European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes saturday february 8, 1992canadians offer Early out pay too cuts reach into top ranks of Canada s forces by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Lahr Germany a the upper ranks in Canadas military will absorb the heaviest cuts proportionately during the Force reductions scheduled Between now and late 1994. The restructuring announced by the government in september requires a reduction in Overall Canadian troop strength from 84,000 to about 76,000, a drop of about 9.5 percent. The number of Active duty generals and admirals is to drop by 20 percent while the number of colonels and Navy captains will drop by 15 percent. The forces now include about 23,500 soldiers 21,500 airmen and 10,000 sailors in addition to troops in National communications personnel support and material units. The cuts will reduce the count to 20,500 soldiers and 18,500 airmen. An additional 2,000 cuts will come from the National communications personnel support and Materiel units. There will be no Cut in the number of sailors. The restructuring also Calls for beefing up the primary and secondary Reserve forces from 44,000 to 65,000. Canada has 6,809 troops in Europe. The Canadian draw Down will remove More than five sixths of them by mid-1995, leaving about 1,100 army troops. They will be stationed on an As yet unidentified installation of one of Canadas nato allies. About half of the Canadian forces still in Europe belong to the army a 1st Canadian div fwd commanded by Brig. Gen. Clive Addy. When Addy took command in april the division had about 4,500 troops. The total is 3,300 now and should drop to 2,200, or Battle group size during the summer. The unit probably will cease to be called a division then. Addy said he is scheduled to receive a new assignment in the summer and his replacement is Likely to be a colonel. A total withdrawal of the Canadian forces from Europe seems unlikely. Aside from wanting to provide physical evidence that it remains committed to nato and the defense of Western Europe Canada needs a Forward base of operations to support its troops serving As . Observers and peacekeepers in the Middle East. By Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Lahr Germany a the Canadian forces like their . Counterparts Are using retirement incentives and Cash benefits to persuade troops in overstaffed trades to leave the military. In Europe 149 forces members in 31 trades have volunteered for discharge under the plan the forces said. After deciding which volunteers to accept the forces expect to discharge others involuntarily or Transfer them to other jobs. The forces european Headquarters will Start notifying troops about those decisions March 8, said air Force it. Col. Jerry Elias senior staff officer in the personnel Branch. Before the plan to Cut 8,000 troops from the Canadian forces emerged the forces already offered a transition program to help members nearing retirement. The program called second career assistance network or scan provides help in writing re sums and up to $2,000 . $1,7001 for College courses or seminars on Job seeking. The military is expanding that service and offering it to Force reduction candidates. A some of these Guys have been in the forces for 25 or 30 years and Haven to had a Job interview in a Long time a Elias said stressing the need for such support. Accepted volunteers and those released involuntarily get other benefits scaled to the individual s time in service. An army or air Force private with four years service and no unused leave time from previous years for example would receive four weeks Severance pay and a refund of pension contributions As Well As four weeks annual paid leave and 24 weeks of special Force reduction leave. While on leave the forces member retains benefits such As Access to Post exchanges and military health care services. The private also could choose a Cash payoff instead of leave however walking away with about $20,149 . $17,133including Severance pay and pension contributions. Forces members with 10 to 20 years service have More options. They too can choose Between a Cash disbursement and the special paid leave which for them is nine months. They also can choose whether to take a refund of pension fund contributions an immediate reduced pension or a deferred annuity to be paid starting at age 60. They also get a weeks Severance pay for each year of service. Forces members with More than 20 years service discharged under the plan Are eligible for full retirement benefits immediately. They also get the nine months special leave and Severance pay according to the same formula. European based troops selected for discharge will enjoy extra benefits. They must be returned to their base of discharge in Canada no later than 30 Days before being discharged. Once at their discharge unit they Are entitled to be moved at government expense to a permanent residence. The forces done to expect they can accept every Volunteer for discharge Elias said because they need to maintain a proper distribution of rank and Job responsibilities. Similar rounds of reductions Are planned for 1993 and 1994. Asked to comment on the plan a Royal Canadian regt sergeant said troops who had interruptions in their military careers should receive special compensation. A forces member who leaves the military Early and then rejoins still must serve 20 consecutive years before being eligible for retirement with a military pension he said. A private in the same unit who also asked to remain unidentified said he also was not affected. But he added a you always pay attention because next year it could happen to  with 30 years of service behind him army Brig. Gen. Clive Addy 47, said he does t plan to retire yet but added a if i did id find the package  Addy commander of the 1st Canadian div fwd said 122 of the european based troops seeking Force reduction discharges come from his command. Although the number of volunteers exceeds what Addy had anticipated he still expects that others will be squeezed out of the forces against their will or transferred to other jobs. The selection process he said a will be based on Merit and past performance. You can to be Nice but you bloody Well can be fair and i think we be achieved  two decades ago the general said the forces endured a More substantial reduction of 30,000 troops a including inactivation of his own Armor unit nicknamed the fort Garry horse. A nobody enjoys doing it but we do it a he  returning Only 8 buildings at Bamberg base Bamberg Germany a amps a the partial return of Warner Barracks to Germany announced last week is limited to eight buildings deemed unnecessary the commander said. Col. John Miller commander of the 279th base support in said a we have been Able to identify a part of Warner Barracks i which is excessive to our  Miller said he sent information up the Chain of command that those buildings were not needed. Although he had received no confirmation As of tuesday that those eight buildings were indeed what was being returned a spokesman for the . Army in Europe confirmed that information wednesday afternoon. Miller said his Telephone began ringing shortly after 4 . Jan. 30, when the announcement was made. A i received a rash of Calls asking if 1 had heard the news and that it had been announced that Bamberg Swarner Barracks would be closing Quot he said. The news spread quickly through the Barracks that much or perhaps All of the base was being returned. Miller said that was Odd because he had announced at a town Hall meeting the Day before the announcement that several buildings had been identified As unnecessary. The eight buildings which Date to the turn of the Century Are four troop billets one battalion Headquarters one mess Hall and two Community activity buildings. Army announces six drives to replenish blood supplies by the stars and stripes the . Army Europe blood Bank will hold six blood drives this month aimed at replenishing its blood supplies a 7th medical come spokesman says. The Bank is critically Short of types of negative and a negative. Command spokesman Bill Swisher said the blood Bank under the auspices of the 655th medical co in Lan Stuhl Germany also needs a negative and a negative blood. Capt. James Johnson executive officer for the blood Bank said supplies were Low but not As Low As last month. Blood Bank officials said they have about 158 units of blood on hand but Are seeking 100 additional units. They skid a continuous Stream of donors is needed because the shelf life of blood is Only 35 Days. The commands blood Supply dwindled beginning last year when soldiers who Nad served in the persian Gulf were banned from donating. The ban followed the discovery of leishmaniasis a disease brought on by parasites indigenous to the re Gion. The ban remains in effect. Blood Center officials Are looking to family members for donations to help offset the loss of donors stemming from the ban. The blood Bank supplies . Military hospitals in Europe. Those hospitals can secure additional blood through the German red Cross when supplies Are Low Swisher said. If hospitals can to obtain enough blood from donors in Europe Swisher said additional supplies Are available through the armed services blood program in Philadelphia. Swisher said the Usa eur blood Bank often runs Low after the Christmas and new year holidays and during troop rotations. The blood drives scheduled in february Are Date location feb-11 Pir Masens Huster Holh gymnasium eb-12 Heidelberg Patton Banacka gymnasium �eb-1 a we Brucken a no location announced feb. 18-20 Hanau Ellegert Iobst gymnasium �eb-25 Ramsten a recreation Center feb-26 bad Kreuz Nach Rose Barracks gymnasium no gets 3-year sentence for rape Stuttgart Germany a a Vii corps he Soldier received a three year prison sentence this week after his conviction on charges of rape and carnal knowledge at the Stuttgart trial Center. Sgt. 1st class Jeffrey Robinson 32, of Havana fla., pleaded guilty to carnal knowledge and innocent to the rape charge but the court found him guilty of both Vii corps spokeswoman Hildegard Citrone said. The third year of Robinsons sentence was suspended in accordance with a pretrial agreement she said. The offences occurred july 31 at Robinson s Apar ment in Stuttgart a bad Cannstatt District. The victim a 15-year-old girl was a . Militia family member. Robinson was assigned to the corps Headquarters intelligence Section then but was transferred later to h co Citrone said. The court also sentenced him to forfeiture of All pm and allowances reduction to the lowest enlisted ran and a dishonourable discharge