European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Germany edition the shr amp and re gets vol. 49, no. 342 sunday March 24,1991 b authorized unofficial publication for the u s armed forces 50c d 8693 Saddam gives up position appoints new government Nicosia Cyprus apr Saddam Hussein beset by civil strife following his defeat at the hands of the allies in the persian Gulf War appointed a new government saturday iraqi Media said. The changes apparently mean Saddam has Given up some Power. Under the changes he gave up the Post of prime minister which he had held since 1979. The iraqi reports did not say whether he still held the presidency. But Many members of the new government Are close associates of the iraqi Leader and it was possible he could still Wield considerable behind the scenes clout. Under the shake up announced by Baghdad radio and the official iraqi news Agency Saadoun Hammadi was named prime minister and Tariq Aziz was appointed Deputy prime minister. In the old government. Mam Madi had been Deputy prime minister and Aziz was foreign minister. The changes could be aimed at helping Calm rebellions by shiite muslims in the South and kurd in the North. Hammadi is a shiite from the sects holy City of Karbala and at least three members of the new government Are kurd. But other appointments could heighten tension including that of the Interior minister known for his earlier crackdowns on the kurd. In the former government most of the ruling elite were members of the minority sunni Muslim sect. President Bush said saturday that the announced changes in iraqis government done to appear to Mark a significant change because a Saddam a Hussein still appears to be calling the  a a we re not talking about sweeping changes Here a a see Saddam on Page 10twisters rip Tennessee Kentucky Nashville Tenn. Apr at least five people were killed and dozens More were injured when tornadoes struck Tennessee and Kentucky on Friday night authorities said. Gars and Trees were reported to have been turned into rubble As about 20 tornadoes hit southwestern Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky. The tornadoes followed a Day of heavy rain and High winds. Emergency workers were to assess the damage saturday. Power outages were widespread and people were reported missing in several Small towns. A a we la know a whole lot More in the morning Light because it happened in Small towns where they Roll up the streets a said David Wolfe of the Tennessee emergency management Agency on Friday night. A there was no warning a said Sherry Stroud 36, whose Mobile Home collapsed. �?o1 never heard a thing just the wind coming up. All of a sudden the House blew  Stroud and her two children were uninjured. But her 77-year-old Mother Amanda Roberts was briefly trapped in the wreckage and suffered minor cuts and bruises. They live in Montgomery county 60 Miles North of Nashville. A in Tennessee Lewis and Mcnairy counties were hardest hit Wolfe said. Three tornadoes touched Down in Mcnairy county where three people were killed dozens were injured and More than 100 houses were damaged or destroyed authorities said. A baby was killed at least five people were injured and several buildings were damaged in Lewis county about 60 Miles Southeast of Nashville Wolfe said. A Man was crushed Between two cars in an Auto lot in Selmer 80 Miles East of Memphis when a Tornado swept across Highway 45 at the South end of town said see tornadoes on Page 10 a trailer lies in ruins twisted around vehicles at an Auto Dealership in Selmer Tenn., on Friday  to phase out rank of sergeant by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington a the air Force plans to Start eliminating the rank of sergeant May 2, a move that will make staff sergeant the first step on the services no ladder officials said. Current sergeants or senior airmen who become sergeants before May 2 will keep that rank until they move up but after that Date All senior airmen will compete for promotion directly to staff sergeant the officials said. Gen. Merrill Mcpeak the air Force chief of staff made the decision follow ing a recent study of the service s enlisted rank Structure. The air Force ranks of senior airman and sergeant Are both pay Grade e-4, with the More prestigious sergeant rank Given to personnel in that Grade who Are performing no duties. But less than half of the services 83,000 sergeants have actually been put in positions of increased responsibilities said a personnel official who asked not to be identified. A the Way things Are now the rank of sergeant has really been diluted a he said. A a lot of individuals in that rank Are not performing no Type  that situation will Only be aggravated As the service shrinks Over the next few years and the number of True no positions drops even More he said. A what we re really doing is realigning no responsibilities commensurate with no ranks a he said. / the new policy will not change a requirement that e-4s must serve six months in that Grade to become eligible for promotion to staff sergeant the official said. But they will find it tougher to become air Force cos because advancement from senior airman to sergeant traditionally has been considered almost automatic. A in the future All cos will be selected through the weighted airman pro motion system a he said. A it will no longer be possible to automatically become an no a everyone will have to compete for that honor.�?�. The air Force expects to phase out the sergeant rank through promotions within six years. Eventually the percentage of air Force cos in the enlisted Force w ill drop from the current 77 percent to about 52 percent. A we think that a a More realistic ratio of cos to airmen within the enlisted Force Structure a he said. The air Force will also bring its career education system in line with the new in see rank on Page 10