European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday july 20, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 9over Here a a i action moves off flight line of base Heads into history a after the planes left that was it. Everything just stopped. We re doing stuff now just to be doing  a a Angela Marion s4s tvs Dahl tech sgt. Herman Hicks by Dave Diehl. . Bureau Raf Fairford England a there Isnit much happening on the flight line outside staff sgt. Angela Marion a office window. In fact things have been pretty quiet out there since june 25, when the last Kc-135 refuelling plane left taking with it the Mission of the 11th strategic group for which the base was Home. The base located in the Middle of England s picturesque cotswold Countryside is about to become history. It is one of the first american bases to inactivate since the defense department s budget a came Down on it and about 12 other overseas oases earlier this year. The base will dose aug. 7. In recent weeks Marion who runs what a left of the base operations administration Section has been doing what most of the dwindling number of people Here have been doing since the Mission took flight. A a we re at the Point of just drawing Down the of fice Quot said Marion whose Section was in charge of controlling the bases huge Airfield and everything that moved on it. A after the planes left that was it a said Marion one of four of the original nine base operations people who Haven to left yet for new assignments. A everything just stopped. We re doing stuff now just to be doing it Quot Marion s workload is in Sharp contrast to that of the 13 people who work for master sgt. Don Torrenti one floor above. Torrenti a traffic management office is in charge of making moving arrangements for everyone assigned to Fairford. By december his staff will have seen off about 2,700 personnel and family members. Previously the office moved 10-15 people a week. These Days 25 people Are coming through his doors every Day. A Busy does no to begin to describe it Quot said Torrenti a 22-Yesr Veteran who has been involved in the shutdown of two other bases during his career. Fairford was one of two Kc-135 refuelling bases in a amp s map England that formed the Backbone of the european Tanker task Force. Kc-135 strato Tanker Crews on temporary duty from the United states used Fairford and Raf Mildenhall for their operations in Europe. Some of Fairford a people were moved 120 Miles East across the country to Mildenhall where much of the 11th�?Ts Mission was transferred. Most people however were Given assignments a few months ago for bases All Over the world. Like Torrenti a outfit the base personnel office is having to Deal with a Stampede of people readying to move on. More than 660 personnel will out process through there during july alone. Quot we had to Start working Early right away because people were leaving As Early As june i Quot said so Nib master sgt. Carl Pearman the no. 2 Man in the 19 person Branch. With military assignments come military awards and decorations and master sgt. Zemora Stringer is going Bug eyed with them. She has taken on four extra workers to help her three other staffers proofread the More than 740 nominations that have come through since May. The narratives for the awards must be letter perfect before they go on to commanders for approval she said. We try to read every word Quot said Stringer the chief most Omar service. Quot we re getting tired and getting under our eyes. Its decoration burnout is what its amps do a i he staff sgt. Brian Miller an inspector with the traffic management office checks some items with mover Owen Green. Is. Through december Pearman a people will have seen off nearly 700 of the 1,200 personnel who made up the base populace when it was at full strength. While most of his people have handled the work Well Pearman acknowledged that tensions sometimes get elevated. Quot there is a lot of stress involved a Pearman said. A people Are in a hurry and they want to get out of Here. The phone does t Stop  As with Torrenti a Section Pearman s staff tried to streamline the mass exodus by holding briefings in lieu of the Normal one on one sessions. But there were a few who did t listen or did no to hear Pearman and Torrenti said. A it gets a Little frustrating at times and we end up Yelling at each other Quot said Pearman who la be one of the last people to leave the base in december. �?o1 find myself taking a walk to the Post office just to Cool  life has gotten much easier for tech. Sgt Herman Hicks and about a dozen other people still assigned at one of the bases massive hangars. Their three shift operation which once supported 16 Strat tankers flying As far afield As North Africa has dwindled to near inactivity. On a recent Day Hicks and the rest of the avionics specialists were enjoying cloudless summer skies with a Barbecue outside their workshop. The workload there a we done to have one Quot said Hicks who la be leaving for a new assignment to Mildenhall in a few weeks. In Between packing up surplus parts tools and equipment Hicks and co. Handle details around the base and spend time getting ready to leave for their new assignments. A there Are a lot of things to do. Like Selling your car Quot he said. Quot it All takes