European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 24 a a the stars and stripes thursday september 20,1990units from Page 1 maintain our combat readiness to provide stability in the decision to withdraw the units was based on several factors a Usa eur spokesman said. These include a Access to training areas. A condition of existing army facilities. A ability to move and sustain operations during hostilities. A possible reductions resulting from the conventional forces Europe talks. A military communities ability to support Quality of life standards. A concerns of Federal state and local officials and the state of Community relations. The first 31 units to leave include eight Field artillery units six infantry units seven air defense units four Armor units three Engineer units two support units and one aviation unit. Saint had said last month that the army planned to keep a flexible Force in Europe to a have the necessary forces its going to take to do whatever Job we re called upon to the number of people affected by the unit moves was not released. However based on an average battalion strength of 400 to 700 people the 21 battalions involved Coula possibly include from 8,400 to 14,700 soldiers. Batteries and companies usually have 100 to 175 people which could account for another 1,000 to 1,750 soldiers. The battalion size units will inactivate Over a six month period. They will devote the first two months to planning and the last four to drawing Down. After a unit is notified that it is to be inactivated military replacements to the unit will cease. However assignments in which travel decisions have already been approved will remain in effect a to preclude hardship on families in route a a spokesman said. Support units will be withdrawn Only after the units they support Are inactivated the spokesman said. Equipment from inactivating or redeploying units will initially remain in theater being parcelled out among remaining Usa eur units stored in pre Posi Tinea equipment reserves and other theater stocks. Equipment not required in theater will be returned to Active and Reserve units in the United states or offered for foreign military sales or humanitarian assistance. Usa eur officials done to expect troop reductions to Start saving the command Money right away. A there will be substantial one time costs incurred before our annual operating requirements Are reduced a the spokesman said. Troop reduction costs will be shared by Usa eur the department of the army and the defense department. Usage urn a operation and maintenance account will pay for moving civilian workers their families and property. The account will also be tapped to provide Severance pay for employees. While the army will pay for shipping military equipment across the Ocean Usa eur will foot the Bill for transporting equipment to ports of embarkation. The army a military personnel account will pay to move soldiers their families and their personal property. The Cost of equipment destruction and treaty verification and compliance monitoring requirements As defined by a cafe treaty will be funded by the army or the defense department. Usa eur might have to Bear some of these costs since final Mission and funding decisions have yet to be made the command spokesman said. The army in Europe is already bracing for a fiscal 1991 budget that could be As much As $333 million less than the amount it requested for its operation and maintenance expenses. In August the chief of usage urn a budget division asked commanders to develop plans for such Money saving measures As curtailing certain programs continuing the hiring freeze and shutting Down operations for two weeks in december. As for the land the units leave behind it is not known who will Bear the Cost of bringing it up to local environmental standards the spokesman said. . Officials will negotiate with Host nation officials to decide what repairs must be done How much they will Cost and which parties will pay in accordance with the status of forces agreement. Not every property being returned to a Host nation will meet local standards the spokesman said. Almost All . Forces accommodations Are owned by the West German Federal government with some properties owned by state governments or private landowners. Planned construction projects at facilities where troops Are withdrawing will be reviewed. Those deemed unnecessary or possibly unnecessary will be postponed or cancelled the spokesman said. Usa eur major commands will also review repair and maintenance projects costing More than $25,000. Weather to delay 2 ships moving chemical weapons from staff reports a storm front Wilt delay two Navy ships loaded with chemical weapons from leaving a West German port for at least 48 hours a spokesman said wednesday. The trains carrying the last Load of the chemical munitions reached no Denham without a hitch just before 6 . Wednesday and the military vans filled with deadly nerve agents were put onto the ships before the storm front moved into the area. Two Navy auxiliary Crane ships had been expected to leave wednesday night for Johnston atoll in the Pacific Ocean where the weapons will be destroyed. The Navy commander in chaise of the two ships made the decision not to sail said maj. John curd a 59th Ord brigade Public affairs officer. Weather forecasters at the port predicted 20-foot seas when the storm hit. A ceremony marking the end of the Complex Security and transport operation was planned for wednesday night at the port. Speakers were to include it. Gen. Jonn a Shalikashvil Deputy Usa eur commander it. Gen. Siegfried f. Storbeck the West German army inspector general and Gerhard Glogowski the Niedersachsen Interior minister. Commemorative coins were to be presented to Ren resent times of the various american and West German military police and civilian agencies involved in the operation. The removal of chemical weapons from West Germany began in july. Truck convoys carried the nerve agents from the Clausen army depot where the shells have been stored for More than 20 years to the Railhead at the Miessau army depot. It took 28 convoys to move the 100,000 artillery shells. Y at Miessau the munitions were loaded onto trains and moved by rail to no Denham. Seven train convoys of three trains each made the trek. The nightly rail shipments began sept. 12. The sixth train faced 90 minutes Worth of delays while the West German police investigated a fake bomb and minor mechanical problems were repaired. Security was tightened for the last rail shipment after the fake bomb was discovered monday on the tracks near Kassel and a message that terrorists were going to a play some from Page 1 preparing for its defense officials also placed heavy emphasis on the 23 facilities targeted for so called reduced operations. A at some installations there will be a reduction in operations a just Short of keeping the boiler plants warm so they could be brought Back up in a crisis a the american military source said. Although the closings Are linked to arms reductions talks they were not driven by them the source said. A this build Down was going to come anyhow a he said. Planners also want to hedge their bets against future risks the United states May face. A it does no to mean there wont be further adjustments or realignments As we build Down to a residual Post cafe Force a the source said. Perhaps the most important news for . Service members and civilian personnel is that the closings will take place Over several years. A what this does is to Lay out a Clear plan to reduce the uncertainty that is probably prevalent in the minds of the people Over Here a the source said. A now the follow on planning can take place and a lot of that uncertainty can be rep. Pat Schroeder d-colo., who chairs the House armed services subcommittee on installations and facilities called the list a these Sites include Gas stations on the autobahn isolated housing units athletic Fields and Sites which had Long ago been slated for closure a said Schroeder who has steadily pushed for a reduced . Military presence overseas. A facilities like these Are closed every Day at bases in the United states with no press release no news conference and no Schroeder also said there is no Clear indication of How Force Structure requirements figured in the decisions. Quot we do not know whether these bases Are being closed because they Are inefficient or because our new Force Structure makes them unnecessary Quot she said. Contributing to Hilo Rop Oit to tet writer Chuck Vlinch in Washington Ramstein a enlisted corps to Honor Gen. Dugan Ramstein a West Germany a amps a Gen Michael j. Dugan former air Force chief of staff will be honoured nov. 10 by the . Air forces in Europe a enlisted corps at Ramstein a. A Safe a senior enlisted advisers voted in May to Honor Dugan with the order of the sword the highest Honor the enlisted corps can bestow on a person. Dugan commanded Safe from april 1989 until june 1990 when he assumed the air forces top position. Secretary of defense Dick Cheney fired the 53-year-old general on monday for comments he made on the persian Gulf crisis. Chief master sgt. Robert e. Bailey Safe senior enlisted adviser will represent the commands enlisted Force when he presents the award to Dugan at an enlisted dining out at the Ramstein officers club. Tickets on Sale now Are $20 for technical sergeants and below $25 for master sergeants and above. They can be bought from Wing and group senior enlisted advisers at each Safe from Page 1 to travel to their assigned posts. Soldiers will be allowed to apply for their families Early return As they normally would. A household goods and unaccompanied hold baggage will be shipped in the usual manner a a Usa eur spokesman said. There May be some group briefings on subjects such As entitlements documentation and procedures but individual needs a will be handled one on one with a communities May operate centralized packing centers for unaccompanied hold baggage in order to process Large numbers of the smaller shipments in a Short period of time the spokesman said. In these communities service members would be asked to take items being shipped to a local gymnasium or other building for processing by customs and transportation authorities. Soldiers will be allowed to ship their cars As soon As they receive their orders the spokesman said. Community commanders will designate a secure storage site to accommodate the expected surge in outbound vehicles. Normal car shipping procedures will be followed. The customs inspection process for personnel Clearing property also will be unchanged during the unit moves the spokesman said. However the customs staff will be expanded to Speed the movement of goods and vehicles. Personnel service centers serving outbound units will conduct pre redeployment briefings and interviews for soldiers. These centers will also receive extra personnel if necessary. Usa eur will attempt to maintain Quality of life programs during the draw Down the spokesman said. The overseas schools system will strive to maintain Quality programs and personnel during the draw Down the spokesman said. See Story and photo on Page 2. While it is impossible to predict enrolments and staffing projections until further High level decisions Are made on the size and positioning of troops a even attempt will be made to maintain acceptable Pupil teacher ratios a the spokesman said. Also there Are no plans to Cut extracurricular activities or curb requests for facility improvements. Support agencies will give priority to units and individuals affected by the Force reduction the spokesman said. Those agencies include Central Issue facilities military clothing sales stores laundry operations food service and dining facilities motor pools travel offices exchanges housing and engineering offices Banks and Post offices. Commissaries and dining facilities will provide full service until All units have departed the installation. This May require Community commanders detailing soldiers to serve in positions vacated by departing family members the spokesman said
