European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday March 11, 1993 . The stars and stripes Pago 5 Aspin hears pleas for bases Washington a Mississippi rep. , a Sonny Montgomery d-miss., buttonhole an old House colleague in an attempt to save Meridian Nas from the military base closure list. And did he learn anything tuesday from defense Secretary Les Aspin his former chairman on the House armed services committee a nothing a said Montgomery resigned to the facility a Likely Fate. The congressman was one of a Stream of lawmakers to make an Lith hour pitch to Aspin who sat in a Senate reception room listening to arguments on Why scores of bases should remain open. A the listened to what we had to say. He did not indicate in any Way what final decisions might be made a said sen. Donald w. Riegle jr., a Democrat who pleaded for  Sawyer fab in Michigan. The base employs about 3,300 military personnel and 1,000 civilians. The army Navy and air Force have presented the defense Secretary with recommendations that about 30 major . Installations be closed. Aspin s final list is expected to be released Friday but lawmakers were expected to learn the Fate of their bases a bit earlier. Congressional sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said Aspin and William Perry the Deputy defense Secretary planned to begin calling members wednesday night once the White House approves the list. The final list will closely resemble the services recommendations the sources said although the Clinton administration is looking to soften the blow for California. Not Only was the state hard hit in the last two rounds of base closures but democratic sen. Dianne Frinstein is up for re election in 1994 and California came through for Clinton in the presidential election. The base closure list also May include a a Omega port Quot concept in which Navy bases would be consolidated in a few major harbours. That idea received a thumbs Down from rep. Sam Sci Dunson d-Conn., who lobbied Aspin in Hopes of saving the Navy submarine base in Groton Conn. A it should be the lesson we Learned from Pearl Harbor a Jcj Dunson said explaining Why he opposes concentrating ships in a few Mega ports. Part of the Navy plan appears to include establishing two or to acc Onega ports with Norfolk in. Kings Bay a. And san Diego Calif., being the leading candidates. Smaller bases such As the Groton submarine base would be consolidated into the larger centers. Aspinw a final list will go to the base closure and realignment commission which can change the package before sending it to Clinton and then Congress. File defense Secretary Les aspirin the stars and stripes 10years ago March 11,1983 a Anne Mcgill Burford yielding to growing pressure from Congress Over her refusal to turn Over documents to congressional subcommittees resigned As head of the environmental Protection agency.20 year Sago March 11 1973 a president Nixon said he will ask Congress to restore the death penalty for certain Federal crimes and require mandatory life sentences without parole for habitual drug traffickers.30 year Sago March 11,1963 a president Kennedy prepared to Tell Congress that unemployment the nation s no. 1 problem is wasting lives and hampering production that could raise . Living standards.40 year Sago March 11,1953 a . F-84 Jet fighter was shot Down by soviet built Mig-15 jets inside the . Zone of Germany near Regensburg. The Pilot parachuted to safety.50 year Sago March 11,1943 a the German cities of Munich and Niernberg began digging out of the wreckage left by two consecutive British Royal air Force night raids. World War ii 50 years ago today March 111 a 9 a 4 �3 the red army pushes a Forward on a Broad Swath of the Central front retaking Yaz a without a fight. In Tunisia Montgomery secretly moves his new zealand troops South of Mederine for an. Attempt to sweep them around the Axis forces on the Mareth line. Factory workers strike in Turin Italy a touching off a walkout that shuts Down italian War production. Source 2194 Days of War. W. H. Smith publishers inc. World almanac Book of worm War ii Bison books corp. 1981 a expected to free up millions to Aid people areas Hurt by closure from wire reports Washington president Clinton is planning to make available a Relief package for workers and communities expected to be hit in this year s military base closings officials said tuesday. Administration strategists said Clinton will release about $80 million in Grants for workers and localities. The Grants had been approved by Congress in the fiscal 1993 budget but was Frozen by the Bush administration. He also will approve the use of $1.35 billion in unspent Money a part of last years broader congressional a defense conversion program a to provide Early retirement incentives for military personnel and department of defense workers and to help subsidize efforts by smaller defense companies to develop commercial products. Officials said the administration will ask Congress for about $1.7 billion in defense conversion funds for fiscal 1994, which begins oct. 1. Even so government and private analysts said the Money was not Likely military Aid Here is a partial list of Money that will help the Economy adjust to defense cutbacks about $550 million to develop products to sell in both the defense and commercial markets. About $160 million to help communities plan ways of diversifying their economic base because of the closing of military bases or defense plants. To go far in helping workers. Analysts say most such programs have a marginal Impact and that the real solution to creating jobs for displaced workers is to Spur the Economy. A in some ways what we re trying to do is run a triage operation a said a senior official. Those industries that can be saved or arc critical will be nurtured or kept on life support systems he says. The rest will be allowed to die. Another aspect of the plan is $550 million to encourage Pentagon contractors to develop products that have civilian As Well As military uses. This dual use idea is intended to preserve the Middle tier of the military Industry a those companies not among the surviving makers of Large weapons systems that require a dedicated Industrial capacity. The intent is to give the medium size and smaller companies the flexibility to move More readily Between military and commercial work. That would make it easier to rebuild a Large defense Industry if the need Ever arises. One reason that dual use products arc not More common is that the military imposes rigid technical specifications for products it buys a requirements that Don t make economic sense in the commercial Market. Builder ignored c-17 woes former Dod overseer says from wire reports Washington expansion and a reorganization overwhelmed the Mcdonnell Douglas corp. Unit building the c-17 transport plane resulting in serious problems that went unheeded says a former overseer of the project. A i will not be Able to present you with a pretty picture Quot Ken Tollefson told the House armed services committee on tuesday. Tollefson was the Pentagon a representative at the Mcdonnell Douglas Plant in Long Beach Calif., from july 1987 to june 1992. The retired air Force colonel said he warned of Cost overruns and schedule delays stemming from the company a problem with building an aircraft that involved a great Deal of technology. A it was a plane Douglas had never built before Quot Tollefson said. He recalled a March 1990 meeting with the then air Force chief of staff Gen. Larry a Welch in which Tollefson said a this program will stall  the warning went unheeded he said. The $42 billion program is about $1 billion Over budget and More than a year behind schedule for completing flight tests. The air Force originally planned to buy 210 c-17s but has Cut the request to 120 aircraft. A the aircraft delivery schedule is fixed by contract the budget is not Quot Tollefson said. A a they re behind schedule and Over budget because of. A failure to execute the  the plane has had problems with fuel leaks its wings Landing gear and computer software during development. Tollefson said he warned company officials including the chairman and chief executive officer John Mcdonnell about problems with the program. Tollefson said he realized in August 1990 that for every Dollar invested in the program the air Force was getting Only 37 cents performance. The Fate of the c-17 will be decided in the coming weeks As defense Secretary Les Aspin and the Clinton administration decide on a military budget for the fiscal year beginning oct 1. ,. After the hearing the committee chairman rep. Ronald v. Dellums d-Calif., said some Type of major change or restructuring of the c-17 program is necessary. Potential changes could include slowing production reducing the Pentagon a future Purchase of c-17s, renegotiating Mcdonnell a contract or some Type of financial Aid said rep Norman Sisisky d-va., chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee. Accounting centers May face new study Washington a defense Secretary Les Aspin indicated tuesday that he May want to review a decision on where the Pentagon will put several regional accounting centers members of Congress reported. The decision was expected Friday. Twenty cities in 13 states Are awaiting word on whether they will land one of the centers that could mean thousands of High paying jobs. The bidding has evolved into an economic development contest with states including Texas Louisiana Oklahoma and Indiana pro closing packages Worth tens of Mit ions of dollars Iri incentives. The Pentagon is considering two to five facilities that would employ from 4,000 to 7,000 people. The 20 cities under consideration Are Lubbock and Bangor Maine Cleveland Columbus and Youngstown Ohio Denver Colo. Indianapolis and Evansville ind. Huntsville Ala. Jackson miss. Macon a. New Orleans and Shreveport la. Oklahoma City Tulsa and Lawton okla. Pensacola Fla. Saginaw Mich. San Bernardino Calif. 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