European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday october 23, 19b8 the stars and stripes Page s armed forces meet reduction goal manpower cuts total 37,470 in 8 months by Norman Black a military writer Washington eight months after the Reagan administration decided in would rather have a smaller military than a hollow one the armed services have met their assigned goals of slashing a combined 36,000 positions. The defense department in a routine monthly manpower strength update said Friday that 2,136,747 men and women were in uniform and on Active duty As of sept. 30, the end of fiscal 1988. That represents a drop of 37,470 people under arms compared with sept. 30, 1987, exceeding the reduction goal of 35,890 that defense Secretary Frank c. Carlucci set last february. The decline also represents the largest swing in . Military strength from one year to the next since 1976, when the . Armed forces lost 46,210 men and women in he wind Down after the Vietnam War. Under Carlucci s directive revealed in february when he sent the Pentagon s fiscal 1989 budget proposal to Congress the army Navy air Force and Marine corps now will be expected to maintain their combined strength at roughly 2.138.000 for the next 12 months. The monthly totals Are expected to vary however due to Normal swings in the arrival of new recruits and re enlistment patterns. Most of the reductions were made through changes in recruiting goals tighter re enlistment Standard and Early out incentives. Friday s report showed the air Force and Marine corps began fiscal 1989 still slightly above the target figures Carlucci gave them while the army and Navy began the year below their assigned targets. As of sept. 30, the air Force reported Active duty strength of 576,446, Down 30,589 compared with sept. 30, 1987, but slightly above the target of 575,603. The Marine corps said in had 197,350 men and women on Active duty at the end of last month Down 2,175 compared with year ago Levels but not quite Down to the target of 197,224. The army meantime had 771,847 men and women on Active duty Down 8,968 compared with year ago Levels. It had been Given a target of 772,300. And the Navy the Only one of the four services authorized to increase slightly in size in fiscal 9s8 did t grow quite As fast As expected. As of sept. 30. It had 591,104 on acl ivc duty up 4,262 compared with sept. 30, 1987, but still slightly below its target of 593,200. Statistically the cutbacks reported Friday amount to Only 1.7 percent of the Force that was on duly a year ago. The cuts however Are viewed on Capitol Hill and inside the Pentagon As a Clear sign of the difficult Bud gel environment that will confront the next president. Carlucci told Congress in february that he and president Reagan thought the fiscal 1989 budget Compro Mise failed to provide enough Money for defense and that the United states would face a higher Security risk As a result. In that environment he said the United states should maintain a lean Well equipped Force and Hope for the Best rather than a larger Force that could t be equipped properly. We be made the hard choices Here Carlucci said at the time. We have traded off a smaller Force in order to maintain a Quality Congress ultimately accepted Carlucci s decision on the size of the military in approving the fiscal 1989 defense authorization Bill which totals $299.5 billion. Warwick joins aids poster boy birthday Bash Washington a Singer Dionne Warwick joined lop Federal health officials Friday at a birthday Celebration for Bill Travis and other people suffering from aids. Travis who turned 25 last week emerged last year As a sort of informal aids poster Hoy for inc Public health service As one of those appearing in a series of television Public announce ments. He subsequently a came a favorite of television and newspaper interviewers and has maintained an Active speaking schedule frequently to student groups. Again Friday Travis role was As much symbolic As personal As Warwick who donated the proceeds from her hit recording that s what friends arc for to the fight against aids led the audience in singing Happy birthday to him. About a dozen other people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome were in the audience along with a num Ber of other entertainers. It s really fabulous to Sec so Many people come together today without fear and in Harmony to celebrate a simple but awesomely meaningful Occa Sion a birthday something most of us Lake quite for granted Warwick said. To my special friends Here who have aids a birthday is a wonderful mile Stone Warwick said. It s a major step a Symbol of Hope. Health and human services Secretary Otis r. Bowen recalled How he and other has officials signed a birthday card for Travis last october. At the Lime no one knew whether Dionne Warwick embraces aids victim Bill Travis at Washington ceremony. Bill would be Able to join us again this year Bowen said. Celebrating another year of life and the Joy that each new Day brings gives Hope to people with aids and to those who arc infected with the aids the nation s top health officer said the birthday gathering for Travis also serves As a reminder to health professionals that their work in caring for people with aids is not without positive this Celebration of life and Hope stands As a goal like a finish line in a race to those who toil in our nation s laboratories to find a vaccine More therapies and a cure Bowen said. The Celebration was organized by or. Robert e. Windom head of the Public health service and his staff. Surgeon general c. Everett Koop was among inc other members of the health Hierarchy attending and wishing Travis a Happy birthday. China . Sign pact on satellite launching Beijing up China and the United states signed a first Accord Fri Day on satellite launching but failed to reach agreement on the Price China will charge for its services believed to substantially undercut its . Competitors. After four Days of talks on pricing safeguards and liability for chivas launching services . And chinese officials reached consensus on two of three preconditions president Reagan set last month before Export licenses for . Made satellites could be issued. Air plane Mechanic charged in negligent manslaughter Sands of time in the stars and stripes Daytona Beach Fla. A a Mechanic who improperly installed an engine part in an air plane that crashed shortly afterwards has been charged with manslaughter in what Federal officials believe is the first such negligence Case. One Man was killed in the july 24 crash of the single engine plane that Dale Halter had worked on. A preliminary investigation by the National transportation safety Board determined that the engine s air Oil separa Tor had been improperly installed which led to the crash said Edward Carroll of the Rolusta county sheriffs depart ment. Halter 43, was charged with Man Slaughter by culpable negligence a third degree felony Carroll said. He was re leased on a s 1,500 Bond. Jack Barker a spokesman for the fed eral aviation administration in Atlanta said he knew of no other Case in which a Mechanic was charged for an error that led to a fatal crash. Michael Benson of the Nosb in Washington which is still preparing a final report on the crash also said he had never heard of a similar Case. This piece of equipment was in stalled in direct violation of Faa regulations Carroll said. This person is an Faa Mechanic and should have known that adds up to to probable cause for the third degree manslaughter 40 years ago today. Oct. 23, 1948 the Neucom Exchange system announced that the cigarettes in Post exchanges would be increased from 9 cents to 10 cents a rations would be decreased to 15 packs per week. Price of 1 pack and 30 years ago today. Oct. 23, 1958 a British Airliner and an italian military Jet collided Over Anzio Italy killing All 31 people aboard the Airliner. The Pilot of the italian plance parachuted to safety. 20 years ago today. Oct. 23, 1968 the three astronauts aboard Apollo 7 resumed to Earth splash ing Down in inc Atlantic Ocean after an 11-Day Mission. J 0 years ago today. Oct. 23, 1978 As a result of the recent Camp David Summit Israel and Egypt announced agreement on a treaty that provided for the establishment of Normal relations Between the two countries for the first time
