European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday december 23, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 a preview of the army of the future Panama brings Pentagon plan to life by the associated press Washington a president Bush s night time Airlift of thousands of soldiers to a Battle zone in Panama was an example of what some Pentagon plan ners Sec As the army of inc future. With the Pentagon facing budget restraints in the coming years and with a declining soviet threat suggesting deep troop reductions in Europe senior army planners have proposed that their service be folded into a lighter More flexible fighting Force that can be ordered to hot spots within hours. Since the panamanian strike came As defense Secre tary Dick Cheney was hammering out the Pentagon five year budget projections some senior army officials indicated that the timing could t Hurt their cause. We made a decision and in almost no Lime at All we were putting our paratroopers and our rangers Onai planes and sending them Down there army Gen. Tom w. Kelly the director of operations for the joint chiefs of staff told reporters on wednesday. I Don t know that there s another country in the world that can do Kelly said. There were some advantages in the Panama Situa Tion that might not be present in Many foreign Battle zones. The army was Able to do months of on the scene planning in Panama and link up with an established fighting Force of some 13,000 soldiers Sailor Sand helicopter gunship pilots based there. As Well commanders could count on cooperation from the air Force Navy and marines. The army would like to plan on that in the future but the past has shown that service rivalries can make for mess military operations. Some of the ideas for revamping the army were first put Forward this year by the army chief of staff Gen. Carl Vuono. That was in a White paper that envisioned a pared Down Force that would rely More on air assault Light infantry and mechanized units the mix that was used in the panamanian operation. The army of the future is one that is versatile. An army that can be Forward deployed. Albeit at smaller numbers an army that has a contingency package that can go worldwide an army that has a eighteen hours from stand to Start it s the army of the an army general at the Pentagon mix of heavy Light and special operations forces Vuono told reporters in october. Army plans envision slashing the current Force of 764,000 to 630,000 by 1994, army sources have said. Gen. Gordon r. Sullivan the army s Deputy chief of staff for operations and plans predicted in an inter View last week that by 1995-96 you la Sec More of the nation s forces in the Continental .," but those soldiers will be capable of responding to any Contin Sullivan added that while the army is preparing for the future its leaders arc determined not to repeat what they consider the mistakes of the past such As the Post world War ii reductions that caught inc Mili tary off guard at the Start of the korean War. While America s new military will be a smaller fight ing Force he said it should be trained to take on new roles and be prepared to fight in third world Arenas Battle the nation s drug problem or help Deal with such disasters As Hurricane Hugo and the san Francisco earthquake. The army must maintain its relevance to respond to various requirements Sullivan said. The planning officer said he is confident that the army has the Structure to be Able to respond to even though the challenges of the future May be difficult to Sec at this time. We know where we re going and we know what we should look like when we get there he said. Army officers familiar with Vuono s plans walked the Pentagon s Halls with smiles on their faces after the Panama intervention touting the strike As an example of their future fighting Force even if it is a smaller one. Versatile deployable. chanted one army colonel using the three catchwords that define the Force s new proposals. Eighteen hours from stand to Start it s the army of the future said an army general of the time required for the panamanian deployment. Another colonel pointed to the Complex Effort involved in ferrying troops from both Coasts and dropping some 3,000 paratroopers from 1.200 feet in the air so that they could team up with mechanized units and helicopters that had been moved into Panama in Advance. There was t one life lost in that nighttime Parachute drop in world War ii they expected to lose Between 10 to 15 percent of their men one office said. Houston police chief tee Brown left meets the press after new York major elect David Dan Lens introduces him As the talk next new York City police commissioner. Brown is scheduled to begin his Job supervising new York s finest on Jan. 22. Court clash possible Over Reagan notes Washington a former presi Dent Reagan and the judge in John poin Dexter s Iran Contra Case appear to be on a collision course Over the use of the sex presi Dent s notes and diaries in court. . District judge Harold Greene on thursday gave Reagan until Jan. 7 to turn Over to the court excerpts from those documents for possible use at s trial. Greene said he wants to review material from the sex president before deciding whether it should be supplied to poin Dexl or who subpoenaed documents Reagan May have relating to 67 meetings and events. Fifty of them concern assistance to the contras and 17 relate to the administration s secret arms sales to Iran. Greene said he is moving the Start of the trial Back a month to feb. 20 to Deal with the subpoena and other issues. The former National Security adviser says Reagan s documents will Bear out that the former president authorized activities for which now is charged wit crimes. The court will. Promptly conduct its. Review of the Reagan documents. And it will Render a decision on the Seg ments of the subpoena that will be quashed and the parts of the Reagan diary notes and notebooks that must be made Avail Able for Poindexter s defense said the judge. Lawyers for Reagan and the Justice department had offered to let Greene Sec excerpts from the diary but Only if the former president and the Bush administration were permitted to see a proffer Poindexter filed spelling out Why he believes he needs the Reagan material. The judge flatly refused to let them see the proffer now. It would be going too far to Accord to the attorneys for president Reagan and for the incumbent president. A special Rolein the determination whether particular documents must be turned Over said Greene. The judge noted their direct in Terest in the outcome of the subpoena Dis Pute and said transferring the court s responsibilities to them would Greene said the Justice department an Reagan will be permitted to see the proffer next month if the judge decides to turn the material Over to and Reagan invokes executive privilege. Using executive privilege presidents can shield from Public disclosure document used in carrying out their constitutional duties. is accused of conspiracy two counts of obstructing Congress and two counts of making false statements. The charges focus on his alleged lies about a november 1985 Cia assisted shipment of Hawk missiles to Iran and denials that North was raising Money and providing military advice to inc contras. Meanwhile. Iran Contra prosecutors say Greene s restrictions on Oliver l North s testimony May make it impossible to use the former White House aide As a witness against . Greene said he would limit North s Testi Mony because it might have been tainted by Poindexter s immunized testimony on Capitol Hill in 1987. The judge s decision rules out use of most of North s testimony from his trial i april in which North frequently mentioned his former Boss. But the office of the Independent coun Sel Lawrence Walsh urged Greene to per Mit North to testify to and events he currently recalls. Even if his current recollection has been refreshed by Poindexter s immunized refreshing his recollection from poin Dexter s congressional appearance does not constitute an impermissible use of that immunized testimony said prosecutors. North said last week he does t want to testify against Poindexter. North s demonstrated unwillingness to answer subs untimely any question posed to him by the government. May Well pre clude. From calling this witness at All Walsh s office said in court papers
