European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 6, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes thursday february 6, 1992 at a glance my a Man trudges through the Snow at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on tuesday. At least 6 inches of Snow and torrential Rains have hit Israel. See More weather news on Page 11. Bush support flagging almost three out of four americans believe president Bush s tax proposals would not make a significant change in their personal finances and just 38 percent say he deserves re election a poll reports. A Page 4 extending jobless benefits Congress on tuesday sent to president Bush a $2.7 billion unemployment Bill that would extend Long term jobless benefits for an additional 13 weeks. A Page 5 fire stalls Tyson trial Mike Tyson s rape trial was postponed after fire killed three people and injured 12 Early wednesday at the hotel where the jury was sequestered. A Page 7 building request slashed Pentagon officials have slashed proposed spending for military construction in Europe by 99 percent for fiscal 1993. A Page 9 rates May be Cut further Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress on tuesday that the Central Bank would consider further interest rate cuts to help the ailing Economy but repeated that the fed thinks it has probably done enough. A Page 18 Index Abby Ann Landers. 15 comics. 15-17 commentary. .13 faces a no places. 14 letters. .12 Money matters. 18 sports. 19-24 to listings. Weather. .11 move to limit Early out plans to mediocre airmen dropped by Luke Britt a to f Washington a air Force personnel officials tried unsuccessfully to limit the new separation pay programs to people with mediocre records in an Effort to avoid losing top performers the services personnel chief says. It. Gen. Billy j. Boles said the attempt was built upon the idea of pre screening applicants for an annuity called the voluntary separation incentive and a Lump sum payment called the special separation Benefit. Boles defended he idea As a Means of reaching personnel reductions without sacrificing Quality service members. But other High ranking air Force officials opposed the idea because they said there was concern that the process amounted to a a a pc if a or reduction in Force.  not say who overruled him. He took Over As the air forces Deputy chief of staff for personnel oct. 7 after three years As commander of the air Force military personnel Center at Randolph fab Texas. He began working on the air Force separation plan soon after assuming his Job in Washington. The plan was an outgrowth of the fiscal 1992 defense authorization act. The air Force Hopes to separate 21,000 enlisted airmen and about 4,800 officers through the incentive programs Boles said. Those programs opened to applicants feb. 1 and Are scheduled to close april 15. In shaping the program there was a a real concerns about losing Quality service members Boles said. Once pre screening was ruled out officials turned their attention toward targeting those whom the service could afford to lose without paying Money and those Likely to separate anyway he said. The defense department directed All services to reduce personnel in the mid career Force to make room for recruits. The Pentagon set a Broad policy aimed at enlisted people in grades e-4 through e-7 and also targeted officers below the rank of colonel or its equivalent. T the modified air Force version eliminated e-6s a technical sergeants a and raised the minimum service requirement to nine years rather than the Pentagon s guideline of six years. Lieutenants and captains who have earned Early promotions As Well As pilots were excluded from he program. Much of the rationale for the air forces modifications hinges on the goal of retaining second term airmen Boles said. Raising the time in service requirement to nine years is designed to leave room for promotions while still reducing the Overall Force by paying the least amount of Money he  re enlistment rate for first term airmen is about 50 percent whereas the rate for second term airmen is closer to 65 percent Boles said. A we knew that 35 percent of the people who serve eight years were not going to re enlist so we did no to see any Point in paying them additional Money not to re enlist a Boles said. Technical sergeants were excluded from the program because they a tend to be promoted quicker and do not cause stagnation in the Force he said. The exclusion of a fast burning officers and pilots was necessary to prevent Pilot shortages and the loss of top Young officers according to air Force military personnel Center officials. Without pre screening the key to keeping the Best people in the air Force is for commanders to identify those people the service needs and discourage them from leaving Boles said. A commanders should be forced to choose among their a children a a he said. A you would Hope that commanders and supervisors would give a person a realistic appraisal of his or her chances for advancement a even if that Means saying a you re one whom i would recommend to be retained a or a you re one who stands a High probability of being asked to separate  a those eligible for either payment plan would be vulnerable to involuntary separations if the air Force pursues reduction in Force boards this year he said. However the system does not allow service members who apply but Are denied the separation incentives to be involuntarily separated later Boles said a if we turn the buyout off in a particular air Force specially code Ana then have a if later we would not go Back and if somebody in that code a Boles said. In other words the military personnel Center will approve applicants in specific career Fields who seek separation benefits. When personnel reductions produce the desired Manning level in specific career Fields a reduction in Force in those Fields will be unnecessary. But the Force Levels set by Congress must be achieved he said. If the 26,000 people needed to reach fiscal 1993 Force reduction goals do not apply for the buyout a reduction in Force is a Quot Strong possibility a he said. Units from Page 1 patrolled the East German and czechoslovak Borders for 45 years and led Vii corps in its persian Gulf War Victory. Cavalry members prided themselves on their regiments longevity. The unit has been on continuous Active duty since 1836, when it was formed by president Andrew Jackson to fight Seminole indians and it was the american cavalry regiment featured in last years Academy award winning film dances with wolves. The regiment will be withdrawn from its Nurnberg Headquarters by August. Nearly All the combat units that deployed to the persian Gulf War have now been marked for removal from Europe. The 4,500 troops of the 2nd armed div the final remaining brigade of the historic 2nd army div will leave Garls Tedt by october. According to maj. Roger King a unit spokesman the division is being inactivated and its colors retired a the present plans Are that they will All be inactivated a he said of the divisions units. Quot the feeling of the unit is that every Soldier is used to the Mission Seles associated with being a Soldier or last Mission is draw Down so we re in the midst of  the draw Down schedule has most of the brigade sized armoured unit pulling out by june and the support battalion and Headquarters element leaving in september. The Karlstedt unit is the last that remains of the historic 2nd army div that was formed in 1940 and was known As Gen. George Patton  favorite. The divisions two other brigades based at fort Hood Texas were inactivated during the past two years. The Karlstedt unit was the divisions third brigade. The list also included the Berlin based 6th in 40th army the second army battalion to be withdrawn from Berlin since the Berlin Wall was opened in 1989. The armoured unit is scheduled to leave the City in August and be inactivated according to . Army Berlin spokesman Russ Anderson an infantry battalion 4th in 502nd inf was inactivated last year. The withdrawal of the armoured battalion leaves two infantry battalions and a variety of support units totalling about 4,750 soldiers in Berlin. Withdrawal of All american and Allied forces from the formerly occupied City is tied to the withdrawal of soviet forces from Eastern Germany Anderson said. Although the 3rd inf div stayed in Germany during the persian Gulf War its 3,100-Soldier Aschaffenbur brigade was sent to saudi Arabia and attached to the 1st army div. The brigade will be retired from Germany by september. Other brigades disbanding include the a 72nd Field arty in Wertheim. A 42nd Field arty in Hanau. A 10th air defense arty in Darmstadt. A 94th air defense arty in Kaiserslautern. A 14th my in the Stuttgart area plans to withdraw the 14th my brigade he in july from kor Westheim a Stuttgart suburb were not surprising in Light of the Pentagon a announcement last week that the installation on which it is located is closing. Among the 70 Headquarters personnel Only draw Down planners knew of the inactivation before wednesday Deputy commander it. Col John Davies said. The brigade will answer directly to . Army Europe he after Vii corps inactivates. R Davies said two of his police companies that also appeared on wednesdays withdrawal list had been scheduled for inactivation in 1990, but operation desert shield forced a postponement of that plan. The Nurnberg area once the army a largest Community in Europe will lose approximately 4,000 More soldiers when the latest round of announced draw Downs is Complete. That will leave a total of about 2,000 within the Community a 99th area support group. Aside from the 2nd army Cav regt withdrawing units include a the 595th my co at Pinder Barracks in Birndorf. A the 2nd in 12th Field arty of Herzo base in Herzog Nakrach. A the 4th in 70th army regt of Ferris Barracks in Erlanger. Last week Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff reaffirmed the Pentagon a commitment to keep two army divisions in Europe. Each division has about 17,500 soldiers plus support elements. The two divisions will be dedicated to the German led nato multinational corps and Allied come Europe a rapid reaction Force Powell said. The air Force will have slightly More than three fighter wings in Europe Down from 8yi during the cold War. An air Wing has about 72 fighter jets and 2,500 people. About 250,000 service members remained in Europe beginning Jan. 1, including about 150,000 army troops. A senior Pentagon official confirmed last week that the army a troop withdrawal has accelerated in order to Cut overseas Cost of living expenses. The army will reach its target of 92,200 soldiers in Europe by october 1993, and More than 1,000 troops Are leaving Germany each week the official said. Staff writers Ron Jensen Joseph Owen and Ken Clae son contributed to this report