European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Panel votes to let women Pilot . Combat aircraft by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the House armed services committee voted to let women Fly combat aircraft in the air Force Navy and Marine corps. The historic measure was approved by voice vote wednesday on an amendment offered by rep. Pat Schroeder d-colo., As the panel drafted its $291 billion defense authorization Bill for fiscal 1992. A can you believe it a said Schroeder an ardent supporter of expanding opportunities for servicewomen. A the commit tee finally woke up. Its about time we recognized the skilled and talented women in our  Schroeder a provision would allow but not require the services to assign women As pilots navigators or weapons service officers aboard combat aircraft. The wording of the amendment leaves it to the civilian chiefs of the air Force and Navy to decide whether to follow through. Officials with those services have said that current combat exclusion Laws prohibit allowing women to hold combat jobs and that changes would have to be initiated by Congress. A this Calls their Bluff a said a committee staff member. A it would remove what the services themselves have said is the big  in other action the committee approved a 4.2 percent pay raise for service in embers effective Jan. 1 and made permanent two monthly allowance increases that originated during the persian Gulf War. A a a v. A a. A imminent danger pay would stay at $150 per month and family separation Al Lowance would remain at $75 per month a up from $110 and $60, respectively a under the committees Bill. In the weapons Arena lawmakers voted to Cut the Pentagon a entire $3.2 billion procurement request for the b-2 bomber and slashed $1.6 billion from the request for the Brilliant pebbles space based missile defense system which is part of the strategic defense initiative. The committee also extended a ban from last year on spending . Contributions to the nato infrastructure fund see women on Page 10 new polity curbs Sununu s use of military aircraft for travel Washington apr president Bush on thursday stripped White House chief of staff John Sununu of the authority to use military aircraft for political and personal travel without special permission from the White House counsel. Overhauling a policy adopted in 1987, Bush banned use of military aircraft on political trips unless they Are for predominantly official purposes it or the president approves an exception. The White House said the new policy was intended a to avoid the appearance that taxpayer dollars Are being used to subsidize political  Bush put his counsel c. Boyden Gray in charge of High level travel after a spate of embarrassing publicity about Sununu a extensive use of government planes for travel to political events and weekend ski trips. Previously Sununu himself decided whether he could use an air Force plane for his travel and he also was entrusted with deciding whether his. Travel was for political personal or official business. He acted under a policy put into effect in 1987 for his predecessors out of Security considerations that see policy on Page 10 Kennedy s Nephew charged with rape at Florida estate , Fla. A William Kennedy Smith was charged thursday with raping a woman on easter weekend on the grounds of his family a estate in this exclusive oceanfront resort Community. State attorney David Bludworth the  county prosecutor also announced the filing of charges against a Florida based supermarket tabloid the Globe which published the name of the alleged victim. A a a Smith the 30-year-old Nephew of sen. Edward m. Kennedy was charged with two counts second degree sexual Battery and second degree Battery. A 29-year-old woman told police she was raped by Smith a medical student at Georgetown University in Washington at the Kennedy compound after meeting him earlier in a bar and going with him to the estate. Smith has denied any wrongdoing. The announcement of charges comes More than five weeks after the March 30 incident which attracted International attention because of the Ken Nedys prominence. The investigation was marked by allegations that the Kennedy were refusing to cooperate and that  authorities were dragging their feet. Use of the woman a name by the Globe Abc news the new York times and some other newspapers see rape on Page 10his Bill has passed James s. Brady the former White House press Secretary wounded in the assassination attempt on president Reagan 10 year ago gives the Victory sign after the so called Brady Bill passed the House on wednesday night. See Story on Page 6.today s the Day to Salute a military spouse by Gary Pomeroy staff writer Hanau Germany a Stephanie Mello and Krys Soules have 73 years of military experience Between them. Tit at a about the same As h. Norman Schwarzkopf and Douglas Macarthur combined. Unlike the generals the two 2nd brigade 3rd army div wives done to have rows of ribbons and Walls of certificates to show for their service time. But like thousands of other spouses in Europe whose partners Are in the persian Gulf they will spend today the fifth annual military spouse appreciation Day the same Way they celebrated Christmas new years Day and Valentines Day. Alone. As far As special Days go military spouse appreciation Day still ranks somewhere below Arbor Day in popularity although it is slowly gaining recognition. A a it a never been one of those really advertised things a said Soules 38, an air Force brat who married a Soldier at 19. A a it a never been Given credibility because it never occurred after a major War before said Mello 35, also an air Force brat who married a Soldier. Along the Way she served on Active duty in the Navy and army. On the heels of desert storm the role of spouses has become More Visi ble Mello said. A civilian spouses do the same thing that we do but to a lesser extent a Mello said. A we move More we Deal with More As far As our husbands being  the separation time varies by service and Mission but must be dealt with nonetheless. A both my Sisters Are married to air Force men who do two or three months of temporary duty but see Salute on Page 10