European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes monday february 26,1990 . Studying Aid for gis hit by cuts by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington the Federal government is looking at ways to help thousands of service members re enter civilian life As the military Force is reduced Over coming years. Most of the plans however remain sketchy until More details of the troop cuts Are known. We have been very Public with our wish to work closely with the department of defense to help serv  forced out of the military said Eric John son of the labor department s education and training Section. But while several meetings have been held Between Pentagon and labor department officials Johnson said key planning cannot be done until there is some idea of who will be leaving the service and where they will be coming from and going to. We Haven t even begun to assess individual skills and the labor Market Johnson said. We need to determine what is the Best kind of training what is the Best kind of Job for the former service members. We have a in of Matching up to  in the meantime the labor department has established half a dozen training centers for former service members around the country and the program will be expanding. Sydney Hickey of the National military families association Hopes the labor department and the serv ices will Speed up their efforts. Military leaders Are definitely looking at ways of handling every possibility. But if Congress pushes a Strong Cut. Before the services Are capable of handling it i think you will do a tremendous disservice to your overseas people Hickey said. Part of our concern right now. Is the tremendous uncertainty. When we have had to let people go and we be done it before it was in Small numbers. Most of those who thought they were shining stars and let s face it that s most everybody weren t concerned. Everybody is concerned  the department of veterans affairs for its part has not seen the need to make preparations for the big upcoming Force reductions. As far As the a is concerned we have not made any major preparations for the change spokesman Bonner Day said. The reason i guess is that our benefits Are pretty part of our concern right now. Is the tremendous  Sydney Hickey Static. For example our medical benefits would not be affected. About half of them go to people who have incurred disabilities while on Active  other a benefits ranging from Home mortgages to Loans for higher education arc also already available to Active duty personnel As Well As veterans. And compensation for disabilities would also remain steady since anyone with such a debilitating injury would already be out of the military. Hickey s organization is among several military lob Bies strongly supporting legislation for separation pay of up to $30,000 for enlisted personnel who unlike officers do not receive any Severance payment. The group also favors restoring full unemployment benefits for former service members. Chances for the unemployment proposal Are believed to be Good in Congress. The Severance pay plan is less certain however having failed to become Law in numerous past efforts. Hickey s group is also concerned about the High Cost of medical care that departing service members will face As civilians. The group also wonders whether the department of defense dependents schools will be Able to remain open in All locations during the troop cuts. Let s say they bring a lot of people Back Jan. I 1991. Can Dodds function for a semester because basically you give your teachers a year s contract Hickey said. Wilt they close a whole base or just draw Down numbers of troops he asked. Would they run a Dodds school for 30 children the same concerns exist for All the support facilities such As child care enters. It s a question of the Cost effectiveness of  Dodds officials said they have begun contingency planning but agree that details on the reductions Are needed. Johnson of the labor department said that helping Volunteer service members re enter civilian life would Likely prove harder than assisting the mostly draftee returnees from world War ii. Hickey agreed this is the first time we be drawn Down a group of people who said we want to be in the service Justice dept. To Challenge Flag ruling by the Baltimore Sun Washington the department of Justice formally Noti fied a Federal judge in Seattle Thatcher decision striking Down the four month old Federal Flag dese cration Law would be challenged directly and quickly in the supreme court. The department acted two Days after chief . District judge Barbara j. Rothstein said the new Law was an unconstitutional at tempt to punish political protes ters and thus must be struck Down just As the supreme court Nulli fied a Texas Flag dese Era lion Law last june. The Bush administration wants the . Hag protected from political protesters. It Rothstein had argued last year that could Only be done by amending the Constitution to overrule the supreme court. Congress did not take that advice and passed the new Law instead. If the supreme court agree with judge Rothstein that the Law is invalid some congressional members Are Likely to try to Amend the Constitution to protect the Flag. A department source Rothstein indicated Friday that Justice department officials Hope the supreme court will hear and decide the Case before the end of the current term sometime in late june or Early july. A court source indicated that might be possible if the depart ment moves quickly to file its writ ten arguments. To fill nurse corps army offering 2-year schooling plan promotion by Janet d Agostino medical writer the army is offering enlisted medical personnel who want to be nurses a two year plan for promotion to second lieutenant. The fast track promotion program is one of several initiatives the army has taken to help fill the nurse corps amid a National nursing shortage said it. Col. Theresa Tominey the nursing education consultant for 7th medical come. We Are competing for the same group of nurses that everybody else is competing for said Tominey whose office is at the Frankfurt army regional medical Center. Under the program eligible personnel will be paid tuition to obtain a Bachelor of science degree in nursing from an accredited College or University. After completing the program and passing the nurse licensing boards candidates will be commissioned As second lieutenant in the army nurse corps. To Lake part in the program soldiers must meet the following requirements they must be in the 91 career management Field which includes a Range of medical and nursing skills. They must have already earned two years of College credits so a nursing degree can be obtained in two years. The school of nursing will decide whether applicants have the appropriate credits to Complete the program in the time allowed. They must be accepted to a Bachelor of science degree program accredited by the National league of nursing. They must repay the army with two years of service for each year spent in school after completing the  of the chief advantages of the pro Gram is that soldiers retain their ranks with current pay and allowances while in school. Tominey said. Also time spent in school counts As time in  comparison the Green to Gold Roth program a one to four year scholarship program open to enlisted personnel requires applicants to be Dis charged from the army while in  army will accept 125 applicants each year for the nursing program. The deadline for entering the first program which starts this fall is april 16. The dead line for the fall of next year is dec. 15.interested personnel can get addition Al details by contacting the chief of Nurs ing education and staff development a local medical treatment facilities. Publisher Malcolm Forbes i of heart attack at 70 in his sleep by the new York times Malcolm Forbes owner and publisher of Forbes Magazine and one of the country s most flamboyant millionaires whose enthusiastic pursuits included yachting motorcycling and ballooning died saturday of a heart attack in his sleep at his Home in far Hills . He was 70. Forbes was pronounced dead at 4 30 . At his Home Tim Burfield by his Friend and physician. Or. Oscar Kruc Sion neighbouring Bedminster said an aide of Forbes. Don Garson director of corporate communications for Forbes inc. Forbes had been scheduled to see Kruesi for a physical exam earlier in the Day Garson said. Forbes had resumed from London Early saturday where he had been a member of a Bridge team representing corporate America in a tournament against members of the British parliament. Garson said the millionaire had flown Home in his private Jet. Malcolm Forbes Forbes Worth was estimated at $400 million to $1 billion and his life was reflected As much in the society columns As it was on the business pages. He was often seen in the company of actress Elizabeth Taylor and. At one Point was rumoured to be planning to marry her. They were never married. Forbes marriage to the former Roberta Remsen Laidlaw ended in 1985 after 39 years of marriage. Forbes made headlines for weeks last year when he flew nearly 1.000 guests to Tangier Morocco for his 70th birthday party at a Cost of $2 million. Forbes is survived by a brother Wal lace of Chappaqua . Four sons Mal Colm or. Of Bedminster Robert of new York City Christopher of far Hills . And Timothy of new York City a Daugh Ter Moira Mumma of Paoli a. And eight grandchildren