European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 27, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 3 i s optimistic by Ron Mckinney staff writer Rhein main a Germany operation provide Hope ended wednesday morning with a Brief ceremony shortly before two russian cargo aircraft departed with the final loads of humanitarian Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent states. A the presence Here of the two russian aircraft is a Symbol of the russian spirit of self help we have seen throughout this Mission a . Consul general Pierre Shostal told a crowd of nearly 200 at the ceremony which was held on the Rhein main Abb flight line with a russian Antonov an-124 in the background. Shostal then spoke in russian wishing the russians Success in building a democratic and free society. A we Are optimistic about our future and we believe we will get out of trouble and Russia will survive a said Ella Alexandrova Panfilova the minister of social Protection of the russian federation and first Deputy of the commission on matters of International humanitarian assistance and technical Aid. A a we cherish very much the assistance being provided to  the crowd of mostly military service members politely clapped following the statements of the two speakers. While some were drawn to help celebrate operation provide Hope others came to take a look at the russian aircraft among the largest in the world with a wingspan of 240 feet. Tech. Sgt. John Taylor a technician who does maintenance work on the c-5 and c-141 aircraft came to the ceremony for a last look at the Antonov an-124. He was Given a tour of the aircraft earlier wednesday morning and was impressed. A a it a Nice i Tell you. Something else. This thing was in secrecy for years a Taylor said of the russian aircraft. Tech. Sgt. Gary Ransom came to the ceremony with his wife Bonnie and 5-year-old son Timothy to see the russians and pay tribute to the . Involvement in operation provide Hope. A a it a pretty Good that we re getting rid of our excess stuff and putting it to Good use instead of keeping it in storage a Ransom said. In 65 flights to 24 cities in the former Sas Dave Dudlo in a ceremony at Rhein main a russian federation official Ella Alexandrova a Mollova expresses gratitude for american Aid. Soviet Union military Airlift come c-141 and c-5 aircraft logged More than 391,451 Miles with Only one flight delayed for maintenance. The humanitarian Mission provided 1,857 tons of food and 416 tons of medical Aid to the Cis. A supported by the planes and people of the . Transportation command we have once again demonstrated the exceptional ability of our Forward based forces to provide prompt and effective Relief to those in critical need in nearly any location a said Gen. John r. Galvin commander of the . European come in a prepared statement to the joint information Bureau at Rhein main a. However the symbolic Mission of provide Hope is just the beginning of continued Aid for the Cis. The next phase of the . Humanitarian Aid program consists of implementing a $165 million agriculture department commodity Grant and the transport of 15,000 tons of excess military food and Medicine stored at Pisa Italy. The commodities include dry milk flour vegetables butter Oil infant formula and Rice. A we Hope to have All of these supplies delivered by midyear at the latest a . Diplomat Richard l. Armi Trage said in a prepared statement. Operation provide Hope figures location 1. Alma Ata Kazakhstan 2. Archangel Russia 3. Ashkhabad Turkmenistan 4. Baku. Azerbaijan 5. Bishkek Krywy Sustan 6. Chelyabinsk Russia 7. Chita Russia 8. Dushanbe Tajikistan 9. Irkutsk Russia 10. Kemerovo Russia 11. Kharkov Ukraine 12. Kiev Ukraine 13. Kishinev Moldova 14. L Vav Ukraine 15. Minsk Belarus 16. Moscow Russia 17. Novokuznetsk Russia 18. Semipalatinsk Russia 19. Perm Russia 20. St. Petersburg Russia 21. Tashkent Uzbekistan 22. Ulan Ude Russia 23. Yekaterinburg Russia 24. Yerevan Armenia total numbers no. Of flights medical supplies in tons food in tons 4 26.21 30.20 1 0 21.78 4 35.46 38.12 4 26.71 20.24 3 24.12 22.32 2 18.37 18.96 1 0 17.01 4 31.76 37.56 2 0 34.40 1 0 15.69 1 0 20.36 2 39.76 0 3 27.81 21.48 2 34.34 0 2 28.51 0 4 0 412.11 1 0 18.17 3 15.74 116.96 1 0 20.87 7 49.29 500.28 4 32 1 15.09 1 0 18.23 1 16.32 0 7 10.32 457.64 64 416.83 1,857.47 56.41 21.78 73.58 46.95 46.44 37.33 17.01 69.32 34.40 15.69 20.36 39.76 49.29 34.34 28.51 412.11 18.17 132.70 20.87 549.57 47.20 18.23 16.32 467.96 2,274.30canada to leave bases in Germany year Early by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau recession Ridden Canada will close its two military bases in Germany a year earlier than planned and no longer expects to leave a 1,100-troop task Force in Europe. Canadian forces base Baden Solingen located in Germany a Rhine Valley about 20 Miles South of Karlsruhe will close in the summer of 1993, the forces said wednesday. Canadian forces base Lahr 30 Miles farther South will close in 1994. Those developments were but two of several changes resulting from fl.9 billion in defense budget cuts Over the next five Vears. The cuts Are part of a 1992 93 Ted Era 1 budget package that Canadian finance minister Don Mazanowski unveiled tuesday in the House of com0bnusdge? $850 million in Federal spending for the current year alone and it includes 5 percent salary cuts for prime minister Brian Mulroney and his 38  Cabinet ministers the associated press reported. It also abolishes 46 agencies boards commissions and government owned corporations. Defense cuts in the 1992-93 budget total $219 million leaving a defense budget of $10.9 billion. The forces said the cuts will prompt a a reduction in Active duty forces to 75,000, instead of 76,000. A postponement of a Forward operating location for Cf-18s in Quebec. A closure of Canadian forces station Bermuda. A slower growth in the Reserve forces. Canadian forces Europe Headquarters has not set a schedule yet for the accelerated withdrawal from Germany because it had not had time wednesday to review the budget announcement said a spokesman army i t. Col. Ralph Coleman. About 4,200 Canadian troops Are stationed at Lahr and 2,000 at Baden Solingen he said. Canadas military strength in Europe peaked at More than 8,000 in the late 1980s. The forces stressed that the government remains committed to a three service combat ready military capable of responding to crises at Home and abroad and that Canadas commitments to nato and Europe Are unchanged. The forces will continue to assign 144 troops to the nato airborne Early warning Force at Geilen Kir Chen Germany Coleman said