European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 a the stars and stripes saturday november 23,1991 secret sub exercise meshed elite units Admiral reveals Washington apr . Troops used three Navy submarines in the Caribbean earlier this year to conduct one of the largest exercises Ever of amphibious super secret warfare the Navy Stop submariner revealed thursday. Vice adm. Roger f. Bacon the Navy a head of undersea warfare said the Covert exercise marked the first time a Navy Seal fired a shoulder launched stinger missile from a sub destroying an unmanned drone that was simulating an aircraft attack on the special forces. The units practice dry runs for such things As High Speed personnel evacuations the mine placement on enemy ships and in harbours and the rescues of downed air Crews. Bacon said the Maneu vers also marked the first time that specially trained elite units from the Navy the army and the Marine corps trained together using the subs As launching pads for their work. Such cooperation has increased As the Pentagon focuses More on regional threats around the Globe rather than All out warfare against the soviet Union. About 173 specially trained men took part in the exercises the Admiral said. The subs included one attack submarine and two others converted for special warfare operations. The subs a the John Marshall the City of Corpus Christi and the Woodrow Wilson a did the exercises around the Island of Vieques near puerto Rico. Bacons disclosures were notable because submariners have Long been closed mouthed about their operations. Recently they have gone Public to stress the need for their boats despite spending cuts. During the persian Gulf War the Navy disclosed for the first time that submarines had launched some of the Tomahawk cruise missiles during the air War against Iraq. Bacon defended the $2 billion Price tag on the Navy a newest sub the sea Wolf. It is needed to offset the threat of the soviet unions still potent submarine pro Gram he said. The Admiral said the soviet Union continues to build submarines at a rate of six or seven a year and have made great advances in constructing quiet submarines that the sea Wolf is designed to fight. Bacon said he now has a mandate to come up with a new smaller and far less costly submarine that would enter the service in the next Century. A we have to get it the Cost Down or we wont build it a he said. Iraq s nerve Gas agents deemed poor by inspectors United nations a . Chemical weapons inspectors were surprised by the poor Quality of iraqis nerve Gas agents a major worry of the .-led Allied coalition in the persian Gulf War. About 50 experts from 15 countries led by dutch chief inspector Marius Van Zelm were in Iraq for a month to Catalon the main Muthanna munitions dump. Van Zelm commented that despite the extensive infrastructure and a soph i i rated production equipment at the site 100 Miles North of Baghdad he was a surprised at the Low Quality of some of the  the nerve Gas agents were impure and deteriorated rapidly he said and the Slock inspected generally had a nerve agent of less than 10 percent. Iraq has declared that it was stockpiling the nerve agents Tabun and Sarin. The Mustard Gas supplies at Muthanna on the other hand were stable and about 90 percent pure Van Zelm said. Iraq apparently never used any of its Mustard Gas or nerve agents in the Gulf War that ended in february but . And other Allied troops trained extensively in defense against such tactics. . Weapons inspectors have found about 46,000 filled chemical shells bombs and warheads and about 79,000 empty munition casings As Well As tanks of chemicals and production facilities at Muthanna. The chemical weapons inspectors Are part of the . Special commission working under Security Council resolutions ordering the destruction of iraqis nuclear biological and chemical weapons programs and its ballistic missiles. In Baghdad on wednesday . Envoy Sadruddin Aga Khan discussed humanitarian Aid with iraqi. Foreign minister Ahmed Hussein state run iraqi radio reported. The radio monitored by the British broadcasting corp., said a the negative economic and health repercussions of the unjust blockade against Iraq also were discussed. Sadruddin arrived in Baghdad on tuesday on a Mission that includes pressing Iraq to sell $1.6 billion Worth of Oil to pay Tor food and Medicine for its embargoed population. Iraq complains the embargo has been causing great suffering for the iraqi people. But it refuses to agree to the Oil Sale. It argues that the amount is not enough and that . Supervision of the sales and distribution of Aid would violate iraqi sovereignty. Relaxed rules backed for vets mental care Washington a the Senate has voted to allow thousands of Vietnam veterans to get treatment for stress related psychological problems without first having to prove they Are War related. In a separate Bill it also ordered the department of veterans affairs to look at extending disability benefits to veterans who May have been exposed to radiation from their service on nuclear submarines and ships or flights aboard military planes Over weapons test Sites. Both were approved this week on voice vote. A similar measure on postwar stress problems was passed by the House in Une and supporters said they hoped to forge a Compromise to Send to president Bush before Congress adjourns next week. The administration however opposes several provisions. Sen. Alan Cranston d-calif., chairman of the Senate veterans affairs committee said veterans with stress disorders often wait up to five months for a determination whether they qualify As service related. And then they face a wait of up to 13 months before they Are admitted for treatment he said. A 1988 study found 479,000 Vietnam veterans were suffering from severe a Post traumatic stress  an additional 350,000 Vietnam veterans were experiencing some symptoms the study said. But Only about 10 percent were using a mental health services it said. For the thousands of homeless among then the Bill would provide $1.5 million a year to set up 15 new regional care facilities and expand a a program from $16 million a year to $35 million next year and $40 million in 1993. But sections of the measure including a provision that would open storefront readjustment centers established for Vietnam veterans to world War ii and korean veterans Are opposed by the Bush administration. A it truly boggles the mind to think that the Loyal veterans of world War ii and Korea that ended 46 and 38 years ago Are still having trouble readjusting to civilian life a said sen. Alan Simpson a Wyo. For those who do treatment is available at a hospitals Simpson said. A a it a a terrible condition a he said. A but remember that the symptoms a hypertension stress ulcers a Are the same As those that come from everyday life a he said. Citing the $32.5 billion a budget this year Simpson said a we cannot continue to irresponsibly pass legislation that we cannot pay  is react to plan that would pay them to quit fort Bliss Texas apr As Congress considers a Pentagon plan to pay soldiers to get out of the military spec. Celeste Lindsey says the army wont have to make the offer twice. A a in a jump on it in a heartbeat a she says. But staff sgt. Eagle Tovar says the Pentagon a proposed offer Isnit Good enough to make him retire Early. And still other soldiers interviewed at fort Bliss this week say they want the Chance to finish the careers they started. The 1992 defense budget Bill the House passed monday includes a Pentagon incentive plan designed to reduce the armed forces a which now number about 2 million a by 20 percent Over the next five years. Under the plan which the Senate will consider next soldiers with More than six but fewer than 20 years could receive payments equating 2.5 percent of their Basic pay multiplied by the number of years they have served. A my plan was to get in and get the College plan and get out a said Lindsey who will reach the six year Mark in january. Under the proposed plan she said she would feel Safe leaving Early because she would have Money for College. In a Good enough to be drafted and Good enough to serve in a War and be separated from my family but in a not Good enough to be in the military during peace time a a staff sgt. Eagle Tovar but Tovar 32, said the offer Isnit Sweet enough to make him leave Early. A i have 14 years now a he said. A for the amount of trouble and time in be put in 2.5 percent is a slap in the face. I say in a Good enough to be drafted and Good enough to serve in a War and be separated from my family but in a not Good enough to be in the military during peacetime a some service members said they simply done to want to leave until they accomplish what they set out to do. It a o e e s by it is h g is it n is l d i i o e e e e i a if t e e n e g a when i came into the service i planned to make it my career. And i Haven to reached my plateau a said sgt. 1st class Terry Bollinger. He has been in the army 16 years and wants to serve at least eight More. Bollinger 33, is studying at the fort Bliss sergeants major Academy and Hopes to eventually become a command sergeant major. First sgt. Ronald Carroll said he likes the level of responsibility he has reached in the army. A i used to see things that were wrong that i  do anything about. Now i can do something to make things better for the Soldier a said Carroll 35, a 16-year Veteran. Several soldiers said those most Likely to take advantage of the plan Are people with fewer than 10 years. A if you put in 15 years and they want you to get out and you re not making what you re getting paid right now it s going to be hard a said sgt. 1st class Francisco Amor jr., who has been in 17 years. But Amor 49, said he has other reasons for wanting to stay. A i want to put in my 20 years a he said. A with 20 years i could say i served my  0 1 it a ii e u g r it get n is w by u x. D o is in 1 d id ill it. Is is to it