European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a a a the stars and stripes Friday february 8,1991 War in the Gulf Security actions cause postal delays mail from the states to Europe arriving late by Crystal Laurlano staf writer tougher screening requirements on mail leaving the United states mean delivery delays for postal patrons in Europe an air Force postal official said thursday. A the requirements Are one of several War related factors contributing to delays in mail from the United states to Europe said it. Col. Edward Stanford command it of the 7025th air Post so at Ramstein a Germany. A there currently Are no delays in mail leaving Europe for the United states he said. A a a a a a a a a a a a a. A a a. A a he said he did know How Long the de Days would last. A strict screening procedures for mail from Europe to the United states were announced by the Federal aviation administration on Jan 18. The . Postal service followed suit on Jan. 30 by imposing stricter Security measures for mail travelling in the opposite direction. Officials in Europe were Able to quickly Institute the screening procedures for outbound mail Stanford said and stateside airports Are moving to get heir Security procedures up to the new standards. The new screening requirements Are a labor intensive procedures a be said. A it is a new facet of mail processing and handling will take More  mail leaving the Frankfurt air terminal that is operated by the 7025th is screened by the carriers that accept the mail at Frankfurt International Airport Stanford said. Military teams ensure that mail leaves Germany the same Day it is Given to the civilian carriers Stanford said.,. A a a a a a. A a a a in the states civilian carriers must screen the mail at the airports of departure either of Hare in Chicago John f. Kennedy in new York or Dulles in Washington. Screening procedures have not been refined at those three airports he said. A. A a. Ahe said other reasons contributing to the delays arc a the reduced number of civilian flights. A changes in routes. A the use of smaller aircraft with less cargo space. Commercial airlines carry All mail Between the european theater and the United states. A a. Of the routes Are no longer there a Stanford said. The reductions Are driven by increased fuel costs and reduced passenger Revenue. Itas an example of How route changes affect mail if a flight from Washington to Paris to Frankfurt is terminated at Paris the mail must be delivered to Frankfurt by ground transportation. In addition the . Governments ability to commandeer .-flagged civilian aircraft during times of War also has limited the number of available planes to transport mail he said. The effect will be less on first class let Ter mail than on third class and fourth class items such As Cata logs magazines and parcels. Mail from Europe to saudi Arabia is moving out of the Frankfurt air terminal in a timely manner he said. But Stanford was unable to estimate the delivery times of mail from the states to saudi Arabia because that mail is transported by military Airlift come planes. Air Force expanding medical dental care at 2 Hub clinics to serve Central Europe by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a Germany a air Force health care workers with no War casualties to treat will soon expand medical and dental services to family members in Europe scentral Region the 17th air Force surgeon said thursday. Col. James e. Whinnery said medical specialists who deployed from the United states to the 609tn contingency Hospital in Wei Brincken Germany will be dispatched to health care centers at Pitburg and Ramstein air bases. They will treat family members who live at bases in Germany Belgium and the Netherlands. Ramstein will serve As a Hub for dental services. It will be open from 5 to 10 weeknights. A we have a window of Opportunity Here in Between the time that we re now ready to do our Job and the potential of. Having a Large number of casualties coming in a Whinnery said. Bringing specialists into the two Hub clinics will help ease the Load on clinic personnel at air Force health centers in the Central Region Whinnery said. Expanded medical services could begin As Early As Friday. Weekend appointments May be added if there is a demand he said. The evening dental services at Ramstein will be available beginning wednesday. The contingency Hospital teams will consist of specialists in orthopaedics urology gynaecology ophthalmology heart Medicine general surgery endocrinology and ears nose and Throat. Whinnery could not speak to the Prospect of expanded services in England or the Mediterranean areas. The added Sery ices will be offered by appointment Only. Medical and dental appointments must be booked through the clinics where family members records Are kept. Department of defense civilian employees also May Benefit from the increased availability of appointments said Whinnery. He urged patients to make appointments As soon As possible because of uncertainty about when a the window of Opportunity might close. A a it a important that our patients know that. If. A Large number of War casualties do begin to come in then we will have to fall Back and curtail services dictated by the combat situation a Whinnery said. Whinnery american a and exotic Madia Pool kids the world Over Are fascinated with anything out of the Ordinary and these saudi children appear to Beno different. They re mingling with . Troops outside a Small grocery in saudi Arabia this week. American servicemen tubers have come into increasing Contact with the local population in recent weeks. By Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington a three army civilian employees who had agreed to serve in crisis zones May lose their jobs for refusing to go to saudi Arabia an army official said. A defense department directive states that employees with vital skills must sign an agreement to work in emergency essential positions for up to 18 months in the event of a crisis. Those who do not sign the agreement will not be hired for jobs considered vital during National emergencies. The three civilians signed the agreement before War erupted in the persian Gulf said Pat Gentry chief of the planning and communications Branch in the army civilian personnel directorate. The last agreement was signed Jan. 3, Gentry said. The employees who were not identified by Gentry will have the Opportunity to respond to charges of refusing to report to duty he said. The army regulation expands the pod directive Gentry said giving commanders the authority to order civilians to hostile areas if their skills Are essential to the military Mission. The policy is based on management a right to assign work wherever that might be Gentry said. In some cases positions May be identified As emergency essential after a crisis occurs he said. If the civilian worker chooses not to sign the agreement then he or she would be moved to a non emergency essential Job with no Impact on his or her salary the policy is outlined in a message sent out Jan. 4. A your Basic advice to commanders has been All along to use volunteers first and Only use directed assignments As>a>4ast resort if you can to get the Mission done any other Way a Gentry said. V civilians have been about 1,200 army deployed to operation desert storm most in saudi Arabia he said. About 1,000 Are from the army mate Riel come Gentry said. About 70 a from the army a corps of engineers an the rest Are from a variety of command including about 40 from Europe. The army message explains in a ques Tion answer form that there is no Genen Rule about How far Forward in the a zone a civilian employee can be deployed however commanders must assure that workers have adequate equipment an Protection while performing their i Sion the message said. Commanders can Issue weapons to c milians for their personal self defense the message said