European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Of Cefas 1942-1992 50 years of service vol. 51, no. 11 35c tuesday april 28,1992 d 8693 Genscher to step Down tireless foreign minister says 7 8 years is enough Bonn Germany apr foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher a key player in Germany a reunification and a catalyst in Eastern Europe a casting off of communist Rule announced monday that he is stepping Down after 18 years. German television said Irmgard Schwaetzer the Federal construction minister was chosen to succeed Genscher when he Steps Down May 17. She would become Germany a first female foreign minister. Also monday health minister Gerda Hasselfeldt announced her resignation saying the arrest of an aide on suspicion of spying for Poland had damaged her health. She was to be replaced by Horst Seehofer a top Deputy in the labor ministry. Genscher 65, is the longest serving foreign minister in the Western world. One of Germany s most popular politicians he has held government posts for More than half the lifetime of the Federal Republic. A this is not an easy decision for me to make. It results from fundamental and serious considerations that have occupied me for about two years Genscher said in a statement. He said essentially that he had put in enough years As a government minister. Genscher was at the Vanguard of those who took then soviet presi Genscher Dent Mikhail s. Gorbachev at his word when Gorbachev declared soviet aggression a thing of the past. That Trust and the German insistence on reaching out to Moscow hastened the end of the cold War after East Germany a peaceful revolution against communism in 1989, Genscher As West Germany a foreign minister rallied International support for unification of the nation with the prosperous West. A tireless traveler Gunsch cry a appearances in the United states have often eclipsed those of Chancellor Helmut Kohl. The genial and loquacious foreign minister Speaks fluent English. The stiffer Kohl does not. Referring to guns Cher a Globe trotting then soviet foreign minister Eduard a. Shevardnadze once quipped that whenever two airliners pass each Over the see Genscher on Page 2german strikes snarl traffic cause chaos from staff and wire reports hundreds of thousands of commuters walked Rode bicycles or hitchhiked to work monday morning after the first wave of Public employees strikes hit Many parts of Germany. Union officials say the strikes will be the biggest labor stoppages in postwar Germany. Army and air Force spokesmen said the strikes have had minimal effects so far on troops and employees in Germany and their european Headquarters have issued no special instructions for dealing with the walkouts. Many buses subways and local commuter trains stood Idle in Western Berlin Hannover Munich Stuttgart and dozens of other Western German cities forcing commuters to find alternate Means of transportation. In Berlin commuter transportation came to a total standstill As about 15,000 of the 17,500 bus and subway workers went on strike before the morning Rush hour. The result was an enormous traffic Jam. The increase in the number of cars on the Road also clogged traffic in Many other areas. No gridlock occurred in Stuttgart police said but traffic on Side roads was heavy apparently because motorists anticipated problems and were trying to drive around them. Some Stuttgart area army employees arrived at work late As a result. Trains and subways were still running there but streetcars and buses were out of service said George Huettig a local army spokesman who commutes to work by train from Goppinger about 25 Miles to the East. Stuttgart police patrols noticed some commuters waiting in vain at bus and Streetcar stops in Hopes that Fidfl strike on Page 2 888 Dave Casey Angel Arzt a student in Darmstadt Germany Waits at the City Strain station after learning that a strike by Public employees had caused her train to be delayed by 30 minutes extends deadline eligibility for Early outs by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau the air Force is extending by 31 Days the deadline for airmen to seek Early separation from the military the service announced monday. The move is prompted by the Hope that enough airmen will apply to head off reduction in Force boards scheduled this summer the air Force said. In addition the air Force is permitting about 45,000 enlisted personnel and about 9,600 officers who previously did not qualify for the programs to apply said maj. Fran Hendricks of the Quality Force Branch at . Air forces in Europe Headquarters at Ramstein a Germany. Air Force plans Call for the separation of 24,000 enlisted members and about 7,500 officers by sept. 30, when the fiscal year ends. Under the extended deadline airmen eligible for either the voluntary separation incentive or the special separation Benefit programs now have from wednesday until the close of business May 29 to apply. The initial application period ran from Jan. 31 to april 15. The Vii is an annuity. The sub of Feis a one time payment and includes other benefits such As extended medical benefits and Exchange and commissary privileges. As of monday 20,206 applications submitted by enlisted personnel had been approved service wide said capt. Tom Gilroy a spokesman for the air Force military personnel Center at Randolph fab Texas. Gilroy said that 2,370 officers have been cleared to leave but that 1,350 applications remained to be processed. Nearly 2,400 enlisted personnel and about 200 officers at Safe have had their applications approved said Safe spokesman it. Col. . Crowley. About 180 applications Are being processed. Air Force officials Are optimistic about meeting the enlisted goal Hendricks said but they Are far less sure about hitting the target for officers. For that reason Hendricks said air Force Secretary Donald b. Rice decided Friday to set the reduction in Force process in motion and to Convene the Board for officers on july 20 with the see of on Page 2
