European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and Stripe saturday february 15, 1992 an Munich bids nostalgic Farewell by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Munich Germany a a single red Rose stood in a Beer Mug on the console where for one last time army sgt. Jeff Reilly was plugging and unplugging tape cassettes pushing knobs and craning his neck to an american forces network radio microphone. A Young woman crying profusely had dropped off the Flower Friday morning at Reilly a duty station the an studios in Munich a sch Abing District. A she said a i done to know anybody in the army or anything like that but i just wanted to come by a a said Reilly 28, a Sacramento calif., native. The woman was among a Stream of visitors Friday to the studios at Kaulbach Strasse 45 who came by to bemoan the end of local an broadcasting. The final three hour show much of it composed of recorded interviews with former employees tested the announcers ability to speak with poise in the face of distraction. The studio a clock was running four seconds behind. Former broadcasters kept popping in unexpectedly. Television cameramen hovered like dragonflies around Reilly and his co Host on the 11 . Show air Force staff sgt. Brad Schmidt. A we got the notice that this would be our last show about two weeks ago a Reilly said. He added that he spent the last week tracking Down former an Munich employees to stimulate some nostalgia and record their dismay at the demise of Afna a oldest German station. The station began broadcasting at 5 55 . On june 10, 1945, the product of an army officers unauthorized Effort using borrowed radio equipment and operating from the Back of an army Van. The station soon moved into Kaulbach Strasse 15, a mansion vacated by a nazi Leader and remained there until moving to its current offices in 1984. Munich a final broadcast was aired on the entire 10-Stalion an network Friday. Reilly played a selection of songs and shows that helped make an so popular locally that one German radio station once hid the results of a Survey that showed All three of its programs had a smaller listening audience than an. The Woody Woodpecker theme song. Dinah Shore. Amos in Andy. Blueberry Hill. And of course sex i Elvis Presley crooning Heartbreak hotel. In the next room army set. Allen Jank chief Engineer tried in vain to tame the three Wall phones that  Stop ringing. On the air a segment of a Dwight d. Eisenhower speech ran chased into oblivion by the coasters Yelling the lyrics to Yakey Yak. A i think in be never been Here a said Munich natives amps oomph own army sgt. Jeff Reilly left coaxes memories from German television show Host Fritz Egner who worked at an Munich from 1974 to 1978. Egner was a special studio guest during the stations final three hour broadcast Friday. Fritz Egner referring to Afna a sch Abing District location. Egner worked As an an Engineer at the former location from 1974 to 1978. Egner who started his broadcasting career by filling in for an an announcer who had overslept is now a Well known German television personality. A for me of course it is a very sad moment a Egner said. A there will be a big Gap in the air that can to be replaced because an is  the studio probably never had this Many guests before a German visitor told station manager army sgt. Melissa Stup. A we never closed the studio before a she responded. Back in studio a cuts from the Steve Miller band and the carpenters played improbably Back to Back. The instrument Needles flailed out a spastic Ballet As sex announcer Neil Fontaine talked on tape about his Days at the station. In the corridor sex announcer Jim Sampson recalled going to a Gold record ceremony in 1976 in Honor of disco divas Silver convention which he said was the first German contemporary pop band to score a no. 1 single in the United states. The producer told him he had devised the tune from pieces of songs Sampson had been playing on an in the previous four years. Afterwards Reilly and Schmidt schmooze through the final chit Chat at 12 44 . Then Reilly Cut Over to tapes announcing the end of Munich s broadcasting service. The National Anthem played. And just before the Nimberg studio took control of the broadcast signal at 1 ., there were two deliberate seconds of what radio stations usually fear silence. What did it signify from Munich at least there a no More Yakey Yak army alters eligibility for Early out programs Washington a amps the army has added and dropped a number of military occupational specialities and ranks from the list of those eligible for the voluntary separation incentive Vii and special separation Benefit sub. Skills and ranks that have been added to the eligibility list according to a recent message Are 16h a staff sgt., sgt. 1st class 16j a sgt. 1st class 27e staff sgt. 27g sgt., staff sgt., sgt. 1st class 27m staff sgt. 33y sgt. 35u sgt. 39l sgt. 39y sgt., staff sgt. 57f a sgt. Sgt. 1st class 62n staff sgt. 72e a staff sgt., sgt. 1st class 72g a staff sgt., sgt. 1st class 92e staff sgt. 98d a sgt. 1st class 98g sgt. Eligibility for the last skill on that list 98g, is limited to soldiers with czech German or polish linguist specialities. Skills and ranks that have been dropped from the original eligibility list that appeared in the stars and stripes Jan. 25 Are 25p sgt. 27l a sgt. 1st class 29n staff sgt. 51r sgt. 76p staff sgt. Additionally one listing in the Jan. 25 Chart was incorrect. The Chart listed sergeants in specially 62n As eligible for the two incentive programs. Only staff sergeants in that skill Are currently eligible. Soldiers in All skills and ranks currently listed under the Vii and sub messages must have at least nine years of service As of dec. 31, 1991, to be eligible. Total army personnel come officials say that the actual separation Date for soldiers who choose to leave the army under the provisions of the two incentive programs will be Between june 1 and sept. 29., in addition the army is allowing the following categories of soldiers to take the Vii or sub a corporals and specialists in any skill with More than seven years of service As of dec. 31,1991. A sergeants in any skill with More than 12 years of service As of dec. 31, 1991. Soldiers in All of the above categories must request the Vii or sub no later than feb. 29. Soldiers applying for voluntary separation May request a specific release Date but it cannot be later than sept. 29. More information on army Vii and sub eligibility can be obtained from local personnel  train service Back on track for americans the daily train for . Forces Between Frankfurt and Berlin is Back a Only now it is a single 54-seat first class car attached to the intercity train Between the two cities. The service began feb. 1 and replaces the duty bus that provided the link Between the two cities after the duty train service ended in december 1990, said William Price supervisor of the Berlin military Community booking office. No smoking will be allowed in the contract car but passengers can use All the trains facilities including the dining car. The contracted car will be for the exclusive use of Berlin bound or based service members their families and other authorized passengers. Eligibility for travel remains the same As the duty bus. The order of priority for travellers is a people travelling on orders including local nationals and department of the army civilians. A Berlin based soldiers Dod employees and their families on leave or pass. A soldiers Dod employees and their family members based outside Berlin. Travellers without orders can make reservations for one Way Only Price said. Return reservations can Only be made after arrival in Frankfurt or Berlin. Reservations and requests for stand by travel can be made by calling the Berlin booking office at civilian 030-819-6381/ets 332-6381 or the Frankfurt booking office at civilian 069-151-5755/ets 320-5755. The one year contract has options for two additional years Price said. Ramstein seeks environmental funds Ramstein a Germany a environmental program managers at Ramstein a have asked for about $4.8 million during fiscal 1992 for existing and future projects. Last fiscal year Ramstein sought an estimated $12 million and received roughly $5.6 million said staff sgt. Doyle Tillman of the Ramstein Public affairs office. The Money was spent on Long Range projects outlined by the German government. A the command Section is very much environmentally conscious a Tillmar said. A we want to be Good neighbors to our German  the installation of a new filter syst err at the water Plant and improvements to the Vogel Weh sewer line which involved connecting it to the municipal system in Kaiserslautern were among the project funded in 1991