European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 2i, 1993 the stars and stripes amp Page 3 of drops $10 fee Rhein main a Germany a amps a the air forces air mobility come dropped the $10 travel fee on space available flights wednesday allowing military id card holders to Fly for free on military and military chartered aircraft. Passengers still must pay a $10 customs administration Fet when returning to the United states on chartered commercial aircraft and a fee of $2.40 still will be charged for meals on military aircraft said air Force capt Jeffrey Roberts officer in charge of the Rhein main a passenger terminal near Frankfurt. Space available flights leave from among other bases in Europe three main european hubs Rhein main a and Marnstein a in Germany and Raf Maiden Hall England. The flights travel throughout Europe the Middle East and to the United states. The fee change does not affect other space available restrictions. For example seating is provided to id card holders on a first come first served basis Roberts  get a seat a person must be on leave or pass status and sign in at the terminal. Family members must be accompanied on the flights by a sponsor he said. Official of Schinnen ask Dies in Hospital in Texas Schinnen Netherlands a amps a Leslie r. Posey Materiel and logistics director for the 54th area support group died monday in a military Hospital in Texas. Posey 63, had headed Materiel and logistics at Schinnen since 1982 and had More than 40 years of government service. The cause of death was not available. A world War ii Veteran and native of Henderson ky., Posey returned to the United states last week. He is survived by his wife Soledad Posey and their four children. A memorial service for Posey will be at 11 . Today in the Allied forces Central Europe Chapel in Bruns sum Netherlands. Service set for acs officer who died of cancer at 57 Grafe Wohr Germany a amps a a memorial service will be held monday for Barbara Gietzen army Community service officer for the 100th area support group. Gietzen 57, died Jan. 8 in her Hometown of Yuma Ariz after an extended Battle with cancer. She had worked in Grafe Wohr since 1987, part of her 18-year career with the government. Gietzen is survived by a son Karl Gietzen a daughter Karen waterhouse and two grandchildren. The memorial will begin at 4 . At the Grafe Wohr Chapel. Purple in in by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Lan Stuhl Germany a a Navy medic hit by a sniper while on patrol in Mogadishu Somalia was awarded the purple heart on tuesday the first living service member so honoured in operation restore Hope for Seaman Franco Gonzalez the award marked the end of a memorable week filled with pain and fear Hope and Pride. Gonzalez said he was never so proud As he was tuesday morning when Marine col. Don a. Gressly presented him with the purple heart at the Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center. The medal is reserved for service members wound al or killed in combat. Gonzalez is attached to the 9th Marine regt 1st Marine div. Gressly is assigned to the Fleet Marine Force Europe headquartered in London. He came to Lan Stuhl specifically to award the medal. A i shed blood for my country a Gonzalez said. A pm really proud of  a purple heart also has been posthumously awarded to Marine pfc. Domingo Arroyo who was killed in Mogadishu Gressly said. Gonzalez represents a one of those few Good men that everybody is looking for a Gressly said. Gonzalez 19, of Sylmar calif., and members of a Marine unit were on a routine patrol in Mogadishu on Jan. 13, a Day after Arroyo s unit was ambushed gunmen. Arroyos death coincided with american Effort to disarm somalis in Mogadishu. Gonzalez a unit was assigned South of an old soccer stadium in Northern Mogadishu which is a Camp for about 1,000 troops. The patrol was in a stagger a column formation with each Marine spaced 5 to 10 Yards apart. It was noon and the 90-minute reconnaissance patrol was already about an hour old a sniper stationed on a rooftop fired at him striking him High in the right Chest about 3 inches from a main artery Gonzalez said. He credits the Marine patrol Leader with helping to save his life. Despite a collapsed right lung Gonzalez photo or s4s staff sgt. Rourk Sheehan Seaman Franco Gonzalez receives the purple heart on tuesday from Marine col. Don a. Gressly at Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center. By somalian an ambitious told the patrol Leader How to treat the wound telling him to maintain pressure on the Chest cavity which was sucking in air. Gonzalez figures he would have died in about 10 minutes without the mariners help. Gonzalez never Learned the Marine s name. A i was really worried a Gonzalez said. Quot i thought i would die. I was thinking of my Girlfriend my mom  another Marine commandeered a somalian truck which they used to transport Gonzalez to a nearby Mobile Hospital unit where he was operated on. Gonzalez expects to fully recover in five to nine months and should leave Europe in the next couple of Days for a West coast naval Hospital. Job assistance now available in maastricht maastricht Netherlands a amps soldiers who Are leaving the army and need help finding jobs and easing into civilian life can now get assistance in maastricht. Command sgt. Maj Gene c. Mckinney the army Stop noncommissioned officer in Europe last week officially opened the 54th area support group s army career and alumni program. The office at maastricht s Tapin Cavern had been located in arc Mchaven Ger Many a Community scheduled to close As part of the theater wide draw Downs. The Acap office which combines Job assistance and transition services will serve soldiers and their family members in Norway Denmark Northern Germany Belgium England and the Netherlands. To accommodate personnel in this geographical area Acap teams periodically will travel to outlying Sites to conduct training seminars and provide  faces possible housing funds shortfall by Dave Melancon Wurzburg Bureau Wurzburg Germany a the Wurzburg military Community faces a potential shortfall of $1.1 million in its family housing account that could Lead to cuts in services and some Long term projects officials said in a tuesday town Hail meeting. A this fiscal year what we Are looking at is a reduction of almost 41 percent in the Money that we pay for salaries utilities maintenance and repair a said John Henderson the 417th base support in housing officer. Actual expenditures in the housing and engineering directorate for fiscal 1992 totalled $32.6 million and fiscal 1993 requirements total $30.1 million Henderson said. But his department is expecting Only $29 million in fiscalt993, a shortfall of $1.1 million. According to estimates about 83 percent of the budget or nearly $25 million goes to a must fund items. They include government leased housing rents Utility Bills refuse collection and employee pay Henderson said. So called a Cost of doing business items such As employee training and reimbursements for other Community agencies and for leased housing operations take up another 10 percent of the budget Henderson said. About 6 percent of the funds go for Quality of life items and programs such As Flowers grass cutting and Snow removal. Henderson said the cuts could affect quarters cleaning grass cutting and Snow removal in a common areas a areas shared by All of the residents of a housing unit a and a Nice to have items such As Flowers. But it also could affect the ability to conduct major repairs and mean longer Waits for furniture deliveries he said. A funding shortfall could affect the availability of new government rental housing program units As Well. A the Bottom line is if we get $29 million is the $30,1 million that we think we need i think we can get through the year with minimum pain a Henderson said referring to possible cuts in the a Nice to have items. Quot if we get significantly less than $29 million that might mean that there would not be enough to Lake care of the a must fund category of  housing officials will learn More about their budget later this week when the Community receives its funds from the . Army in Europe. Also there will be a budget review in March to determine How much Money is available for the rest of the fiscal year. In other town Hall meeting business 15 Wurzburg preschoolers will be participating in the newly created sure Start program which is based on the head Start Early childhood education initiative. According to Diane Carr chief of the family support division in Wurzburg the program is administered by the department of defense dependents schools and child development services. The program is open to 3 and 4-year-Olds, and children will attend classes at the Wurzburg elementary school Carr said. A parents have to be willing to participate a she said. Applications for the program will be accepted at army Community service until feb. 16. The program is expected to begin in March she said. The next Wurzburg Community town Hall meeting is scheduled for april 28 in the Wurzburg american High school