin development of a rail Mobile Basing Mode by 60 percent. The midget Man will solve the land based vulnerability problem More completely than either the rail Mobile my Ora combination of midget Man and rail Mobile my Aspin Saidt funds for the bib bomber were cubby a third. The committee said it was putting the aircraft on a Shorter Leash to indicate its dissatisfaction with the management of the program and to More closely supervise it in the future the committee also endorsed the narrow interpretation of the 1972 anti ballistic missile treaty 25-24. That would require the administration to abandon use of the Broad interpretation that would permit More extensive testing of ski components. It s most significant that this com Mittee certainly one of the More conservative an Capitol Hill has decide to direct the administration to adhere to the abm  Aspin said. The narrow interpretation has Bee followed for 15 years Aspin said. The executive Branch just can t shuffle interpretations when a treaty becomes inconvenient he said. Aspin said he is confident the full House will endorse the committee s Posi Tion when it meets to debate the commit tee Bill next month. Committee orders extensive study of military coupes compensation by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington some military couples might be making out like bandits while others Are suffering financially said the House armed services committees it ordered the Pentagon to undertake an extensive study of the situation. The report due in Early 1988, would not be the firs time the defense department has studied the Issue of military couples and the compensation they receive. But a committee spokesman said past studies have always been a piecemeal approach. They never come out and say members married to other members Are really making out like bandits " he said. The spokesman does t know if there Are couples making out like bandits or if there Are couples with out children who Are not receiving their fair share. But the committee thinks there Are More issues Here to be addressed and it must be addressed comprehensively he said. Of there Aren t people making out like bandits let them find it to be so. We Don know. And Are there people who Are not being treated fairly we need to know that  a husband and wife who arc both in the military Are not considered dependents of each other and thus receive a lower housing allowance than couples with Chil Dren. The defense department studied compensation ruin for military couples in 1983. A joint service study group recommended at that time that such couple without children should receive higher allowances for Basic quarters it also recommended allowing the higher ranking family member to claim his or her spouse As a dependent. But Little came from the past study efforts and. I ordering the new report the House committee rejected a Navy request to allow service members in pay Gradese-3 and above who Are married to other service Mem ers to continue receiving Basic allowances for Quarter Sand variable housing allowance offsets while assigned to sea duty. Officials Hope to limit go personnel cuts by Chuck Vinc Washington Bureau Washington cuts in personnel and Readi Ness accounts Are inevitable in the fiscal 1988-89 defense budget but Many lawmakers Hope to limit the damage to those accounts As the budget process moves along Capitol Hill staffers  a pay raise for military and civilian personnel will probably nol be As High As the Penta gon requested most lawmakers say a raise of 3 per cent is close to the top of the list of items the would like to protect. There must be some reduction in personnel an readiness said a House armed services commit tee staffer. When you re looking at a figure from our budget committee that s $24 billion less than the Pentagon s request there s no Way to avoid it. But he added the general feeling on our com Mittee is that members would like to protect those accounts to the maximum extent possible. In terms of percentages of the defense budget those areas will probably take smaller hits in relation to other accounts such As weapons and procurement House armed services committee chairman rep. Les Aspin d-wis., and rep. Beverly Byron d-md., head of the military personnel and compensation subcommittee have spoken out in favor of protecting personnel accounts this year. Panel forbids test of go clinic fee proposal Washington is the House armed serv ices committee came Down strongly against a proposal to charge patients at military clinics going so far As to forbid even a test of the concept. Debate has occurred for years Over the establish ment of a user s fee on those who use military clinics the committee said. But its members chose to strictly prohibit even a test which is directed under presi Dent Reagan s defense budget of ouija item charges. While the Senate armed services subcommittee Wasyel to vote on the user s fee Issue its members have scoffed at the concept during recent  Pentagon health officials have questioned at recent congressional hearings the need for such charges. They said the plan was proposed by the office of management and budget at the last minute without their knowledge. The bomb a Branch or the while House propose the lest As a Way to reduce the number of unnecessary visits to military clinics and hospitals service Membra have told Congress the concept i unjustified. Money from Page 1 for e-5 and above and the removal of a variable housing allowance offset that restricts How much Money a Servic member can get if he chooses Tolive in less expensive off base housing. The committee approved Only two incentive pay increases a $10 million increase in career sea pay for the Navy and Marine corps handsome medical bonuses to help recruit doctors and nurses into the army  rejected were Pentagon requests for elimination of officer cuts mandated in 1986. But the committee did agree to a one year delay for a scheduled 2 percent Cut in fiscal 1988 and a 3percent Cut in fiscal 1989 to give More Lime for a study of the Impact of the  a variety of other personnel actions the committee adopted a major change in the medical care system by placing a limit on out of pocket catastrophic health costs under the champs system of $1,000 per Active duty family. Approved end strengths for every service Branch As requested providing for manpower increases of 100 in the army 6,200 in the Navy and a reduction of 8, Iso in the air Force. That would put military manpower at 2,172,400 at the end of fiscal year 1988. Decided that free shuttle bus service should be available to bases from Remote locations  and their families. Granted preferential treatment to american wines in military package stores overseas by making them less expensive than foreign Vin tages. Voted to permit the withholding of any re Lief fund or Aid society loan from the final pay Check of a service member leaving the  committee also authorized the use of tax Money in addition Toi the military s own morale welfare and recreation funds for reimbursing incidental expenses of volunteers working a military family support centers. However the committee also Cut about $20million in taxpayer support for the mar funds in an Effort to let Money generating base facilities pay for themselves. The committee began work on the defense authorization Bill lost week but More work will be necessary after the Emler recess to bring the Bill within the spending limit approved by the House. The committee began work before the limit was approved. The committee s Bill totalled $305.8 billion while the budget Resolution that eventually passed allowed Only $288.7 billion