European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 15, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 3historic corps disappearing bit by bit by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany a less than 10 months after it carved up enemy units in Southern Iraq the army a Vii corps is nearly finished doing the same thing to itself. One of its major subordinate commands the 3rd inf div already has transferred to v corps control. Another the 1st army div has re flagged most of its components As v corps units. Another major subordinate unit the 2nd corps support come held a Farewell ceremony monday in anticipation of its March 15 inactivation. The 1st inf div fwd inactivated aug. 1. Most other corps units have transferred to v corps moved to the United states or disbanded according to corps officials. The corps bid Farewell last week to its Deputy commander maj. Gen. Eugene l. Daniel who also Stuttgart Community becoming ghost town had served As commander of the Stuttgart military Community. The corps plans a March 18 Farewell ceremony for itself and inactivation of the Headquarters will follow april 15, said it. Col. James w. Gleisberg. Nearly 74,000 soldiers were assigned to Vii corps units in april 1990. It deployed to saudi Arabia that fall and ballooned to 146,000 troops the largest corps in . History for the invasion of Iraq in operation desert storm. Its european based elements returned to Germany in May. The Pentagon on aug. 15 announced what had become evident in the preceding months because of unit transfers that already had taken place by then v corps would remain As the sole army corps in Europe and Vii corps would inactivate. By last week the total number of Vii corps soldiers had declined to 4,248. The corps area of responsibility which roughly corresponded to the German states of Bavaria and Baden Wurttemberge included 13 military communities in 1990. The two smallest a bad Tolz and Neu Ulm a closed this year. The two next smallest a Goppinger and Munich a will vanish in 1993. Most major facilities in Heilbronn arc closed or closing. Troop reductions have Cut the population of the largest Community Stuttgart nearly in half from the 34,888 people it had in april 1990. Most of troops and their families also have departed from the Ansbach and Heilbronn communities. Vii corps was activated just before the end of world War i in 1918 in Frances Vosges mountains in France then rendered inactive in 1919. The army reactivated the corps in january 1941, and it was one of the . Units that participated in the a Day invasion of Normandy. Inactivated again in 1946, it was revived five years later and moved into its Kelley Barracks Headquarters exactly 40 years ago this month. By Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany a . Troop cuts in the Stuttgart area Arentt finished yet but they already have turned what used to be one of Europe a most populous military communities into something much More modest. When the Pentagon made its first major troop withdrawal announcement in september 1990, about 12,800 . Troops were assigned to the Stuttgart area military Community spokesman George Huettig said. By last week that number had declined to about 7,000, and was falling rapidly. The Stuttgart citizen the Community a newspaper reported in May 1990 that the total Community population was 31,354, excluding locally hired workers. Huettig said he does no to have the current number. Stuttgart suffered for years from a chronic shortage of government housing and Many families were hard pressed to find affordable off Post apartments. But in november the citizen reported that the Community a housing division had a wiped out its waiting list and was offering government housing even to the lowest ranking enlisted soldiers who Are married and on an accompanied tour. The army last month even announced plans to give up the Nellinger housing area. The local military population always included a larger than average proportion of family members. The presence of three major Headquarters a the . European come Vii corps and 2nd corps support come a guaranteed the arrival of Many mid career and late Ca reer White Collar troops with established families. Of those three Headquarters Only the european come will still be in town by summer Many other units Are withdrawing or have left already. Also the Pentagon announced last month that it plans to close the army Hospital at bad Cannstatt in 1992. Stuttgart High school one of two local . High schools started the school year with about 650 students some 200 fewer than it had last june principal Larry e. Sessions said. Now enrolment is Down to 420, and he expects to lose almost half of that by september. The Junior High and elementary schools that serve the Community a Northern Side Are also losing students. But the High school in the Vicinity of Robinson Barracks is affected most because it also Drew students from Heilbronn Schwabish a mind and Goppinger where almost All the troops already have been withdrawn. The school plans to Cut two teaching positions in january. Many students Are under stress because they have to leave their friends and teachers Are worried about whether they will lose their jobs sessions said. But there is a Bright Side at least for now a the Halls Arentt As crowded. We can get everybody into the gymnasium when we have an Assembly a sessions said. A the discipline is outstanding because we have fewer  Huettig said the Community controlled 43 military installations in october 1990. Since then it has closed Karls Cavern Valdez Barracks Murphey Barracks the ludwigs Burg engineering repair and utilities shop Sachsenheime missile station and a amp Merhaus Range All located in the City a Northern suburbs. Coffey Barracks Funker Cavern Nellinger Barracks quartermaster warehouse and the army Hospital at bad Cannstatt Are scheduled for turnover to the German government most of them in 1992. Local German officials already Are laying elaborate plans for Many of the army Sites that will be abandoned. Speculation also rages about possible further closures particularly that of Kelley Barracks. When . Ambassador Robert m. Kimmitt met Stuttgart major Stuttgart area installations include a Cofiey Bat Rucks a flak Cavern a Funker Cavern a Jager Haes Rille Range a Karls Cavern a Kelley Barracks a Nellinger Cavern a Patch Barracks a Pattonville housing Robinson Barracks a Robinson housing 5 . Army Hospital Valdez Barracks a a Wallace Barracks Sis Susan hams lord mayor Manfred Rommel on dec. 2, a German reporter asked whether the army would release the Post which will be nearly vacant when Vii corps disbands april 15. The Post sits on coveted land beside a Daimler Benz administrative Center and major Highway interchange. Consistent with . Practice Kimmitt refused to discuss possible actions about which the Pentagon has made no announcements. However he said he would discuss installation closures with air Force Gen. James p. Mccarthy the european Comdr a Deputy commander later that Day. The Only major influx of troops into the Stuttgart area was that of the 10th special forces which moved several months ago to Panzer Cavern in Bob Lingen. But that organization filled a void left by 1st inf div fwd units that had inactivated earlier in the  Day later korean Accord in doubt Seoul South Korea apr one Day after signing a historic Intra korean pact pledging peaceful coexistence ratification of the Milestone Accord was in doubt Over the Issue of nuclear weapons. South Korea reiterated its demand that North Korea abandon nuclear arms development and immediately open itself to International inspections. And the National news Agency Yon Hap quoted government sources As saying the agreement would not be ratified until the nuclear weapons program is halted. The new developments come amid mounting concerns that the Seoul government May have moved too hastily Friday in signing the comprehensive Accord on reconciliation and non aggression with communist North Korea which did not cover nuclear issues. Major newspapers carried stories saturday quoting unidentified government sources As saying ratification of the Accord in the South korean parliament will be endangered unless the North halts its nuclear weapons program. Yon Hap said ratification which was to be completed by feb. 18, would be delayed until the rival Korea resolve their nuclear differences. It said the government feels it cannot get Public support otherwise in an election year. The comprehensive Accord must be approved in North Korea and by South koreans National Assembly. The governing democratic Liberal party controls a substantial majority in the 299-member National Assembly and it is unlikely Many members would Bolt from the party line. Worries that North Korea is developing a nuclear Arsenal have overshadowed High level Intra korean talks since they started 15 months ago. The concerns intensified in recent months As intelligence reports indicated the North could develop a nuclear weapon As Early As 1993. The two nations issued a Brief joint statement pledging to work toward a nuclear free Peninsula on Friday. The statement was issued moments before their prime ministers signed the first major agreement Between the two Korea since 1945 on easing political and military tensions. The agreement signed Friday committed the two countries not to attack each other. They also pledged themselves to put a formal end to the korean War and to help reunite the millions of relatives separated by their division. It marked the first time that North Korea had officially recognized the Seoul government. A fully implemented Accord on peaceful coexistence and an agreement on a nuclear weapons free korean Fie insula would remake the political and economic Ace of one of the last Heaters of the cold War. It was unclear however How implementation of the new Accord could proceed with nuclear issues still outstanding