European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes military thursday december 17. 1992somalian Mission needs airmen with gift of gab Ramstein a Germany a the air Force is looking for airmen who have proficient language skills in somali arabic or italian to support operation restore Hope. Volunteers arc needed who can assist in the Relief Mission to feed starving somalis said maj. Penny Miller chief of the consolidated base personnel office at Ramstein a a typically a persons language skills arc included in the air Force s personnel data system. The Appeal for volunteers is to identify those who speak at least one of those languages but have been left off the list of candidates for possible duty in Somalia for More information Contact the consolidated base personnel offices customer service Section or personnel  Board studied Ramstein a Germany a amps a plans for further cuts in air Force personnel could include a selective Early retirement Board for majors and captains next year according to a personnel official at Ramstein a. A it has not been approved so i can to say a yes there is going to be one a said maj. Penny Miller chief of the consolidated base personnel office at Ramstein. Quot its something that is being kicked around and something they might  the subject was brought up by Miller on tuesday during a briefing on personnel issues for Ramstein airmen. A selective Early retirement Board is scheduled Jan 20 for some colonels and lieutenant colonels. The Board is targeting Linc officer lieutenant colonels with two years time in Grade. Excluded Are officers with approved retirement dates As of Jan. 20 and those previously selected for promotion. In addition the Hoard will consider online officers including chaplain colonels and lieutenant colonels and colonels in the biomedical science nursing and Legal Fields. T Hose eligible Are colonels with two years time in Grade As of Jan. 20 and chaplains with the rank of lieutenant colonel who have one promotion deferral to colonel. T he Board will exclude officers with approved retirement dates and those previously selected for promotion to colonel. The number to be selected has not been established Miller said. The maximum is 30 percent of those eligible for Early retirement. No Date has been set for an Early retirement Board for other colonels. However the Board is expected to meet sometime during fiscal 1993, Miller  s maintenance hailed Raf Ben Waters Wood Ridge England a maintenance workers at the 81st tac fighter Wing recently won the 1992 Daedal an award the highest award a maintenance organization can win in the . Air forces in Europe. During the past year the Wing operated in saudi Arabia Turkey Sembach a and Lei Phlim a in Germany and from Nellis fab nev., flying More missions Ilian any other Wing in the european command. Maintenance workers in the Field modified a-10 Thunderbolt ii ground attack aircraft 45 Days ahead of schedule and transferred More than half the wings Fleet to three locations within six months. The base Community meanwhile was preparing to draw down.2 squadrons inactivate Hahn a Germany a two squadrons at the i Aschheim communications Annex inactivated last week. A joint inactivation ceremony was held Friday for tiie air Force intelligence Comdr a 6911th electronic Security so and the . Air forces in Europe a 7451st tac intelligence so t he i Aschheim Annex known locally As metro tango will cease operating by july 1. The closing is part of the eventual draw Down of the Hahn Community. A amps Dave Melancon Wolfgang Zorn of the 98th area support groups consolidated maintenance Center in Wurzburg Germany applies a coat of White paint to a vehicle bound for a . Humanitarian  vehicles help keep wheels of . Missions turning by Dave Melancon Wurzburg Bureau Wurzburg Germany a vehicles once destined for the junkyard Are getting a new lease on life at the 98th area support groups consolidated maintenance Center Here. Some of the pickups ambulances and four a Eccl drive passenger vehicles arc now destined for . Humanitarian efforts in Somalia the former Yugoslavia Senegal Cameroon and other countries under the defense departments humanitarian Aid program said Robert Weissenberg chief of the maintenance Center. The $1 million program started in october and is sponsored by the department and the . European come. Under the program vehicles and equipment including generators arc gathered from throughout Neucom. Equipment collected for the humanitarian program is salvageable but May be too old or shipment Back to the states for repairs May not be Cost effective. The equipment also May no longer be Standard for the military. The items arc then shipped to the Wurzburg facility where they Are cleaned and repaired. A there is no other organization in Europe which performs maintenance for the humanitarian assistance program a Weissenberg said. A we Are working mainly for the former Yugoslavia right now but we also have instructions to ship supplies to Somalia Senegal and Cameroon in Africa. Some vehicles need Only minor repairs while others Are stripped for parts. Once ready for the Road the vehicles Are repainted from the Standard army a camouflage colors to a Glossy White the color of . Peacekeeping missions. Ambulances come stocked with Basic medical supplies and carry an interchangeable red Cross and red Crescent. The red Crescent is the Symbol for the Muslim organization equivalent to the red Cross. In addition to vehicles the maintenance Center also is shipping scoop loaders fire engines generators cold weather clothing military uniforms sleeping bags and other items both new and used from its numbers storage areas. 6 Dieter Chamberlain Supply and services division chief for the 98th area support group said some items such As blankets Quot May have Little holes in them and they May be unserviceable for the military but they Are not unserviceable for somebody who is freezing a a for the . Effort in the former Yugoslavia the equipment leaves from Wurzburg and goes through Austria to Zagreb Croatia to go to the african nations items Are shipped from various european ports four ambulances were shipped to Zagreb on Friday and 9 four wheel drive passenger vehicles and Piekus Are to leave Lor another peacekeeping destination Jln a amps Dave Melancon Rainer buc Herthe maintenance centers Foreman makes repairs on a four wheel drive vehicle. 11. A they Roll off the ships and Are ready for people to Start using them a Weissenberg said. The maintenance Center is responsible for the Upkeep of the 3rd inf dives and the area support groups no tactical vehicles. Preparing vehicles to be shipped 1 under the humanitarian program is an additional duty i he said. To ease the workload of the maintenance centers mechanics $500,000 has been slated for repair work on the army a no tactical vehicles he said. Work is contracted out to Wiir Burg area car dealers and mechanics he said. Also the maintenance Center is hiring temporary mechanics to work on vehicles under the humanitarian program. Neucom and the defense department after talking w Ith in. Officials in the Field decide what kind of vehicles supplies and equipment Are shipped he said. A we Are also starting a Small logistical line for such port supplying repair parts for the . Troops i Weissenberg said. A it is going to be limited but Wei have communications lines so they , officials caul Tell us what they need. We Are trying to get the Parl so out with our next  he maintenance Center expects to prepare and ship about 200 vehicles in 1993, Weissenberg said the or Gram will continue to 1995 or a until there is no excess equipment in