European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes tuesday july 17,1990 by Mary Neth Start writer West Germany has tightened its Law on Drunken driving a move that could affect family members and government civilians stationed in the country. In a recent ruling the West German supreme court lowered the level at which Drivers Are considered to be physically unable to drive a motor vehicle. The decision changes the upper level of the country s three tiered system for measuring Drunken driving. The court which is based in Karlsruhe ruled that anyone with a blood alcohol Content of 1,1 pro Mille a ratio of one part alcohol to a thousand parts blood would be physically unable to drive. This is a drop of 0.2 from the 1.3 pro Mille rate in effect since 1966. Drivers convicted in such cases automatically lose their Drivers licenses. The length of suspension depends on the Case. To get Back their licenses Drivers must retake the driving test. The new West German ruling does not change the other two measures of Drunken driving. If a traffic violation is involved Drivers who Register 0.5 pro Mille can be punished for Drunken driving. If no traffic violation is involved Drivers who have 0.8 pro Mille can be punished for driving while intoxicated. Drivers convicted under the lower limits can lose their licenses for a while but they do not have to retake the driving test. Unless there Are extenuating circumstances service members arrested for Drunken driving by West Ger Man police arc prosecuted by the military courts which under Usa eur regulation 190-1 impose tougher standards. _ . Military family members and civilians however Are subject to the Laws of the Host country As Well As usage urn a regulation covering driving. A generally the German courts impose a monetary Fine of around one month s pay and withdraw the person s Drivers License for from six months to a year Quot said Gebhard Volk a German attorney and adviser at usage urn Slegal assistance division. Besides facing a German judges decision a civilian or family member is subject to Usa eur administrative control of driving privileges. The command can take away a Usa eur License for even longer than might have been ordered by a German judge. As spelled out in Usa eur directive 190-1, the command imposes the following alcohol limits and License suspensions 1.0 or higher automatic loss of the License for one year 0,8 to 0.99, loss of the License for six months and 0.5 to 0.79, possible loss of the License for three months. Levels in the regulation Are calculated differently from those in the German system but the final result is approximately the same. According to the adar a West German automobile club studies show that a person with a 1.1 blood alcohol ratio suffers hearing loss becomes slow to react and has a reduced sense of Speed. A the tighter Law also makes up for any inaccuracy in measuring devices Quot an adar official said. According to the German statistical department in Wiesbaden every fifth traffic death in 1988 involved Drunken driving. The new ruling does not come close to the Levels used in some Eastern european countries. In East Germany for example driving after drinking any amount of alcohol is fori hidden. With unification approaching rapidly officials from both countries Are holding talks aimed at setting a new pro Mille Standard said a spokeswoman for the West German traffic ministry in Bonn. A we Are positive however that the East German no alcohol Law wont be adopted Quot a West German spokeswoman said. A there May however be some sort of  the adar spokesman is betting however that either the West German Laws will be adopted in the area that is now East Germany or there will be two sets of rules for a time. A you have that Type of situation in the United states Quot he said. Quot traffic regulations vary from one of your states to the  the following list shows the allowable pro Mille rates used in other countries Belgium 0.8 Bulgaria 0.0 Denmark 0.8 Finland 0.5 France 0.8 Greece 0.5 Britain 0.8 Ireland 1.0 Italy 0.8 Yugoslavia 0.5 Luxembourg 0.8 the Netherlands 0.5 Norway 0.5 Austria 0.8 Poland 0.2 Portugal 0.5 Romania 0.0 Sweden 0.2 Switzerland 0.8 soviet Union 0.0 Spain 0.8 Czechoslovakia 0.0 Turkey 0.0 and Hungary 0.0.awol Soldier held in family shooting a 34-year-old 3rd inf div Soldier is being held by police after allegedly shooting his Mother and father in Law to death in Birmingham ala., on sunday a 3rd inf spokesman said monday. Staff sgt. George Brown jr., a radio Mechanic assigned to he co 2nd in 15th inf regt in Schwein Furt West Germany was absent without leave at the time of the shooting the spokesman said. Browne a wife was also shot. Her condition is not known the spokesman said. Brown was pending court martial charges for assault and disobedience of orders when he went awol on july 5. Brown is accused of assaulting his company commander the spokesman said. An investigation is being conducted by military and Birmingham civilian police agencies. Brown a Birmingham native has been in the army for 15 years the spokesman said. Senate committee wants the reserves to take greater role in defense Mission by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a As the Pentagon inches ahead on a major review of military Force Structure the Senate armed services committee has made it Clear that a Central Tenet had better be greater Reliance on Reserve forces. Sen. Sam Nunn  the influential chairman of the committee acknowledged that political leaders have been reluctant to use Reserve forces in combat particularly during the Vietnam War but he said that must change. Shifting More of the defense Mission to the reserves makes sense now that the soviet threat has receded to the Point where most estimates place Advance attack warning for nato at six months or longer Nunn said. At a news conference Friday after the committee finished work on its $289 billion defense authorization Bill for fiscal 1991, Nunn fairly bristled when asked Why he wants to place More of the defense Mission on Reserve forces considering How Little they were used in Vietnam. A the fact that our political and military leadership did no to have the courage to Call up the guard and Reserve during the Vietnam War in my View did no to diminish their capabilities Quot he said. Quot if a War Isnit important enough to Call up the guard and Reserve then perhaps we  be in  Reserve forces will not be increased Overall but they also will not be Cut in proportion to reductions the committee plans for the Active forces Nunn said. An Early indication of the committees philosophical shift is its decision to place the entire tactical Airlift Mission in the hands of Reserve forces which already handle about 60 percent of military Airlift requirements. And at a time when a chorus of voices in Congress is calling for deep cuts in All forms of defense spending the committee approved More Money than the Pentagon had requested for its Reserve Fortes in two key areas. The panel added $880 million to the budget to Purchase More equipment for the reserves and added $171 million to buy advanced training simulators. A i done to think we ought to spend literally billions and billions of dollars to maintain All this Structure in the Active forces when there Are things we can do More efficiently and economically in the reserves Quot Nunn  he admitted that there Are some missions that always will fall to the Active forces such As Quick deployment operations. A so we have to look at this in a balanced Way Quot Nunn said. A the Secretary of defense has been mandated to come up with a total Force posture study and 1 Hope he takes it very seriously because we Are taking it very  kills employee of Mainz elementary Mainz West Germany a a Mainz elementary school employee died monday after a two year bout with cancer. Ralph Markell Thomas facilities caretaker died at the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden. He was 58. The air Force Retiree had worked at the school since 1984, the body can be viewed at 2 . Thursday at the City cemetery in Mainz Gustavs Burg. A funeral will follow at 2 30 . Thomas is survived by his wife Hilde Gard son Gregory Quot and daughter Ingrid. 40s Star Lockwood Dies London apr actress Margaret Lockwood the Beautiful Brunette who starred in Alfred Hitchcock a 1938 classic a the lady vanishes Quot and reigned Over Britain a film Industry in the 1940s, died sunday. She was 73. A Cromwell Hospital statement said the family had asked for no other details to be released. Military retirees to be surveyed on cuts by Rosemary Sawyer staff writer about 14,000 military retirees and surviving spouses of retirees in Europe will be surveyed in september to gauge the effects of upcoming troop cutbacks. A with the closure of facilities and draw Down of forces we done to know How much its going to affect the Retiree population Quot said Wade Woolard Usa eur retirement services officer. The 50-question demographic Survey developed by the Usa eur Retiree Council will be sent to retirees of All military branches in Europe. In a related Issue speakers at the Usa eur Retiree open House next month Are expected to address the Issue of continued support of the Retiree Community overseas. Survey questions cover such subjects As work status and use of educational assistance programs and medical commissary and Exchange facilities the Usa eur Retiree open House to be held aug. 11 at the Heidelberg officers and civilians club in Patrick Henry Village will provide a forum for retirees to discuss their problems. Speakers include Usa eur command sgt. Maj. George Horvath the commander of the 1st personnel come Brig. Gen. Mary Willis and representatives from 7th medical come Legal services the Usa eur Retiree Council and the . Army finance centers retired pay operations  medical and dental service will be available on a first come first served basis. Retirees will also be Able to renew their identification cards at the event Woolard said. Heilbronn units to go inactive next month. A. A a \ Heilbronn West Germany a the army having withdrawn its Pershing 11 missiles from Heilbronn will do the same thing next month with the units that once had custody of the missiles. The 56th Field arty Comdr a task Force 4-9 will be inactivated at 2 . Aug. 10 in a ceremony at Camp re leg the former missile site in Heilbronn a command spokesman said. The task Force includes the 4th in 9th Field arty and accompanying maintenance units. Usage aft officials refused to disclose Howu Ninny people Are affected by the withdrawal. The army withdrew the last nine Heil Bronn based Pershing ii missiles and their Trucl Dike erector launchers from the City on april 26. They were transported to other Sites for destruction in accordance with the the 1987 intermediate Range nuclear forces treaty with the soviet Union. The army has not announced plans for Camp re leg which once housed 36 of the missiles. The command expects to turn the facility Over to the Heilbronn military com reunify in August. Community activists an it local politicians have demanded that the facility on the Wald Heide plateau be converted to civilian use. The 56th Field arty Comdr a other Twe missile task forces continue to operate Ai Pershing ii missile Sites in Mut Langer and Neu him. The treaty mandates Thi withdrawal of All remaining missiles a those Sites by mid-1991