European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february .11, 1993 the stars and stripes Page 3 keep tabs on a benefits troops urged by Kevin Dougherty  Hahn a Germany the draw Down of . Forces and cuts in military spending Are keeping veterans affairs benefits in a state of flux said a a offi Cial touring Europe. Although moderate changes have occurred such As setting Ujj registries for persian Gulf War veterans and some additions on education benefits no major modifications in a benefits Are being made for now. That could change Over night however said Diane Hanson a benefits Counselor with the department of veterans affairs. The benefits Avail Able to those separating or retiring from the military have become a favorite target of budget crunchers in Washington. A benefits change so fast some times 1 think we should employ a skywriter Hanson said tuesday after a briefing at Hahn a which is closing this year. Hanson is one of three a benefits Counselor touring . Installations in Europe. The briefings which began late last summer Are part of the transition assistance being offered during the draw Down and arc meant to keep Servi Cemcem bars  living in Europe up to Date Onva issues. One Benefit increasing is the monthly stipend to students who qualify for the Montgomery go Bill. A full time student for example will receive $400 a month starting april 1, an increase of $50. The payments arc for 36 months and apply Only to periods in which a person is in school. You must get an honorable discharge to qualify for the program Hanson said. On a very Basic level  should know the Type of benefits Avail Able to them Hanson said. Those Range from educational assistance to Home Loans to disability compensation to life insurance and death benefits. Second she recommended that scr  keep their eyes and cars Xiv plenty of hang times a Dove catty a snowboard or at the Swiss resort of crans Montana logs some at lower elevations but the Snow depth at the top of higher Al air time recently near the top of one of its ski runs. Many of cd talons As shown Here appears More than adequate for those Europe s major Winter resorts Haven t had a great Deal of Snow seeking to slide Down the slopes. Italian judge freezes 2 Navy accounts by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a local italian judge. Has fro in More than $2.7 million contained in two . Navy accounts in a Dis Pute Over garbage collection a Navy spokesman said wednesday. The accounts belonging to the Naples. Navy Exchange and the personnel sup port act Naples Are the Only accounts affected by the order said it. Jon Smith the Naples naval support activity Public affairs officer. However Smith cautioned that Navy officials could not guarantee the safety of other  the judge froze  accounts feb. 4, acting on a request by Pozzuoli City officials Smith said. The accounts which arc with Banca d America e d italia contain italian currency. This is definitely a matter of concern for everybody because if they can do it Here what s to Stop them from doing it elsewhere Smith said. Attempts to reach  Coli officials Early wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful Navy and state department officials Are trying to resolve the Issue with italian authorities Smith said. The City s actions violate International Law the status of forces agreement and other agreements Between Italy and the United states Smith said. The judge s order does not apply to accounts in american banking facilities such As the base s Navy Federal credit Union Smith said. Personal lire accounts also Are not affected because the order attaching the funds was directed at the Navy and . Government Smith said. The situation is really fluid Smith said. It s Clear As mud and about As flowing As a Muddy  Smith said officials from Pozzuoli a Community on Naples outskirts that is Home to the support activity s Headquarters and other Navy units targeted the accounts in an attempt to collect Back taxes for garbage collection. The City s move is the latest in a Dis Pute Between Pozzuoli and the Navy that dates to the Early 1980s, Smith said. The support activity and other Navy commands in Pozzuoli do not use the City s garbage service Smith said contracting for a private company s services instead. Navy officials Are taking Steps to meet All its proper financial obligations despite the Frozen accounts Smith said. One such obligation is paychecks for italian employees of the Navy Exchange whose next scheduled payday is feb. 26. A variety of options is being consid ered Smith said including paying the employees with Cash or by direct Deposit. Determining How to meet pay and other obligations is difficult when you have almost $3 million Frozen without warning Smith said. Veteran Dodds employee Dies of cancer in us. Hospital Wiesbaden Germany is a longtime department of defense dependents schools employee has died of can  i. Sproles who last worked As a management assistant with the Educa Tion division at the school system s regional office in Wiesbaden died Jan. 23 at a Hospital in the United states after a lengthy illness. Sproles 65, had worked for Dodds for 19 years beginning her career in 1972 at Gen. . Arnold High school in Wiesbaden As an administrative assistant. She moved to the regional office in 197cj and remained there until she was medi Cally evacuated to the United states in december 1989. She was medically re tired in 1991. Sproles worked for the department of the army from 1956 until 1962 and for the . Air Force from 1962 to 1972. She is survived by a sister Alda Hall of Mendota a. Open for any changes because they do change  the \7a, Congress and the department of defense arc All reviewing the Agency s benefits in an Effort to keep costs Down with the draw Down they congressional members want to get Ria of peo ple but they also Don t want to take their benefits away Hanson  and locations of future briefings arc today Scilen Kirchon All Germany Friday Ramst Einab Germany wednesday Raf upper Heyford England feb. 22 Raf Alconbury England feb. 23 Span Dahlem and  feb. Zuj Raf Chi Sands England feb. 24 Raf Uken health England feb. 25 Raf Mildenhall England feb. 25 Izmir air station Turkey feb. 26 Raf bunt Wnters England no s trial in decapitation set to resume by Craig Martin staff writer the trial of an air Force noncommissioned officer accused of murdering a woman and chopping off her head an hands will resume March 1 after a 2vj month delay. The reopening of. The trial at Rhein main a Germany follows an appellate court s decision in the Case. The court upheld an air Force judge s ruling that tech. Sgt. James Ancell Thomas right to a speedy trial was not violated. The trial was delayed in its second Day dec. 11 at the request of civilian lawyer Joel Cohen to allow the review by the air Force court of military review in Washington. European circuit judge col j. Jeremiah Manoney s dec. 10 ruling came in response to a defense motion to Dis miss charges against Thomas because Ofa delay in Legal proceedings. Thomas was arrested and confined sept. 22, 1991. He was t charged by the air Force until May 29, 1992, after go Man authorities turned Over jurisdiction to . Authorities. He remains jailed in the . Army confinement facility in Mannheim Germany. Thomas 33, assigned to the 435th civil engr s at Rhein main is charged with premeditated murder and desecration of the Corpse of his Girlfriend Yolanda Pengson 27. The filipino woman s body was found sept. 9, 1991, burning in a for ested area near Karlsruhe Germany. Thomas wife and 4-year-old daughter lived in the United states at the time of i Engson s death. No plea has been entered in the trial. As the trial began dec. 10, Mahony ordered attorneys and witnesses in the Case to avoid speaking to the press. Although no time has been set the trial is expected to begin Between 7 . And 9 . In building 347 on Rhein Muin. Memorial service held for Frankfurt teacher Frankfurt germans a memorial service was held Friday for a Frankfurt High school teacher who die last week after a Short illness v corps officials said. Marcia Winter 47, became ill Early feb. 1, the officials said in a written re lease. Winter was taken to the army hos Pital in Frankfurt where she was found to have a severe infection. She was transferred to an intensive care unit at the Frankfurt University Klinick where she died feb. 3, the release said. Winter is survived by her husband John Winter and her daughter Jessiea. Her body was returned to her Hometown of Madison wis., for burial