European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday july 31, 1991grateful Franks bids Farewell to troops by Joseph Owen a Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany a it. Gen. Frederick m. Franks jr., who during the persian Gulf War commanded the largest army corps assembled since world War a said goodbye monday afternoon to a Small contingent of his troops. The departing Vii corps commander who plans to leave for the United states this week received at his Kelley Barracks Headquarters the distinguished service medal for exceptionally meritorious achievement from last november to april. That was the period in which he commanded the Force of up to 145,000 soldiers that Defeated iraqi president Saddam Hussein a forces in Kuwait and Iraq. A. Franks also speaking to other nato forces commanders and German City and state officials. Credited his troops with enabling him to receive the award. A everything begins and ends with our soldiers. You have inspired me daily to be All i can be and to be worthy of your Trust and Confidence a he said naming several whose wartime efforts had come to his attention. He also told the audience about a letter he had received from a soldiers Mother in which she credited the corps sense of teamwork with keeping her son alive while he was in combat. A never in Over 32 years service have i been More privileged to have served in the ranks of such great men and women soldiers. But what we have done we have done As a team a Franks told his soldiers. A you have justly earned any award that has come to me and. I thank All of you for  the remainder of his Farewell address was an expression of gratitude to a laundry list of people. They included his enlisted soldiers non commissioned officers and officers former and current component unit commanders whom he mentioned by name family members who waited in Germany during the persian Gulf War German and Canadian forces the German civilian Community and his own superiors. Franks said he and his wife Denise will miss Germany a where we grew up professionally during five Tours of duty and where both his daughter and his grandson were born. Gen. Crosbie e. Saint commander of . Army in Europe credited the corps with being a on the winning Side in two wars a the one in the persian Gulf and the cold War which kept the peace in Europe at a time of unprecedented political change. A the True measure of a commander is How Well the organization performs. The Vii corps in peace and War under general Franks command has performed magnificently a Saint said. A this vision of the working relationship Between divisions and corps As practice in linking the Battle command training program proved itself in combat. His innovative approach to challenges and perseverance overcame organizational and bureaucratic inertia. His mental agility imbued the corps with a spirit of Mission accomplishment a Saint said. Franks is preparing for a new assignment in the United states. President Bush has nominated him for promotion to general and assignment As commander of training and doctrine come at fort 1 Monroe a. The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. Vii corps Deputy commander maj. Gen. Eugene l. Daniel will serve As acting corps commander until Franks successor it. Gen. Michael f. Spigelmire arrives. Spigelmire is commander of the . Army special operations come at fort Bragg . No announcement has been made about the corps future although . Officials have said they plan to reduce the number of corps based in Germany from Twoie one. A v Riff Sitty a flt Lions share of notoriety it was supposed to be a publicity picture session but Samson the lion stole the show tuesday. Australian Trainer Bruce Russell owner of russells circus wound up needing 17 stitches in his leg thanks to Samson. Assistants helped Russell escape the Cage at Tweed Heads 70 Miles South of Brisbane on australians East coast air Force to trim Back Squadron -15 interceptors at by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau six of the air forces 18 f-15 Eagle aircraft used to intercept soviet aircraft in airspace near Iceland will be reassigned to stateside bases a spokesman for the Iceland defense Force said monday. The planes will leave Nas Kef Lavik Iceland Between january and March 1992. Cutting Back the f-15 Force there Means that the 57th fighter interceptor so will lose 59 military and 2 . Civilian slots but no local National slots. The Squadron currently has 528 military personnel two . Civilian employees and four icelanders assigned to it. The 18 f-15s replaced 12 f-4 phantom ii aircraft in 1985. Although the number of f-15 interceptions carried out there has dropped in recent years an Iceland defense Force spokesman said that the cutbacks were not directly linked to the interception rate. Air Force cutbacks worldwide was the primary Factor in deciding to trim the f-15 strength in Iceland said spokesman Navy it. Joe Quimby. A it is also reasonable to assume the worldwide strategic situation was taken into account before the reduction was made a Quimby said. Interceptions have been on a downswing since 1985, when an All time High of 170 aircraft were intercepted. Since then the Force has made 165-interceptions in 1986, 139 in 1987, 120 in 1988, 65 in 1989, 45 in 1990, and 18 in the first half of 1991. At Nas Kef Lavik ground based radar and e-3 airborne warning and control system planes attempt to identify unknown aircraft flying in the military defense identification zone which extends about 230 Miles around the Island nation. The f-15 fighters Are kept on Alert to meet and escort the aircraft out of the zone. The majority of the aircraft intercepted Are soviet reconnaissance or anti submarine aircraft known in nato As bears. Iceland is the Only nato member that does not have its own armed forces. The Iceland defense Force which has operated from Kef Lavik since 1951, consists primarily of . Air Force and Navy units. Airmen arrested Over ak-47 sent from Gulf to base. Raf Alconbury England a amps a air Force investigators and British police Are investigating the shipment of a soviet made ak-47 Rifle from saudi Arabia to Raf Alconbury. A agents from the air Force office of special investigations and British police officers from the local Cambridgeshire constabulary raided an on base residence july 5 and confiscated the assault Rifle said base spokeswoman tech. Sgt. Linda Mitchell. It is illegal for private citizens to. Import an ak-47 into great Britain said a spokeswoman for her majesty a customs and excise office. Air Force Public affairs officials said tuesday that they did no to know whether the alleged shipment violated department of defense regulations. Arrests were made but Mitchell said the names and number of people arrested cannot yet be released because of the ongoing investigation. She said Only that enlisted airmen were arrested. No charges have been filed she said. A Mitchell had no further information about How the Rifle was shipped. Members from the 17th recon Wing which has since deactivated and the 10th tac fighter Wing at Alconbury deployed to the Gulf Region for operations desert shield and storm. The spokeswoman said that she could not disclose the deployment locations although they Are no longer classified in conjunction with information about the Rifle shipment. Stanford president resigns amid overfilling scandal Stanford Calif. Apr Stanford University a president resigned amid a Billing scandal that brought closer government scrutiny to colleges across the nation a and humiliation to californians most prestigious school. A it is very difficult i have concluded for a person identified with a problem to be the spokesman for its solution a Donald Kennedy said in his resignation letter which the University a trustees accepted monday. The government is continuing to investigate allegations by . Research contract negotiators and auditors that Stanford overfilled Washington As much As $200 million in the 1980s for overhead costs related to research. Overhead includes maintenance and Library services for example. Stanford has repeatedly denied overcharging the government but has paid Back $1.35 million to return funds used for such inappropriate items As maintenance of a 72-foot yacht parties Flowers and fancy furniture at Kennedy a Campus Home. The scandal prompted reviews of Billing at More than 25 colleges around the nation including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of technology both of which returned Federal Money. The government has Cut More than $18 million from Stanford a annual research budget of about $240 million