European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes tuesday March 26, 1991bonuses from Page 1. Of lawmakers is to ease the financial Burden 6n Active duty and Reserve personnel who were quickly mobilized and deployed for this specific operation in the Gulf a Senate staff member said. Most provisions in the Bill Are geared to troops who served in the Middle East. But major exception is a move by rep. . Quot Sonny Montgomery d-miss., to raise the monthly i Bill Benefit from $300 to $350 for those who serve at least three years on Active duty. The change which would not take effect until oct 1, also would boost the monthly Benefit for a two year Active duty commitment from $250 to $275. For reservists who must carry out a six year service obligation to. Be eligible for the program the monthly Benefit would Rise from $140 to $170. A House staffer said the proposal is warranted by a cause the value of the i Bill benefits which have not changed since 1985, has Bacn or Odd by inflation and rising tuition costs. The staffer said that under an agreement Between Congress and the Bush administration authorization for the higher payments will expire oct. 1, 1993. At that time the president would decide whether to revert to the old rates extend the authorization for the new tates or seek another increase the staffer said. Other pay and allowance changes in the Bill include increases in the a servicemen a group life insurance Benefit from $50,000 to $100,000. A the death gratuity Benefit from $3,000 to $6,000. Both Are retroactive to aug. 2. R retroactive payment of the higher death gratuity Benefit would be made to survivors of All services cab ers who died on Active duty since aug. 2, but Only beneficiaries of personnel who died in Quot Gulf related incidents would receive retroactive insurance payments. Lawmakers fashioned a Broad definition of Gulf related deaths to include any death a in conjunction with or in support of the War and the deployment to the Middle East. The Bill includes three medical related benefits a increases in deductibles under the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services would be delayed until oct. 1 for family members of personnel deployed to the Gulf. V deductibles Are due to triple monday for All other family members except those whose sponsors Are in grades e-4 and below from $50 to $150 for individuals and $100 to $300 for families. \ a a a Cut in champs reimbursement for inpatient mental health care would be delayed until feb. 15. A one month of Post service medical care would be available to. Mobilized reservists recalled retirees and any Active duty personnel whose service was extended involuntarily under Stop loss policies. That Benefit would be available Only to individuals unable to obtain employer sponsored health insurance coverage a. Several provisions Are aimed at reservists. They include a a a. A _ a a a. A a a a authorization of variable housing allowance and Basic allowance for quarters payments for unmarried reservists retroactive to their mobilization dates. A prorated payment of Active duty health care bonuses. Doctors dentists and medical specialists normally Are eligible for special payments Only if they make lengthy Active duty commitments. A deferment of payments on Federal student Loans. A Pentagon official said that once Bush signs the supplemental spending Bill it will take at least a month to work out details of implementing the new personnel benefits. A a 1 a a a a two provisions Congress has discussed in recent months were dropped from the Bill. One would have raised the monthly Federal tax exemption on pay for officers in the combat zone from $500 to $2,000. The other sponsored by Byron would have made mothers of infants under 6 months or fathers with sole custody of such infants ineligible for military deployment. Re. A a byrons proposal passed the House but was dropped by the conference committee that met to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the Bill. The final version included language expressing a the sense of the House that the Pentagon develop a uniform policy precluding deployment of mothers with infants under 6 months a to the maximum extent  a troops Jonathan to commander of Allied forces Southern Europe tells of the need Tor a standing nato naval in the Mediterranean. At right is Gen. John r. Galvin supreme Allied commander  from Page 1 naval Force in the  the american noted that the forces present schedule practically Consi Tutch a permanent Force except by Lecal establishment. The next activation is due sometime this Spring. A. The forces 41st activation began sept. 10, when Allied warships from eight nations gathered at Livorno Italy the activation was originally scheduled to end oct. 31, but was extended twice by the persian Gulf crisis and War w Ith Iraq. During those extensions the flotillas operations shifted from the Western Mediterranean to Central and Eastern areas As nato officials also expanded the groups operations from training to . Ships and aircraft that normally perform those tasks were in the Gulf area. Although Galvin said he foresees natos placing increased emphasis on the Mediterranean where 2,000 ships sail at any one time he believes Allied Mili tary forces in the Region May decrease. Quot in the future i would see us having possibly smaller forces than we have now out forces that could be augmented rapidly and could operate Mufti nationally As vye have seen Here in this operation a Galvin said. Upcoming reductions in military budgets and Force Levels May mean there will be times w Hen an american aircraft car Rich Battle group will not be in the Mediterranean area Galvin said. A Quot this increases in my mind the importance of the base at Croton Italy where the plan that nato has is to station 72 first line f-16 fighters a he said. A and 1 Hope that base will go Forward. Quot anyone who has an idea of strategy will see that the base at Croton is the Center of the Mediterranean and it will be a great stabilizing Force to have the kind of capability there that a fighter Wing could provide a the United states has agreed to move the Wing and its jets from Torrejon a Spain by 1992 because the Spanish government would not renew a Basing agreement. A a Italy has. Agreed to provide a Home for the Wing at Croton in Southeastern Italy but there is opposition in Congress to funding the move. From Page 1 Mored unify drove 60 Miles North to the euphrates it River Valley Over the weekend in a najor repositioning apparently aimed at intimidating Saddam. Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said the movement was part of the repositioning of troops that has been going on in recent Days. It a a a. A a a a a a in the iraqi civil strife Iran a official islamic Republic news Agency said refugees arriving at its Border reported clashes continuing in some Southern cities and Garrison towns. V refugees said Republican guard troops Saddam a Best trained and most Loyal soldiers were patrolling the streets in tanks giving Young men a Stark Choice join the army or be killed. A a they keep 7,000 prisoners at a University in Basra and they shoot about 50 to 100 every Day a said Khalifa redeem one of 26 iraqi soldiers who surrendered monday to . Forces occupying territory just West of Safwan a War battered town on the iraqi kuwaiti Border. The claims could not be independently confirmed. Iraq has not allowed foreign journalists to visit the troubled cities since the uprisings by kurd in the North and shiites in the South began late last month in the aftermath of the Gulf War. But refugees who arrived monday from several different cities and towns told is Miliar stories of brutal military operations crushing resistance. They also claimed that soldiers were distributing poisoned oranges and bread in Basra which is suffering widespread food shortages. Dead bodies litter the streets of Basra iraqis second largest City and families Are afraid to reclaim them for fear of being identified As rebel supporters refugees said. Or. Makki Jaffar Taher broke into tears As he said wife and children when my bombed. I have nothing  in fighting in Northern Iraq the patriotic Union of Kurdistan said Many people died in the Oil Center of Kirkuk in two government air raids. Tele fax sent to the associated press in Nicosia Cyprus did not specify the number of dead or wounded but said a a Large number of victims  the use of aircraft would violate the terms of a temporary cease fire that went into effect last month. The United states air Force shot Down two warplanes last week for violating the ban. A civilian a i lost my House was