European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 23, 1992 the stars and stripes a Pago 9americans Call Iceland tour bittersweet by Meridith Winder . Bureau Nas Kef Lavik Iceland a High winds unpredictable weather and Little sunlight during Winter Are just part of the reality of being stationed in Iceland. The cold and predominant darkness can make it a a pretty miserable place to be a said Navy capt. James i. Munsterman the naval air stations commander. From december through february the averag6 temperature is 32 degrees with four hours of Daylight. In summer the temperature averages 50 degrees with nearly 21 hours of Daylight. There Are about 3,200 military personnel assigned there and 2,500 family members. The average tour length is 12 months unaccompanied and 24 months accompanied for air Force people. On the Navy Side the tour length is 18 months unaccompanied and 30 months accompanied. A it depends on where you come from a said Robert e. Scally transition and relocation assistance Counselor at Nas Kef Lavik a family services Center. A if you come from a climate that a very similar then the changes Are not As extreme and  but other conditions also make the adjustment Tough. Iceland a remoteness plays a major role in How people adapt because a a we re almost at the end of the Supply Chain a Scally said. A produce comes in once or twice a week. Supplies come in once or twice a  another Factor is the people of Iceland who Scally said Are a generally very Nice but i noticed that they Are somewhat  Navy it. Joe Quimby the Iceland defense Force Public affairs officer attributes this fear of foreigners to Iceland a relative isolation for the last 1,100 years. A other than being invaded by Denmark a Long time ago Iceland has had Little Contact with the outside world until fairly recently approximately the last 50 years a Quimby said. A they Are a polite but proud people. They Are just trying to keep their culture  not always knowing How to Deal with non icelandic people manifests itself in various ways say those who have been assigned there. One example is the attention focused on members of minorities when they travel off base. Some Blacks stationed in Iceland refuse to go off base because they done to like being stared at or singled out. Others say they like the attention because it gives them an Opportunity to Clear up any misconceptions. A a you be got to remember that icelandic people know Little to nothing about african americans except what they see on television a said tech sgt. Gary Cunningham a Security policeman assigned to the town patrol. The town patrol is made up of . Forces police who patrol the Urban areas off base. A they May just come up to you and ask questions or  say things to you to see How you react a Cunningham said. A just about everybody gets along and we never have any problems from the americans a said Ami Palsson an icelandic policeman. A americans Are very polite and stick together whenever they Are off base. But some of our older people icelanders Haven to changed their ways and Are still leery of outsiders. But most of our people like having americans  officials encourage base people to get involved in Community activities and the environment off base has become More relaxed in the last year thanks to at least a temporary end to the curfew for americans that had been in place since the 1940s and the easing of some customs restrictions on food drink and other items. But spending Leisure time off base is expensive. An ice Cream Cone can Cost $3.50, a Beer $7 and a pizza As much As $40. S n \ a a.  a people rely very heavily on the base because of the it. Cmdr. Deborah Hanna director of the family of High Cost of living Here a Munsterman said. Services Center said that an assignment to Iceland fers great Opportunity for a personal growth through earning College degrees or joining one of the More than 30 clubs and Volunteer organizations on base. But others recognize that filling ones time with activities Isnit a Panacea for All that can ail a person in unfamiliar surroundings. A this climate is very harsh and we re out on a Peninsula far away from things a Munsterman said. A although the base tries to do a lot for us you Are still very  s4s Dave Casey Magnus Gudmundsson an icelandic employee at Nas Kef Lavik has just taken a Radiosonde Reading on air and Dew Point temperatures at the  miffed by Thatcher s remarks on major by William Tuohy los Angeles times London a conservative party leaders reacted angrily tuesday to former prime minister Margaret thatchers published remarks that her successor John major was not a this own  thatchers Strong statements published in Newsweek Magazine under her byline seemed to take personal credit for the tory policies that resulted in majors election april 9. A i done to accept the idea that All of a sudden major is his own Man a she wrote. A the has been prime minister for 17 months and he inherited All these great achievements of the past 11 a a years which have fundamentally changed  Thatcher spoke of her Many accomplishments As Britain a first woman prime minister and the longest serving in this Century. The prime ministers office maintained a Stony silence Over her remarks including the assertion that a there Isnit such a thing As  a there  be at the moment a she said. A my colleagues and i turned round the whole philosophy of government. Or. Major has accepted these principles written them in his manifesto held it up and said a its All  what he Means is that the things put in there were his Choice. So i believe he will take that legacy  the former conservative party Leader who was Over Thatcher Mjor thrown by tory members of parliament in november 1990 because her overbearing manner was considered dangerous to the party a electoral chances said a that cherish will live. It will live Long after Thatcher has died because we had the courage to restore the great principles and put them into  she warned that majors government had to be a Jolly careful not to increase the Power and the expenses of government and she added a i shall try to keep him to this a officials at no. 10 Downing St. Were privately reported to be angered by the remarks which appeared to underscore previous charges that Thatcher was play ing Back seat Driver after being forced from office. And tory politicians were furious at what they considered a calculated put Down of her successor. One member of parliament William Powell denounced thatchers remarks As a intemperate ill judged and fundamentally  he told bbl radio a her whole analysis is quite extraordinary. What won the election was conservative policy. This whole article reeks of the kind of triumphalism which people found so objectionable in mrs. Thatcher. I have a marginal seat in the House of common Sand if we had had her As Leader i know i could not possibly have won that  other conservative sources said that thatchers remarks would have Little effect because major a who was elected party Leader to replace Thatcher in 1990, thus inheriting her position a won this months election on his own and had now established his own government while she had retired from commons. Thatcher aimed some of her conservative advice at the United states in its election year saying a i done to believe people will be any More prepared in America to give up their new found Confidence in their country than they were in Britain. A a it a not for me to say but i believe that there is a parallel that americans will be looking at the opposition presidential candidates to see if they would genuinely carry on the Reagan Bush  Force personnel Center lengthens hours by the stars and stripes the air Force has extended the working hours at its personnel Center to allow officers stationed overseas More time to talk with assignments officials. The sunday shift for those working at the air Force military personnel Center at Randolph fab Texas came in response to deactivation of overseas units officials said. The deactivation have prompted More requests for assignments. Rated officers non rated operations officers and Mission support officers can Call the Center sundays beginning at 5 . Central european time. Assignments officers will be on hand to take Calls. The sunday shift is designed to allow easier Access to the Center while there is Little use of the digital switched network the military a worldwide Telephone system officials said. The extra shift provides the same service callers receive during the week. The extended hours began in november. But so far fewer than 10 Calls have been placed on sundays officials said. During the extended hours assignments officers specializing in the following Mission specialities will be available at these numbers a fighters bombers Dan 487-6511 a Airlift tankers Dan 487-6818/6378 a non rated operations Dan 4873893/5215 a Mission support Dan 487-4455/2668 officers looking for fighter Pilot assignments bomber assignments no rated operations assignments or Mission support assignments should dial the corresponding number. Callers with Dan Access can dial the following . Commercial numbers using area code 512 a fighters bombers 652-6511 a Airlift tankers 652-6818/6378 a non rated operations 652-3893/5215 a Mission support 652-4455/2668