European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 b the stars and stripes Friday february 28, 1992 hundreds of army majors face Force outs panel told by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington a top army leaders told lawmakers wednesday that hundreds of officers May face involuntary separation this year but said no enlisted Force outs Are planned Between now and 1995. Secretary of the army Michael . Stone and chief of staff Gen. Gordon r. Sullivan also discussed with the House armed services committee Soldier morale assistance to civilians forced out of army jobs and plans for units and equipment to remain in Europe. The Pentagon submitted its budget request for fiscal 1993 to Congress in january. The service chiefs annually appear before the House and Senate armed services and appropriations committees to discuss their portions of the spending plan. Up to 600 army majors face involuntary separation this year officials said. Sullivan said that about 800 majors had applied for voluntary separation since Cash award programs were offered this year but the army wants to reduce that Grade by a total of 1,400. But Stone said he did not foresee forcing enlisted soldiers out Over the next three years. Rep. Les Aspin d-wis., committee chairman questioned the Wisdom of keeping 12 Active divisions when there is a shortage of ships and planes committed to moving forces to trouble spots around the world. Sullivan said reducing the planned 12 Active duty divisions would disturb the balance of forces needed to respond to potential crises. Aspin favors reducing defense spending Well below Levels proposed by the administration. Rep. Chet Edwards a Texas asked about the effect of current Force reductions and possible future reductions on soldiers morale. Sullivan indicated that effects on morale were unavoidable when 500 people a Day Bolton mass. Apr the nations oldest commercial nuclear Power Plant in operation a target of safety protests because of its age will be closed Down and dismantled its owner said wednesday. The Board of directors of Yankee atomic electric co. Voted unanimously against restarting the 185-megawatt Yankee Rowe Plant. Although the Plant has been idled since october for inspections it had eight years left on its operating License and the Board had intended to restart the facility. Economic decisions not safety questions prompted the decision Board members insisted. A you can honestly say that we re a victim of this recession a said Plant spokesman William Mcgee. Officials cited a dwindling demand for electricity As Well As the expense of addressing concerns raised by the nuclear regulatory commission and others about the condition of the reactor vessel the massive steel Container housing the reactor. At Issue was whether the 33-foot-High, 8-Inch-thick steel vessel had grown Brittle and become More Likely were leaving Central Europe. A there is an appropriate level of anxiety out there a Sullivan said. A we have to be careful that we done to accelerate what we re doing so that in fact we do damage people a Sullivan said. Asked about managing the civilian draw Down and the possibility of accelerating reductions of civilian employees in Europe Stone said the army would reduce its civilian strength by 100,000 worldwide Over six years. A they deserve and Merit and require just As much attention As we give to the professional uniformed army a he said of the civilian work Force. With regard to speeding up cuts in the foreign National work Force Stone Saia the army could not go below current Levels and still maintain the Pace of military withdrawals that Are underway. The army leaders said they had identified about $5 million a that would have been spent to House feed train and move soldiers in Europe a that can be redistributed in the current fiscal year because of the accelerated withdrawal of soldiers from Europe. Some of that Money will be spent on Quality of life programs for soldiers remaining in Europe. The remainder will be returned to the . Treasury they said. In addition to the two division corps scheduled to remain in Germany the army leaders said they plan to keep repositioned equipment pre positioning of Materiel configured to unit sets or Pom us stored in Europe. They noted that the equipment supported rapid deployment plans contained in the National military strategy. The army keeps combat equipment ready for six brigades in Central Europe and Tor one brigade in Italy in addition to four ships loaded with equipment at the Indian Ocean atoll of Diego Garcia another ship at sea and some in South Korea. To fail because it had been continually bombarded with Neutron radiation since the Plant began operation in 1963. The Utility voluntarily shut Down the Plant last october for additional inspection and testing. Mcgee said Plant officials had expected to spend $23 million on the Effort in the next six months. A the technical criteria we must meet and the path we must follow to restart the Plant Are not sufficiently defined to justify spending that amount of Money a Andrew c. Kadak the company a president and chief executive officer said in a statement. The Utility has spent at least $5 million to prepare for reactor tests Kadak said at a news conference. A a it a too expensive to find out what the condition of our vessel is a he said. A it is quite frustrating. We have had an extremely excellent  he said the Utility will spend More than $60 million to dismantle the Plant Over the next several years. About 137 tons of radioactive fuel will eventually be stored at a Federal site somewhere in the United states.  . Bank investigated for drug ties from wire reports Charlotte . A Federal officials Are investigating whether drug Money laundering is behind the phenomenal growth in the Cash surplus at Charlottes Federal Reserve Bank. The Branch saw its surplus Cash skyrocket from $53 million in 1990 to $968 million in 1991. A a lot of it is legitimate Money a said Wolfgang Preisler of the drug enforcement administration. A but there certainly is some drug Money. We be seen a lot of High Cost purchases like shopping centers and Golf  Dea agents have visited North Carolina Mountain resorts to warn real estate businesses about possible Money laundering activities. The surplus at the fed Branch in Charlotte North Carolinas largest City ranks fifth in the nation. By comparison its 1988 surplus was $28  to be destroyed St. Paul Minn. A an appeals court panel says county officials can destroy 5,000 firearms turned in through a Cash for guns program. The Minnesota court of appeals panel refused tuesday to Grant a stay sought by two gun owners whose weapons Haa been stolen. They contended that the county should have first tried to match the purchased guns against a list of those reported missing. The program in Hennepin county surrounding Minneapolis has been suspended since feb. 4, when its initial $250,000 budget was exhausted after six Days. Officials have been working on details of a plan to resume it. Deputy county attorney Louis Smith said that about $50,000 has been raised from private and corporate sources since the funding ran  wins Appeal Ventura Calif. A an appeals court overturned a cartoonists conviction on child sexual abuse ruling that his a Chester the molester cartoons for Hustler Magazine should not have been used As evidence. Dwaine Beverly Tinsley 46, of Simi Valley was convicted in 1991 of molesting his teen age daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison. The cartoon he created depicts a lecherous character who is attracted to girls. According to evidence at the trial the cartoonist told co workers a you can to write this stuff All the time if you done to experience  to love letters Salem Ore. A a Man imprisoned after breaking into a neighbors House has been ordered to Stop sending love notes to the couples 11-year-old daughter saying he wants to marry her and run away. Robert Coker 24, says he has shown his love the Only Way he knows now. A what happened to Romance a Coker told Koin to on tuesday. Letters from Coker a inmate at the Oregon state correctional institution to the daughter of Chris and Debbie Peterson of Independence began arriving last summer. Coker lived across the Street from the Petersons for four years. He said he would stand at the window for hours and watch their Home and their daughter. Coker was arrested on a burglary charge for entering the Home while the family was on vacation. Suspect killed in scuffle Elpaso Texas a a drug smuggling suspect tackled by a Border patrol agent was shot and killed in the scuffle when the agents Shotgun discharged the Fri said. The agent suffered a minor wound. Two agents on patrol said they tried to arrest five men smuggling marijuana across the Rio Grande on tuesday night said Fri special agent Richard Schwein. One Man tried to grab the agents Shotgun and it went off Schwein said. The four others escaped apparently across the River into Ciudad jul amp rez Mexico he said. Authorities said 200 pounds of marijuana a pistol and what appeared to be a sub machine gun were found at the scene. A two employees at Massachusetts Yankee Rowe nuclear Plant which will be closed for Good leave work wednesday. Yankee Rowe nuke Plant to close