European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday August 11, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 9 gis lost in wilderness of unit moves soldiers learn by the Book How to pcs by David Tarrant staff writer. Stuttgart Germany a More than 100 soldiers packed the tiny Coffey Barracks Chapel thursday to hear the a Sermon on the  but this was no Ordinary Church service. The soldiers who filled the pews that morning were there to listen to sgt. 1st class Bernice e. Vaught explain chapter and verse about How to ship their household goods Back to the states. Like an inspired preacher delivering he word Vaught of the installation transportation office in Stuttgart worked the room hard trying to provide answers to one of the military a most enduring mysteries How to get through a permanent change of station without snags. This summer and fall the chances of snags have spiralled As the number of soldiers making pcs moves has reached record Levels. By december some 35,000 service members Are expected to have shipped out to the United states. Thousands of others will be making moves within Europe. Since the first announcement More than 18 months ago 314 Sites in Europe a 185 of them in Germany a have been identified for closure or realignment. And Stuttgart with 19 units scheduled to draw Down by oct. 15, is typical of the Tura amps Davo Tarrant Stuttgart soldiers get the Lowdown on How to move without snags in a group counselling session at the Coffey Barracks Chapel. December compared with Only 1.6 million pounds a month during last years High season. A this is a very High volume we re faced with right now. This is the highest volume out of my 20-plus years of doing this a said Winston e. Garth chief of the transportation division of the greater Stuttgart . With so Many soldiers moving Back to the United states the transportation office has had to take some emergency measures including mass counselling sessions of up to 100 soldiers at a time such As the one recently held at the Coffey Barracks Chapel. Normally when a Soldier is moving from this is a very High volume we re faced with right now. This is the highest volume out of my 20-plus years of doing  a Winston e Garth greater Stuttgart military Community transportation division chief Moil facing military communities this summer As they struggle to meet draw Down targets. Military officials would not give out specific numbers of soldiers and family members leaving Stuttgart citing Security reasons. But it is expected that the draw Down will affect thousands of service members and their families. The Stuttgart transportation office expects to handle More than 1,000 shipments of household goods and unaccompanied baggage each month through december. Even during the traditionally High moving months of july and August last year the office averaged Only 400 such shipments a month. Stuttgart based soldiers will ship some 3 million pounds of goods a month through one duty station to another he or she receives one on one counselling with a transportation officer to go Over the move. Meanwhile a shortage of moving vans and workers has plagued local army and air Force transportation offices throughout Europe. As a result overseas moves usually scheduled in two to four weeks Are taking double or triple the time to schedule. The Stuttgart transportation office has recently added three More carriers to the five that already provided moving services to the military Community. But that a still probably not going to be enough Garth said. To help ensure that the new carriers perform up to . Government standards the office recently recruited 10 soldiers from the military Community doubling the size of its Quality control staff. The soldiers mostly senior non commissioned officers Check to see that a  a personal property is properly handled said sgt. 1st class Humberto Rivera chief of Quality control for the transportation office. A we want to ensure that just because we re doing such a High volume move that the Quality Isnit sacrificed a he said. But making sure household goods arc safely moved is Only one of the concerns facing service members in Stuttgart. For Many military soldiers stationed in this City in South Central Germany the draw Down comes on the heels of the deployment of Vii corps units to saudi Arabia during the persian Gulf War. After first enduring the stress caused by the War and not knowing How Long it would last Many soldiers and families have been Able to enjoy Only a few months or even weeks together before encountering More tension from not knowing when they will leave for the states. Sgt. Daniel Orta had just arrived in Germany in 1990 when his unit the 51st chemical co deployed to saudi Arabia for six months. When he returned to Germany he Learned he was on his Way to fort Polk la. Orta and his wife Evelyn said they have seen Little of Europe in the year they have been Here and would have preferred to stay longer. But like Many families with school age children they also would like to move soon so that it docs not disrupt school for their 7-year-old daughter Leslie Ann. A but i done to see that happening realistically a Orta said. Staff sgt. John Perez is scheduled to move in october to fort Lewis wash., with his unit the 11th chemical co from Stuttgart. In the past Perez said he has always had about six months Advance notice of when he would move. But this time Perez and his wife Carol who have five children Are concerned about not having a better idea of their departure Date. Perez said he has heard that the company a move could be delayed until december Long after their own Ideal time Frame. The staff sergeant said he has also heard of major delays in getting household goods shipped out of Europe. A i worry about it a he said. A i wonder when the units moving and when our household goods will be picked  a i think that is the primary complaint a said Garth. A everyone wants to go now. If you re capable of moving Only 100 families and 200 families want to go now then you re going to have those types of complaints. Its just one of the things that comes with this  in addition for some of the soldiers whose equipment is still in saudi Arabia or already shipped Back to the states a there s hardly anything to do a Garth said. A certainly in a sure that commanders would like to get them out of town before some of them get into  ultimately its up to the unit commanders to make the Tough decisions on who leaves first Garth said. A we can give them a capacity window of say 10 people a week and they decide which 10 people arc moving that  although Stuttgart officials began planning for the massive draw Down last october the War caused a Complete halt to those plans. Last fall German moving companies Nad been advised to Start hiring workers to pc pare for the increased work but the War intervened All moves stopped and Quot that workload never came a said Garth. A and consequently they had to let some of those folks  the Idle period ran into late Spring and by the time the draw Down plans resumed the summer vacation season had begun which further Hurt the recruitment of workers Garth  May be notified first on Friendly fire study from staff and wire reports Washington a the Pentagon plans to Contact families of so called a Friendly fire victims before releasing details from a study that attributed 15 percent of . Injuries and deaths to troops mistakenly firing on their compatriots Pentagon sources said. However the defense department does not plan to provide names or immediate units of the victims when addressing much asked Friendly fire questions in a briefing perhaps As Early As this week an army source said Friday. It will be up to the families whether they want to make Public that information the source said. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney was briefed thurs Day on the results of intensive studies conducted primarily by the army and the Marine corps to determine As closely As possible the number of casualties resulting from Friendly fire in the drive to push iraqi forces out of Kuwait in that briefing he was told that about 15 percent of the americans killed and wounded in the persian Gulf War were the victims of Friendly fire Pentagon sources said. The latest count put the number of casualties at around 20 killed Ana about 60 wounded from Friendly fire Pentagon sources said. This confirms earlier forecasts by Pentagon officials that the toll of americans accidentally shot by their own forces would Rise from the preliminary count of 11 killed and 15 wounded. Defense department officials said the increase should not be surprising and added there was a possibility that not All Friendly fire casualties have been discovered. A there might be even More a said one Pentagon official who spoke Only on condition of anonymity. In total . Officials have said that 148 . Service personnel died in operation desert storm while 458 were designated As wounded in action. After the Pentagon briefing Friendly fire deaths will continue to be listed As combat deaths the army source said. During Vietnam Friendly fire deaths were listed with deaths due to such causes As suicide aircraft and Drunken driving accidents rather than As combat deaths