European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 05, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 5, 1993 the stars and stripes Page 3 we do it better stripes says publisher vows to fight proposed cafes takeover by Kevin Robinson. Staff writer. Darmstadt Germany stars and stripes officials plan to dig in their heels and resist a proposed takeover of their bookstores by the army and air Force Exchange service the organization s publisher said wednesday. We firmly believe that no one else can do the same Job Book and periodical business offer the same serv ice and the same breadth of merchandise said air Force col. Steven s. Hoffman in a written statement provided to the stars and stripes on wednesday. Hoffman s comments came a Day after air Force Mai. Gen. Robert f. Swarts the cafes commander told the House armed services committee s morale welfare and recreation panel that an cafes takeover of the bookstores would generate More than $6 million annually to military morale programs. Congress currently is putting together the fiscal 1994 defense authorization Bill. As part of that legislation the House mar panel had recommended an option in which. Stripes bookstores would be absorbed by cafes and the Nav Exchange come. Part of the resulting profits would then be returned to the financially strapped newspaper. We were surprised to hear that the proposed trans Fer had been included in the House appropriations Bill because All previous studies have suggested it was financially unfeasible Hoffman said. The proposed cafes takeover of the bookstores there Are currently 124 comes at a crucial time for the european stars and stripes organization. The stars and stripes newspaper currently is trying to stay above water alter losing $3 million in fiscal 1992 and $6.7 million thus far through fiscal 1993. The bookstores too Are coming to grips with reduced reve nue with fewer . Service members and civilians in , Hoffman believes there is a glaring prob Lem with what is not mentioned in cafes proposal. No one seems to be asking the Exchange services exactly How they would effect the Transfer and exactly How they think the bookstores would operate he said. In a Brief interview wednesday Hoffman also predicted that the european stars and stripes Organiza Tion would come through these turbulent times and return to financial viability. As an organization the newspaper and the bookstores fall under the authority of the . Euro Pean come. The command s spokesman capt. Gordon i. Peterson would not speculate on cafes ability to run the bookstores. However he did say that any or to animation would be hard pressed to match what tripes has done for decades in a far reaching Geo Hoffman graphic  it would be a Challenge for any organization to duplicate stripes Bookstore operations today with the same services and selection of books and magazines Peterson said. Stripes has other merchandise distribution and business improvements in motion that should provide even better Bookstore service in the future. Absent substantial outstrip financial assistance the loss of Bookstore operations would have a devastating effect of stripes financially Peterson added since Bookstore profits offset the costs of publishing and distributing the news  according to Hoffman assistance for the newspaper and improvements for the bookstores Are coming and Are expected to ensure the organization s viability. They include continued discounts of 25 percent or More on certain merchandise and recurring promotions  As the warehouse sales where prices for books and magazines Are trimmed by 50 percent to 80 percent off retail prices. Enhanced advertising guidelines for the newspaper that when approved could increase and revenues by $1.8 million in the first 14 months alone. These guide lines currently Are being handled through government channels in Washington. Ongoing negotiations with the army s Community and family support Center in Washington for financial assistance that would help the stripes organization transition its services based on a reduced troop level of 100,000 service members in Europe. This assistance would be provided if a current Reservoir of stripes funds is exhausted. Planned reductions of 200 positions from the organization. This would mean trimming the staff from 545 people to 345 Between now and fiscal 1995. These reductions Are expected to save $7.5 million a year. Introducing Point of Sale computers in the bookstores along with a new contracted freight for warding system expected to increase stripes ability to provide books and magazines faster. We be completely revamped Many of our largest bookstores and i wish the House committee members would come and see these stores firsthand Hoffman said of improvements already made. Our people Are doing an outstanding Job of serving the customer and they will continue to do so he said. The cafes proposal struck different chords with some stars and stripes Bookstore employees. Some like Ben fioritto viewed it As the worst thing that could Ever happen. It would be like when they took Over the class six  they cafes Aren t telling the truth about their so called discounts said fioritto who manages the stripes Bookstore in Frankfurt Germany. We stripes do give the customers discounts 25 percent off on Best Sellers and the same on pocketbooks. We have some problems right now dealing with the draw Down but Well turn it around in time. At the Wiir Burg Germany Bookstore cashier Chuck Edwards wondered How cafes researched its proposal to mak4he profits it claimed to the House mar panel. I what would  Edwards said about the problems associated with distributing books and magazines from suppliers in the United states to customers across Europe. Magazines will still sit on a Clit would be a Challenge for any organization to duplicate stripes Bookstore operations today with the same services and selection of books and magazines. Capt. Gordon i. Peterson spokesman for the . European come boat no matter who runs  two others who did not want to be identified said that a change could be for the better. And Jim Murray who manages a stripes Bookstore in Vincnza Italy said i Don t think there would be a difference if cafes absorbed the Bookstore operations. I Don t think my Job would change Hoffman said he firmly believes cafes is not pre pared to duplicate what stripes has done with the bookstores Over the years. We Don t believe anyone can do As Good a Job of running the bookstores As we can. Selling books and periodicals is an extremely Complex business especially when it s spread across an entire continent he added. It s a distinct kind of sales and the complexities involved Are the reason most Large retailers in the United states have left the business to b. Dalton and other chains. In Europe stars and stripes represents that same kind of  of Morine f i hers prepare for Bosnia action  Northern Italy Bureau Aviano a Italy the Hills around Aviano a Are alive with the sound of roaring aircraft engines this week As . Air Force and Marine air Crews practice for possible ground attacks against targets in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aviano 35 minutes away from Sarajevo by Jet fighter was a Busy place wednesday with fighters transport planes and airborne warning aircraft com ing and going from the base at the foot of the italian Alps. Aviano officials opened the Gate wednesday to International news organizations to show them How deployed aircraft and their Crews Are preparing for a possible expanded role in the skies Over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of the aircraft deployed to Avian like the eight f/a-18d Hornet fighters from the 533rd fixed Wing Marine fighter attack so from Beaufort Marine corps air station s.c., have been flying nightly Over Bosnia while participating in operation deny flight. These Guys the hornets Crews Are not afraid and Are very much prepared for the planned air support of . Ground forces assigned to guard havens for Muslim civilians said Marine it. Col. . Rash the 533rd s commander. The two seater Marine aircraft have been operating Over Bosnia nightly and their Crews report that fighting was especially heavy Over the weekend and through monday in Central Bosnia. The fighting seems to have lightened up last night rash said wednesday. Most of the fighting in that Region takes place a night according to rash who said that the Marine hornets night attack capability brings a valuable asset to nato s air Effort. Our infrared imaging device turns a night Battle ground into Daylight for us rash said. Rash refused to say whether the Marine pilots whatever we Are tasked to do Weare ready to go there and do it it. Col. Tom Popp were lining up possible targets during their forays Over the Battleground. The rugged heavily forested terrain in Bosnia could present problems to Allied aircraft trying to at tack dug in targets rash said it could be difficult to find Small targets. This Bosnia is not the desert rash added. A dozen a-10 Thunderbolt us and of los a modified version of the a-10, Are also deployed to Aviano and probably would be prominent players in any air to ground attacks in Bosnia. The a-10 provides close air support for ground troops while the oa-10 is used for Forward air patrolling. Those aircraft arc deployed to Aviano from the air Force s 510th fighter so at Spang Dahlum a Germany. Their commander it. Col. To Popp said his aircrews have been practising bombing and rocket attacks daily at the Maniago Range just a few Miles from Aviano. Whatever we Are tasked to do we Are ready to go there and do it Popp said. Twelve More fighters f-16 fighting Falcons from Span Dahlem s 23rd fighter Sci Are also deployed to Aviano and Are flying deny flight combat air patrols Over Bosnia daily. Poised to coordinate the efforts of the nato air Armada plus the commands and requests expected to come from in air and on ground commander Are three air Force ec-130 command and control air Craft deployed from the 7th airborne come an control so at Keesler fab miss. Two More ec-130s from the Squadron were also expected to arrive at Aviano sometime wednesday said col. Terry Oldham the Squadron commander. What we bring to the theater with this one of a kind Squadron is the ability to communicate in a very unfriendly environment. We can do Many things for Many people said Oldham adding if the . Is having communication difficulties we can help them. "