European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday August 2g, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 9 " " i Fhi  no my Clancy keeps up suspense Faver Heire by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a West Germany Tom Clancy fans who went to a saturday breakfast expecting a sneak preview of his new Book left empty handed. The Best Selling author Only dropped two titbits in his listeners laps. First he started the first chapter 10 years ago. And second it May be the last Job for hero Jack Ryan. Details of works in Progress Are classified the author told a Ramstein audience. But Clancy the enormously popular writer who specializes in thrillers with military themes did not appear to otherwise disappoint his rapt air Force audience during an hour Long question answer and autograph session at the Ramstein enlisted club a sold out crowd of nearly 130 people paid $5 to at tend the breakfast sponsored by the air Force sergeants association at Ramstein i thought he d be Shorter and stickier one air Man said As the author s fans lined up to get his autograph on the Hunt for red october red storm rising and other Clancy Best Sellers. But personality wisc he s what i expected. The Way he answered was the Way he writes. It s the  the 43-year-old author s works Are fiction but Many readers consider him a top authority on Mili tary issues especially the cloak and Dagger variety. As a result Clancy s literary technique took a backseat to his military knowledge and political opinions As he answered questions fired by the mostly enlisted audience. If you want to know what s really going on read Tom Clancy said master sgt. Harvey Thurna As he lined up clutching two Clancy books for signatures. Clancy however sees himself As an entertainer. People read because they re tired of driving trucks or fixing air planes and want to do something else Clancy said. If i entertain people properly i get paid for it and that s As far As it goes. I Don Tsee into the  he spends time at military facilities not to study the equipment but to scrutinize human elements. Clancy a former insurance broker in Maryland said he has never had Access to classified information. I want to see what the color of the paint was what the food was like How people talk Clancy said. I already know the technical stuff when i go  he enjoys being at sea but joked that he would not ride in an f-16 even with a gun pointed at  when asked by the audience saturday he re in  Lynda Davidson novelist Tom Clancy autographs a Book for senior master sol. Gary Charland at Ramstein a on saturday veal cd his thoughts on military political subject ranging from German unification and the crisis in the persian Gulf to the american Public s View of the military. Clancy was not optimistic for an immediate peaceful solution to the Gulf crisis if iraqi Strong Man Saddam Hussein is still on the stage. We can make peace with him. I think he s just going to have to depart this  he added i be got a lot of friends running across Sand dunes right now and i d like to see the org come Back  in a lighter vein Clancy said he thought the movie version of the Hunt for red october starring scan Connery worked out All  he had Little say about ers to change the word fathoms to  he offered special Praise to the military s enlisted personnel and congratulated them on helping to end the cold War. A key difference Between american and soviet troops he said was the soviet forces Lack of a career enlisted Force. We were just better than the other Guys. You Guys made us better. Thanks Clancy said. His encouragement and interest in military issues left master sgt. Richard Tice hopeful about his Fel Low americans opinions of the services. He made me feel like the military was Nec Essary Tice said and i Felt kind of glad to be a part of it. It gives me More Assurance that if then Are other people like him who think we re not just a the script but he did manage to persuade the film Mak Bunch of bumpkins who could t get a Job some where  Vicenza paratroops take first in infantry contest by John Millard or Burg Bureau Wil Flecken West Germany paratroops from Vicenza Italy have seized the lop spot in Usa eur s coveted and grueling infantry skills Competition. Ten soldiers assigned to the South Ern european task Force s 3rd in 325th inf airborne combat Tea were awarded first place during Cere monies saturday at the Wil Flecken training area. Second place for Best Overall infantry squad sent to the 5th in 18th inf 3rd Arnul div. Taking third place was the Berlin brigade s 6th in 502nd inf. Last week s event was sponsored by3rd in. 12th inf 8th inf div. The five Day Competition Drew 25 teams from installations throughout Usa eur. Infantry squads competed in physical fitness patrolling marksmanship Urban warfare a forced March to a live fire Mission and a mystery even that forced soldiers to Battle a Simu lated enemy and seize a Bridge. Competition officials took the role of the foot Soldier to heart when de signing the Competition. For example the forced Road March was 12 Miles Long. The patrolling event had soldiers trudging Over nearly five Miles of Wil Flecken s up and Down  physical fitness included not Only the army s Standard two mile run but also a two mile obstacle course. Basically since monday morning at 6, they be been running full steam with Little sleep a Competition offi Cial said noting that each squad was required to Complete two events a Day. The Vicen a based paratroops took top honors in the forced March and marksmanship events. The team won the Overall Competition because its final score the total of Points earned in each of the six individual events exceeded that of other squads. No Point totals were released by Competition authorities however. Other events and the winners were physical fitness the 5th in 18thinf, 3rd army div. Patrolling the 5th in 18th inf. 0 Urban warfare the Berlin Bri Gade s 4th in 502nd inf. Mystery event the 4th in 16th inf 1st inf div fed. The paratroops squad Leader staff sgt. Robert Grubbs said that taking the marksmanship and forced Marc competitions gave his team the Edge. Every one did real Well on the m-16," Grubbs said. The team also had a different sort of Point producer As Well 21-year-old italian Soldier Claudio Novello. Hav ing a foreign Soldier on a team gave squad 10 additional Points. The Vicen a troops needed no Spe Cial training to Slaughter the Competition on the forced March event witha finishing time of 2 hours and 40 min utes team member spec. Deron Fei Esaid. We Don t have vehicles Feige said about his unit. We walk  Panama police arrest 3 gis in Bank robbery plot Panama City Panama a police arrested three . Army services Erners for allegedly plan Ning a series of Bank robberies in Panama authorities said i7riday. The soldiers have been turned Over to army officials for court martial proceedings the judicial technical police said in a communique. Investigators said the names and ranks of the sol Diers were not available. The communique said they had been in Panama for More than a ear. Police arrested the suspects at fort Clayton on wednesday and Sei de a plan of operations for Bank robberies scheduled to begin at 9 . That Day the communique said. The police also seized two 12-gauge shotguns a .45-caliber pistol and masks the communique said. It said the soldiers had planned to steal a taxi kill it Driver and then kill a Security guard at the primer Banco de a Orroson Al Dorado Boulevard in Panama City. Also on the hit list were a Citibank of lice in Panama City a Caja de Ahorro Bank office on the outskirts of the capital and a Bank in Colon 40 Miles Northwest of Panama City authorities said. . Criminal investigators assisted in efforts to foil the alleged robbery plans the communique said. The . Southern come had no comment on therase