European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2. The stars and stripes wednesday july 18,1990 report adds fuel to fight Over Osprey by the new York times Washington a the fight Between Congress and defense Secretary Dick Cheney Over the Fate of the v-22 Osprey the Lill Rotor aircraft that ascends like a helicopter and Flics like a plane has heated up with the release of a classified Independent study. Congressional backers seeking to revive the cancelled program say the 1,200-Page draft report disputes Cheney s Contention that the Osprey is More expensive than helicopters that the defense department says could do the Job just As easily. The Marine corps wants to use the Osprey to ferry both troops and equipment if fewer ospreys were bought than originally envisioned the report said the Cost would equal that of the proposed alternatives while the benefits would be far greater. The report was compiled by the Institute for defense analysis which while financed by the Pentagon is technically Independent. Cheney has lauded the hybrid aircraft a innovative technology but has said repeatedly that its $26 billion Price tag is too Steep in a time of shrinking military budgets. A spokesman for Cheney challenged several key assumptions in the study and defended the Secretary a decision to cancel the program. ,. Despite Cheney a action Congress restored $255 million in research and development Money for the Osprey in the 1990 military budget. The Pentagon has already spent $2.4 billion for research and development. While some lawmakers say the report that was released june 29 raises questions about Cheney a technical judgment Pentagon officials counter that the Osprey illustrates the reluctance of Many members of Congress to make painful budget cuts particularly when the cuts Hurt their constituents m the foot of jobs. Lawmakers Are clearly looking for a fight. Members of the Senate and House committees that oversee Mili spending say that when Congress takes up the 1991 military budget later this year it is Likely to approve another $238 million in research and development Money. The real Battle particularly in the sen come Over allocating an additional $165 million to prepare for production in 1992/ if Money were restored to the Osprey program however cuts would have to be made elsewhere. A there we be a lot of horse trading going on a said rep. John g. Rowland r-conn., who is on the House armed services committee. In their lobbying proponents also stress what they see As the ospreys potential in civilian aviation. Proposed civilian uses have included drug interception disaster Relief Border patrols and shuttles in congested Urban areas. The purpose of the draft report which was commissioned by the Pentagon last july at the request of Congress was to assess the costs and capabilities of the Osprey and various helicopter alternatives. The Osprey or an alternative would replace an aging Fleet of assault helicopters. The report said that the original plan to buy and operate 502 of the v-22 aircraft for the Marine corps would Cost $33 billion in 1988 dollars. The Pentagon has proposed an alternative of modified army uh-60 Black Hawk helicopters to carry Marine infantrymen ashore and Marine corps ch-53 transport helicopters to carry weapons and cargo. The mix would Cost $24 billion the report said. By limiting the Osprey program to the same amount and 356 aircraft the report said a the v-22�?Ts Speed Range and survivability advantages could enable even the 356-aircraft Fleet to be More effective a sometimes significantly More and other times Only slightly More a than All of the proposed helicopter alternatives in each of the four Marine missions  the Osprey is built by Boeing helicopters of Ridley Park pa., and Bell helicopter text Ron of fort Worth Texas. Lawmakers from Texas and Pennsylvania have been the most vocal backers of the program. They were also the biggest promoters of the study. A the Pentagon a arguments about the High Cost of the Osprey Are no longer credible a said rep. Curt Weldon r-pa., whose District includes Boeing. A the Osprey is head and shoulders above the  the chief defense department spokesman Pete Williams said at a news conference last week that the study by the Institute for defense analysis wrongly assumed the Osprey could Fly More missions at faster speeds overestimated the Cost of the electronics for the helicopters and stretched out the acquisition schedule. A if you make a number of these assumptions which we find to be incorrect then it is possible to Jigger the figures around so the costs look comparable but they re not a Williams said. Awol Soldier held in a 34-year-old 3rd inf  is being held by police after allegedly shooting his Mother and father in Law death in Birmingham ala., on sunday a 3rd inf spokesman said monday. Staff sgt. Corgi Brown jr., a radio Mechanic assigned to he co 2nd in 15lh inf regt in Schwin Furt West Genany was absent without leave 3 the time of the shooting the spokesman said. Browne a wife was also shot. Her condition is not known the spokesman Saith 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 c in i i Lan Potice agon cies. Brown a Birmingham native has been in the my for 15 years the spokesman said. Senate committee wants the reserves in Mission by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washingtont 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 a a. The influential chairman of the committee acknowledged that political leaders have been reluctant to use Reserve forces in combat particularly during the Vietnam War a 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 a he said. A 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. A 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 tinae when a chorus of voices in Congress is calling for deep cuts in All 1 ,4? forms of defense spending the. Committee approved More Pohey than the Pentagon had requested for its Reserve forces in two key areas. V the panel added $880 million to the budget to i phase More equipment for the reserves and added $171 million to buy advanced training simulators. A i Doh 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 a Nunn said. But 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 a Nunn said. A the Secretary of defense has been mandated to come up with a total Force posture study and i Hope he takes it very seriously because we Are taking it very  Kil $ employee of Mainz elementary Mainz West Germany a a Mainz elementary school employee Dieu 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 191j4. The body can be viewed at 2 . Thursday at the City cemetery in Mainz go Slansburg. A funeral will follow at 2 30 . Thomas is survived by his wife Hilde Gard son Gregory and daughter ingrid.�?~40s Star Lockwood Dies London apr actress Margaret Lockwood the Beautiful Brunette who starred in Alfred Hitchcock s 1938 classic a it he lady vanishes and reigned Over  s film Industry in the 1940s, died sunday. She was 73. A Cromwell Hospital statement said the family had asked for no other details lobe released. Military retirees to the 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 a said Wade Woolard usar eur retirement services officer. The 50-question demographic Survey developed by the Usa eur Retiree Council will be sent to retirees of All military bitches in Europe. ?nbf.?3a1si issues Spike s 3t the usares tar Retiree open House next month Are expected to address the Issue of Cost inked support of the retire 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  operations Section. Limited 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 Heilbronn West Germany a the army having with in its Pershing ii 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. Usa eur officials refused to disclose How Many people Are affected by the withdrawal. The army withdrew the last nine Heidi Bronn based Pershing ii missiles and their truck like 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 Community in August Community activists and local politicians have demanded that the facility on the Wald Heide plateau be converted to civilian use. The 56th Field arty Comdr a other two missile task forces continue to operate at Pershing ii missile Sites in Mut Langen and Neu Ulm. The treaty mandates the withdrawal of ail remaining missiles at those Sites by mid-1991