European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Z military 1 the stars Ano stripes Page 11 Kelso warns about costs of overseas Home ports by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a any attempt to build More Over seas Home ports for . Ships would be too expensive for the United states the Navy Stop uniformed official told lawmakers tuesday. The Navy has one major overseas Home port in Yokosuka Japan and smaller Home port facilities in la Maddalena and Gaeta Italy . Frank b. Kelso ii chief of naval operations told the House armed services military personnel subcommittee. But As advantageous As overseas Home ports might seem the one in Yokosuka a Home to the aircraft car Rier Independence a works chiefly because Japan is willing to pay most of the support costs to keep it there. I done to know of very Many places that Are willing to pay As much As Japan Kelso said. The Navy is conducting a congressionally mandated study due on Capitol Hill next month that examines the feasibility of creating a 6th Fleet Home port in Haifa Israel. The tuesday hearing was the second of four that Are to conclude today with the chiefs of staff of the air Force and army. The Marine corps led off last week. The subcommittee chairman rep. Ike Skelton d-mo., called the hearings so lawmakers on the panel can be 4iput Back in school on the relationship Between service missions and the number of personnel needed to fulfil them. Skelton wants the subcommittee to have a basis to decide on personnel Levels for fiscal 1994 and beyond a process that will begin when president Clinton sends his first budget to Congress in Early april. Although they seem willing to discuss the relationship Between missions and Force Levels when asked the service chiefs Are also using the hearings to sell ideas touting capabilities and seeking to justify their current slate of missions to protect their budgets As much As possible. For example the Navy had on hand an ample Supply of its colourful 15-Page Booklet from the sea which outlines the recent shift in doctrine from a focus on fighting other navies on open seas to providing flexible Low Cost platforms for launching . My Italy Power ashore in contingencies. Kelso and subcommittee members had several exchanges a none of them extensive a about various Navy personnel policies. One such debate involved the ratio of sea to Shore duty personnel and the potential Impact on readiness if sea deployments Are stretched because of personnel cuts. But the discussion repeatedly veered Back to putting . Firepower into regional trouble spots and whether the Navy can provide the Best Means for doing that. Although Kelso made several references to joint operations with other services he contended that the Navy is the logical Choice for such Power projection at a time when Forward deployed Shore based . Forces Are not nearly As Welcome As they once were in Many parts of the world. A no other nations permission is required for our naval forces to operate in International Waters a Kelso said. A and no nation has Power sufficient to prevent our naval forces from establishing local control of any coastal  Kelso called for making aircraft carriers the Backbone of such efforts and made a plea for keeping 12 carriers. Some proposals floated in Congress have suggested maintaining As few As nine carriers. During the election Campaign Clinton indicated he prefers 10. But Kelso said that even if the Navy were to drop from its current level of 444 ships to As few As 350, he would still want 12 of them to be carriers. A an aircraft Carrier is a a Small chunk of America wherever we want to put it Quot Kelso said. A a it a our most flexible platform and offers the most capability in a regional  Gao faults Navy justification for Texas mine warfare Center thursday March 11, 1993exercise Central fortress gets under Way sunday Frankfurt Germany about 6,000 . And Allied soldiers will participate in exercise Central fortress a computer assisted exercise that begins sunday and ends next thursday. Soldiers from v corps Headquarters the 3rd corps support come the 1st army div and the 22nd signal brigade will participate in the exercise from Field locations. Other v corps units will be simulated by computers at the exercise control Center at Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt. Troops from the 3rd brigade 3rd inf div will act As the opposing forces to the v corps units. Also participating will be the German 5th Panzer div the dutch 12th mechanized brigade and the British 22nd army brigade. Most of the troops involved in the exercise will operate from computer terminals. Pitburg unit at Nellis Pitburg a Germany a the 53rd fighter so from Pitburg a left March 4 for a monthlong deployment for the . Air forces annual Green Flag exercise at Nellis fab Nev. The Squadron will practice Low level flying two weeks before the Start of the exercise scheduled to begin March 26. Electronic warfare equipment is used As part of Green Flag. Also participating in the exercise will be e-3a sentry aircraft part of the airborne warning and control system ef-111 Ravens ec-135 flying command Post aircraft and ec-130 Compass Call aircraft. These planes specialize in jamming enemy radar and preventing Friendly aircraft from having their radar jammed. The Pitburg Squadron will escort fighter bombers to target areas. During the exercise which takes place Over the Nevada desert participants will face enemy aircraft and surface to air threats. Bimbi Irgy a 22nd fighter so is expected to deploy to Nellis to replace the 53rd some time during the exercise a Case spokesman  fair set March 25 Ramstein a Germany a an overseas Job fair will be held March 25, from 9 . To 3 ., at the Vogel Weh officers and civilians club in Kaiserslautern. Employers from the local Community As Well As other areas of Germany will be accepting r6sum�s and Job applications and some will conduct interviews according to an air Force news release. No stateside positions will be offered. High school students graduating this year and remaining with their sponsors Are especially encouraged to attend. On monday the Ramstein family support Center will Offei a seminar on rlsum6 writing preparation of the Standard form 171 application for Federal employment and interviewing skills. A the seminar will run from noon to 4 30  Reservations Are required. For More information Call Rich Wargel at Dan 480-5016 or civilian 0637147-5016.Bremerhaven loses units Bremerhaven Germany a Bremerhaven once the largest geographic . Military Community in Germany has lost two More units the 64th and 560th my companies. The 64th my co left Bremerhaven for fort Hood Texas following ceremonies March 2. The 560th my co inactivated on the same Day said Bremerhaven spokesman Frank Shirar. He said a total of about 50 people were in the two units. The 543rd area support group Host organization for the Bremerhaven military Community is scheduled to end operations june 30 when responsibility for Carl Schurz Cavern is handed Over to a team of closure custodians then to the German government ceremonies for group inactivation Are set for april 14, Shirar said. The Bremerhaven Community once covered six major facilities in Northern Germany and had a military population of 16,000 at its height in 1990. Since then the numbers have dropped to 400 people. Byra Crowden Washington Bureau Washington Navy officials have failed to adequately justify Ingleside Texas As Home port for a proposed mine warfare Center according to congressional investigators. The charge is contained in a february report by the general accounting office which describes Navy arguments Dor the Texas port As Quot insignificant unverifiable or achievable at alternative  a Senate staffer who requested anonymity said tuesday that Congress is withholding funds for the site until the Navy provides a better justification for the Ingleside project. He said Money for the project was contained in Yie fiscal 1993 budget. The report was sent to sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., chairman of the Senate armed services committee sen. Robert c. Byrd d-w.va., chairman of the Senate appropriations Quot committee rep. William h. Natcher a ky., chairman of the House appropriations committee and rep. Ronald v. Dellums d-calif., chairman of the House armed services committee. The Gao report is titled mine warfare consolidation at Ingleside has not been justified. A Navy spokeswoman said monday that the service was concerned with efficiency As Well As Cost in determining a site for the Center. Quot a consolidated mine warfare Center for excellence at Ingleside provides the Best Opportunity to train As an integrated Force a said it. Jacquie Yost. Ingleside was identified As one of the most expensive locations in a study by the Center for naval analysis. Navy officials commissioned the study which was finished in december by the Center a private firm that specializes in maritime issues. In a Jan 15 report to Congress Sean a of Keefe former Secretary of the Navy defended the Choice. He said the Texas port just North of Corpus Christi was the top location for the Center. The Center would bring together 23 ships five helicopter squadrons and 4,610 military personnel most of which Are currently located in Virginia and California according to the Gao. The Navy a problems in Clearing mines from sea lanes during the persian Gulf War led to flans to upgrade anti mine War Are through consolidation. The Gao report questioned the concept of the Center noting that minesweepers need to train with other combat ships rather than As a separate  Keefe s january report resulted from a congressional request for More details concerning the Navy s request for choosing the Texas port. The Gao report also criticized Navy officials for changing Cost estimates contained in the study by the Center for naval analysis. The study mentioned six alternate Sites. Quot the Navy increased the estimates substantially for most of the feasible alternatives except two in the Ingleside area which were reduced by an average of 21 percent a the investigators said. A Chart in the Gao report indicates Navy officials boosted the estimates for Little Creek  from $31 million to $88 million. It also boosted the estimate for a base in san Diego from $74 million to $211 million. The Chart shows estimates that the Ingleside alternative which contains two locations dropped from $101 million and $118 million to $86 million each. The locations Are at Ingleside just North of Corpus Christi and Kingsville South of the City. Quot we found that the Navy adjustments to the Cna estimates were either unwarranted or inconsistent a the investigators said. Proposed naval facility infill medal Gulf w me a u o Corpus Christi a amps