European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes thursday october 18,1990 units begin journey Home after years of Europe duty editors note about 40,000 service members stationed in Europe Are getting orders to pack their bags. I \ editors note about 40,000 service members stationed in Europe Are getting orders to pack their bags. Beginning today the stars and stripes is following the 4th in 7th Field arty regt in Giessen As it goes through the Many difficult tasks of heading Home. By Chuck Roberts staff writer Giessen Germany a col. Morris j. Boyd is taking care of some unfinished business his Uncle started 46 years ago on a Beach in Normandy. As a Young lieutenant Jim Fitzgerald led american soldiers onto european soil during the invasion of France in world War ii. His Nephew Boyd is a brigade commander in charge of sending Home More than 500 soldiers assigned to the 4th in 7th Field arty regt in Giessen. A it appears that you Are finishing something that i started a Fitzgerald told his Nephew during a visit to Germany soon after the Boyd fall of the Berlin Wall and talk of German unification and troop withdrawals had begun. As commander of the 42nd Field arty brigade Boyd is one of Many commanders sharing the Mission of sending 40,000 service members Back to the United states As part of troop reductions in Europe. Everybody and everything in the unit must leave by March 1. That includes 507 soldiers 646 family members 183 private vehicles 46 cats 22 dogs two Birds and one ferret. When Boyd and it. Col. Bob Hanson commander of 4th in 7th Field arty broke the news to soldiers gathered in the Post theater aug.-16, Boyd told them they were going Home because they had worked themselves out of a Job a the Job of promoting peace. A i think some people forget Why we Are Here a boy heading Home said a but i think that reason has come Home the last 18  Boyd said that after the Buzz from the announcement died Down he was surprised at the Lack of anxiety. Most of the concern came from the older non commissioned officers worried about their families. A most of the soldiers attitudes Are a this is not the playing Field anymore. Of where is it a a Boyd said. One reason for the Low stress level is that 90 percent of the soldiers knew where their next duty station would be five months in Advance compared with the Normal notice period of 60 to 90 Days Boyd said. Most soldiers will be assigned to similar units in the United states but about 80 of the new arrivals will try to be reassigned within Europe. Although Boyd did no to find out about the redeployment until August he started preparing himself in october of 1989 after Reading in army times about a brigade shutting Down at fort Carson Colo. He underlined several paragraphs of that article and sent copies to his battalion commanders. A we get paid to look Over the horizon a Boyd said. A a we re treating this like any other Mission. We re just not going to saudi  that a what some soldiers thought when they were called together to get the news said maj. Steve Keeling the battalion executive officer. A i was not really shocked a said Keeling who had been at his Job about one month when the order came to find another Job for himself and about 500 other soldiers. A everyone knew this kind of thing would Start chronology of the move begin Date aug. 15 unit notified of redeployment aug. 16 soldiers notified september cd a platoon sept. 1 Public notified of redeployment sept. 1 inventory of battalion equipment begun sept. 30 sept. 3 meeting held to plan tasks to redeploy battalion sept. 20 sept. 15 work begun on assignments for soldiers october sept. 30 oct. 15 pcs orders arrive for 300 soldiers nov. 1 oct. 16 unit receives list of where equipment such As trucks and howitzers will be transferred Jan. 1 oct. 17 equipment Transfer begins december dec. 22 dec. 15 packing of household goods starts february feb. 15 feb. 7 final out processing begins feb. 15 feb. 7 unit redeployment ceremony held feb. 15 soldiers begin leaving by Battery in groups of about 100 feb 28 a amps Susan Harris  he was surprised at the diverse data needed to close Down a unit such As tracking Down the number of pets and listing spouses who work families with school Chil Dren and soldiers who have Loans. The list has More than 200 topics and is growing. Boyd said he likes t refer to them As a Battle  a a we be got 507 people Here with 507 different circumstances a said Hanson. For example two Higl school seniors want to graduate with their class so thei parents will be assigned to other battalions within tax brigade. To make the transition easier for other Stu dents spouses will be Able to leave in december so tha they can enrol their children for the new semester. The work of Keeling and others will not go unnoticed their sister unit the 5th in 3rd Field arty regt Wil close Down 60 Days later on May 1 and should be Able to learn from their mistakes Keeling said. Contributing to this article staff writer Gary Pomeroy in Giessen news update crackdown on crime Rome apr denial of parole for organized crime figures and infliction of heavy penalties for those who Lead children into crime Are among a package of measures under consideration by the government newspapers reported wednesday. The Cabinet met in special session tuesday night to discuss a crackdown on organized crime but did not immediately announce its  Ducho buried Bangkok Thailand up Veteran vietnamese communist party Leader be due Tho a key negotiator who helped bring about an end to the Vietnam War was buried with honors wednesday in a state memorial service and funeral official radio Hanoi said. The broadcast monitored in Bangkok ran live coverage of thou a funeral and praised him for contributing his life to Vietnam. He died saturday at the age of 79. Senior vietnamese officials including prime minister do muoi and former prime minister Pham Van Dong attended the state funeral radio Hanoi said. Tho was buried in Hanoi a Mai Dich cemetery. Fewer aircraft from Warsaw pact intruding on Iceland s airspace Nas Kef Lavik Iceland a amps interceptions of Warsaw pact aircraft by the . Air Force in airspace near Iceland continue to decline. Only 43 planes were escorted out of the airspace Between january and september said a spokesman for the Iceland defense Force. In the same period last year 65 aircraft were diverted. In 1988, the number was 120. At Nas Kef Lavik ground based radar and airborne e-3 Azacs attempt to identify All aircraft in the military air defense identification zone which extends about 250 Miles around the Island nation. At least two of the 18 f-15 eagles stationed on the base Are kept on Alert ready to escort soviet or other Warsaw pact aircraft out of the zone. The majority of the aircraft diverted Are soviet Long Range reconnaissance aircraft or anti submarine aircraft known in nato As bears. Activity was greatest in May and August when 10 planes were intercepted. There were no interceptions in june said it. Cmdr. Scott Wilson. Only two were intercepted in september. . Military officials Are unable to give any specific reasons for the recent decline Wilson said. There has been speculation however that soviet military budget cuts May be changing training patterns. Airman found guilty of Broomstick attack Pitburg a Germany a amps a a 21-year-old airman has been convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon for attacking another airman last june with a Broomstick. Airman 1st class Roderick Mclaurin was found guilty in a special court martial Friday of one count of assault. He was demoted to airman Basic and ordered to forfeit $361 a month for six months. His punishment also Calls for three months hard labor and restriction to base. Mclaurin is a repair and reclamation specialist for the 36th equipment Maint so at bit Burgas. The june 2 incident took place in a dormitory living room where Mclaurin was talking on the phone As other residents watched a basketball game on television. Mclaurin apparently got angry when he could not hear the person on the other end of the line because of noise from the game. He picked up the Broom and hit one resident who received 13 stitches at the base Hospital. Maj. Jerry Brown a base spokesman said the Broom was inscribed with the word a a teamwork to symbolize camaraderie for dormitory residents. Ramstein no found dead in Quarte correction a recent Story incorrectly identified the unit of a service member who died last week in Wurzburg Germany. Pfc. Noel j. Hearn was assigned to the 3rd inf div. Ramstein a Germany a amps a a 25-year-old air Force staff sergeant was found dead tuesday at his apartment in Lan Stuhl a Ramstein a spokesman said wednesday. Michael a. Chisolm a new York native was assigned to the 7002nd civil engr so at Ramstein. He arrived at the base in september 1985. Friends forced open the door to Chisolms apartment and found his body at 2 . Tuesday. The door could not be opened with a key because there was a key in the lock on the inside staff set. Doyle Tillman said. Three groups of co workers and friends went to Chisolms apartment tuesday to look for him after he did not show up for work at 7 30 . An autopsy was to be done wednes1 afternoon. Authorities said Chisolm patently died of natural causes. A memorial service will be held a ., oct. 23 at Chapel 1, Ramsett Chisolm is survived by his pared Charles and Elizabeth Chisolm of h York ,