European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 27, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Amp a of a chargers release Mcmahon a Page 27 Ghatan authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed Force vol. 49, no. 13 Friday april 27, 1990cheney targets stealth bomber in proposed $34.8 billion slash Washington apr defense Secretary Dick Cheney thursday outlined $34.8 billion in cutbacks through 1997, including a Sharp reduction in the b-2 stealth bomber and other sophisticated aircraft. Testifying before the House armed services committee Cheney said the changes were warranted because nato faces a fewer enemy aircraft and a reduced ground threat As a result of dramatic changes in Eastern Europe. Cheney a blueprint follows a detailed Pentagon study of military needs and came one Day after an army official said troop Levels would probably be Cut by 250,000 Over the next five or six years. Related stories Page 3. The proposed reductions in aircraft would also affect the size of the Navy. In answer to a question from rep. Les Aspin d-wis., the committee chairman Cheney said reducing the number of a 12 attack planes could mean eliminating two of the Navy a 14 aircraft Carrier Battle groups. The defense Secretary testified that his plans would trim $2.41 billion from earlier estimates of Pentagon spending plans for 1991, and $34.8 billion through 1997. Cheney offered his plan As the democratic controlled House and Senate draft spending blueprints for 1991, which Are expected to Call for Sharp cuts in Pentagon spending. The proposal Drew mixed reactions from members of the committee. Aspin told reporters that Cheney a reductions May not placate the budget cutting ardor on Capitol Hill. He faulted Cheney a program contending it was a still based on an unrealistically pessimistic View of the soviet  a let me Tell you where i think this continued on Back Page Lafontaine recovering will stay in race Bonn West Germany apr Chancellor candidate Oskar Lafontaine on thursday was cracking jokes a Day after a woman stabbed him in the neck with a Butcher knife. Social democratic party officials said he would remain in the december elections. Nonetheless the most brutal attack on a top ranking politician in West German history was making Public officials jittery. Law officials said the 42-year-old suspect Adel Heid Streidel admitted trying to kill Lafontaine. A i wanted to kill or. Lafontaine so that i would have to go to court and then id get in the news a she was quoted As saying by Helmut Schaefer chief prosecutor for _ nor Rhein westfalen Lafontaine state. He said the woman probably is not fit to stand trial because of her mental condition and there were no signs the attack was politically motivated. There was an outpouring of sympathy from across the political spectrum for Lafontaine seriously injured wednesday night when the woman stabbed him at a Cologne Campaign rally after approaching him with Flowers and asking for his autograph. Lafontaine a Chancellor Helmut Kohls main rival in the december elections and governor of Saarland state a is one of West Germany a most colourful acerbic and popular politicians. Soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev was among Adelheid Streidel those wishing the 46-year-old social Democrat a speedy recovery sending him a Telegram. Party chairman Hans Jochen Vogel visited Lafontaine and said he had a found his usual humor  Vogel said unequivocally that Lafontaine intends to a remain the Chancellor  the knife missed a main artery by a a couple of Millimetres a Vogel said. Rinhard Klimmt the social Democrat faction chief in the Saarland state parliament said Lafontaine was weak but a mentally Alert Quot and making jokes. Vogel said Lafontaine lost More than six pints of blood after he was stabbed. There were initial fears that Lafontaine would die because of the blood loss. But after a two hour operation doctors announced that his life was no longer in danger. Police said the suspect admitted she started planning the attack last december. She is from bad Neu Benahr a town Southwest of Bonn. The woman a Divorcee who was once committed to a psychiatric Institute was diagnosed As a paranoid schizophrenic four years ago after an attempted arson attack police said. Rinhard Fischer a Cologne police official said the woman told police she bought the knife two weeks ago in bad Neue Nahr. On wednesday afternoon she took a taxi to Cologne about 43 Miles North of bad Neue Nahr and bought one bouquet made of roses and one with pansies and roses. At the rally the woman tried to approach the dais after Lafontaine gave a speech but was turned away said Fischer. Mixing in with a crowd of journalists at the close of the rally she went up to Lafontaine and told him a a in a like to give you a couple of Flowers because i Honor you greatly a said Fischer. She then stabbed Lafontaine he  to Speed up retirement for some senior cos by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau. Ramstein a West Germany a the air Force is cutting Back mandatory retirement limits for Many senior cos the services chief of staff says. The change which will take effect in 1991, will affect technical master and senior master sergeants. Under the plan technical sergeants must retire after 20 years of service instead of 23. Master sergeants must retire after 24 years of service instead of 26. Senior master sergeants currently must retire at 28 years. Details concerning the new cutoff for senior master sergeants and other information will be released next  we have no Choice a Gen. Larry d. Welch said in an interview. A if we done to do that All those people below those Levels will be severely stagnated in promotions and we simply can to afford to have that kind of air  Welch said the air Force wants to draw Down its personnel strength at a rate that would allow Mcm ers to leave voluntarily in most cases. A a in a reasonably confident that Congress understands the implications of trying to draw Down the Force too rapidly a said Welch who has been chief of staff since july 1986. A if Congress becomes impatient Well go through a period. Where Well have to take some involuntary actions. We Hope to avoid  the four Star general said the air Force is not considering a proposal like the army a that would focus initial cuts on personnel with four or five years in the service. A a that a really not a problem for us a Welch said. A since we saw the Small sized Force coming we started taking actions in 1986 to draw Down the Force in an orderly Way. The other services did no to Start As Early As we  since 1986, the air Force has decreased by 63,000 people. As of last february the service had about 553,000 members. An additional 15,000 will be Cut in 1991. Quot and of course that was All done by voluntary actions a Welch said. Last year nearly 6,000 air Force personnel left under an Early re Locasc program. Welch said he expects 14,000 to leave this year. Most who get an Early release arc first term airmen he said. He predicted that future draw Downs of forces assigned to Europe that arc linked to a conventional forces agreement would be less disruptive than congressional budget cuts. On another subject Welch characterized As see cos on Back Page