European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday june 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9 Over Hereford 40 years he a drawn on his reserves a amps Jim Derheim sgt. Maj. . Schmitt listens to a Young Soldier who would have to stay in the army until the year 2030 to match Schmitts four decades of service in the National guard. By Ron Mckinney staff writer Nussloch West Germany a in 1950, the cold War was just an infant a minimum wage of 75 cents per hour went into effect and president Harry s Truman activated 62,000 enlisted reservists for 21 months of Active duty in the army due to rising tensions in Korea. . Schmitt who joined Active status that August Day in 1950, did no to know 21 months could become a a twas Young. Wanted to Chase women had marriage in my mind a All i wanted to do was finish my time get the hell out and go Home a said Schmitt 57, who has More than 40 years m the National guard. Before his unit was deactivated in 1953, he turned Down an offer to attend officer candidate school. A i said All i want is my last Check and my dd214 discharge papers a Schmitt said. Two months later Schmitt exchanged his discharge papers and was Back in uniform with the National guard. With the exception of one other Brief absence of two months he has served actively in the guard Ever since. The sergeant major who looks naked without a dutch masters Cigar nestled in the Comer of his Mouth has kept his hair Cut High and tight since 1957. A a in a too Lazy to keep up with it and so my wife can to get into it a he said of his hairstyle. A and its not going to Schmitt a sergeant major of 23 years has worked in the recruiting Field since 1972. In his 18 years of recruiting he said he has referred thousands of separating soldiers to National guard or Reserve units. Schmitt has been in West Germany for three years working the last 18 months As the Reserve component transition non commissioned officer for the Karlsruhe Community. He transfers to fort Stewart ga., this weekend with his wife Sandra and daughters misty 16, and Dannee 7. An avid Volks Marcher with More than 2,500 accumulated Kilometres in his three years Here Schmitt says he a really just a Happy go Lucky person. After he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 60 in two years Schmitt May stay in his Field by running a High school Roth program. Schmitts military career began in the summer of 1949, when the 17-year-old joined the North Dakota National guard. A i went in As a Cook. The Only Way my Mother would let me join was to be a hash Slinger a he said. A year later Truman called up Schmitts unit and the Corporal received take Home pay of $137 a month. It was enough Money to pay off a loan of about $400 on a 1947 Chevrolet and there was still plenty of dough to hit the town on saturday nights. A we could have a Heck of a Ball on 137 Bucks a Schmitt said. In the years since Schmitt has seen change after change introduced in the army including the pay. But the biggest change he has noticed is the Basic soldiers level of education and the variety of military schools now available. A a you be got much More of what you classify an educated better trained Soldier today than you had years ago a not that soldiers years ago weren to trained. Basically you went through the same Type of combat training situation As you do today a Schmitt said. He added that Many of the military schools did not exist until the mid-1960s. Schmitt for instance has never attended a first sergeants course or the sergeants major Academy. A was far As the attitude of soldiers and the disciplinary Side its not like it was years ago a Schmitt said. A if a sergeant asked you to do something you did it or you went behind the Bam. Now its not that Way. If you did you re despite the changes Schmitt still proudly recalls his Early Days in the service. A we used to go out and party heavy but we worked hard and we partied hard a Schmitt said. A it did no to affect anyone. You a party All night and work All and a Nice Chevy could be bought for $400.Cheney seeks alternate a bad news budget by Melissa Healy los Angeles times Washington a Secretary of defense Dick Cheney the Bush administrations most vocal septic on the soviet unions Reform Campaign has quietly launched an Effort to draft alternative . Defense plans that he could quickly activate if soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev a perestroika policy abruptly collapses or founders. Cheney a drafting of a Fallback plan is spurred by growing concerns about Gorbachev a political survival Given that nations mounting economic problems and Domestic we Are thinking about a More Complex set of options than just one single Good news scenario a Cheney said. A we have to take into account that events May not unfold in a constantly progressive optimistic he continued a indeed you May have to say a hey wait a minute we cannot go Forward with continued reduction in Light of recent a the new backup defense budgets would provide for More funding and retain More forces than the $1.5 trillion five year budget blueprint that Cheney presented to Congress in january Pentagon officials say. The plans could be sent to Congress at a moments notice if Gorbachev a program of troop withdrawals and defense cutbacks Are curtailed or cancelled or if the nation plunges into chaos. Cheney on monday launched the planning for the alternative a bad news budgets in a meeting with the military a 10 principal Field commanders at the Penta gon. He is expected to hold a series of meetings throughout the summer to draft the larger defense spending plans. The dimensions of the alternative budgets Are expected to emerge by fall. The move is certain to be controversial on Capitol Hill where Many lawmakers have been clamouring for More defense budget cuts and thus a larger a peace in recent weeks however even Many of Congress most ardent defense budget cutters have expressed concerns about the soviet position on Independence for the Baltic states growing economic problems and the Prospect of slower than expected Progress on the reduction of soviet forces. Among the scenarios that drive Cheney a latest budget exercise Are the Prospect of Gorbachev a political collapse a tailspin in the soviet Economy or the sudden and violent dissolution of the soviet Union. A the soviet Economy is a very important theme in this a one senior defense official said. Under one scenario that could justify a change of the Pentagon a spending plan the soviet Economy would revert to heavy defense production As a Spur to its Economy. A a you a have to wonder Why under that circumstance we re beating our swords into Plo shares a the official said. Cheney last year sparked intense controversy by suggesting that Gorbachev could be toppled and replaced by a soviet Leader hostile toward the United states. In spite of his doubts however Cheney initiated a series of budget reviews which Over a year and a half Cut More than $250 billion from the military services original 1990-94 spending plan. Many lawmakers and analysts have called the resulting spending blueprint a timid response to a profound reduction in the military threat the United states faces. But Cheney has said that his spending plan which. . A a. Or the next five years was based on a a Rosy the declining budgets assume that Gorbachev remains put proposes to shrink the budget by 2 percent each year in Power that the strategic arms reduction treaty or Start has been signed and implemented that the soviets have withdrawn All their forces from Eastern Europe and that the Warsaw pact has become a a relic of a that s the most optimistic possible outcome a Cheney said in an interview last Friday. A but we also want to be in a position to say what happens if you done to get a cafe conventional forces m Europe agreement what happens if the soviet withdrawal from Eastern Europe stops what happens if for one reason or another the Start agreement is not concluded or that there Are developments in some other part of the world that require reconstitution of significant . Force a we in fact Are building a Long Range plan that would take such setbacks into account Cheney said. Cheney and other officials said that the new set of plans essentially a Range of fiscal responses to set Acks would focus on which military forces must be preserved to respond to Uncertain threats. Among the reviews most important questions Are which . Army units can be demobilized or removed from Europe and on what timetable and which naval forces could not be replaced quickly if they were mothballed ahead of schedule
