European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 8, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3pentagon pans civilian if plan by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington congressional proposals designed to protect civilian employees during the military reductions were criticized by top administrators from the defense department and the office of personnel management during House committee hearings wednesday. The proposed legislation introduced in the House april 28, contains four initiatives that affect the defense workers separation pay health insurance reductions in Force notifications and re employment opportunities. No timetable has been set to take the proposal to the full House of representatives. Drafted by democratic representatives Gary l. Ackerman of new York William Clay of Missouri and Paul e. Kanjorski of Pennsylvania the Bill would permit a Lump sum Bonus of six months pay for selected civilians who choose Early or immediate retirement. Other provisions would require a the services to notify individual workers of if plans 60 Days in Advance. It would require 120 Days notice in Case of rims involving Large numbers of people such As when an installation closes. A payment of the employers share of health insurance for workers for up to 18 months. A creation and maintenance of a government wide Job vacancy list. The Pentagon a manpower chief Christoper Jehn characterized the proposals As either unnecessary or inappropriate. Normal attrition a hiring freeze and rims Are the tools the Pentagon is using to manage the personnel reductions Jehn said. Rumours of civilian separation incentives have Only reduced expected attrition As people who Are eligible for retirement wait to see if a Bonus is offered. A we will ask for new tools from Congress when they Are needed a Jehn said. Jehn said the proposed Early retirement Bonus would be most attractive to workers the defense department does no to want to lose. A these Are people in their 40s and 50s a they re leaders a and we done to want to lose their abilities now a he said. The Pentagon a manpower chief said the proposal for extended health benefits was too costly and More generous than benefits offered either military personnel or private sector employees. The current offering permits civilians to keep their Federal employees embody a Pipit lbs of Itiat is fair is  manpower chief health benefits for up to 18 months if they pay both the employee and the employer shares. He argued that there is no need to require if notifications in legislation since most employees now get 60 Days notice under civil service regulations and employees facing rims Are now eligible for Job retraining 120 Days before a base closes. Jehn called the proposal for 120-Day notification on individual if actions a an administrative  he explained that for each person who gets a if notice a three or four other employees also Are notified household goods thefts Rose but so did shipments army says by Ron Mckinney staff writer Darmstadt Germany a the pillaging of household shipments in Europe May have increased but the increase is proportional to the increase in the volume of shipments the commander of the military traffic management come said this week. Shipments of household goods in Europe from All services Rose from the about 4,000 a month prior to the draw Down that began last year to a High of 11,000 a month last tall said maj. Gen. Richard g. Larson. A to my knowledge there Hasni to been widespread pillaging but there has been some a Larson said. However a Soldier whose household goods were looted in both 1985 and 1987 said the pillaging continues. A i can to Tell you the number of friends and Jason soldiers that i work with that it happened to a said sgt. First class John Roby. A close Friend of Robyn a recently moved to Germany and a collection of beatles and Paul Mccartney compact discs were stolen. A that was the Only thing that was taken a Roby said. A the other cd a were still there.�?�. He said the army pays for the missing items minus depreciation but its hardly going to replace a beatles collection like that. A co worker of Robyn a had a videocassette recorder stolen in his move to Germany and was reimbursed Only $100 for a Var for which he had paid $350, Roby said. A the can to buy another Var for $100,�?� Roby said. A another sergeant right Here had a to stolen. Everywhere you turn around somebody a stealing something in the  Larson said any time household goods Are shipped there is an Opportunity for the criminal element. And that Opportunity has increased he said with the increased volume of household shipments. A when that happens its turned Over to either the appropriate military authorities or the Fri. Its not been reported to me As a disproportionate increase Larson said. It. Col. Gene Schneck chief of consolidated person Al property shipping office for the Frankfurt area said that his office no longer does business with one firm after 1,500 pounds of household goods in one shipment were stolen. The significant Rise of household shipments that began with the Start of the draw Down Era last year and continued through april caused some scheduling and shipping delays last fall. But Larson said the hiring of new shipping agents has ended those delays. A i would say by january that problem has generally ceased to exist. Today in a not aware that its a problem a Larson said. More workers were also hired at stateside ports where More than 80 percent of the household goods were stored there last fall beyond the Standard of 15 Days Larson said. Everywhere you turn around somebody a stealing something in the move a sgt. First class John Roby of their reassignments or changes to lower grades. He emphasized that the changes that could occur in four months were  Jehn did not strongly oppose creation of a govern men Twidy Job vacancy listing but he took Issue with testimony by congressional investigators who slammed the defense departments internal priority placement program. Jehn disagreed with the general accounting offices finding of a 23 percent Success rate for the program saying that the actual percentage was 95 percent. Investigators Jehn said failed to limit their count to the personnel under study failed to note that some employees refused jobs offered to them and reported results after Only one year of a three year program. However Jehn was Adamant in refusing to group civilian personnel and military personnel together when considering separation compensation. A the situations Are very different Quot he said. A the management tools Are different the extent of the draw Down is different and the nature of the commitment is  a civilian being forced out because of the draw Down is eligible for Severance pay equal to one weeks pay for each year of service up to 10, and two weeks pay for each year Over that. Service members being Cut in the troop reductions Are eligible for 10 percent of their base pay per year of service. Jehn was asked if it were fair for a Soldier to receive a years pay in Severance after 10 years of service while a civilian Only gets 10 weeks of salary after the same period. A a everybody a perception of what is fair is different Quot he  Vodka appears doomed Moscow apr drowning their sorrows Over economic hardships May soon become too expensive for Many russians. On thursday the government removed Price controls on the National drink Vodka itar Tass reported. Vodka was one of the few remaining bargains for russians costing Only 47 rubles 39 cents per 500-milliliter 15-ounce bottle. When president Boris n. Yeltsin a government lifted decades of subsidies and artificial Price controls on most goods and services in january Vodka remained on a Short list of exempted goods with daily necessities like bread and milk. Prices for food and consumer goods have risen an average of 300 percent to 350 percent and if Vodka does the same a bottle could conceivably Cost More than a Days salary. A senior economic adviser to Yeltsin Alexei a Tyukayev told a news conference that the decision to free the Price of Vodka was primarily an economic one. A we liberated prices so As to prevent Black Market profiteering corruption and All other negative things a a Tyukayev said. A we were not doing Well with that because of the huge surge that we got a he said. Now he said 95 percent of those goods have left the port within the 15-Day Standard. Another army official said military families Are experiencing Shorter waiting times for shipping appointments related to household goods. And although the shipments Are still at an All time High Schneck said the operation is running much smoother since the addition of new agents. A across the Board All of my shipments Are being picked up on the requested delivery Date a Schneck said. Larson said that it took up to 90 Days for the deliveries to be made last fall up from the Normal two months. That figure has now dropped to 60 Days he said. Larson said that an automated communications system scheduled to be completed in the next two years May help Speed delivery of household goods shipments. When completed installations will be notified electronically of incoming shipments avoiding delays associated with mail delivered notices. A right now the messages could get lost in the mail a he said.11 injured in bombing at concert in Michigan Kalamazoo Mich. Up a eleven people were injured when a Man tossed a bomb into a crowd at a concert by the heavy Metal Rock band skid Row. About 4,000 people were in wings stadium when the device detonated shortly after 9 30 . Wednesday. Seven of the injured were treated at Bronson methodist Hospital mostly for Burns and lacerations and released. No one was in custody but police said thursday morning they were pursuing several leads and asking concertgoers for help. A we have some leads but we Are asking for anyone who May have any information to assist us to Call our detective Bureau said it. Robert Simpson of the Kalamazoo Public safety department. The concert resumed after the blast but witnesses said the crowd was unsettled and there were numerous minor disturbances. One witness said the explosive device looked like a very Large firecracker