European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 17, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 9 payment qualification not automatic 2 offer advice to gis considering separation by Crystal Laureano staff writer the army will not Issue Blanket approval to All soldiers requesting Lump sum payments or annuities linked to voluntary separations a top army official warned wednesday. The warning came during a 90-minute live show aired wednesday evening on armed forces radio and television. A it is not a program being offered to every enlisted Soldier a said sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland a member of the Deputy chief of staff for personnel office in Washington. Strickland was referring to the program that offers either the special separation Benefit which provides a Lump sum payment or the voluntary separation incentive which offers annuities. He said requests for separations will be linked to the services need to keep specific jobs properly staffed. A within each of those overcrowded military specialities the personnel Community has a certain responsibility to the army As a whole to ensure that whatever we do. We never affect readiness adversely a he said during the show. However the officials urged enlisted soldiers and officers to apply for the programs instead of possibly falling victim to involuntary separations that could come later. Those who Are involuntarily separated will receive less compensation than volunteers. A soldiers need to sit Down and review their career a Strickland told the stars and stripes on thursday. A they need to make an honest evaluation of where they stand. Soldiers should be Able to do that. We be made things pretty Clear Over the last year a what the standards  officers also need to take time and review their careers said it. Col. Jean Thorton an action officer at the army personnel come. Some officers passed twice for promotion will be forced to retire when they have served 20 years. Those ousted by reduction in Force boards will receive less Severance pay she said. To qualify for Vii or sub enlisted soldiers and officers must have More than six years of Active Federal service by dec. 5, 1991, but less than 20 years by their separation Date and five continuous years of service preceding the Date of separation. Applications for the programs must be submitted by feb. 29. Guidance issued Jan. 7 further identified eligible enlisted soldiers by grouping them into four categories a category 1 a promotable corporals or specialists and below in any occupational specially with More than seven years of service As of dec. 31, 1991. Approval authority is the first colonel in the Chain of command. A category 2 a promotable sergeants in any military occupational specially with at least 12 years of service As of dec. 31, 1991. Approval authority is first colonel in the Chain of command. A category 3 a sergeants or above with at least nine years of service As of dec. 31, 1991, who Are in a shortage skill and rank identified in a message from the army personnel come. Department of the army officials will review All applications after the deadline and determine which soldiers will be released. All applications from those in category 3 will be reviewed carefully Strickland said on an. A we will look at the Quality of the Soldier who has submitted the request the recommendations that have been placed on the request by the Chain of command a Strickland said. A a. We sincerely Hope that after we have finished this process the soldiers who have been denied Vii or sub Are those High Quality soldiers who now have a amps Michaal Abrams la col. Jean Thorton and sgt. A. Larry Strickland answered questions about the army a separation program during a live radio and to show wednesday. This category can apply for voluntary separation within 60 Days of their notifications but must apply 30 Days before their enlistment ends. This is the Only category of soldiers who can apply for voluntary separation with Vii or sub beyond the feb. 29 deadline. Additionally soldiers waiting reassignment and who applied for Vii or sub will remain at their present location until told whether their Early release was apr soldiers need to sit Down and review their career a sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland a future to look Forward to in the army with significant promotion  category 3 soldiers will not be released prior to june 1, 1992. Soldiers due to leave the military before then cannot extend their enlistments and expect to receive Vii or sub payments under the present plan. A category 4 a any Soldier with at least sue years of service As of dec. 31, 1991, who is qualified for retention but denied re enlistment. The army will Send a letter to these soldiers authorizing them to apply for Vii or sub. Soldiers in proved Strickland told the stars and stripes. Officer releases also will be limited Thorton said. Approvals will be handled on a first come first served basis. A if we come to a Point that we cannot accept any More applications in that particular skill then that is where we will draw the line a Thorton said. A therefore we Are going to a postmark system a she said. That system will take into account when requests Are made including postmark dates if mailed. Officials will also consider possible delays in the handling of paperwork in determining priorities she said. Other aspects of the programs discussed during the show included a delayed entry or Reserve time does not apply in determining service requirements but will count As years of service for monetary payments. A enlisted soldiers and officers who receive approval for Vii or sub and arc later selected for promotion can ask that their separation request be withdrawn. A approval announcements of category 3 applications Are expected to begin in mid april. A soldiers can change their option from Vii to sub or vice versa prior to their separation. A sub payments and initial Vii payments should be available to soldiers during out processing. Strickland said thursday that the flood of questions about the separation programs came As no Surprise to army officials. A anytime a program has changed in the army there Are always Many questions Quot he said. A we will continue to put out More information about the rules and answers to the questions and try to get out As much information As quickly As possible. A we know this is not an easy decision for the soldiers to  Barracks on closings list German says by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany a the Pentagon soon will announce plans to close two Small army posts in Stuttgart and part of an Airfield Complex there a German government official says. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the United states included Wallace Barracks and Mcgee Barracks on a list of Sites it told the German Federal government it plans to close. The Echter Dingen army Airfield was listed As a target for partial closure. Wallace and Mcgee Barracks Are in the City a bad Cannstatt District. Tenants on 1.7-acre Wallace Barracks include Vii corps finance group the military Community a consolidated Maint Center a mail distribution warehouse school offices an army courtroom Legal defense services a stars and stripes warehouse and morale and welfare support activities. Mcgee bar Racks a tiny Post on the next Block houses the european Headquarters of the american red Cross and school and banking offices. The Airfield located on the City a Southern rim shares a single runway with Stuttgart a International Airport. The German Federal government gave the Baden Wiir Temberg state government in december a list of All posts in the state that would be included in the announcement on the next round of . Installation closures the government official said. He added that the announcement is scheduled to be made at the end of january. . Forces usually do not comment on property releases before the Pentagon announces them and this Case was no exception. A until an installation has been identified for return publicly we cannot confirm nor deny rumours about its status a army maj. Freda Brame a . European come spokeswoman said when asked about the Stuttgart posts. An officer in the German forces defense District come v said last May that the army planned to close Wallace Barracks and nearby Robinson Barracks in Early 1992. . Military officials declined to comment on the report at the time. Wallace Barracks opened As a German cavalry Post in 1910. It stands on the site of a first Century roman fort the buried remains of which probably Are very Well preserved said Jurg Biel an archaeologist in the Baden Wurttemberge state monuments office. Even if the Post closes excavations to uncover the fort Are unlikely Biel said. The state considers the existing buildings historically significant and the monuments office already is administering All the archaeological enterprises it can handle he said