European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 26, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 13 commentary Walter r. Mear who s next to win democrats musical chairs another Day another Democrat. Thi time its Jerry Brown last in new Hampshire improbably close to first in Maine. Count that a setback for Paul Tsongas the new englander who won the new Hampshire presidential primary but could manage Only an impasse with Brown next door in Maine. Tsongas was supposed to parlay new Hampshire and the Maine democratic caucuses into a Send off that would boost him in states far from his Massachusetts Home so that he could overcome the detractors who called him a regional candidate. Instead Brown the former California governor with the strident anti establishment Campaign held Tsongas to a standoff. Tsongas had 29.5 percent of the Cau Cus delegates and Brown 29.3 percent but that represented a difference of Only 7 state convention delegates. That was with 97 percent of the caucuses counted. Since it was a party function with no official canvass of votes there May never be conclusive final numbers to say who won the virtual dead heat. Either Way Tsongas lost headway for his inability to win convincingly in a state that shares his accent. The Best the former Massachusetts senator could make of it was to say that Brown Wasny this real Competition for the National backing that will make a democratic presidential nominee. A my fight is with Bill Clinton at this Point a Tsongas said. Clinton was running fourth in Maine at 15 percent his share narrowly behind that of democratic caucus participants who wanted to stay uncommitted. A the Maine results seem to be showing a Victory for our we the people Campaign a Brown said at a Cable televised debate among democratic candidates in Sioux Falls . Well not quite Victory but close. The democrats were meeting tuesday in the South Dakota presidential primary with yet another entry sen. Bob Kerrey of next door Nebraska ranked the favorite in the polls. Iowa sen. Tom Harkin swept the first of the democratic events his Home state caucuses two weeks ago. The race was uncontested since none of the other candidates mounted significant Campaign efforts. For Kerrey or for Harkin South Dakota could be the finish. The loser Between them will have trouble continuing for Long As a credible candidate. Yet if South Dakota runs to the pollsters form charts it will be four winners in four contests a none of them Clinton although he is the Best financed of the lot with the most formidable organizations for the Rush of primaries just ahead. That a the round in which Clinton must prove himself a 24 contests in two weeks for 30 percent of the nominating votes at the democratic National convention. Clinton still May face problems Over the personal questions that began dogging him a month ago stalling Nis Campaign when he seemed to be gaining dominance. It began with a woman a unsubstantiated claim to have had a Long affair with him followed by questions about his Vietnam Era draft status. Clinton said his second place finish in the new Hampshire primary proved that he had overcome the personal issues he dismissed As unfounded trash. None of it came up sunday night in the latest of the democratic debates As Bland and inconclusive As the three that went before. It Wasny to quite As polite largely because of added debater Larry Agran the former mayor of Irvine calif., who tried for weeks to Force his Way into the major candidate forums. He got a seat this time although his new Hampshire showing was hardly major 322 votes or about 0.2 percent. Agran periodically sniped at Brown wagging a Finger at the former governor and telling him he was a late convert to Cam sign Reform after raising a tens of millions dollars in California and  Brown now limits contributors to $100 apiece. After limping in with 8 percent or the new Hampshire primary vote he went straight to Maine to Campaign for five Days More than any other candidate. The time the attention and his emphasis on the Issue of nuclear Power a Brown wants to end it Tsongas says there a a place for it a boosted Nim past anybody a guess. C the associated pro Asharry g. Summers  is forging Strong flexible strategy i was reassured to see emphasis being placed on the development of future Battlefield doctrine while at fort Rucker ala., to address the training and doctrine come senior leaders conference. Some 33 army generals were assembled at the army aviation Center to discuss the strategic concerns ahead. This conference was Only one of Many scheduled by Gen. Frederick m. Franks jr., training and doctrines new commander. A 1959 West Point graduate who returned to teach English there Franks left the Academy in 1969 for the 11th army Cav regt in Vietnam where he won a Silver Star medal for gallantry in action a Bronze Star medal for valor and two purple hearts for wounds received in action one of which Cost him his leg. Undaunted within five years he had received a masters degree in philosophy from Columbia University in new York and was Back in command of an armoured cavalry Squadron. Fifteen years later he took his Vii corps from Germany to the persian Gulf. With More than 1,000 tanks and 100,000 soldiers including my daughter in Law under his command Franks would Lead the main attack against the iraqi Republican guard. Franks selection As the postwar training and doctrine commander was inspired. By temperament training and combat experience this avuncular wooden legged Warrior philosopher was the perfect Choice to Lead the evolution of army airland Battle War fighting doctrine from its victories in the Gulf to new applications on future battlefields. What will that Battlefield look like no one can know for sure. That a the reason Franks regularly con Venes the commanders and commandants of the army War College the combined arms come and the command and general staff College the infantry Armor Field artillery air defense artillery and aviation schools the Engineer military police ordnance transportation signal chemical quartermaster chaplain medical and intelligence schools and the several army training centers. Also in attendance Are Liaison officers from the air forces tac air come and from the sea services. This mixture of expertise drawn from the combat combat support and combat service support echelons of the army and from the other armed services is designed to ensure that future Battlefield doctrine is rooted in reality. And the principal reality to emerge from the persian Gulf Battlefield is that conventional forces Are once More the True strategic forces of the United states. Not Only is the cold War at an end so also is the Era of nuclear a a strategic weapons As Well. The adjective a a strategic implies War winning and at the beginning of the atomic Era that appellation was hijacked to apply Only to nuclear forces especially the a forces strategic air come which was formed As a separate specified command in 1946. Though the Eisenhower pipe dream that nuclear weapons alone could provide for our Security was Short lived the notion that nuclear weapons were a a strategic lingered on for another generation. Reality began to intrude on those illusions even before the end of the cold War. The 1987 agreement to scrap intermediate Range nuclear weapons was the beginning of the end Ana the subsequent breakup of the soviet Union has accelerated the process. Not a Day now passes without new proposals to scrap Short Range nuclear weapons entirely and to severely limit the number of Long Range nuclear missiles. While a deterrent Force of such weapons will be maintained to ensure against nuclear attack of the american Homeland the nuclear Era per be is at an end. The persian Gulf War was the first major conflict fought by the United states since world War ii in which nuclear weapons did not loom menacingly in the background. As former Secretary of state Dean Rusk has repeatedly testified they were a major limiting Factor on . Actions during the Vietnam War. Ironically that ordeal sparked a service wide Renaissance in thinking about conventional War. Within the army it led to the 1982 airland Battle doctrine and a renewed awareness of the army a critical Battlefield role. By virtue of its ability to seize and control land the army is at once the nations True a a strategic Force and at the same time the consummate joint service totally dependent on the Navy and air Force both to get it to the Battlefield and to support and sustain it once there. Walking that precarious Tightrope is Only one of Franks major tasks As he forges a new army War fighting doctrine a strategic doctrine Strong enough to overcome any foe yet flexible enough to Cope with the unknowns that lie ahead. Retired army col. Harry q. Summers or is a distinguished fellow of the army Wir cof Leoa and author of the recently published on strategy it. A critical an Ytit of tha ponian quit War c los Angeles times Syndicate