European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a the stars and stripes Friday february 7, 1992staffs from Page 1 be expected during the largest deployment of . Medical personnel since world War ii and under the circumstances a we can be very proud of what we did. In a convinced we could have taken care of  the army never got a Chance to test the full extent of its medical capabilities because the War ended much sooner than expected a the ground portion of the conflict took barely 100 hours a and resulted in 146 . Soldiers killed in action. About 100 More died in accidents. Anticipating casualties in the Range of 5,000 to 10,000 . Soldiers the army established a massive medical presence in saudi Arabia with 44 Field hospitals ranging in size from 60-bed Mobile combat units to a 1,000-bed Hospital in the rear. The system included 13,500 Hospital Beds and was staffed by 24,000 medics 1,460 of them physicians. The air Force and the Navy also operated medical facilities assigned to operation desert storm a including two Navy Hospital ships with a total 2,000 Beds a but these were not considered in the study. The army a medical system was by far the largest of the three services and thus has received the most attention. One of the worst afflictions cited by the Gao was the army a failure to update its medical personnel records during peacetime. This led to a number of cases in which doctors nurses and others were assigned to jobs for which they were not qualified. The gynaecologist for example said that Quot the Only Chest he had opened was in medical school and belonged to a Goat a according to the report. In other cases officers often had not taken the required 12-week course in Basic soldiering skills. The army also was hampered by faulty equipment such As outdated Hospital tents that a could not withstand the Sand and windstorms a the report said. The army subsequently replaced the older Field hospitals with newer models stockpiled in Europe. But on average these contained Only 40 percent of required equipment according to the report. Some units moreover received Only Quot three Days Supply of critical items such As narcotics anaesthesia antibiotics and a Ray film and other units received  other logistical problems included medical evacuation helicopter Crews who had trouble locating fuel depots during Long flights Between pickup Points and hospitals. Quot some air ambulances reported Landing next to Tanker trucks tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles to ask for fuel or for directions to the nearest fuel Supply a the report said. They just Don t prepare food the Way they used to. For a look at How people ate in ancient times see stories on pages 14 and 15. Haiti limiting returnees Haiti has moved to slow the return of boat people being repatriated from Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Haiti said it will accept Only half the number of coast guard cutters . Officials had planned to Send this week a . Embassy official said. A Page 4 Iran hostage probe oked the House after a scathing partisan debate wednesday authorized an investigation into whether the 19b0 Reagan Bush Campaign conspired with Iran to delay the release of . Hostages. A Page 5 8 reactors targeted the nuclear regulatory commission on wednesday cited eight commercial reactors including four in Illinois for special surveillance. A Page 6 Mexico to help at Border mexican authorities promised to try to dam the flow of illegal aliens streaming through the Highway crossing near san Diego Calif. A Page 7 Rich would Benefit More than 52 percent of the capital gains tax Cut proposed by president Bush would go to 491,000 couples and individuals with incomes above $200,000 a year congressional analysts say. A Page 17 Index i Abby Ann Landers 19 action line .16 comics.19-21 commentary.13 faces no places .18 letters .12 Money matters.17 sports.22-28 to listings.27 weather.11powell from Page 1 the presidents program and Jon to try to get additional savings out at this time. The Pentagon a budget requests Calls for a $50 billion Cut Over the next five years. Powell said any further cuts would cause a dangerous return to the weakened Force that contributed to the causes of world War ii and the korean War Powell said. Powell a comments came during an informal news conference held in the joint chiefs dining room in the Pentagon. Ear units from Page 1 said. A a it a been a fun place to live and a fun place to  at its height the regiment numbered 4,500 soldiers. During the withdrawal some soldiers will leave the army others will Transfer to the United states and others will remain in Europe with other units officials said. The units colors will be returning to the United states where another unit May take them Over and be renamed the 2nd army Cav regt. The january february Issue of the Armor Branch newsletter said the regiment will be moving to fort Lewis wash., near Tacoma but officials said they could not comment Ingroup eyes by Amy ge1szler-Jones . Bureau a group that wants the land on Raf Greenham common to be returned to citizen use is viewing the air forces impending withdrawal from the base As a step in that direction said a spokesman for the group a a we re very pleased that the policies of nato have worked in winning the cold War and that the americans now feel Able to leave. And we Hope this is a step towards getting our commons again Quot said Christopher Austin chairman of commons again. The group consists of locals who want the land returned to common use and their so called commoners rights returned. The announcement that the air Force would completely withdraw from Greenham common a former ground launched cruise missile base 47 Miles Southwest of London was made Jan. 30. About 196 service members 54 . Civilians and 92 British ministry of defense employees work at the base which will close by Lier in the Day Powell and Secretary of defense Dick Cheney concluded their first week of testimony before congressional armed services and budget committees on the new defense package. Quot the korean War broke out in 1950, five years after we went from a 12 million Man army Down to almost nothing. And the next thing we knew american soldiers were dying because they were unprepared for that War a Powell said. Powell and Cheney face a Tough fight in Congress Over the budget they submitted Jan. 28, a budget that Calls for no new manpower cuts in the Active duty Force despite reduced tensions with the the units future. The 2nd army Cav regt has been on continuous Active duty since 1836. Although several medical units were named of the wednesday list Peden Barrack sin Wertheim is the Only installation where patient services will be affected according to a wednesday news release from the 7th medical come. Medical and dental clinics will close in the bavarian town by the end of june and the nearest facilities for those troops who remain will be nearby at the . Army Hospital in Wurzburg the release said. The 32nd army air defense come a Darmstadt based unit that sent Patriot missile Crews to  the persian Gulf War has been Cut by half through draw Downs and unit reshuffling. A year ago the command numbered 11,000, but its soldiers who Are spread sept. 30, said sgt. Merrie Lowe a 3rd air Force spokeswoman. The base is to be turned Over to the ministry of defense which has made no decision about the bases future according to the Royal air Force. Greenham common occupies two land areas known As commons. Sections of land were set aside in medieval times for common use by All citizens with commoners rights allowing residents of the commons to Graze livestock and collect gravel Wood and Bracken a Type of Fern from the lands. Last year the defense ministry extinguished the commoners rights under a 19th Century Law claiming that commoners rights could hamper future use of the base. The rights also precluded certain types of development such As building factories or civilian airports on the property which Are a key reason commoners had sought to retain their rights to the land. The movement to return the property to commons land has been joined by former East bloc countries. Manpower cuts arc what Powell fears most he said because payments to service members make up almost half of the defense budget and trimming the Force is the fastest Means of reducing the defense outlays. Legislators have submitted More than 15 proposals to trim the proposed de Fesne budget. The proposals include cuts ranging from a few billion dollars to some calling for cuts nearly twice As much As those under the Bush plan. During recent testimony sen. Edward Kennedy d-mass., challenged Powell to outline a threat that justified keeping the same Force proposed by Bush one year ago. Across Germany had dwindled to about 6,800 by the Start of the week. Another 1,500 soldiers will depart because of the wednesday announcement said it. Col. William Harkey Public affairs officer for the command. A the Bottom line is we re getting smaller like everybody else is a Harkey said. A but we will be no less capable of responding to crises in the future. We will still be the largest air defense organization in the army and we will still be just As formidable a defense against air  a . Air forces Europe spokesman said thursday that the command is proceeding with plans to reduce its forces from 80,000 to 45,000 by 1995. Doug Moore said the command was not aware of any current plan to Speed the reduction. Peace activists camped outside the base Gates who no longer have their anti nuclear cause to Champion. The local member of parliament sir Michael Mcnair Wilson has also joined the Campaign. On monday two members of the commons again group were arrested and charged by local police with criminal damage after they Cut a Hole in the perimeter Fence and went on base. A their defense will be that they had a Legal right to be on the base Quot because of their status As commoners said Austin. Previous attempts by the group to mount a Legal Challenge to the stripping of their commoners rights by the defense ministry in Britain a High court have failed. In a related Greenham common closure matter Lowe said Raf Welford a storage base for conventional munitions about 10 Miles from Greenham common will be supported by Raf upper hey Ford about 40 Miles North of Welford. About 200 airmen Are stationed at Welford. Greenham s commons