European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 31, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Navy May limit Trident program budget ugg no causes controversy Washington a the Navy is seriously considering limiting purchases of its Prirca si.2 Bil lion Trident submarine to every other year in reaction to intense budget pressures for the new fiscal year a senior Pentagon official says. The service also is proposing to put two of us four battleships in Mothballs As it fights to retain at least 14 aircraft carriers. President Bush is scheduled to deliver his 1991 Bud get to Congress on Jan. 22. And he May be tailed upon to make the final Calls on the controversial suggestions. We re robbing Peter to pay Paul the Pentagon official said of the current budget juggling exercise. He spoke on condition of anonymity. The fiscal 1991 spending plan is considered a key barometer of the Pentagon s ability to respond to pres sures from budget cutters on Capitol Hill and in the office of management and budget. White House budget planners have told defense Secretary  Cheney that he can spend a Little More than $292 billion in the c new budget year which begins next oct. I. The Navy like other services is being forced to trim programs it deems successful such As the Trident in order to meet these goals said the senior official. Asked whether the service was looking at stretching out the annual purchases of the strategic submarines to every other year the official said we re seriously considering  the sub s billion Dollar Price tag has made it easy pc for lawmakers advocating less lavish spending on strategic nuclear weapons programs amid the warming of relations with the soviet Union. In november the electric boat division of general dynamics corp. In Groton. Conn., won a contract to build the i7lh Trident submarine. Navy Secretary h. Lawrence car Rcpt 111 has told Capitol Mill he expects to request full funding for the 18th Trident submarine in the fiscal 1991 budget. But due to its High Cost and complexity funds Lor the submarine arc stretched out Over several wars and Garrett made no mention about Long term procure ment funds for additional submarines. I d put my Money on some Type of stretch out said another defense department official asked about the Trident program s future. The official said it was premature to talk about an end to the program and said that if an a very other year Purchase policy is adopted it May not even com Promise the Long term number of submarines widely expected to be 24. The service s world War in Cra battleships also have become targets of budget Cullers on Capitol Hill particularly in inc aftermath of last Spring s explosion aboard the Iowa which claimed 47 sailors lives. Even the chief of naval operations adm. Carlisle a. Trost admitted at one congressional hearing that the future of the four warships was up for grabs in inc budget debate. But the Navy leadership is Loath to let the warships go the senior official said. Nobody not the army not the Marine corps not the Navy wants to give those ships  inc official contended arguing that their Mobile firepower offers a major boost when a president Call for a Little gunship  the 91 budget plan Calls for putting two in Moth balls. But we d still have two and we want to hang onto  he said. The official did not specify which of the four ships would be retired. The second defense department official noted that congressional pressure May work against Mot Balling the battleships since their Home ports were to be Dis Persed among four states under a revised program. Our phones rang off inc Hook from lawmakers unhappy Aboul Trost s suggestion of the ships possible demise the official said. The senior official said the Navy is fighting to save at least 14 aircraft carriers during the next fiscal year. One Carrier the world War in Cra Midway is scheduled for retirement next year which would bring the Fleck from i5lo 14. Tell me which commitment arc we supposed to walk away from the official asked pointing out that the . Commitment to sail the Indian Ocean and keep tabs on the potentially explosive persian Gulf Haven t  official also said the Navy s requirements most probably will increase As the service is asked to place More Power on the High seas to Advance inc nation s War against illicit drug traffickers. Back in business american soldiers enjoy a few moments of peace in Panama City As they watch a ship pass slowly through inc Panama canal which was reopened to 24-hour traffic thursday. Because of the prolonged conflict Between . Troops and panamanian rebel forces the waterway had been in use Only sporadically in recent Days. Two gis won t be tried for tragic mistake fort Sill okla. A two soldiers made a tragic mistake in causing an artillery Accident that killed three soldiers and wounded 24, but they won t be court Martiale their commander said. Safety violations thai caused inc sept. 27 Accident were insufficient reason to prosecute sgt. Edward c. Tyler of Washington d.c., and spec. Nickolas w. Holly of Canton Ohio maj. Gen. Raphael j. Hallada said Friday. Tyler and Holly were accused of dereliction of duty and negligent homicide and faced up to 15 months confinement loss of wages and bad conduct discharges if convict cd on Bolh charges. My decision that trial by court martial is net inc appropriate course was based on the evidence on the spotless records of Tyler and Holly and on my determination that the Accident was a tragic mistake result ing from a momentary violation of safely procedures rather than a criminal act said Hallada commander at fort Sill. Officers who investigated the Accident at a Rifle Range in Southwest Oklahoma said one of five rounds fired from a 105mm howitzer during a training session contained the wrong powder charge. The round overshot its target and exploded behind a group of 80 soldiers lined up in formation to leave the Range. Two of inc injured soldiers remained Hospital izod in serious condition. Hallada said he Mcl with Tyler and Holly and i hair commanding officers to review the actions Hal led to inc Accident. The two soldiers know that they caused the Accident. The officers know that this happened on i hair  Hal Lada said. These were very emotional meetings. Every one of hem would give anything to have that round  investigators said Holly a Cannonier in the How incr Crew prepared inc powder charges before inc rounds were fired and was to remove excess powder bags when a lesser charge was fired. He was to Dis play the bags to his Section chief Tyler. The investigators concluded that Holly failed to do this with one of the five rounds and Hal Tyler did t catch the error. But Hallada said i was not convinced a jury would find that Holly and Tyler blatantly disregarded what reasonably careful person would have done under the