European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday january 24, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 9 most in Europe will get w-2s by month s end by the stars and stripes virtually All service members in Europe will have their 1991 wage and tax statements by the end of the month service officials said this week. Officials at the army finance Center in Indianapolis sent the forms late this week aboard a commercial Airliner. Millie Waters a Usa eur spokeswoman said thursday that the w-2 forms Are expected to accompany soldiers january leave and Emmings statements. She cautioned however that a few soldiers serving in Remote locations might not receive their w-2s this month. A spokesman for the Navy in London said thursday that All Navy personnel had received their w-2s by Jan. 15. A spokesman for . Air forces in Europe said the air Force finance Center in Denver contracted a Dallas firm to deliver w-2s to air Force personnel in Europe. According to Roy weeks at the Denver facility air Force personnel will receive their w-2 forms at their local finance office their Post office Box or through the base distribution system. Auditors find irregularities in services surplus funds by Richard . Sia the Baltimore Sun Washington a an internal Pentagon audit of the military a surplus accounts has uncovered four a a potential criminal violations involving unauthorized overspending for air Force Navy and Marine corps Reserve programs and weapons testing. An audit by the Pentagon inspector general a office said records of four separate defense appropriations indicate what a appears to be a potential violation of the anti deficiency act a which bars officials from wilfully obligating or spending Money in excess of amounts appropriated by Congress. The military services failed to suspect possible trouble or investigate the financial discrepancies the report said. The audit found so Many bookkeeping errors and Check writing foul in the surplus accounts that investigators were unable to determine whether the plethora of other financial irregularities they found were honest mistakes or deliberate acts to circumvent Normal budgeting and accounting procedures. Auditors said finance personnel in effect were prone to paying Bills without making sure the billed amounts were Correct or checking the balances in the surplus accounts. Records show some Bills were paid twice sometimes three times without anyone catching the errors. The surplus accounts examined by auditors Quot were inadequately managed and vulnerable to abuse a said the report which was delivered this month to the department of defense comptroller. Auditors found that at least half the funds that accumulated unspent in surplus accounts Over the years have no legitimate purpose and should be returned to the . Treasury. They reported for example that Money continued to be set aside for weapons like the army a sergeant York anti aircraft gun that were cancelled years ago. In other cases account books showed huge obligations for contracts that were completed a and final Bills paid a Long ago but were never closed out. The report urged defense officials against blindly a writing off the accounts showing negative balances a since they May have been caused by overpayment and May contain refunds due to the . the auditors gave no estimate of what might be owed. The existence of the surplus accounts Drew congressional attention in june 1990, when House investigators disclosed that the department of defense and More than a dozen Federal agencies had Access to More than $ 100 billion in unspent funds. They warned that the Money could be used to offset budget cuts and cover questionable unauthorized cd Pend Itu told threat from Cis almost non existent by Elaine Sciolino the new York times Washington a in an unusual Public review of global threats to american Security two intelligence chiefs testified wednesday that the former republics of the now dissolved soviet Union have sharply Cut their military spending and have lost the will a and much of the ability a to attack the United states. One of the officials it. Gen. James r. Clapper jr., director of the defense intelligence Agency the Pentagon a intelligence Arm also reported that Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons and suggested that it would be Able to make them in a few years. In testimony to the Senate armed services committee Clapper said russians military procurement for the first Quarter of 1992 a appears to have been Cut by about 80 percent a reflecting reductions in virtually All classes of equipment. In previous briefings intelligence officials have said there was no Clear evidence of a slowdown in procurement. The testimony by Clapper and by Robert m. Gates Cia director was based on threat assessments derived from intelligence sources and not by policy considerations. What those two top officials said might increase pressure from Congress to impose greater reductions on military spending than those being considered by president Bush. The president will unveil his proposals in his state of the Union address tuesday. Sen. John w. Warner r-va., said their comments could be seen As a a head on collision with Bush a military budget. He seemed stunned by Clappers assessment of russian procurement remarking a this statement i must say has caused me a bit of although president Boris n. Yeltsin and other russian officials have tried to limit the cutbacks in military research and development Clapper said spending in that area May fall As much As 30 percent compared to last year. A i see virtually no likelihood or premeditated russian or Commonwealth military aggression against the . And its allies a he said. A the intentions of the new Commonwealth states toward the West have clearly changed and Overall the military capabilities of Russia and the successor states Are in profound his assessment about a much reduced conventional or nuclear threat from the countries that make up the Commonwealth of Independent states was echoed by Gates who told the committee a the threat to the United states of deliberate attack from that Quarter has All but disappeared for the foreseeable Cia director Robert Gates left talks to it. Gen. James Clapper or. During the Marine orders release of Friendly fire facts by Barton Gellman the Washington Post Washington a the Marine corps commandant says family members of the services Friendly fire casualties from the persian Gulf War Are entitled to All details of the accidents even when the facts a May Embarrass the Marine corps or reflect negatively on your the guidance issued wednesday As a letter from Gen. Carl e. Mundy jr., urged commanders to display a increased sensitivity toward a family members who experience great anxiety Over wanting to learn All details of the casualty As soon As they Are the army the subject of harsh criticism from families of its 21 Friendly fire fatalities in the War has issued no similar guidance. A spokesman said wednesday that an a in depth review is under the army also has not disclosed results of an internal investigation into alleged deception of several soldiers families. Last week maj. Gen. Peter j. Boylan jr., acting in Spector general denied a Freedom of information act request filed by the Washington Post for a copy of the investigation. Mundy whose service suffered 14 Friendly fire fatalities in the War stopped Short of establishing a deadline for disclosure. Noting a oftentimes unavoidable delays in uncovering after the fact information a Mundy emphasized that he did not intend to a Compromise the process of formal investigation required when marines die accidentally at the hands of fellow troops. Mundy billed his letter As a response to news articles about the handling of Friendly fire casualties in the War. Since the War Many families have complained that the army and Marine corps withheld the truth for months about How their relatives died. Mundy asked his staff to draft a new policy in november after the Washington Post reported that Field commanders were aware of All 14 Marine Friendly fire fatalities by the end of March but did not notify families formally until August. Marine investigations Are not considered closed until they have been reviewed by five layers of command. One such investigation regarding the Friendly fire death of Marine sgt. Aaron a. Pack is still not Complete. Although Mundy asked subordinates to a expedite the process a senior officers acknowledged that the new guidance will still leave families waiting weeks or months for details. A Given the Choice Between accuracy and Speed we Are going to come Down on the Side of accuracy a said Brig. Gen. Thomas v. Draude chief spokesman of the Marine corps. Mundy said in november that he was surprised to learn that family members would want to know that their loved ones were killed by Friendly fire. He said that if either of his sons a capt. Carl Mundy Iii or capt. Timothy Mundy a were to perish at the hands of . Troops he would want to know Only a that they died fighting the but he said he intended to Honor the wishes of families for a accurate and timely information
