European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday May 31, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 11 Sac never forced to fire a shot u. Gen. Leo w. Smith ii vice commander of the strategic air come at Oit Utt fab neb., talks about the changes the command has seen Over the last 30 years. Offutt fab neb. A Leo w. Smith ii was a Young air Force officer working in a new minuteman missile silo when the United states faced Down the soviet Union during the 1962 cuban missile crisis. On monday after three decades spent around the nuclear trigger at the strategic air come Smith is retiring As a lieutenant general and Sac vice commander. That a also the Day Sac ends without Ever firing a missile or other nuclear arms. A of All of the memories that i will have a Smith said a a it a the sense of satisfaction that we left without having to use those close to the geographic Center of the Continental United states Sac is the big nuclear shield the nations defenders have held up to the world for 46 years. Once consuming nearly half the Pentagon budget Sac is going the Way of the cold War and the soviet Union. Defense spending cuts and air Force restructuring Are paring Down the huge and costly sentry at Offutt fab. Even the name is smaller strategic come. Under the new arrangement strategic come will coordinate nuclear plans for the air Force and Navy while other parts of the air Force take care of the missiles and bombers. The air mobility come and air combat come will train the pilots and maintain the planes for strategic or tactical wars. The Sac Flag with its shield bearing an Armor covered fist clenching lightning bolts and an Olive Branch will be taken Down and packed away. A i done to know How Many billions were spent on Sac but plenty of them a sen. J. James Exon d-neb., chairman of the Senate armed services subcommittee on strategic forces and nuclear deterrence said in a recent interview. A but the deterrent value of All of that Money personnel and material combined was a resounding Success because the Beauty of it was that no missile was from feb. 3, 1961, to july 24, 1990, Sac kept at least one looking Glass plane in the air every minute of every Day watching for possible nuclear attacks. It also could have assumed command if the earthbound Sac Center had been destroyed. Then on sept. 28, 1991, president Bush ordered the nations bombers tankers and missiles off Alert for the first time since 1957. In the 1950s, Sac took 47 percent of the . Defense budget said David Sorenson professor of National Security at the air War College at Maxwell fab Ala. At Peak staffing in 1962, it employed 282,723 people. A year later it reached another height in the number of its aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles 4,047. At Sac Headquarters lately More Navy uniforms Are turning up and Many former staff members have already gone to new jobs at other air bases. Monitoring continues however in the reinforced Concrete command Center 40 feet underground. Eight big video screens can still display satellite images weather forecasts Battle video and other information military top brass need to direct a War. The line to the National military come Center in Washington still provides prompt Contact with. The president. Air Force officials said most such work will continue. Looking Glass Crews Are on ground Alert and can be in the air in minutes. But Sac and its particular mystique will soon Bce a come history. A peace was our profession and we won our War a said Henry Narducci a civilian Sac historian. Sac was created to contend with nuclear weapons preventing any accidental firing As Well As planning their use. It was More than enough to inspire Hollywood in 1955 with strategic air command starring James Stewart and again in 1963 with a gathering of eagles featuring Rock Hudson. Ironically the Only nuclear weapons the United states Ever used were the bombs dropped in world War ii before Sac was born on March 21,1946. A that tells me that deterrence worked a Sorenson said. A we can to prove that but i think we finally found a Way to make War so expensive so devastating that it Wasny to Worth of All of the memories that i will have its the sense of satisfaction ii ski Fli pal without having to use those a u gain Leo w. Smith i Fate of Honor aria ban to be decided soon by Mike Causey the Washington Post Washington a Federal workers who Moonlight As writers or speakers will know in about two weeks whether they May accept Money for their off duty assignments or spend Money they have earned a and put in escrow accounts a since Congress banned Honor aria 16 months ago. The government has until mid june to Appeal a ruling by . District judge Thomas Penfield Jackson who said the of Honor aria ban violates workers free speech rights. Despite the ruling which covers All government employees Jackson kept the id on Honor aria pending a final decision by Congress or the court. The House has voted to lift the ban. But the legislation has been on hold in the Senate because sen. Robert Byrd d-w.va., objects to Honor aria for some congressional staff members. If the government fails to Appeal Jack songs ruling the Honor aria ban will be ended said lawyers who have followed the Case. If it goes to the . Court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit the ban will remain in effect. The next Stop would be the . Supreme court. Last year appeals court judge Clarence a Thomas now on the supreme court ruled that employees could put Money from speeches and articles into escrow accounts pending final disposition of the suit brought by the National trea sury employees Union. The office of government ethics has endorsed the escrow concept. Many moonlighting workers have had Money for speeches or articles deposited directly to those accounts by groups that the. Paid them. If the ban is lifted workers May get the Money. If the courts and Congress do not lift the ban the Money will revert to the group or company that put it in escrow. Sears has everything a even drugs Chicago up a open a Sears Catalon and at a buyers fingertips Are clothing household items drugs a drugs Sears Roebuck and co. Said last week that it will begin mailing specially Cata logs june 15 that offer 10,000 prescription drugs and will include a health care Section in the next printing of its general merchandise Catalon. Al scrips pharmaceuticals of Vernon Hills will handle the orders for drugs mostly maintenance prescriptions such As medication for treatment of High blood pressure thyroid problems and heart disease. Al scrips spokesman James Zilka said the company has targeted Quot anybody who fills a prescription at a retail pharmacy who is not in a managed care insurance program like an health maintenance organization. The nation s biggest mail order drug companies including Baxter International of Deerfield a generally work through insurance companies and serve people covered by private insurance. The american association of retired persons has been in the mail order drug business for More than three decades and fills some 8 million prescriptions a year. A spokesman for the group said Sears entry into the Field is interesting. But since the 33 million member Harp is a non profit organization a we done to really worry about anybody else a he said. To fill a prescription customers will have to mail their doctors prescriptions. It will take two weeks to till an order and then other forms will have to be mailed to obtain refills. Payment can be made with a Sears credit card or with Mastercard discover or visa credit cards. Ilka said the drugs Are priced competitively with such outlets As Val greens but will not tie discount Dice dancers take Gold in Roach olympics san Antonio Texas up a fort Worth woman became the Winner of the 1992 a Roach olympics with a diorama featuring a pair of the Brazen insects rigged up As ice dancers. The unusual Competition was sponsored last week by combat insect control systems. The winning diorama created by Jean Davis included a pair of cockroach ice dancers a panel of Roach judges and three olympic platforms for the medallists. Davis received $250 and a years Supply of combat bait trays. She also advanced to the Cor Bat quest International finals to be held aug. 5 at the children a museum in new York. The Winner there will receive $1,000
