European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 a a the stars and stripes Friday october 26,1990 Cheney from Page 1 with a a Pentagon source said thursday. This source said no additional ground units have been ordered to the Region. The american buildup hit a symbolic juncture wednesday with the arrival in saudi Arabia of the final elements of the 11th air defense brigade from fort Bliss Texas. It was the last combat unit scheduled for deployment in the Region Pentagon sources said. The Only remaining troops scheduled As of wednesday to be sent to the area following iraqis aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait Are support units due to arrive Over the next three weeks bringing the deployment to 240,000. There appears to be Little Domestic or International support for a unilateral . Offensive though. Barring some action by Iraq that would bring a consensus for an attack Pentagon sources and military analysts consider it far More Likely that Bush will make Small changes in the Force. A we would have to double the Force there to make an offensive palatable from a military standpoint a said Lawrence j. Korb a former assistant defense Secretary for manpower in the Reagan administration. A i done to think that is very Likely. Id set up a rotation plan but basically keep my troop level about where it  the 82nd airborne is the first candidate to come Home because it was the first to arrive in saudi Arabia is lightly armed and not designed for a tank War. Also Many of its troops spent last Christmas in Panama As part of the . Invasion Force. Withdrawing the paratroopers one of the army a Premier rapid deployment offensive units a would signal that we Are going to Hunker Down and wait right along with Saddam a one source said. In addition a Pentagon official said a a we a look Good bringing some people Home for Christmas even if in the big scheme of things it did no to amount to  this official said the 82nd could be sent Back to the Region after the holidays. The Pentagon sources said draft rotation plans Call for six month rotations for most units which would mean the first Large scale substitutions would occur in february. Some units that Are harder to replace a May have to spend More time in the country than we or they would like a one source said. News briefs firing exercises cutback foreseen by . Embassy Bonn Germany a amps a . Forces will reduce artillery firing exercises at the Grafe Wohr training area commensurate with the upcoming withdrawal of units that train there according to the . Embassy. But training area officials expect the Normal amount of training to continue at Grafe Wohr through september with no civilian worker layoffs anticipated said 7th army training come spokesman maj. Leonard Jeffery. An embassy spokesman said . Ambassador Vernon Walters visited the training area oct. 18 and forecast a decline in artillery exercises affording some Relief to neighbors who have lived with the noise most of their lives. Walters said the conventional forces in Europe negotiations in Vienna Austria and Force reductions would result in such a decline. The embassy said the military plans to withdraw from Germany about 34 percent of its artillery and other units which normally train at Grafe Wohr by the end of september 1991. An additional 10 percent will be withdrawn by the end of september 1992. Memorial service set for go crushed by truck Darmstadt Germany a a memorial service will be held today for a 21-year-old v corps Soldier who died tuesday afternoon in the Kelley Barracks motor Pool. Pfc. Isaac Baerga Melendez was crushed by a 2/2-ton truck that rolled into him As he worked on another vehicle a corps spokesman said. He was a track vehicle Mechanic assigned to the 130th engr brigade. The Soldier a native of Ponce puerto Rico arrived in Germany in september. He is survived by his parents Rdefonso and Diosana Baerga both of Ponce. The memorial service will be held at the Kelley Barracks gymnasium at 9 . Military authorities Are investigating the incident. Honouring 50th year of v corps a a g Quot Quot v corps troops pass in review during a command Retreat ceremony thursday in front of the Abrams building in Frankfurt Germany in Honor of the 50th anniversary of the corps. The soldiers Are from the 547th engr in which is scheduled to leave Germany in the Spring of 1991 As part of troop cutbacks. House approves Dod spending Bill Washington apr the House approved a military spending Bill thursday that slashes president Bush a 1991 budget request for the strategic defense initiative but adopts the Pentagon a plan for a High tech fighter aircraft. By voice vote the House passed the legislation which provides $268 billion for the nations defense in the fiscal year that began oct. 1, a Cut of $19 billion from Bush a initial proposal in january. Debate and final passage of the largest Bill before the Congress took a Mere 11 minutes As lawmakers pushed to adjourn before sunday. The legislation now goes to the Senate which is expected to approve the measure. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney supports the spending Bill and Bush a signature is Likely. Among the provisions in the Bill which meets the targets set in a defense blueprint adopted by the House late wednesday is a nearly $2 billion Cut in Bush a $4.7 billion request for ski and a reduction in funds for the b-2 stealth bomber that keeps the program alive for at least one More year. A this Bill shows restraint. Its a lean Bill a said rep. John Murtha d-pa., chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee on defense. The legislation largely tracks the military blueprint but Breaks ranks with the authorization Bill on several issues. The spending plan Calls for a troop Cut of 78,500 from the 2.1 million men and women in uniform worldwide just Over $900 million for the Mil Star communications satellite and full scale development of the advanced tactical fighter. The administration requested $283 million for full scale development and $763 million to Complete the demonstration and validation phase of the prototype aircraft. The defense blueprint provides $964 million for the program but prohibits full scale development in fiscal 1991. The authorization Bill emphasizes the need for the air Force to finish demonstrating several technologies including aerodynamic performance Low Observability and engine capability before beginning full scale development. The Pentagon plans to begin buying the aircraft intended to replace the air forces f-15, in 1996. The total number of fighters to be bought is 750. The spending Bill concurs with the administrations request on the fighter As Well As its proposal for the spam to a stand off tactical nuclear weapon. The Pentagon sought $118 million in fiscal 1991 to begin spam to test units and f-15e adapter hardware. The authorization Bill provides $35 million while the spending Bill meets the administrations total. The blueprint reduces . Troop Levels by 100,000, but bowing to pressure from the Pentagon gives the defense Secretary added authority to limit the troop Cut to 80,000 if he believes the . Military buildup in the persian Gulf warrants such a step. Budget from Page 1 details to be worked out. A there have been compromises on both sides a Fitzwa Ter said noting that the package meets Bush a Overall goal of a $500 billion five year budget package. A senior administration official who requested anonymity said Bush expected wide bipartisan support in both Chambers for the budget Deal. Assuming there would not be an unexpected hitch final votes on the deficit reduction package could come Friday in the House and Senate. That would close another chapter in a Long running fight Between the executive and legislative branches and remove the major obstacle to adjournment a barely a week before the nov. 6 elections. A we still have a lot of work to do a sen. Lloyd Bentsen a Texas chairman of the Senate finance committee said As leaders began another series of closed door meetings to work out the budget plan. The plan will mean higher taxes on tobacco alcoholic beverages airline tickets cars boats furs and jewelry a gasoline tax increase of 5 cents to 6 cents a gallon is Likely and retirees probably will have to pay More for medicare coverage. Several changes still being negotiated will mean heftier income taxes on those with higher incomes especially taxpayers above the $100,000-a-year Range. But a provision to raise taxes on lower and Middle income americans by foregoing next years scheduled inflation adjustment in income taxes was dropped. Leaders of both parties embraced the Broad outline of the deficit reduction Compromise wednesday after democrats dropped demands that it include a special surtax on the Rich. Bush indicated he was pleased with Progress being made but top lawmakers cautioned they had not yet agreed on a final product. The talks have produced preliminary agreement on major tax issues that include a raising the top tax rate on the wealthiest people to 31 percent from the present 28 percent. The 33 percent rate paid by upper Middle income people on some of their earnings would drop to 31 percent. A phasing out the $2,050 personal exemptions for single people with taxable incomes of Over $100,000 and couples above $150,000. A permitting writing off Only 97 percent of otherwise allowable deductions against any portion of adjusted Gross income Over $100,000 a year. A setting a maximum tax rate of 28 percent on capital gains which Are profits from the Sale of investments. That would mean a tax Cut for those whose gains Are now taxed at 33 percent but would fall far Short of the general capital gains tax Cut that Bush had demanded