European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 30, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3 unjust treatment of disabled vets fought by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington a three Florida lawmakers Are backing a Bill that would Correct what they say Are inequities in the Way disabled military retirees Are compensated. Under current Law retirees receiving department of veterans affairs disability payments have their retirement pay reduced by an equal amount of their disability pay. However those reductions do not apply to civil service retirees who receive veterans disability payments. A a it a unjust that military retirees must forfeit their retirement pay Dollar for Dollar if they want to receive disability compensation a sen. Connie Mack r-fla., said at a Senate armed services committee hearing last week. A this Means that a civil service employee receiving disability pay gets More in compensation Overall than a military person with the same disability a said Mack who is co sponsoring the Bill in the Senate with his Florida colleague Democrat Bob Graham. A disability pay is for injuries suffered in connection with military service a Graham said. A retirement pay is for faithful military service. To mix the two is irrational to begin with. Its even More irrational to have a different Standard for  however the Cost of implementing the Bill could prove to be insurmountable. The congressional budget office estimates that the legislation would Cost More than $460 million in fiscal 1993. The Bill would affect about 300,000 veterans Many of whom fought in world War ii. Rep. Michael Birlirakis r-fla., the Bill a sponsor in the House acknowledged that the legislation has been held up in that chamber because of Cost concerns. But Birlirakis pointed out that the Bill would not lift the deduction completely but would replace that formula with a sliding scale based on the percentage of disability. The formula would help hold Down costs he said. For example a Veteran determined to be 90 percent disabled would receive full disability pay and military retirement pay less an amount equal to 10 percent of the disability compensation. That Means that a 90 percent disabled Veteran who received $900 a month in disability pay would have to forfeit $90 a month from the retirement pay. Under the current formula the Veteran would have the full $900 per month deducted from the retirement pay. The defense department opposes the legislation. Christopher Jehn the Pentagon s manpower chief said disabled military retirees do not really forfeit retirement pay on a Dollar for Dollar basis because the disability compensation is not taxed. He also said that comparing military and civilian retirement pay is not simple. A for one thing military personnel can retire at a much younger age than civil service employees a he  acted while others just watched by Ron Mckinney staff writer rot Germany a Lori Schlichter walked into a scene in Germany not unlike one that might be found in new York City a Middle aged woman sprawled motionless in a train station surrounded by about 30 onlookers who were doing nothing. But Schlichter did not hesitate to help the stricken woman inside Heidelberg main train station March 16. And be. Cause she stepped in Ella Backfisch is alive and recovering others said. Schlichter 37, said anger and necessity prompted her to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation something she had not practice since she was a seventh grader in Minneapolis. �?o1 looked around and saw about 30 people standing around doing nothing a Schlichter said. A a it a so stupid. It really made me  the self employed computer consultant checked the 53-year-old victims pulse and breathing. As Schlichter began Mouth to Mouth resuscitation no one offered to help. A i literally had to yell at someone to give her a heart Massage a she said. A girl eventually stepped Forward and Schlichter gave her a Quick lesson on How to pump the heart a which i Wasny to really sure about How to  meanwhile the stricken woman a husband Artur Backfisch frantically searched his wife a belongings for the Metal tube his wife carried following her recent tracheotomy an incision designed to open an artificial breathing Hole in the Throat. She was on her Way to a Hospital for a checkup when she collapsed about 7 45 . A her heart had stopped beating a Artur Backfisch said. A it was just fantastic Luck that someone was there who knew what to do. Had it happened anywhere else it probably a amps Ron Mckinney Lori Schlichter would have been her  within moments Schlichter was joined by a doctor who took Over the resuscitation process while Schlichter began massaging Backfisch a heart. They continued their efforts. Schlichter a efforts were later taken Over by paramedics but the experience left her shaken. A i went into Shock and started crying hysterically and shaking a she said. Schlichter travelled to Hannover later in the Day and called the Heidelberg University clinic to Check on Backfisch a condition. She said a nurse at the clinic told her a i give you the highest compliment i could give anyone. You saved her  a spokeswoman for the clinic said she could not reach the doctor who was on duty at the time of the incident for comment. A but the head doctor of the ear nose and Throat clinic confirmed that the Aid Given by mrs. Schlichter saved Frau Backfisch a life a the spokeswoman said. Schlichter said she has visited Backfisch three times. She was reported doing Well and is expected to recover. Gulf ills concentrated in 3 units officials find by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington army and air Force officials indicated last week that illnesses associated with soldiers who served in the persian Gulf Are generally restricted to three Indiana units. A we Are not aware of any other units that have a number of soldiers with complaints a said Virginia Stephanakis a spokeswoman from the office of the army a surgeon general. A a but we Are aware of individuals around the army who have unresolved  a spokeswoman from the office of the air Force surgeon general said her office is not aware of any air Force units reporting significant numbers of illnesses linked to duty in the persian Gulf. Army officials said 60 soldiers from three Indiana Reserve units were examined March 19 and 20 at fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis. A none of them seem to have the same thing a Stephanakis said. Symptoms included aches fatigue and thick saliva. There was no indication of a specific cause for the illnesses officials said. The units were identified As the 209th Supply co and the 300th Supply and services in both from Lafayette and the 417th quartermaster co from Jeffersonville. Army officials said they checked soldiers assigned to units encamped near the Indiana reservists during the persian Gulf War. No similar numbers of health complaints were found. Officials also downplayed earlier reports that indicated microwave radiation May have prompted the symptoms. A a there a just nothing to support that conclusion a said maj. Barbara Goodno an army spokeswoman. Medical officials Are continuing to Monitor the conditions of the Indiana reservists. Before soldiers began departing from the persian Gulf Congress directed the Pentagon to study possible Long term health effects related to serving in that area. That directive was designed to shield Gulf War veterans from the bureaucratic ordeals faced by Vietnam veterans who claim they were victims of the defoliant agent Orange. Israeli foreign minister submits his resignation Herz Liya Israel a foreign minister David Levy on sunday announced his resignation dealing prime minister Yitzhak Shamir a potentially major setback three months before National elections. A i have decided to resign from the government a Levy told supporters at the end of a bitter hour Long speech in which he accused leaders of his liked party of systematically working against him. Levy a resignation does not take effect until 48 hours after he hands it to the Cabinet and his move May be a tactic to Force Shamir into giving his faction More weight in the party. The cabinets next scheduled meeting is a week away so Shamir still has plenty of time to reach a Compromise if he wants one. Levy is the cabinets strongest Champion of the  Arab israeli peace  reportedly supplying Iran with submarines Dubai United Arab emirates up a the . Navy expressed concern Over reports that Russia is supplying Iran with submarines in the persian Gulf and said its forces will Deal with the a potentially destabilizing development. A Navy spokesman it. Rob Raine said reports that Iran is receiving submarines does not evoke any a dramatic response in the Gulf from . Forces which routinely practice sonar tracking and location  a we see Iran a acquisition of submarines with some concern. Any time there is a new weapons system it is potentially destabilizing a he said. In recent visits to the United Arab emirates . And British Navy officers and politicians expressed concern Over reports that Iran was acquiring submarines. A there will be a shift in training from a sunless environment a said a Navy officer in the emirates. Unnamed russian naval sources said Friday that they Are sending conventionally powered kilo class submarines to Iran the Independent russian news Agency inter fax reported. The disclosure prompted a response from Cia director Robert Gates that Iran s $1 billion in annual arms purchases will make it the gulfs largest military Power. Inter fax also quoted the unnamed sources As saying Crews Are being selected from the Baltic sea Fleet to deliver the subs to Iran. Inter fax noted that military officials from the Commonwealth of Independent states earlier denied Iran submarine reports. The United states and Britain have maintained naval patrols in the Region since the six week persian Gulf War last Winter. Both forces have said Iran a acquisition of submarines will affect naval operations and galvanize their commitment to maintaining a presence in the Region