European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 30, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 9 no military abortions Likely now Bush expected to let overseas Hospital Bill expire by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington time is about to run out this year on legislation to allow abortions in overseas Mili tary medical facilities at patient expense. After four years during which the proposal was shutdown at various stages of the legislative process it finally won narrow approval this year in the Senate an House. But apparently it won t make it past president Bush. Bush has blocked the legislation each year by threat ening to veto the entire military 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 pocket veto that will automatically kill it. A White House official said Bush will choose the Las 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. The fact is this legislation is unlikely to go anywhere As Long As a Republican president is in the Whitehouse said a House armed services committee staffer. If Democrat Bill Clinton wins the presidential race tuesday the Bill s chances of becoming Law in the next legislative Cycle will improve but even then there willbe no guarantees the staffer said. A lot of new faces will be in Congress next year he said. Who s to say that the same level of support will still be there next time around the Bill s chief supporter in the Senate Democrat Timothy e. Wirth of Colorado is retiring this year. That Means its Fate next year is tied to the fortunes of Aucoin who has Given up his House seat to run for the Senate and is in a tight Campaign Battle. The intent of the legislation is to overturn a 1988reagan administration ban on abortions in overseas military hospitals at patient expense which had been sanctioned since 1982. Aucoin has said the ban discriminates against thou Sands of servicewomen and female military family members overseas by denying them the same abortion rights available to women in the United states. The Only options for women overseas he said Are to seek off base abortions in countries where medical care is often inadequate or spend a Large amount of Tim and Money to travel to the United states for the proce Dure. Rule will end Pentagon secrecy Over cause of air plane accidents by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington Pentagon officials will have to make Public the cause of military aircraft accidents when asked under a provision of the fiscal 1993 de sense authorization act signed recently by president Bush. The services have until late april 1993 to put regulations into effect under the terms drafted by rep. Prank Mccloskey d-ind., a member of the defense policy panel and the investigations panel of the House armed services committee. The new regulations say that upon request officials must release information regarding aircraft accidents. The final report of the Accident investigation shall set Forth the opinion or opinions of the investigators As to the cause or causes of the Accident the legis lation says. If the evidence does not allow investigators to form opinions on the cause of the Accident they must list factors that substantially contributed to the Accident. Spokesmen for the air Force army and Navy said that their services will comply with the new regulations. The supreme court previously supported the air Force s position that the service could withhold results of investigations into the causes of accidents. Basically they the supreme court justices said it was t the Law so we did t have to disclose the cause of an Accident said capt. Bryan Holt an air Force spokesman. The new Law would change that. Mccloskey drafted the disclosure rules following the feb. 6 crash of a Kentucky air National guard c-130 transport plane. It struck a hotel and restaurant in Evansville ind. Five Crew members and 11 people on the ground died in the crash. The air Force has never Given the cause of the crash. Newspaper reports said human error was to blame and they cited cockpit conversations that indicated the co Pilot stepped on the wrong rudder pedal at a crucial Point in the flight. If it weren t for reports leaked to the press people who lost family in that crash would never know Why it happened said Paul Weber a senior aide to Mcclos key. Currently the military does two reports on the investigation of an air crash. One report is aimed at determining the cause of the crash and ensuring the safety of related planes and air Crews. The services do not release that report to the Public. The second report which details events surrounding a crash focuses on responsibility and can result in Legal charges. Results of that investigation Are released at the re quest of the Public press or other interested parties. Under the new rules the military also must release unclassified facts about the crash upon request. Officials May no longer withhold unclassified information while an investigation is ongoing unless its re lease would prevent completion of the crash investigation. The Law also says investigators opinions released after a crash cannot be used in lawsuits or criminal proceedings resulting from the crash. Aucoin has said the Bill would not violate the cur rent ban on using government Money for abortions be cause overseas patients would have to pay for the procedures. But Republican opponents have painted the legis lation As a Means of allowing 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 be cause the military medical facilities and the doctor who would perform the procedures Are supported by appropriated funds. Before Federal restrictions were placed on the use of government Money for abortions in the late 1970s, unto 10,000 abortions a year were performed in military medical facilities in the United states and abroad according to information compiled by Aucoin s staff. In 1982, the defense department barred the use of government Money for abortions in military facilities except when the Mother s life was threatened. But the military continued to allow female service members and family members to get abortions at Over seas 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. Cowa Bunga dude no it s not Michelangelo or any other teenage mutant ninja Turtle but a 700 to 800-Pound Leatherback that was rescued by the coast guard and fishermen after being entangled in a net tuesday in Yankeetown Fla. Or. Michael Walsh of sea world in Orlando checks the condition of the female sea Turtle. It had been brought to a coast guard station after its Rescue then released into the Gulf of Mexico. Claims slow in coming after warehouse fire by Joseph Owen Heidelberg Bureau Stuttgart Germany Only 22 of the 129 local families and individuals who lost household goods in a recent Ware House fire have filed reimbursement claims an army claims examiner said wednesday. We have a lot of people who Haven t even showed up yet said Barbel hucks of the Stuttgart Legal services Center s Patch Barracks office. The oct. 19 fire swept through the Rubino transporter warehouse in Freiberg North of Stuttgart causing an estimated $2.7 million in damage. The Legal office has been authorized to offer army members $2,000 As an Emer gency Advance on claims in addition to accepting claims for reimbursement. However hucks said that so far Only eight people have sought the emergency Money. Officials Are seeking permission to offer the $2,000 to air Force personnel As Well said army maj. Cathy p. Jarvis who Heads the Legal  army Community services Effort to provide donated clothing to fire victims also is drawing few  re still just seeing a trickle of peo ple said acs staff member Wanda Castellaw standing in the aisles of what might have passed for a Good secondhand clothing store. We were prepared for a  clothing distribution Center on the fourth floor of Patch Barracks build ing 2307 with other emergency services is stocked with most kinds of clothing especially children s Wear. We still need blankets and sheets an towels More than anything else Castel la said. She and volunteers have to try to per Suade fire victims to take enough cloth ing she said adding that some victims worry that if they take a lot other people won t get what they  on wednesday an initial meeting of a support group for fire victims which was organized by acs and closed to the news Media Drew about a doze people to Patch Barracks