European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 9, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 9interest High Over separation plans a amps div Casey spec. William Henderson asks spec. Abrell m. Taylor a clerk in the 187th personnel service Center in Mannheim Germany a question about the army a Early separation  bombard personnel clerks with questions by Crystal Laureano staff writer Mannheim Germany a soldiers have flooded army personnel offices to ask about details of the recently announced program that offers Lump sum or monthy payments to some soldiers who Volunteer to leave military service Early. The workload for separation clerks at the 187th personnel service Center which serves about 10,000 soldiers in Mannheim first increased several months ago when the initial Early release program was announced said sgt. Terry Coy of the Soldier actions Branch. But the recently announced offers of voluntary separation pay plans a the voluntary separation incentive and the special separation Benefit Lump sum payment a Cave caused Many soldiers to re examine their army careers. The Vii and sub benefits substantially outweigh benefits received when service members Are involuntarily separated from the army. However enlisted soldiers and officers who have Between six and 20 years of Active service and meet other requirements have Only until the end of february to sign up for either program. Spec. Abrell m. Taylor a separations clerk at the 187th, said the new program has produced a resurgence of inquiries. She received the first inquiry dec. 31 at Home the same Day an article about the program appeared in the stars and stripes. A they wanted More information a Taylor said. She  be much help because a i had just heard it myself on the  when she returned to work Jan. 2, she said the phone rang non Stop while a Stream of soldiers flowed into the office seeking information. Taylor and one other clerk have often worked 12-hour Days preparing orders for soldiers who volunteered for the previous Early separation program in addition to processing soldiers leaving the army at the end of their service commitment. In Hanau at the personnel actions Section of the 574th personnel service Center the situation is no different said sgt. Rob Lindley. A i spent All last Friday on the phone or trying to Deal with five people at a time in front of my desk a he said. A i did no to get a thing done All  at that time several details about applying for the program were not known. Now he and other clerks Are More knowledgeable about the particulars of the separation plans. A i had to Tell some of them that i did no to have All the answers yet and to hold on and be patient a he said. One Soldier seeking answers was Cpl. Timothy Pinkly a Petroleum specialist who sought information while on leave. A too Many people done to really know what s going on a he said. Although on a promotion list he is nearing the maximum years of service he can stay in the army at his pay Grade. And he had questions about education benefits. A if i done to get out now and take the $17,000, ill have to get out oct. 1 with a Severance pay of $11,000,�?� he said. He plans to look for work in the state of Washington but does no to know what to expect. A the Way things Are going i done to know. In a just glad i can go with some kind of Money to Cushion the crash a he said. Spec. Nyack Felix was a hoping a program like this would come along a he said. Felix an 8v-year Veteran feels there is Little Chance for promotion As an officer records clerk. He had planned to leave the service when his term expired in april but wants to request an Early separation and use the Money to continue his education in Georgia. Since his Job skill is overcrowded Felix had consid too Many people Don t really know what s going on a Cpl. Timothy Pinkly ered requesting a change in jobs to improve his career potential. A now that i can to extend or re enlist ill just take this program a he said. Spec. Brian Green a personnel records clerk is in a similar situation. His Job specially is overcrowded and carries limited promotion potential. And with More than nine years of service and no re enlist option until 1995, his years of service at his current pay Grade could Force him out. For him the Lump sum payment seems to be his answer. A i have no other recourse for me and my family Quot said the husband and father of one. Green and his wife have discussed their future if he leaves the army a areas stateside where the Cost of living is Low and jobs Are available. He also must Deal with the anxiety of a transition from a secure Job to an unsettled civilian Job Market. A i know ill get a lot of help from my wife because she went through the same thing when she left the military a he said. Too Many years of service in his pay Grade makes an army career unlikely for sgt. Willie Cobbs a truck Driver with 12 years in the army. A i done to really want to get out. But in a going to have Over 15 years in 1993 that Means that in a a prime candidate for involuntary separation Quot he said. A i hate to lose All my time but its like in a voluntarily leaving without a  his responsibility As a husband and father of two compounds his concerns. A if i was single i  worry a id manage to take care of  Cobbs thinks he will go Home to Georgia and have Little trouble getting a driving Job with a trucking firm. A i like what i do driving a truck a he said. A they say i might have to be gone for up to three months but no big Deal. It a be like the army that way.Poland plans to Cut Back reorganize army Warsaw Poland up the polish government plans to Cut its army a troop strength by one third and to change its role to focus on Border Protection a government spokesman said. When Poland was under the communist military doctrine overseen by the Warsaw pact it was assigned the wartime task of attacking Denmark presidential spokesman Andrzej Drzycimski said. A now under the new political Situa Tion the army is being geared for the defense of the territory a Drzycimski said. The government plans to scale Back the army to 200,000 members and later turn it into a professional Volunteer organization. However Gen. Edwin Roz Luberski the former communist commander of the polish paratroopers criticized plans to trim the 300,000-Strong army. A a what a happening is similar to a horrible dream dreamed by an idiot who is drunk a Roz Luberski said in a front Page Story carried by Tribuna the newspaper of the social democrats a party of former communists. Roz Luberski said he was concerned about the firing of officers and defense minister Piotr Kolodziejczyk a cutback in the military budget and the closure of defense plants. The dismissal of Kolodziejczyk by his successor civilian defense minister Jan Parys has sparked widespread Dis satisfaction among polish officers. President Lech Walesa intervened describing Kolodziejczyk As a a Good soldiers who will be used by the army in the future. Roz Luberski said Poland was left alone facing the a German bund Estehr the strongest army in  a a danger has also appeared in the East a he said referring to the formation of a 400,000-Strong ukrainian Force