European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday april 1fl. 1987 most Dod retirees pick sunshine9 states by Norman Black a p military writer Washington men an women drawing retirement Benefit from the Pentagon Are scattered fro american Samoa to Zimbabwe but California Texas and Florida remain the most popular retirement areas a new report shows. For the slates that attract  in Large numbers the economic benefits arc significant Dur ing fiscal i486, retirees in California received $207.9 million every month i Benefit payments. The study an annual statistical re View or the military retirement system released this week is designed to Hel the Pentagon keep track of a retirement Community that has increased to an All Lime record or t,5 million people. Men and women who serve at least 20years on Active duly Are eligible to retire with a pension equating Hal of their Basic pay. Those who serve fewer than 20 Yean arc not entitled to any pension. Congress alarmed by the increasing expense of the military retirement sys tem has changed the Basic payment formula for individuals who joined the service after aug. 1, 1986. But those changes Don t affect existing retirees or Hose already in the  id the new report the Pentagon completed the fiscal year that ended last sept. .10 with 1,506,000 on it Benefit Rolls including retirees an participants in survivor Benefit plans those individuals received combined payments totalling 117.6 Pillion during the year up sharply from thesi5.8 billion paid out in fiscal 1985 to 1.48 million  reflecting the lifestyle of constant rotations they faced in the military some retirees have dispersed around the world. The latest Pentagon report indicates monthly checks Are being mailed to 109 different countries or territories from Bangladesh and be Lize to Venezuela and  number of retirees settled out Side the United Stales however totals Only shout 29,000. The men an women who made a career of Fth Mili tary arc most Likely to Settle in Sun Shine states like Florida and califor Nia or in states with a Large Active duty military presence where they can re main in close proximity to military hospitals commissaries and exchanges. California easily led inc Resl of the country at inc end of fiscal 1986, with roughly j9sjooo retirees. Texas Casein second with 130,300 retirees draw ing total monthly benefits of $141.1million, and Florida came in third with 127,000 military retirees drawing$140.8 million each month. The remainder of the top 10 consisted of Virginia with 78,200 retirees drawing j102.6 million a month Georgia with 49,800 drawing $49.5 million Washington stale with 47,500drawing $49.3 million North Carolina with 44,500 drawing $44.7 million South Carolina with 35.000 drawing $35.6 million Pennsylvania with34,750 drawing$31.4 million and Ala Bama with 33, Foo receiving $32.7 Mil lion a  average annual retirement pay received by the men ind women on the Rolls Al the end of the fiscal year was 111,805, up slightly compared to the fiscal to average of i 1,765, the re port  men or women on disability retirements the study also found that As of sept. 3d. Retirees ranged in age from 37 to 107, with the largest single bracket aged 50 to 59. There were 25 individuals aged 100 or above who were receiving benefits Al the end of the fiscal  study mini ated that 19.2 per cent of the officers who were eligible to retire in fiscal 1986 did so compared with 27.3 percent of enlisted service members. Both figures arc Down substantially from the 1970s, when the Vietnam War and Public disaffection with the military prompted Many experienced Scricc members to retire As soon As they became  report also found there were 172 retired four Star generals or admirals drawing benefits at inc end of the year. Writers Guild strike settled with lbs but not Abc new York a writers editors graphic artists and desk assistants re turned 19 work at lbs Friday after a 6ia-Wcck strike that entered on Job Security issues. The strike against lbs ended thurs Day when members of the writers Guild of America voted 266-24 to accept a new three year contract. The contract includes wage increases of 3 percent a Yea but grained lbs some of the flexibility in sought to Lay off employees and hire temporary  strike hit network offices and Stu Dios in new York and Washington Anat lbs owned and operated radio and television stations in new York chicagoan los Angeles. Another 125 Guild members remain on strike against Abc and its new York  issues at lbs and Abc included the use of free Lance and part time work ers the networks demand that they be allowed in make layoffs without regard to seniority and permitting on air personalities to write news or  new contract allows lbs to exempt up to 25 percent of a shop from layoffs in last hired first fired order. It also allows the network to use temporary employee to fill a vacancy Cre ated by a promotion or a Transfer but Nobby a resignation. Temporaries also can t be used to replace permanent employee who have been Laid off something lbs a time to sow it s Ilmet to till in Fields again on the country the Snow still lingers. Farm Spring ritual Nhill inc frosted Summit Plains in Colorado but in the High workers near Erie perform the annual of Longs Peak looms behind them. Had sought meanwhile a stalemate continues at Abc whose contract with 2,800 worker represented by the National association of broadcast employees and technician expired March 31. Abc made what it called its final offer and suspended negotiations on april 2. On wednesday the Union filed a grievance with the National labor relations Board charging Abc with unfair Labo practices. Man buys Rembrandt at Street fair Enid okla