European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 b the stars and stripes thursday october 29,1992 at a glance David Feldman police commander in fort Collins colo., communicates with secret service agents after an explosive device was discovered before a scheduled speech by democratic running mate a1 Gore. See Story on Page 7. Call ambulance first anyone who comes across an unconscious person should Call an ambulance before starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation the american heart association says. A Page 4 no a gloom and doom president Bush contended that a new economic report repudiates democratic nominee Bill Clinton a message of Quot gloom and  a Page 6 raise for Congress Congress will enjoy a Cost of living pay raise More generous than the boost going to 45 million recipients of social Security veterans benefits and Federal pensions. A Page 8 activists attitude spec. Katherine Bronson has a message for single soldiers Quot if you Aren t willing to stand up and change things then live with  a Page 10 Andrew draining funds damage claims from Hurricane Andrew have sunk five insurance companies with nearly 60,000 Florida customers and the emergency fund that protects policyholders is running out of Money. A Page 12 Index. Abby Ann Landers 17 classifieds.20-23 comics .17-19 commentary .15 crossword.17 faces no places.16 letters.14 Money matters.12 sports .25-32 to listings .31 weather.13 Bush opposition dooms Bill allowing overseas abortions n Iii Virv viru of its other principal advocate Aucoin who has Given up by Chuck Vinch staff writer Washington a time is about to run out on legislation to allow abortions in overseas military medical facilities at patient expense. After a four year Odyssey during which the Bill was routinely shot Down at various stages of the legislative process it finally won narrow approval this year in both the Senate and House. But apparently it will never make it past president Bush. Bush has blocked the legislation each year by threatening to veto the entire defense authorization and appropriations Bills to which it was attached. After a similar threat this year the abortion measure was repackaged As a separate Bill but it seems destined for the same Fate. Bush has until saturday to sign the Bill into Law veto it outright or take no action a Man Euver known As a a pocket veto that will automatically kill it. A White House official said Bush will choose the latter course. Since the approval margins in the House and Senate were relatively Small congressional backers of the legislation led by rep. Les Aucoin d-ore., will have no Chance of mustering enough support to override the expected veto. A the fact is this legislation is unlikely to go anywhere As Long As a Republican president is in the White House a said a House armed services committee staffer. If Democrat Bill Clinton wins the presidential race next week the Bill a chances of becoming Law in the next legislative Cycle will improve but even then there will be no guarantees the staffer said. A a lot of new faces will be in Congress next year a he said. A a who a to say that the same level of support will still be there next time around a the Bill a chief supporter in the Senate Democrat Timothy Wirth of Colorado is retiring this year. That Means its Fate next year is closely tied to the fortunes of its other principal advocate Aucoin who has Given up his House seat to run for the Senate and is locked in a tight Campaign Battle. The intent of the legislation is to overturn a 1988 Reagan administration ban on abortions in overseas hospitals at patient expense which had been sanctioned since 1982. Aucoin has said the ban discriminates against the thousands of servicewomen and female military family members overseas by denying them the same Legal abortion rights that women in the United states have. The Only options for women overseas he said Are to risk seeking off base abortions in countries where medical care is often inadequate or spend a Large amount of time and Money to travel to the United states for the procedure. Aucoin has said the Bill would not violate the current ban on using taxpayer funds for abortions since overseas patients would have to pay for the procedures themselves. But Republican opponents have painted the legislation As a Means of allowing a abortion on demand in government facilities. They said it would violate the spirit if not the letter of the ban against taxpayer funding for abortions because the military medical facilities and the doctors who would perform the procedures Are supported by appropriated funds. Before Federal restrictions were placed on the use of taxpayer funds for abortions in the late 1970s, up to 10,000 Abor. Tons a year were performed in military medical facilities in the United states and abroad according to information compiled by Aucoin a staff. In 1982, the defense department barred the use of taxpayer funds for All abortions in military facilities except when the mothers life was threatened. But the military continued to allow female service members and family members to obtain abortions at overseas facilities if they paid for them until the current ban took effect in 1988. An average of 15 to 20 women a year paid for abortions in military hospitals abroad Between 1982 and 1988. Woes from Page 1 shoppers. Although stocks Are flowing into stores More smoothly now Wiker noted that a backlog of grocery filled vans in the affected countries will create a a temporary Bubble in the distribution pipeline. But once a we get Over this Hump a he said shoppers can expect to see missing items replenished weekly in the smallest stores and daily in the largest. Commissary and distribution experts say most of the Pitfalls occurred because the Sermersheim distribution Center had to grow a very Large very quickly a said Adam Cohen spokesman for the defense subsistence Region Europe which operates the Center. While most agencies and operations in Europe Are drawing Down the Sermersheim Center about 15 Miles North of Karlsruhe has ballooned. Until last summer when the new distribution system was started the Center s Only Mission was to Supply 1,700 items to nine Small commissaries and to support military dining Halls. Although the Center no longer serv ices the dining Halls it must Supply 67 commissaries with More than 5,000 different items. About 25 to 30 truckloads of groceries must be moved into the warehouse each Day to meet the needs of the commissaries Sermersheim serves. A was someone once put it a they were like sleepy hollow before but now they re a Metropolis a a said Denise Gomes spokeswoman for the european Region of the defense commissary Agency. The number of employees needed to run the Center has grown from 200 to 298, and in july the Center went from being a single shift to an around the clock operation said it. Col. Frank Haylett the centers acting chief. Haylett is one of three distribution experts brought in from the defense personnel support Center in Philadelphia to augment the management staff which had Little experience in running such a Large scale operation. There have also been problems finding american and local National workers to fill Job vacancies so about two dozen commissary employees and 20 soldiers were called in temporarily to work there. More than 60 positions for american and local National workers remain unfilled. A a we re trying our Best to hire people. Its just that the labor Market is so Small a Cohen said. Many local nationals Are reluctant to apply because they fear the Center will close Down As other . Agencies and organizations have he said. Troop reductions also have resulted in fewer family members applying. Some hiring also was delayed while personnel officials decided whether openings had to be offered to local nationals displaced from other . Jobs in the draw Down Gomes said. When the distribution problems began commissaries orders were filled from surplus supplies at other stores As much As possible. But such a across leveling is difficult in More Remote stores such As at sch Nen and Oesterberg a Netherlands and chevres a Belgium Wiker said. Stores in the Mediterranean area were not affected because they Are authorized to store larger quantities of goods in their warehouses. Stores in the United kingdom receive Semi perishable goods from a distribution Center at Raf Lakenheath. Chinooks from Page 1 the grounding by using other aircraft. Although the grounding order was put into effect in Usa eur no inspections have yet been conducted she said. Officials Are waiting for further guidance from the department of the army. First fielded 30 years ago the Chinook is a tandem motored Boeing aircraft and a mainstay in army aviation. Capable of hauling More than 15,000 pounds at More than 150 Mph the Chinook is used for the tactical movement of troops weapons and supplies by comparison the uh-60 Black Hawk helicopter lifts 2,640 pounds. Configured for special operations the Mh-47 models can of fitted with a mum barrelled a mini gun As Well As .50-caliber machine guns an Aerial refuelling probe a Rescue hoist and advanced radar Ana navigation equipment. The Alaska crash occurred near fort Richardson which is located about in Miles North of Anchorage. _