European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 2, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 2, 1993pants now by Gary Miller t. Naples Bureau. The Navy is formalizing what has been Standard attire for most women sailors on ships since they first began serving at sea. Stacks Are now part of the required uniform on ships. Skirts will be worn Only for ceremonial or formal events a Navy spokesman said tuesday. In practice a a that a always been the Case a chief Petty officer Mary Salvaras said. Sat Yards who has served aboard ships twice said she wore skirts and High heels on two occasions the commissioning ceremony of the submarine tender Mckee and a change of command. Navy uniform skirts and the High heels worn with them restrict movement to the extent that walking up and Down ships ladders is dangerous said Salvaras the customer services officer at naval support activity Naples Italy. Quot you would break your neck Quot she added. The stars and stripes a Pago 3 women the decision to eliminate skirts As shipboard attire was approved several week s ago by the chief of naval operations adm. Frank b. Kelso ii As part of a package of revisions to the service uniform said it Dan Bates a spokesman for the Bureau of naval personnel. In the past no Standard uniform regulation existed each commanding officer could decide whether female officers or senior enlisted sailors could Wear skirts while standing watch or during certain ceremonial events. On the submarine tender Simon Lake working uniforms Are Standard attire for the 1,200 service members including about 340 women assigned to the ship based at la Maddalena Sardinia. For people in Paygradese-6 and Junior the working uniform consists of dungarees a chambray shirt and Blue jeans. The working uniforms for e-7s and senior is a Khaki shirt and Slacks said it. Ken Little the Simon Lake s administrative officer and spokesman. A skirts Aren t an option with either of those uniforms Quot Little said. Congress has acted to Lif the ban against women serving aboard combat vessels and women arc expected to begin serving on aircraft carriers destroyers and Dock Landing ships in Large numbers by next Spring Bates  Norfolk . Aircraft Carrier Dwight d. Eisenhower probably will be the first combat ship to add women to the Crew Bates recently told the Navy times. _ a there Are now 8,000 women a 90 percent of them enlisted a crying on Navy ships. A request to standardize the uniform Rule for the Fleet was sent to Kelso by John Hagan the master chief Petty officer of the Navy and the service s most senior enlisted officer Bates said. Getting rid of skirts at sea a Navy official told the Navy times May be the first step toward a gender Neutral Quot uniform regulations which May eventually. Result in Only underwear being specifically designated for men or women. By Kevin Dougherty staff writer Mogadishu Somalia a one can  the saudi arabian colonel of taught the this Shower was Cut Short by a air Force in cot. Leighton Ewell. Ewell the military commander at Mogadishu Airport needed to resolve an Issue involving a saudi service member. Holding a conference with a foreign Mili tary officer in a Shower is not exactly textbook diplomacy but Ewell a who was clothed a says he was successful in getting his Point across. A i go right to the Boss a Ewell says. A i done to mess with the  it s a philosophy Ewell has adopted since arriving in Early september to As sme command of the Airport. With More an a dozen countries represented at the Airport Ewell found it difficult at first to resolve problems Between nations. The assortment of countries a is quite a Stew Quot Ewell says. A dealing with them is fun but its frustrating sometimes because it is  like Many of his fellow service Mem ers Ewell came to Somalia on Short notice. He was moving into a new House when orders came to replace his predecessor who had suffered a heart attack. Ewell had six Days to prepare a a in a just a tourist Quot he says a but its All right by  Ewell 43, is responsible for the daily operations at the  Soma Lian Airport. Each month the a port handles an average of 850 flights said maj. Lance Olmstead a Canadian and member of Ewells staff. About 5,000 troops from 13 nations a a Quarter of them americans a Are stationed at the Airport located on the shores of the Indian Ocean. As he fiddles with a key Chain cumbersome enough to make any janitor gulp Ewell sits behind his desk and jokes about the Good and bad of running an Airport with such a diversified staff and clientele. He often feels More like an Airport manager than an Airport Coni Trauder. Courtroom judge is appropriate too Evell says. A a where a your Black Robe Quot quips army sgt. 1st class Clay Hewson Ewells . Army Liaison. However Ewell who came to Mogadishu from Little Rock Al a ark., has More on his docket than just arbitration. S. S4s Kiln roof lha try air Force it col. Leighton Ewell knows How to get his Point across As military commander of the Airport in Mogadishu Somalia. His primary Job is ensuring that the Airport functions smoothly and is ready for any contingencies. The atmosphere at the Airport a and Mogadishu for that matter a has grown Calm in recent weeks. Ewell remembers his first few weeks when warring somalian factions had their sights trained on the Airport. Mortars and sniper attacks were a regular occurrence. A on Friday they took the Day off Quot Hewson says referring to the Muslim holy Day. The attacks ceased when additional . Troops and Materiel arrived in Mogadishu following an ill fated oct. 3 raid. The raid resulted in the deaths of 18 army rangers and a unilateral cease fire by Somalia fac Tion Leader Mohame Farran aided. With tension easing Ewell and the United nations Are focused on efforts to rebuild the Airport s infrastructure which was ravaged at the height of the somalian civil War. The Becl dist includes improved roads and aircraft Hanger. The United states is expected to run the strategic Airport until March 31, the deadline president Clinton set to bring american troops Home. . Military officials in Somalia believe that As american forces withdraw from its compounds in Southern Mogadishu the . Presence will coalesce at the Airport. By that time much of the airports logistical q needs would be handled by Brown amp Root inc., a Houston based civilian contracting firm employed by the United nations. A right now the big word on their the americans minds is a redeployment a a Ewell says. Of course Airport Sam remembers who like to swim also think a lot about Sharks. Since 1984, there have been 85 reported fatal shark attacks  Ewell say. At least three people affiliated with the . Humanitarian operation in Somalia have died. Among those killed was an american Soldier. Somalian and . Officials say the Waters Are shark infested because of an old meat processing Plant in North Mogadishu. For years the Plant which is now closed dumped discarded meat into the Harbor. That turned the Waters into a feeding ground for Sharks which Are now reluctant to leave. A net More than 600 Yards Long was recently installed in the Harbor raising Hopes that authorities would formally open the Beach adjacent to the Airport. Despite the net Ewell says he is in no hurry to Wade into the water and practice his breast stroke with the Sharks. �?o1 think i la wait until. Wednesday Quot Ewell says referring to dec. 1. A will let those Little buggers get  Bidav Melancon. Staff writer Kitzinger Germany Community officials Are taking Steps to help prevent another child from falling out of a window in government quarters. The response follows a mishap last month when a 4-year-old boy fractured his wrist in a fall from the fourth floor of the Marshall Heights housing area in Kitz Ingon. A if you need something to keep your kids inside the windows and you five on the upper floors a the lock on the window docs not work or you would like bars on the windows a i need your name a maj. Kenneth Mallonee kit Zinc in area support team commander told residents at a town Hall meeting tuesday. Adam Valinte fell from his family a marshal Heights apartment window nov. 19. According to reports Adam apparently climbed onto a top bunk bed to reach the window. It was not known How he opened the window. The Valcon pcs apartment which As equipped with Locking windows met safety requirements officials said. At the town Hall meeting Community officials issued a memorandum explaining How window locks work and brought rings filled with replacement window lock keys to the meeting. There is some debate on whether bars work better than locks Mallonee said. Families can decide which device they want and a a we la it Vork through those issues one at a time to provide Security to the kids in the buildings a he said. A your intent in the Community a throughout Usa eur a is to put child guards on every single apartment in every government quarters Quot said col. Mitchell Stevenson commander of the 3rd inf div support come and senior officer in the Kitzinger Community a we do not have the funding to do All that yet Quot he said. A at a minimum we have windows that will lock in every  residents whose windows do not lock or who want safety bars can put in a work order request through the Community. A at a minimum Well guarantee you at least a Locking window in your apartment so that the tragedy that almost occurred to Adam Valente does not repeat itself Quot Mallonee said. The Kitzinger military Community u negotiating with private building owners to install window locks on leased quarters he added