European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes saturday february 15, 1992higher pension contributions proposed by Mike Causey the Washington Post Washington a nearly 1.5 million employees a about half the Federal work Force a could lose up to $1 billion a year in take Home pay if Congress approves a plan to make civil service retirement system participants pay a bigger share of their pension costs. Most of the pre-1984 hires who Are under the program contribute 7 percent of their salary to the retirement fund. That entitles them to a civil service Benefit based on salary and length of service at age 55 with 30 years service at age 60 with 2tkyears�?T or at age 62 with five years service. As with social Security most Federal workers recover their contributions in annuity pay ments within 18 months of retiring. Under president Bush a budget plan the systems benefits  change but workers would have to put 8 percent of their salary into the pension fund next year and 9 percent in 1994, the White House says the idea is to make employees pay a fairer share of their retirement costs like people under the Federal employees retirement system which replaced the old retirement program in 1983. Fers workers contribute much less to the civil service fund and get a smaller Benefit. They pay into social Security. But to match what they would have gotten under the old civil service retirement system the White House said the newer workers must voluntarily contribute anywhere from 5 percent to 10 percent of salary into the Stock Bond or Treasury funds of their tax deferred Thrift savings plan. Many people done to accept the argument that Veteran Federal workers in the civil service retirement system Are not paying enough. One of them is rep. Constance Morelia r-md., who represents Many government employees. She a asked the congressional research service for an expedited Cost Benefit study of the two pension plans. Morelia said she thinks the study will make it easier for Congress to reject the higher retirement contribution As it did when president Ronald Reagan proposed it. Army alters eligibility for Early out programs High level visit the chairman of the joint chiefs of Stair Gen. Colin l. Powell departs the coast guard Ocean tug Mohawk thursday after a tour of the ship stationed off the coast of Cuba. Powell was visiting the naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where thousands of haitian refugees Are being repatriated. 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 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 2sp sgt. 27l 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 offices. 7 killed in collapse of gym ceiling Tokyo apr the ceiling of a gymnasium being built at a  naval base collapsed Friday killing seven japanese construction workers and injuring 13, police said the workers were on top of the ceiling when it gave Way while being reinforced with Concrete officials said. The two Story gym is at Katsugi naval air facility an installation shared by the . Navy and Japan a maritime self defense Force about 30 Miles Southwest of Tokyo the workers were All from zen Itaka gum a construction company under contract with the japanese government police said. . Planning peacekeeping Force for Yugoslavia despite resistance United nations a . Leaders Are moving ahead with plans to Send up to 13,000 peacekeepers to Yugoslavia despite opposition by a serb militia commander and breaches of the 6-week-old truce. The Force would be the largest . Peacekeeping contingent since i960 and the first on the european Mainland. The recommendation thursday by . Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali to quickly intervene in Croatia reverses previous . Pledges not to Send forces until a firm cease fire is reached. But . Spokesman Francois Giuliani said Boutros Ghali thinks the situation could Worsen without . Intervention. More than 8,000 people have died in the civil War since Croatia declared Independence june 25. The 15-nation Security Council is expected to authorize the Force next week the first peacekeepers could arrive within two weeks officials said. A 75-member . Liaison team is in Yugoslavia to Monitor the cease fire. Giuliani said he Wasny to sure How Large a Force Boutros Ghali would recommend. Still it would be the largest such operation since the . Sent 20,000 peacekeepers to the belgian Congo now Zaire in 1960. Marrack Goulding the undersecretary general in charge of peacekeeping met thursday with officials from countries that could contribute troops. Diplomats said 31 countries were considering participation. They Are Argentina Australia Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Canada Colombia Czechoslovakia Denmark Egypt Finland France Ghana Ireland Kenya Luxembourg Malta Nepal the Netherlands new zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan Poland Portugal Russia Singapore Sweden Switzerland the United kingdom and  searches for 2 gis missing in Panama Panama City Panama up a the . My is continuing its search for two soldiers who disappeared two weeks ago while on Jungle training officials said thursday. A the search by the . Army and the panamanian police continues a said Maritza Pearce spokeswoman for the Panama based . Army South. She said the . Army still had no information on the possible whereabouts of pvt. Gary Veilleux and pvt. Antonio Gunn who were reported missing  after they failed to return to their Camp at fort Sherman on Panama a Atlantic coast. The two soldiers were undergoing Jungle training the fort Pearce said. The soldiers families have been contacted but had no knowledge of their whereabouts or the reason for their disappearance said the . Official who could not provide the Ages or hometowns of the two soldiers. At