European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 05, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Sims and tripes vol. 51, no. 292 350 Friday february 5,1993 8693 a Aspin seeks big cuts deeper defense cuts Secretary of defense Les Aspin has proposed a defense budget that would reduce troop strength an additional 375,000 in five years. Withdraw almost half the . Troops in Europe by 1996. Cut defense funds by about $10.8 billion beyond the original $267 billion budget order cuts of $2.5 billion in the Star wars budget defer production of a new aircraft Carrier. To additional proposed cuts for 1994 spending Navy $3 billion air Force $2.8 billion army $2.6 billion goal is 375,000 fewer troop san 5 years from wire reports Washington Secretary of defense Les Aspin has directed the military services to prepare a plan that would reduce troop strength by 375,000 in the next five years and withdraw almost half the . Troops in Europe by 1996. Aspin has directed the Pentagon to identify by Mon Day at least $10.8 billion in savings for the next fiscal year. Broadly consistent with Clinton s election platform the cuts and accompanying policy guidance spelled out tuesday in an internal planning memo Are the first Concrete sign that the military services will indeed be Cut below the base Force of 1.6 million troops that the services themselves and former president Bush de scribed As the minimum necessary to protect National Security dirty dig though a reduction of roughly the magnitude or dered this week was expected the six Day deadline set by Aspin sent the military departments and agencies scrambling to comply. Clinton is expected to announce an economic stimulus package in his state of the Union speech feb. 17, and he must submit a budget to con Gress on March 23. There will be a lot of pizza ordered at the Pentagon this weekend said an adviser to one of the service chiefs. The proposed reductions arc part of a $256 billion budget request that Aspin ordered drafted for fiscal year 1994, which begins in october. At the same time Aspin wrote in his memo that a major strategy re View to be completed by summer May result in fur ther cuts and changes to the 1993 and 1994 defense see cuts on Page 2 enlistees to get explanation on sexual Washington military enlistees no Longe will be asked their sexual orientation but they la be drilled on forbidden sexual behaviour As part of the Clinton administration s new policy relaxing the ban on homosexuals. The Pentagon put Clinton s policy into practice wednesday by telling military recruiters to Stop asking applicants about their sexual preference and by sus pending discharge procedures against military members who Are acknowledged homosexuals. While deleting questions about sexual orientation from the Standard application form for recruits the defense department s acting personnel chief also or dered that enlistees be Given a detailed explanation of sexual conduct rules. The uniform code of military Justice which applies to All branches of the military explicitly forbids rape and sexual Intercourse with minors As Well As sodomy,.which it defines As unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with  offenders Are subject to court martial. In addition to the Legal code each service has its own regulations governing sexual behaviour. They prohibit for example kissing or holding hands in Public. Clinton has said that As part of a comprehensive new policy on Gays in the military he intends Over the next see enlistees on Page 2marine staff sgt. Gary Capato starts to add a 155 my Earth a Large Cache of munitions in Mogadishu Soma round to the stack As he and fellow ammo experts in a on tuesday. See Story on Page 9. Pm found negligent in sidesaddle fuel tank Case Atlanta a a jury Friday found general motors corp. Negligent in the death of a teen Ager whose pickup burned after a 1989 crash it awarded the parents of 17-year-old Shannon Moseley $4.2 million for the value of his life and said they Are due punitive damages. A hearing on How much that will be was to begin this afternoon. The jury deliberated .19 hours Over three Days before returning the verdict thursday morning. It had heard four weeks of testimony in Fulton county state court. Pm has been under criticism for the design of some older pickup models that had fuel tanks placed sidesaddle out Side the truck Frame. Critics contended this design made the trucks More Likely to catch fire in accidents. The trial was described As the first in which a lawsuit involving the tank Issue was decided by a jury. The company has argued that its Side Saddle models complied with Federal safety standards. Pm used the design on about 4.7 million 1973-87 Chevrolet and Mcc a series full size pickups. Newer models have the tank mounted inside the Frame rails. Moseley of Snellville ga., died after his 1985 Gumc pickup was struck by a Drunken Driver and caught fire. His parents Thomas and Elaine Moseley con see pm on Page 2