European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes tuesday March 10, 1992alleged scud ship still out of reach Navy prepared to Board freighter if it nears Gulf by Andrew Rosenthal the new York times Washington a North korean freighter believed to be carrying scud missiles to Iran and Syria is still Well outside the area where american warships Are prepared to intercept the vessel and any confrontation Over the shipment is not Likely to occur for Days administration officials said sunday. The officials who insisted on anonymity said the United states is prepared to Board the ship As an intimidating gesture and a show of strength that Washington Hopes will Register its Strong objections to any delivery of scud missiles. The Washington Post reported sunday that the administration had decided to Board the vessel if it nears the persian Gulf but a senior administration official said sunday that the political issues were still being debated and that no orders had been issued to Stop the ship. The official also said that the administration hoped that diplomatic and Public pressure might prevent such a delivery although it would not be a violation of International Law. American military forces would have Legal authority to Board the ship Only if it is entering the Gulf which is covered by . Resolutions that imposed a naval blockade on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Ships from the american led coalition against Iraq have intercepted More than 13,000 ships so far. A was Long As the ship is outside the Gulf there is nothing we can really do a a senior official said. A but we re monitoring it  the official decline to say where the ship is now except that the Pentagon has a a pretty Good  even if the ship does enter the Gulf and american forces Board it the interception would be Little More than a symbolic gesture As Long As the ships officers do not try to resist. If the Navy confirms that the cargo matches the ships Manifest and is not bound for Iraq it does not have . Authority to seize the ship or its cargo or to turn it Back officials said. But it still would represent a potential source of political conflict with the three countries involved North Korea Iran and Syria. Scud missiles manufactured originally by the soviet Union Are a particularly inflammatory Issue for american officials since they were a Central part of iraqis attacks on the multinational coalition in saudi Arabia last year and have been portrayed by american officials As an especially ominous weapon even though their technology is decades old. The missiles said to be aboard the North korean vessel Are scud is a More accurate version of the soviet made scud is that were used extensively by Iran and Iraq in their a War of the cities a from 1985 to 1988. A North korean freighter believed to be carrying advanced scud a missiles May be headed for Iran or Syria. The scud a is reported to be More accurate and have a longer Range than previous  scud medium Range surface to surface missile length 37 feet diameter 3 feet launch weight 7 tons payload one 2,172-lb. Warhead conventional or chemical propulsion liquid fuel k accuracy within 1,476 feet j Range 186 Miles ii a Quot a r i. Source Jane s soviet intelligence review Appod paymasters seek communities Aid by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a like other Large defense department activities the sprawling defense finance and accounting service plans to slim Down by consolidating Many of its Small far Flung offices. But unlike earlier consolidations such As the revamping of the military commissary systems the Dias is going about it in a novel Way a by asking towns across the country to say Why the Agency should relocate a chunk of its Structure in their communities. At stake Are potentially thousands of government jobs for a handful of towns and cities across the United states Many of them still reeling from the effects of the economic slump. The initiative is the first of its kind under the defense management review to open up a consolidation Effort to participation by civilian communities. A a Liat we will say is a can you give us a better Deal than we have now can you give us the facilities and the work Force and make it cheap enough for us to do business in your town a if so Well provide x number of jobs in your Community a said Jean Marie Ward a spokeswoman for the Dias. The Impact of the Dias consolidation Effort overseas is unclear. An Agency official who asked not to be identified said several plans Are under consideration for revamping finance and accounting functions at bases abroad but nothing is settled yet. One possibility for example is to have one or More Large centers in Europe take the place of the Many scattered offices that now handle finance and accounting functions in that theater. A but there will always be someone that servicemen Bers can Contact with questions or problems a she said. A if there is no customer service window physically located at a base there la be a phone number for troops to Call. We feel we can continue to provide the troops with the support they need locally in those  she said the army consolidated Many of its finance and accounting functions in Europe into a smaller number of Sites in the late 1970s and Early 1980s, with few ill effects. Defense department finance and accounting responsibilities include paying All military personnel military retirees defense department civilian employees and contractors As Well As handling All temporary duty payments travel expenses foreign military sales and debt collections. The Dias created in late 1990, now handles Only military pay and some contract accounting with a work Force of about 12,000. In fiscal 1993, responsibility for All other finance and accounting functions will be transferred to the Agency which will at least double the size of its work Force said Doug Farbrother Dias assistant Deputy director for resource management. The defense departments finance and accounting work is now done at hundreds of locations Many of them Small offices with less than 100 people. The Dias also runs five Large centers formerly the finance Pentagon plans to whittle Down welter of 36 pay systems into 4 by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington a the defense department plans to consolidate 36 pay systems into four within the next three years according to an official with the defense finance and accounting service. The major change is that Many civilians will get their pay a week after the pay period rather than two weeks. It will also mean Many civilians will have to learn a new procedure for filling out their timecards. The four systems proposed Are a one for soldiers sailors and airmen serving with Active Reserve or National guard components. A one for marines. A one for All military retirees and those entitled to servicemen a group life insurance payments. A one for civilian employees paid through appropriated funds. A standardized pay system for the defense departments non appropriated fund civilians also is being planned. Overseas civilian employees will be the last to be converted to the new system said Gary Amlin the Deputy director for finance with the 1-year-old Dias. A we Haven to made a final decision on whether we will pay overseas employees from a Center in the states or from an overseas pay Center a he said. March is the first month that All Active duty soldiers and airmen will be paid entirely by one system. The next step is to pay sailors under the system he said then those serving with the reserves and National guard. Marines Are not scheduled for consolidation Amlin said because their pay and personnel systems Are integrated. Total payroll figures for fiscal 1992 include $51.4 billion for the military $24.7 billion for retirees and $38.6 billion for appropriated fund civilians. Cost savings drive the consolidation Amlin said. He said that each of the current pay systems requires unique computers computer programmers and clerks trained in a one of a kind system. Among the first visible Steps to consolidating the civilian pay system will be taken in april when the Navy a civilian employees West of the Mississippi will receive paychecks issued from the defense finance and accounting centers Denver Center. The site for a second civilian pay Center to be in the Eastern half of the United states will be selected this summer and put into operation during the next fiscal year Amlin said. The two centers will split about 1 million accounts for defense department employees As Well As providing backup for each other. And accounting Headquarters of the individual services before the defense Agency was created. Those centers Are located in Cleveland Denver Indianapolis Kansas City to. And Columbus Ohio. The Job of streamlining such a scattered Agency began about a year ago when the Dias began planning for a Standard consolidation study Farbrother said. At that time the base closure and realignment commission was considering a Pentagon recommendation to close fort Benjamin Harrison ind., except for one building a the huge Structure that housed the former army finance and accounting Center As Well As numerous other military activities and agencies. A but that building needed $125 million in renovations and the commission Felt it was too big and too expensive a Farbrother said. A so they put the building on the closure list but they did no to say what they wanted us to do in terms of relocating the army finance  at that Point local business leaders suggested that the City of Indianapolis might do something to help he said. A that opened our eyes to what was right under our noses communities Are always competing in the private sector for airline hubs postal service Sites Ana so on a Farbrother said. A we talked it up with other communities and got a very favourable reaction. It All seems so obvious in  although the initiative is the first of its kind within the defense department Farbrother said the Dias had one previous government Model to work from in designing its own plan. Factors such As availability of workers local wage rates schools and living costs will also figure in the decisions. The winners will not be announced until 1993, when the next round of deliberations of the base closure and realignment commission is completed. By Law All substantial actions regarding military facilities must be reviewed by the commission. The stakes Are High for communities that want a piece of the Dias action. Sites that Are picked will enjoy a substantial Broad based Long term economic benefits a spokeswoman Ward said