European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 12, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday March 12.19815 general says Bonus for pilots necessary but May Hurt morale of non flight officers by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington other air Force officers might not like it when pilots get bonuses a High As si2,000 per year but they la understand that it s no Leuary 10 keep aviators from leaving the service s of personnel officer told Congress. I Gen. Thomas Hickey commented on the necessity of the proposed js4 million Pilot Bonus pro Gram thursday after rep. Martin Sato d-minn., expressed concern that such Boim Sei May Hurt he morale of Nan flight officers. What kind of morale problem Doc that Bonus create for other officers Sabo asked during Ahouse appropriations defense subcommittee hear ing. Well it does t help the other officers morale raid the air Force s Deputy chief of staff for person Nel. But we re going to have to convince those other officers that the seriousness of the situation warrant such  the bonuses will run from $9,000 to si2,000 Forup to six years. The services say the bonuses arc extremely cheap compared to the oat of training new pilots who Cost the air Force nearly 1800,000for just undergraduate flight school. After six Yean of service he s Worth about j6 million to you Hickey said. But the general also revealed i got a lot of hate mail from other officers asking Why we Are giving pilots leather  Hickey also said he is worried thai the air Force will begin losing More than just pilots if Congress does t Grant the Pentagon s requested 4.3 percent pay raise for service Meibers. A year ago i Laid  could tolerate being behind the civilian sector in terms of Wajcs but could not afford to lose buying Power. And we Are now losing buying Power he said. Hickey like his counterparts from the Navy and army also called on the committee to help end a ongoing congas locally ordered reduction in the military officer ranks. The action resulted fro Senate concerns that the services Are top heavy with officer. Hickey said that White the air Force s ratio of officers to enlisted members is the highest of All the services one officer to every 4.6 enlisted people it cannot be compared to Ite army and Navy ratios. That is because so Many 01 the people needed Tor the unique air Force Mission of flying research and technology areas must be officers. The mandated officer reductions Ynve been at the rate of i percent for eth of the last two years an will increase to 2 percent Over the coming two years. But became the Pentagon tried to protect the Navy from the cutbacks the army and air Force tool the Brunt of the Cut with the air Force receiving a 2.3 percent reduction. The air Force has protected pilots from the officer reductions. But the lure of Good airline Job has been draining experienced aviators from the service at in Ever of growing rate. The retention Rale for those m lot with the critical six to 11 Yean of experience dropped to 48 percent at the end of fiscal year 1987. Some air Force official Are predicting that retention could drop to 40 percent within the year at aviators continue to grab High paying jobs with the commercial airlines. Airline hiring from what we can Sec is not going to reduce for the rest of this Century Hickey said. While the air Force it reducing the number of Pilot positions for forthcoming Yean and in effect failing to till All its available cockpits a shortage of2,500 pilots is predicted for fiscal 1993. Overall air Force manpower also is dropping fat Ter than any other service. It will drop from a total Force of 398,700 in the current fiscal year to 575,000for fiscal 939. Our big concern is the no corps the key log etting the air Force through austere times Hickey said. Tie lop five no grades. Will be reducing some 2,000 personnel per year Over the Sci several years. We arc looking at und Munning overworking general turbulence. A grave situation for retention of All personnel Hickey said. Wholesale prices few retail sales Rose in february new York a declines in the costs of fold and Energy pushed whole Sale prices downward last month while retail sales were boosted by strength in autos the government said Friday. Wholesale prices fell q.2 percent in february the labor department said As it released i s monthly 1 producer Price Index. Food prices fell 1.1 percent and Energy prices declined 0.8 percent the depart ment said for the first two months of 1988, prices Rose at an annual Rale of  per cent half the modest 2.2 percent rate for Ait of last year. Prices Rose a brisk 0.4 percent in january after a 0.4 percent decline in december. Friday s report showed there was Little justification for worries of a resurgence in , the Commerce depart ment said retail sales Rose 0.6 percent in february. The increase was generally inline with expectations. The government also revised its Jan uary retail sales report to show a Small decline of 0.2 percent instead of an originally reported increase of  per cent. Even with the january decline analysis said the sales report generally reflected that the october Stock Market crash has had Little effect on consumer buying plans. Since consumer spending accounts for two thirds of Overall economic activity any significant faltering in this area could topple the country into recession. Marines corps wants troops to be even tougher than nails by Norman Blackcap military writer Washington a the Marine corps Al ready renowned for us rigorous physical conditioning is about to make things tougher for those who have already made it through Basic training a new training policy order signed last week and now being prepared for distribution to the held Wilt require All commands to refocus their physical conditioning program so that it goes beyond just staying i shape to pass the Standard physical fitness test. Among other things All marines Are going to be expected to Start lifting weights or to engage in some equivalent Type of progressive resistance training such As isometric exercises or partner resistance  the new directive was signed by Brig pen. , Stutey he corps Deputy chief of staff for training but was really prompted by Gen. Alfred a Gray jr., the Man who took Over As the corps commandant last july. Cray a Stocky tobacco chewing general who Rose through the ranks by staying away from the Pentagon complained shortly after arriving in Washington he was sick and tired of seeing his marines jogging for exercise in cute Little sneakers Marine Headquarters looks like a morgue every afternoon because everyone is Obi jogging to look Nice Cray added. I think if we would run a Little More each Day we be the Best looking outfit Ever to get run off a  reflecting that philosophy the new directive states historically the purpose of Many physical condition ing programs has been to prepare marines for fitness testing Risher than training them for die physical Rig ors of combat. The focus therefore of our programs must change. Each commander must emphasize unit and combat fitness training instead of physical fitness  the directive says commanders must ensure their marines face a minimum program of three hours per week of exercises that can be divided Between anaerobic conditioning progressive resistance training and aerobic conditioning. Anaerobic conditioning would include calisthenic and other exercises to increase Speed flexibility and agility while aerobic includes running and any exer Cise that enhances cardiovascular  prosecution opens cose in we tech corruption Frier through the Mill presidential hopeful Albert Gore or. An by wife. Tipper new Tard hats Hole i Rikin a Fate actual the Badu trop of m steel finance. The Cople Iamb the Mill during u ill noise Campaign swing. New York a the government kid Tedoff the Wedlich  Fri Day by accusing rep. Mario Biagan d-n.y-, and his fix co defendants of then from the defunct Bronx defense contractor. This is a Case about corruption and greed Howard Wilson an Asiu Tant . Attorney told the 12-Penon jury . District coun. It ii a ease about Public officials who want to get paid twice Wilson pointed to Biaggi and former Bronx Borough president Stanley Simon at the defense table and said they and theol in note from we tech. Some had been promised More Money he said. At the trial s opening judge con Lunce Baker Motley Lold the jury a indictment is limply Tenet of charges. A defendant on trial Pra Mcd in Nocent and this presumption of inno Cence ii presumed throughout the  the Case involving the defense con tractor includes Chargot Bat the seven defendants looted millions of dollars in Cash and stocks from the company. In addition to Biagi to and Simon 57, the defendants Are Bernard g. Ear Lien 59, Biaggi i Farmer us partner and a former major general in the new York National guard Biaggi Decd Sod. Richard 38 Peter Nefia 39, the former regional administrator of the Small Busi Ness administration former we Lech chairman John Minolta 57 and Ron Ald Belso 39, a former City police officer and dote Friend Oneglia j. They Are charged with racketeering and conspiracy which each carry Mam mum 20-year penalties upon conviction As Well As various other alleged Crimet. Biaggi it also accused of Cilo lion bribe receiving wire fraud perjury and filing false tax returns