European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                St Al propts vol. 50, no. 170 monday september 30,1991af takes bombers off Alert from staff and wire reports eleven air Force bases hustled to take Long Range nuclear bombers off full time Alert in line with president Bush a nuclear initiative. Unloading the thermonuclear weapons ended a decades Long Vigil under which such aircraft could take off with 15 minutes notice if the United states were attacked. The action ordered by Secretary of defense Dick Cheney was the most immediate visible and dramatic follow up to the presidents far reaching plan for both unilateral nuclear cuts and new negotiations with Moscow. A a it a a very historic event a said maj. Dave Turner a spokesman at Barksdale fab in Bossier City la. A a we be been pulling 24-hour Alert since 1957.�?� at Fairchild fab near Spokane wash., Crews were instructed to take nuclear weapons off b-52 bombers on ground Alert said base spokeswoman Robin Grantham. The base usually keeps five or six b-52s on ground Alert which Means they Are loaded with nuclear weapons and ready to Fly. Crews assigned to planes on Alert will no longer be cloistered for a week at a time ready to Fly on Short notice. A a it a a definite morale boost for them a Turner said. A a they re All on their Way out of Here. They re on their Way  two Texas bases Carswell fab in fort Worth and pm to i authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces 350 d 8693 a members of the last Crew to be on Alert at Carswell fab stand on 4bombcr Row after saturdays news conference. The announcement marked the first move from Alert status since 1957 at the base near fort Worth Texas. Dyess fab in Abilene also began to stand Down. Maj. Mary Kilgore chief of Public affairs for the 96th bombardment Wing at Dyess said it was the first time since 1986 that the bases 31 b-1b bombers Haven to been on Alert. A a we be been removing things a classified items a off the planes on the Alert pad and taking those things to storage a she said. A the tankers which were on the Alert pads with the bombers have been taken Back to the flight  by saturday afternoon griffiss fab in Rome n.y., was practically deserted. Air Crews returned Home and the bases contingent of b-52s and Kc-135s were a Sun cocked a said col. Michael f. Loughran 416th bombardment Wing commander. The other air Force bases where Long Range bombers were removed from full time Alert arc Wurtsmith and . Sawyer in Michigan Minot and grand Forks in North Dakota Ellsworth in South Dakota and Mcconnell in Wichita Kan. The plan unveiled by Bush on Friday also Calls for taking All tactical nuclear weapons off ships and submarines and removing All minuteman 11 intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers off Alert status. A this is the single biggest change in the deployment see bombers on Page 2 the East today sex captive Mann Felt like a dog __1 a five part report on Public opinion in Eastern Europe and the soviet Union begins  see Page 16 London apr Jack Mann says the Muslim extremists who held him captive in Lebanon for 865 Days threatened to blow him up chained him in cellars and shuttled him in car trunks around the country. The world War ii flying Ace now 77, tried to escape twice but was caught the first time and proved too weak the next time. In his first lengthy interview since his release last tuesday Mann told the mail on sunday that he was angered by the indignities he suffered. A i Felt As if i was a dog a he said. Because his guards changed Mann also suspects that he was sold at least once. Nevertheless he said he had no hatred for his captors. He was released by the pro iranian revolutionary Justice organization. A hate is too Strong a word. I liked those who were Friendly towards me and did not like those who were not a Mann said. Mann said he Felt sorry for Many of his guards who were underprivileged and poor. He said the Cash they received for guarding him was often their Only income. A a it Wasny tall of them who hit me or treated me badly so 1 can feel sorry for them. I done to want  Mann said his most terrifying Day was nov. 11,1990. A guard who considered himself an explosives expert said he planned to Stow Mann in a building and blow it up. A they would film the explosion for see Mann on Page 2navy says More minorities rising up ladder by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a even As fewer Black men attend College in the United states More minorities Are moving into the Navy a officer ranks particularly at senior Levels the services top personnel official says. Various flexible policies and programs and a Strong visible commitment to equal Opportunity Over the past decade have put a fall the trends in the night direction a said vice adm. Mike Boorda the Navy a Deputy chief of naval operations for personnel. For example the Navy now has 48 Black captains More than Ever before and up from 34 just two years ago. Minority officers now command nine surface ships which is a primary pathway for promotion to Flag rank. On the other end of the pipeline the service is vigorously recruiting minorities for Navy Roth programs and the naval Academy with the result that 7.5 percent of this years entering class is Black. The Navy is also trying to counter the trend of fewer Blacks going to College through a program called boost or broadened Opportunity for officer selection and training. A we recruit youngsters with the potential to go on to naval Roth or the Academy and give them a year of academic training to bring them up to Speed solve any problems they May have had in High school a Boorda said. A a it a a free year on Active duty a we pay them As sailors a and their Job is to go to a special school we be set up in san Diego. In a very pleased with the output of that  Boorda said he believes the Navy is doing the right things because the number of Black officers coming in not Only is increasing but is growing at a time when the service itself is shrinking. Minori enough and that there see Navy on Page 2 but he said he recognizes that simple getting ties into the officer ranks is not enough and unexpanded sports coverage a pages 27-28