European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday october 9,1991 women in combat panel 9 groups charge older men would dominate commission m a it _ run nco/1 to it Cirn Niv r by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a a Senate plan to have a commission study the Issue of women in combat is being challenged by groups that say the panel would consist primarily of a older men with no real interest in expanding opportunities for women in the military. That charge was made in a position paper backed by nine civil rights and women a groups and circulated among lawmakers meeting to resolve differences in the House and Senate versions of the fiscal 1992 defense authorization Bill. A the emphasis on individuals with distinguished combat experience significantly limits the participation of women on the commission and will result in an Over representation of older men who have never served with women a wrote Shirley Sagawa senior counsel at the National women a Law Center. The paper argues that the commission military Mildenhall captures innkeeper award is unnecessary because a extensive research on All aspects of women in the military already exists. A its Mission is too sweeping. It is to study positions currently open to women As Well As the air combat positions opened by the House and Senate defense authorization Bills. A its areas of inquiry focus almost exclusively on documenting alleged problems associated with broadening combat opportunities for women yet no mention has been made of studying presumed problems that the current combat restrictions May cause for women. A Given the commissions mandate it is almost certain that the final report will be a list of reasons not to increase the assign ability of women a Sagawa wrote. Her paper was endorsed by the american association of University women the american civil liberties Union the american nurses association business and professional women the Center for women policy studies federally employed women the women Slegal defense fund and the women a research and education Institute. Both the House and Senate have voted to repeal Laws dating from 1947 that bar women from serving aboard combat aircraft. The House passed its provision with Little fuss but the Issue was More divisive in the Senate. Although the Senate eventually approved repealing the combat exclusion Law its Bill also Calls for the creation of an Independent commission to examine the broader Issue of women in combat jobs including ground combat units. Under the Senate Bill the commission would have 15 members appointed by president Bush Many of them a distinguished combat veterans a and would Forward recommendations to the president late next year. A but the Way the commission is designed we re going to end up with a quite biased Litany of problems that we fear May be used to simply maintain the status quo a Sagawa said. The commission charter says nothing about having members who Are women with distinguished service records or even men who have worked with issues associated with women in the military such As refitting Navy ships to accommodate female sailors she said. A it appears to be very one sided a Sagawa said. A after gaining this important Victory of allowing women to Fly combat aircraft this commission May Well be used to justify shutting the door on further  a Senate staffer denied that the commission will prejudge the Issue but he said there Are a very real problems to wrestle with Here a such As what effect pregnancies might have on the readiness of combat units. The commission must also consider such intangibles As what effect women in combat units might have on morale and unit cohesion he said. Raf Mildenhall England Wilde the billeting operation at Raf Mildenhall has been awarded the . Air forces in Europe innkeeper award for the second year in a Row. The Gateway inn billeting Section which is a part of the 513th service so won the award in the Large installation category. The Gateway inn normally offers lodging for thousands of transient and temporary duty military and civilian personnel. However Between june 1990 and May 1991, the number of people billeted jumped 70 percent to 58,654. Thousands of personnel passed through Mildenhall in support of operations desert shield and desert storm. To improve the Quality of temporary lodging facilities for families either arriving or departing Mildenhall the Gateway inn installed videocassette recorders in the rooms and established a free video Library. The billeting Section will receive the innkeeper award in a ceremony later this month at Ramstein a  no honoured Aviano a Italy a a chief master sergeant now stationed at Aviano a has been named the air forces top military personnel superintendent. Chief master sgt. Donald Matyszyk who arrived at Aviano in july received the award for his work at tac air come Headquarters with the military personnel inspection Section of the inspector general a office. He was stationed at Langley fab va., Between november 1988 and july 1991. Matyszyk created realistic scenarios to train and evaluate personnel teams which later deployed to the persian Gulf. The new Britain conn., native was in the Gulf Region Between september 1990 and March. Matyszyk a 23-year air Force Veteran is the non commissioned officer in charge of Aviano a consolidated base personnel  ends training phase the 32nd tac fighter group has conducted the . Air forces in Europe a last weapons training deployment to the nato air combat training installation at Decimo Mannu a Sardinia a group spokesman said. The group based at a Oesterborg a Netherlands joined the 7555th tac training so for a mixture of dissimilar air combat training Basic fighter Man Euver and air combat Man Euver sorties said capt. Eric Schnaible. They pitted their f-15 fighter planes against former East German Mig-29 fulcrum. 4 communities in Germany win National music awards Washington a amps a four army communities in Germany have received awards from a National organization for musical productions they performed in february. Ansbach Frankfurt Hanau and Schweinfurt competed against 17 other army communities for the 1991 american music in the armed forces awards. The Competition has been judged by the National federation of music clubs headquarter in Stanton Texas since 1955. The federation established the a Parade of american music contest to promote american composers and their music and a special category was established for military productions. All productions had to be staged during february which has been designated As a Parade of american music  army entertainment officials expected fewer entries this year because of the persian Gulf War. Military communities in Germany however made their Best showing in years according to the army a entertainment program manager. A we had the largest participation and number of winners from Europe than in the past four or five years a said Mary Alice Hodgson. A i found it interesting that communities in Europe and installations in the . Where Large numbers of troops deployed still entered the Competition. A they used these shows As a vehicle to entertain families and involve those soldiers left behind during desert storm in a creative recreational activity which reduced stress Levels a she said. Judges viewed videotapes or listened to recordings of the shows. Judging criteria included the Quality and difficulty of the music performed method of presentation the number of performances and the size of the audience. Each Community also included a scrapbook of the performances with its entries Hodgson said. Winners were awarded a Star rating and each Community a morale and welfare fund will receive $100 per Star in the general category $75 for honorable mentions and $50 per Star for army bands and composer song writer categories. Schweinfurt a Ledward entertainment Center won two stars and $200 for a a musical tribute to americans greats Bernstein and  honorable mentions and $75 each went to Ansbach a Community recreation div entertainment Center for its a Parade of american music month series the Frankfurt music Center for a Romance Romance and Hanau so american music Celebration series musical and contests. Aviano airman Hurt in 1-car Accident Aviano Italy a a one car Accident Early saturday left an Aviano airman on a Respirator at a Hospital in Munich Germany an air Force spokesman said monday. Airman 1st class Joey Ocheltree was in intensive care suffering from a contusion on the Chest and a broken  said staff sgt. Austin Carter of the Aviano a Public affairs office. Ocheltree and four other Aviano service members were heading to Munich a oktoberfest at about 2 . Saturday when their vehicle went off an embankment and rolled Carter said. William Steffen William Caton ii Shane Thomas and Eric Ericson were also in the vehicle. No information was available on their conditions Carter said. All four Are airmen first class assigned to the 40th consolidated aircraft Maint so at Aviano where Ocheltree is also assigned Carter said. Alcohol was not a Factor in the Accident which German police Are investigating Carter said. Leftover Gulf War res going to Angola Luanda Angola apr in a Mission to Avert a food crisis among government soldiers and rebels in newly at peace Angola a . Cargo plane flew into Luanda carrying 85,000 meals ready to eat left Over from the persian Gulf War. The 70 tons of rations will be distributed to troops from the soviet backed government army and the .-Armcd rebels of the National Union for the total liberation of Angola Unita confined to Camps by a cease fire. A second plane was due into the capital tuesday with More rations. Unita and the government signed peace accords in May to end a 16-year civil War one of africans longest and bloodiest. Elections Are planned for next year. Under the terms of the May truce the estimated 150,000 government soldiers and 50,000 guerrillas were to move to Camps in preparation for demobilization. Officials say More than 80 percent of the combatants have already done so