European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 a a the stars and stripes saturday August 25,1990 Dod expands family Center services by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the defense department is expanding the services available from its family centers on More than 400 military bases worldwide because of operation desert shield Pentagon officials said Friday. A i am pleased we can support our families during desert shield with the services of the family centers which arc intended to serve and answer questions from those who share the sacrifices of their loved once Quot defense Secretary Dick Cheney said in a statement. The centers will serve As a Point of Contact for military families seeking information about the unit status of serv  said maj. Doug Hart a Pentagon spokesman. Specific deployment information May not be available immediately for All serv Iceme hers because details May be Clas sided Han said. For desert Quot shield the centers will help family members obtain crisis counselling information on specialized support groups and assistance with Quot stress related problems associated with a major deployment a Hart said. Help with personal services a such As housing child cafe pay allotments and id cards As Well As referrals for financial assistance a is also routinely available. The defense department will not increase funding to pay for the additional family Center services a the centers have always had volunteers on staff and we re going to be relying on them pretty heavily for this Effort a Hart said. The american red Cross also will help the Pentagon by mobilizing its . Chapters to address military family concerns he said. Family Center services Are available to the immediate families of Active duty members Reserve personnel activated for duty and retirees. All centers provide the services but families should Call the Center on or nearest the base where their  a unit is located Hart said. Families of reservists on Active duty should calf the Center nearest their Home. There arc 86 family centers in West Germany ii in the United kingdom nine in Italy six in the Netherlands four in Belgium three each in Turkey and Spain two in Greece and one each in Portugal and Iceland the Pentagon  from Page 1 governments had until 9 . To vacate the 60 embassies in Kuwait. Diplomats in Washington however said the deadline had been extended to Midnight. Meanwhile the soviet Union withdrew its embassy staff from Kuwait before the Friday deadline and president Mikhail Gorbachev sent a message to Iraq s president warning that the situation was a extremely  in the message to Saddam Gorbachev urged Iraq to comply immediately with . Security Council resolutions and warned that failure to do so would a inevitably prompt the Security Council to take corresponding additional measures a the official soviet news Agency Tass said. The United states Britain and France have been trying to gain soviet support for a Security Council Resolution approving the use of Force to impose an economic embargo on Iraq. Gorbachev a message appeared to be a warning to Saddam that the soviet Union would go along with the Western Powers unless Iraq quickly took Steps to withdraw from Kuwait and free foreign hostages. . Ambassador Nathaniel Howell and perhaps a dozen other americans were staying at the Palm shaded american compound in Kuwait City. Concrete barriers and steel spikes had been erected earlier As Security measures at the . Embassy Complex on arabian Gulf Boulevard. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said thursday at president Bush a summer Home in Kennebunkport Maine that . Diplomats will remain in Kuwait a was Long As there arc americans that they can  most . Diplomatic personnel were evacuated thursday. Marine guards were among 33 carloads of americans who drove to the iraqi capital. In addition to the United states those countries that were ignoring Iraq s shutdown order included Japan the 12 european Community nations Switzerland and Austria. The dutch ambassador to Kuwait Joop Veling was advised by his foreign ministry a not to engage in any exaggerated heroism a a government spokesman said in the Hague. Saddam claimed Kuwait As iraqi territory after his invasion and subsequent annexation of his Oil Rich Southern neighbor. Baghdad said keeping embassies open in Kuwait would amount to an a act of  about 3,000 americans Are among the 21,000 West emers stranded in Iraq and Kuwait. They have been detained by Saddam and threatened with being used As human Shields around possible iraqi targets. Meanwhile the . Aircraft Carrier Dwight d. Eisenhower and six escort ships sailed through Egypt a Suez canal on Friday in route from the red sea to the Mediterranean canal officials said. The Eisenhower apparently was relieved by the Carrier Saratoga in the red sea and j May be relieved in the Mediterranean by the Carrier John f. Kennedy which left Virginia last week. The . Navy now has a total of 37 ships either in the Gulf Region or in route to it an unofficial count showed. Among them were four aircraft Carrier Battle groups and the battleship Wisconsin. Waldheim a office said he was flying to Amman on Friday for talks with Jordan a King Hussein and would travel to Baghdad on saturday for a meeting with Saddam. The austrian president has been shunned by West pm leaders because of his wartime past but has maintained Friendly ties with Arab leaders including  from Page 1 Gulf Region Pyrcz said. The Pentagon announced thursday that about 46,700 Reserve members will be called to Active duly Over the next five weeks for operation desert shield and that most of the part time soldiers Wilt be posted in or near saudi Arabia. Most reserves sent to help defend saudi Arabia against a possible iraqi attack wont be driving tanks or digging Foxholes. But they will tackle two of the most important tasks in desert warfare getting water and protecting against chemical attack. Its unclear whether any Reserve combat units such As the Georgia National guard unit that makes up one of three brigades in the 24th inf div Mech at fort Stewart ga., will be dispatched to the forbidding saudi desert. The two Active duty brigades in the 24lh already Are on their Way there. Pete Williams the Pentagon press Secretary said most of the army and air Force reserves called to Active duty will be deployed to saudi Arabia. Of the Navy reserves who Are activated about half will be sent there he said. Many of the military a key skills Are held mainly by Reserve units. Among those considered most important for desert shield Are water distribution and chemical decontamination officials said. Van d. Hipp jr., Deputy assistant Secretary of the army for Reserve forces and mobilization said 100 percent of the army a water purification and distribution manpower is in the reserves. In the saudi desert where temperatures in summer often top 120 degrees american service members Are drinking As much As 6 Gallons of water a Day to avoid dehydration. Water also is needed for cooking washing and other vital functions. Moreover 65 percent of the army a chemical decontamination manpower is in the reserves Hipp said. The Prospect of iraqi president Saddam Hussein ordering a Poison  attack on . Forces is one of the biggest concerns of troops hunkering Down in the desert. Doctors nurses and other medical personnel also Are largely in the reserves. Williams said thursday that about 9,800 part time soldiers will have been called to leave their civilian jobs by the end of August. The total is expected to reach about 46,700 by oct. 1, and Williams said he could not Rule out the possibility of More reserves being activated later. President Bush has the authority to Call up As Many As 200,000 reserves for up to 180 Days without declaring a National emergency. Those called to Active duty will serve 90-Day Tours but the period could be extended another 90 Days if defense Secretary Dick Cheney decides that is necessary Williams said a amps bookstores closed monday stars and stripes bookstores will be closed on monday for inventory. The stars and stripes newspaper will be available at alternate vending Points in your Community. Cheney to Cut Light helicopter program Washington up a defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced Friday that he will slash production of the army a $42 billion Light helicopter program by nearly 40 percent to save an estimated $7.8 billion. It was Cheney s final review this year of major new weapons systems in an attempt to find defense budget savings. While cutting Back and slowing Down programs he did not terminate any expensive weapons Cheney said he will direct the army to Cut its planned buy of 2,0% Light helicopters Over the next 10 years to 1,292. They will be produced at a rate of 120 per year instead of the planned 216 a year. In addition he said the demonstration phase of the contract will be extended two years. Reducing the Sie of the program to 1,292 helicopters represents a the minimum requirement for Light helicopters in the Force Structure a Cheney said. Although cutting the total size of the Purchase by 804 helicopters would reduce procurement costs by $8 billion the extended development program will add $200 million to total research and development costs resulting in net savings of $7.8 billion the Pentagon said. A the changes in Europe do not alter the need for helicopters that can serve a versatile More flexible Force Quot Cheney said. A helicopters must be versatile with the ability to self deploy to hot spots these Are All attributes of the la not found in the current helicopter fleet.�?�. The la is intended to be a Light Al weather night attack helicopter that can destroy tanks and shoot Down helicopters. More than 2,096 had been expected to be ordered Over the next 10 years enter ing service in 1997. It is expected to replace the ah-1, oh-6 and oh-58 Light tactical helicopters. But Many members of Congress have objected to spending $42 billion on a new helicopter program at a time when the defense budget is sharply declining and the threat from Eastern Europe has All but evaporated. In addition the la has been criticized for failing to meet is 7,500-Pound weight limit for not being agile and fast enough to catch the soviet Ka-28 attack helicopter and for failing to meet its Cost goal of $7.5 million each. Pentagon officials said the per unit Cost of the la has grow n to $9.1 million or $1.6 million Over the army a goal of $7.5 million. The nations tour helicopter companies have formed two teams that Are seeking the lucrative la contract pitting Mcdonnell Douglas helicopters and Bell helicopter text Ron against Boeing ver Tol and is major weapons systems. On aug. 13, Cheney culminated a four month review of major new warship programs by announcing he would Cut the number of sea Wolf attack submarines and Arleigh Burke Dass destroyers to be built to save an estimated $7 billion through fiscal 1994, earlier this year Cheney completed his review of major new aircraft programs in april by cutting the air forces $75 billion b-2 stealth bomber program from 132 to 75 planes and paring tack other programs for an estimated savings of $34 Bifi Ion through the Early years of the next Century. As part of that review Cheney also Cut Back the air forces c-17 transport plane and the Navy a a-12 stealth Carrier based attack plane and delayed production of the air forces Stealthy next generation advanced tactical fighter or Ait