European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 8, 1991 the stars and stripes a Pago 9 military Active duty personnel Down 11,669 in August Washington a amps a the defense department noted 11,669 less people on Active duty in August than the previous month according to official statistics released monday. Active duty strength dipped from 2,017,192 to 2,005,523 during August with the army marines and air Force All decreasing in size. The army lost 5,560 personnel a from 725,569 to 720,009. The Marine corps went from 197,316 to 196,240, a decrease of 1,076, and air Force strength declined by 5,329 personnel to 515,953. The Navy increased 296 a from 573,025 to 573,321, because of increased retention a Navy spokesman said. Overall the armed forces had 38,921 fewer personnel on Active duty on aug. 30 than one year  begin anew Washington a amps a beneficiaries who use the Pentagon a civilian health insurance plan will have to begin meeting their deductibles again in the new fiscal year that started oct. 1. Champs the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services pays for outpatient care after most eligible patients pay the first $150 in fees for one person or the first $300 for families. Family members of sponsors in grades e-4 and below pay deductibles of $50 for one person and $100 for families. Families with other insurance that pays All or part of their outpatient costs must attach copies of their additional coverage along with their claim and itemized Bills. Also the limit on How much eligible patients must pay for All champs covered medical Bills is $1,000 per year for Active duty families and $10,000 for other beneficiaries. The payment Cap applies to amounts families will pay to meet deductibles for outpatient care and costs shared for some types of inpatient and outpatient care in any one fiscal year. When a family reaches the payment Cap champs then pays additional allowable costs for the  accounts go up Washington a amps beginning dec. 1, military recruiters will get up to $15 More each month to cover incidental expenses under a decision by the defense departments per diem travel and transportation allowance Commik tee. The maximum monthly reimbursement will Rise from $60 to $75 per month a panel staffer said. The reimbursement is meant to cover a Small but necessary expenditures related to a recruiters Normal Job. A that could include buying occasional lunches or dinners for recruiting prospects parking fees or making photocopies of birth certificates a the staffer said. Receipts Are not needed for any single reimbursement claim of less than $25.interest rates drop Washington a amps a maximum interest rates on Home Loans guaranteed by the department of veterans affairs have dropped to 8.5 percent the lowest level since Early 1987. The drop which comes five weeks after the last decrease a when the rate went from 9.5 percent to 9 percent a stems from continued changes in credit Market conditions a officials said. Interest rates on these other types of a Loans have also decreased a graduated payment mortgages from 9.25 percent to 8.75 percent. A Home improvement Loans from 10.5 percent to 10 percent. A manufactured Home Loans from 11.5 per Cert to 11 percent. A manufactured Home and lot Loans from 11 percent to 10.5 percent. Bright lights big show lure go Singer to stage by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington a sweat beaded across the woman a forehead As she joined four others to hoist a 14-foot Metal Tower. Striding from one end of the stage to the other she confidently directed the placement of what resembled pieces of a Gigantic tinkertoy set. That evening discarded work clothes and tools were replaced by glittery costumes and a microphone. But the deals of sweat remained glistening under right lights. A i work harder Here than with my unit a said army spec. Lori Lashawn Williams a cast member of the 1991 . Army Soldier show. The show Tours the world featuring talented soldiers under the auspices of the army a Community and family support Center. Williams is assigned As a telecommunications Center operator with the 324th signal co 72nd signal in in Karlsruhe Germany. She is the Only european based Soldier in the cast. It. Soon after arriving at her assignment in Germany last october Williams auditioned for and was chosen to join the 1991 Soldier show marking the second consecutive year the Illinois native was tapped to appear with the army a most talented entertainers. A Lori has that big gorgeous smile and S.C. a warm personality a said sgt. 1st class Richard Fine a trumpet play or with the shows band. A plus she does a great Job of directing traffic when it comes to setting  Williams first saw a performance of the touring Soldier show in 1988 while she was stationed in Taegu Korea. The show piqued the gospel music singers interest and she mustered the courage to make an audition tape. A i did no to know the army offered anything like this but after seeing it i knew i wanted to do it so bad a she said. Unfortunately because of mail delays her audition tape did not make it to the shows producers in time. At a subsequent assignment at fort myer va., Williams set her mind on expanding her singing repertoire before trying out for the troupe again. A staff member at the fort Meade md., recitation Center helped by teaching her How to sing pop music and soul. Her second audition tape one of about 1,400 reviewed by judges was a standout according to de Ridenour the shows artistic director and Williams was chosen to be a member of the 1990 Soldier  the afterglow of her initial Delight Williams soon found that taking a turn in front of the footlights was Only a part of the often exhausting Job. All cast members double As stagehands during the productions four months on the Road. At each Stop the Crew unloads about 38,000 pounds of equipment and arranges lighting equipment and sets the Day before they slip into costumes to perform. A a it a like going to the Field setting up and tearing Down then moving on to another site a Williams said. During her first year with the Soldier show 5-foot-2-Inch Soldier took on the difficult task of setting up the enormous truss unit that holds the lighting equipment. The truss unit is made up of six Metal towers. Four towers Are 14 feet High and two Are 18 feet High. Along with her singing and dancing talents Williams Knack for handling the equipment made her a shoo in when she again auditioned for the 1991 show. Photo Tor 89 8uo-Simono Honnen Lori Lashawn Williams. Performs double duty As a stage hand rehearsals began in March and lasted six weeks. Orchestra and vocal arrangements were worked out by the entire cast and Crew with professional theatrical specialists choreographers and costume designers contributing i dds this years production called Ceic bration �?T91, has been performed on 40 different stages including the grand Ole opry in Nashville tcnn., the theme Park six flags Over Georgia and military installations in Panama. Williams appears As a magicians assistant and in several singing and dancing numbers that Range from country and Western to gospel music. Her final curtain Call this season will be on monday when the production is staged at the association of the . Army convention in Washington. Williams expects to return to her unit in Germany by the end of october and continue working on an associates degree in criminal Law. The 25-year-old Soldier does not plan to try out for next years Soldier show but she said a a in la probably try for the �?T93  Doe to assess nuclear inventory Washington apr with president Bush a order for new arms cuts the Energy department is being told to consider scaling Back its plans for nuclear weapons production in the coming decades. Senior Energy department officials argue however that the new arms reduction plan should not greatly affect warhead production. They contend that the . Arsenal still contains hundreds of atomic weapons a among them the most Modem and sophisticated types. A we Are assessing How the weapons production Complex will respond to the president s announcement and that includes All elements of the Complex a said department spokesman Joe Karpinski. Bush a announcement on saturday that he will eliminate virtually All tactical nuclear weapons has prompted new pressure from Congress and some within the administration for Doe to rework and perhaps curtail future weapons production. A at the very least the Doe and defense departments should be looking at All of their requirements for new programs a says rep. John m. Spratt d-s.c., chairman of the House armed services committee panel on defense nuclear facilities. The office of management and budget reportedly has asked the Energy department to reassess and again justify weapons production plans including the planned construction of a $5.9 billion tritium producing reactor. A a it a Only natural that you would review the requirements of the entire weapons Complex after a momentous speech like that a an administration official said speaking on condition of anonymity. In addition to the planned construction of the nuclear production reactor or apr other items under review include whether to resume production of plutonium triggers for warheads at the Rocky Flats colo., weapons Plant or whether to push the restart of an aging tritium producing reactor in South Carolina. Administration officials acknowledged that the apr reactor on which the government already has spent nearly $680 million in research and design work is among the items under review. One senior due of i Cial said however a it would be a Gross distortion to say the need for the apr is being questioned. Senior Energy department officials argue the reactor is needed because there will be continuing demand for tritium a radioactive Gas that must be replenished periodically if a warhead is to function properly