European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes wednesday december 28,19b8 1988 worked to women s advantage by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington by any measure 19s8 was a Banner year for women in uniform say those who Monitor the issues facing military women. A total of 24,000 Job slots in units As diverse As Marine corps embassy guards air Force Aerial port squadrons Navy logistics ships and army Engineer combat support companies were opened to women during the year. I think the services can look Back on the Many changes that look place in 1988 with great Pride said Judy Gibson vice chairwoman the defense advisory committee on women in the services the panel that helped usher in Many of the changes. There were significant accomplishments in terms of affording women a greater role in the  Marine corps it. Gen. Anthony Lukeman who unlit sunday will be the Deputy assistant Secretary of defense for military manpower Knoll Gibson s sentiments. There s no doubt that the services made great strides in 1988," Lukeman said. We Are committed to the idea that women arc and will continue to be a vital facet of our nation s military  the year began with a bang As the Navy announced that 9,600 slots on combat top sics ships and 330 slots on reconnaissance aircraft would be opened to women. With that announcement the Navy got a jump on the defense department task Force on women in the military. Just a few weeks later the task Force issued its final report which recommended opening those Navy jobs to women. In addition the task Force citing differences among the services policies issued a uniform definition of its combat exclusion Rule which Lithe basis for barring women from units that might be involved in combat. The new definition Means that women still can be excluded from serving in certain non combat units on the grounds of a risk of exposure to direct com Bat hostile fire or capture provided that the dangers arc equal to or greater than those experienced by combat units participating in the same  in february defense Secretary Frank Carlucci approved a number of other recommendations contained in the mask Force report that resulted in 2,600 positions being opened to women in air Force Aeri Alport and red horse engineering squadrons and 1,400 slots in Marine corps embassy and Security guards units. The Marine move caused a Brief but Well publicized rift in april Between Carlucci and the Gruff commandant of the Marine a took Back a corps Gen. Alfred m. Gray or. Gray initially rejected Ibe recommendations to allow women to serve in the embassy guards unit and in the two Marine corps Security battalions that provide Protection for sensitive Navy assets claiming that personnel in both units could be called upon to fight.  Carducci reversed that decision which led Gray to fume at a meeting of the advisory committee that he was the Only person who should have the responsibility for the Well being of marines or you can get another commandant. Pentagon officials Down played the Issue with one calling it a minor Skir Mish that Gray  finally in november the army announced that it was opening More than 11,000 positions to women in the Job Field that Calls for installing and maintain. Ing electrical distribution systems the equivalent of electric company linemen and in Engineer com Bat support companies that operate construction equipment. Also affected were slots at the Headquarters level of Armor and infantry divisions corps Chaparral air defense battalions and signal battalions in certain Light infantry divisions which previously Hud been closed to women. 88 personnel officials said declaring hat the new jabs arc open to women u the easy pan. More difficult will be adjoining service personnel policies to recruit and train women to fill the jobs. That s really the key one manpower official said. It s All Well and Good to say women can serve in those jobs. That does t necessarily mean that women will serve in  each service has had to make adjustments in the Way it attracts women to these non Vradi Lionial occupations and draws up assignment plans and policies 10 integrate women into those Fields a process that will take several years. In the Navy Tor example berthing arrangements on combat logistic ships will have to be redesigned to accommodate larger numbers of women. Most manpower officials said practical limits have been reached in he number of military position s that can be opened to women because of the combat exclusion policy. I think we be probably reached that limit Luke Man said. We Haven t nearly reached the limit of the number of women to fill the new Job that have been opened. We should concentrate on that area first before going  should women be allowed to serve in combat units it s a difficult social question Lukeman said. Frankly i try not to answer it. The responsibility of Dod is to Tell Congress and the american people what combat is and it s their responsibility to decide whether or not the present Laws Are Correct or need to be changed there Are constraints imposed by Law said the advisory committee s Gibson who Steps Down As vice chairwoman saturday. But that does t mean thai those constraints can t be examined and Possi Bly changed utilizing women in areas in which we Haven t done Solo Date is certainly within the Pur View of congress.". Wiesbaden a holding rites for pan am air crash victims Wiesbaden West Germany two memorial services will be held next tuesday for  residents killed last week in the crash or fan american flight Ion in  service will begin at 11 . In Hai Norberg Chapel for army sgt. Phillip v. Bergstrom 22, of troop a 5th so 6tli Cav be spec. Michael e. Stinnett of he co 12th aviation brigade Stinnett wife. Charlotte,36 and his stepdaughter Stacey l. Bell 9. Army sgt. 1st class Willis a Coursey will be remembered at 9 . Tuesday in fliers theater on Wiesbaden a. Courcy was assigned to he Del 68lli medical group. Precautions urged to keep film from being lost in ma/7 rheingau West Germany people who sen film through the . Mail to a Developer should take extra precautions to ensure that it is not lost an army postal group Europe official recommends. Film canisters should have the sender s name and address and the address of the Developer taped on the outside before being placed in a Mailer Cape. Gary Way says. If the film gels separated from the Mailer during handling it then can be returned to the owner or for warded to the Developer if no identification is attached to the film it Wilt be sent to the . Postal service s dead letter parcel Branch he said. Correction by the new York times the new York City homicide record was almost certainly eclipsed this month but no definitive Statis tics to substantiate that will be available until february or March police spokesmen say. The officials added that Over the weekend the Public information division had disseminated an incorrect figure for the total in 1981, when the former Mark was established. The official figure for 1981 is 1,826 cases of murder and criminal manslaughter not 1,841 As previously reported. Police had said that the fatal shooting saturday night of Astalyn Island Manwa the 1,842nd killing of the year. Case of captive girls still confused Beirut Lebanon a a Day after claiming it freed and sent two French girls Home from 13 months of Captivity an extremist palestinian faction tuesday said it   Forthie arrival in France. In Paris the foreign ministry said in was expecting the arrival of Fth two girls but would not elaborate a spokesman for Fatah revolutionary Council announced monday in Lebanon that Maurie Laure by till 7, and her 6-year-old sister Virginia who were abducted with their Mother and five belgians had been released and were on their Way to Paris in an air plane. But the spokesman Walid Khalid said tuesday i cannot set a specific Dale for their arrival in pans orsay anything More than what has been mentioned in the statement 1 have just  1 n the statement Khalid said the group s Leader terror is Mastermind Abu Nidal had met the girls and approved Security arrangements for their transportation to Paris. He did not say when the meeting occurred. -. Earlier tuesday another Man who answered the phone at the group s information office maintained the two Sisters Are on their Way to Paris. Arrival time depends on weather conditions Over the Mediterranean,1 the Man did not elaborate and would not identify himself. Several Mediterranean countries have been struck by a Winter storm since monday. Khaled announced on nov. 8,1987, that his group had seized eight French and belgian nationals aboard Ihei French registered yacht the Sullko off inc israeli occupied Gaza strip. The Fatah revolutionary Council accused them of spying for Israel Israel denied it. Some news reports have said the captives were being held in South Lebanon and others said they were in Libya. The girls Mother Jacqueline Valinte gave birth to a girl while in Captivity and is due to deliver again in Jan uary Khalid said since her separation from her husband pics by title. Vale me has been living with Ocmand Hou Tenkins one of the five belgian captives. The other four captives Are Hout Ekins elder brother Emmanuel Emmanuel s wife Godlieve and the. Couple s two children Laurent 17, and Valerie 16,. Not counting the Silko captives 15 foreigners including nine americans Are missing and believed held hostage in Lebanon the longest held is Terry Ander son chief Middle East correspondent of the associated press.  abducted March 16, 1985. Abu Nidal whose real name is Sabre Banna formed the Fatah revolutionary Council in 1976 after split Ting from the Palestine liberation organization. He is wanted by Many countries for masterminding Hijack Ings bombings and assassinations. His group is bankrolled by Libya and believed responsible for the killings of three hostages in Lebanon following a . Air attack on Libya in april 1986. The bodies of Peter Wilbum 61, of san Francisco and British hostages Leigh Douglas 34, and Philip a Adieu 40, were found in Lebanon three Days  a stencilled note found near the corpses said they were executed by the Arab revolutionary Celli to. Avenge the raid. The Arab revolutionary cells is one of several names Abu Nidai s activists have used when they claim attacks. Plo rejects limited autonomy plan i Nicosia. Cyprus a the Plo s executive committee tuesday rejected a reported israeli plan to Grant limited autonomy to palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip and allow them to elect their own representatives. The i a member ruling body of the Palestine liberation organization called Ibe idea a new Man Euver aimed at diverting world attention away from Palestin Ian peace  on monday the israeli daily Makariy said prime minister Yitzhak Shamir planned to propose an egyptian role in getting negotiations started Between Israel and a join delegation of palestinians and representatives from Jordan. The  of such talks would be to reach an interim agreement for palestinian self Rule in the West Bank and Gaza the newspaper said the Plo comments care in a statement issued tues Day a Day after the executive committee ended a three Day meeting in Baghdad Iraq. The text of the  made available to news agencies in Nicosia. The Plo statement said palestinians will not endorse any settlement that Falls Short of the establish ment of an Independent stale to co exist with Israel