European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 2, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 4 the stars and stripes by Vince Crawley staff writer As Winter weather and political impasses continue hampering Relief convoys in former Yugoslavia officials Are waiting for More details of a . Offer to double the number of air Force humanitarian flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under the proposal. The United states could increase air landings in Sarajevo and Airdrop Over the War torn Region As Well As begin Landing cargo planes at the City of Tula in northeastern Bosnia. Aircrews flying three c-130 Hercules cargo aircraft based at Rhein main a near Frankfurt Germany currently take about six plan loads of humanitarian supplies a Day into Sarajevo Airport. An additional Fleet of six to eight cargo aircraft drop food and medical supplies five nights a week Over besieged pockets in the War torn Region a . Official said wednesday. Additional flights Are part of a Clinton administration offer to increase american contributions to Bosnia this Winter by $150 million or almost one third Secretary of state Warren m. Christopher said tuesday in Rome. If the proposal is approved by the United nations and by the three warring factions in the Region the air Force could increase almost immediately the number of Relief flights to Sarajevo and Airdrop a defense department spokeswoman said late tuesday in Washington. But Pentagon spokeswoman Kathleen Delaski stressed that Christopher was making Quot an offer a not a statement of unilateral american intent. She also acknowledged that the United states could easily increase its Airdrop but the main emphasis would be on More landings particularly trying to land aircraft at Tula. V a spokesman for the military Airlift operation at Rhein main said wednesday afternoon that the air Force has not yet received details about the proposal to increase flights. Quot its not a local decision just yet Quot staff sgt. John Dendy said. An official with the . High commissioner for refugees also said that his office has not been contacted formally about the american offer. Severe Winter weather including nearly 2 feet of Snow in Zagreb Croatia has already forced postponement of Road convoys in the Region said Ron Redmond spokesman for the . Refugee Agency which has its Headquarters i Geneva. The Agency coordinates Relief flights and ground convoys within former Yugoslavia. Compared with last year s mild weather in Europe this Winter started out quite fierce and. It s getting worse All the time Quot Redmond said. However Quot the biggest problem we face remains obstructionism by the warring parties Quot he said. Quot the bosnian serbs Are making life difficult for  the United nations has been Quot promoting for some time Quot the Hope of Landing aircraft at Tula Redmond said. Although the control Tower has been damaged in the civil War Quot it would not take a major Effort to get the Airport up and running Quot he said. The facilities include a Large Landing strip and ample Snow removal equipment he said. Quot its a very very Good Airport and there Are More than 300,000 people in the immediate Tula area that would Viano s no by j. King Cruger 7 Northern Italy Bureau Aviano a Italy a amps a six stateside based f-16 fighters flew into Aviano a in Northern Italy wednesday afternoon and began preparing to Fly sorties Over Bosnia in support of nato s operation deny flight. Another half dozen f-16 fighting Falcons All from the air Force reserves 301st fighter Wing at Carswell fab Texas Are scheduled to touch Down at Aviano today to join the .-sanctioned operation to enforce a no Fly zone Over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some 60 Texas reservists mostly support personnel already have arrived at Aviano to be joined by another 150 personnel scheduled to Fly in saturday said senior airman Tony Jacob an Aviano spokesman. The Wing from Texas is replacing a dozen f-16s, their Crews and support personnel from the 512ih fighter so from Ramstein a Germany. The ram sick outfit has been deployed Taviano since sept. 14. Us Ramsten jets flew Home wednesday and Santa drive collects 45 tons for Bosnia Christmas donations that included clothes and toys for children in War torn Bosnia and wound up tuesday announced air Force officials at Rhein main a Germany. About 45 tons of donations from american and German communities were sorted and packed by volunteers at Rhein main according to n statement sent to the stars and stripes from the 435th Airlift Wing. The goods Are expected to be airlifted throughout december As part of operation provide Promise the ongoing . Relief part Salon for people in the former yugoslav Region the statement said. / a a sixty percent of the donations were children s clothing 20 percent coys la Pericht Candy and 5 percent miscellaneous items that included monetary donations. About 2 percent of the donations were not included in the shipments for operation provide Santa because they did not fit guidelines from , High commissioner of refugees officials said. Those items were donated to other charities. Since provide Promise began july 3,1992, the multinational Airlift has delivered 16,363 bundles containing 10,584 tons of food clothing and medal  from the opening of Tula Airport for humanitarian flights Quot Redmond said. P airlifting cargo has Quot More bang for the Buck Quot than Airdrop Delaski said. Quot if you Fly More supplies into Sarajevo Quot Delaski said Quot you be got to have ways to get them on the ground to the people who need them. So there Are logistics things that need to be worked  opening of an additional Airfield at Tula she said Wou d require assurances that it would be secure and that warring factions a the bosnian muslims croats and serbs a would not interfere with Relief flights there. . Planes would not Fly in unless there was an agreement from the parties that they would make sure Thutt it was Safe a Delaski said. Quot whether you would additionally have . Forces there Hasni to been worked  a Fleet of eight cargo planes a six ., one French and one German a has been air dropping food and Medicine Over three to four areas a night m the past week Redmond said. Quot air Force cargo plans have delivered More than 29,165 tons of food Medicine and supplies to Sarajevo since july 3,1992, an air Force official said wednesday also the air Force has dropped 10,545 tons of food and 187.tatfs of medical supplies Over Bosnia since president cd Futon ordered the night drops to begin in late february contributing to that report United Praia International its Texas touch. Quot a the remaining fighters Are to depart Friday Jacob said. Plans Call for the Texas reservists to remain at Aviano until the first week of january when they Are scheduled to be replaced by another air Force Reserve f-16 outfit the 944th fighter group from Luke fab Ariz the replacement of the Ramstein Squadron by the texans Means that Reserve and air National guard lanes and people Are now responsible for All air orce fighter sorties flown from Aviano in support of deny flight. Vav the 301st joins an a-10 Thunderbolt ii Squadron made up of Reserve and guard members already flying dose air support training missions from Aviano. More than 1,200 people a along with a Trio of �c-130 command and control aircraft from Keesler fab miss. Two nato l3-d airborne warning and control system aircraft from Raf Waddington England and six Marine f7a 18 fighters from the Beaufort Marine corps air station Sci arc also deployed to Aviano in support of deny flight Jacob us Jet. Thursday december 21993 upcoming inactivation of . Hospital marked by the stars end stripes Raf up god England a . Air Force officials held inactivation ceremonies for a Quot contingency Hospital tuesday although the unit won t inactivate officially until March 31, according to a spokesman at Raf Alconbury. The 608th contingency Hospital at Raf Upwood was designated in the 1980s to handle casualties if a Large scale War developed Between nato members and former Warsaw pact nations the spokesman said. The Hospital was never used and no medical personnel were Ever assigned to staff it. The Hospital has an inventory Worth about $19 j million including 1,500 Beds for surgical care 500 Beds for minor care patients and surgery a Ray and Laboratory equipment the spokesman said. _ Upwood is about 12 mites Northeast of Raf Alconbury. ,. The equipment and 25 buildings that constitute the Hospital Are maintained by an administrative staff of 27 . Military personnel and two British civilians. The military personnel will be reassigned to other locations and the British defense ministry is responsible for the two civilians the spokesman said. About $6.9 million Worth of the Hospital s equipment has been declared As excess and will be taken Over by the state department s humanitarian assistance program. Such excess equipment is often donated to other nations but no decision has been made if the Upwood equipment will be Given away the spokesman said. Ramstein inns judged Best Ramstein a Germany a the Ramstein inns in the Kaiserslautern area were judged the Best lodging tit the . Air forces in Europe according to morale welfare and recreation officials. The six stand alone lodging operations which Are composed of 20 buildings at Ramstein a the Vogel Weh Community and the Lan Stuhl  Post have been selected As the 1994 Safe innkeeper winners the air Force said in a written statement. The Ramstein inns with a reported patronage of 300,000 people a year will be the command s entry at the air Force level innkeeper Competition. The two other facilities in the european Competition Are those at Raf Mildenhall England and san Vita air station Italy. Lodges were judged on furnishings improvements standards guest service financial stability and other areas. Vehicle registry to parly the . Army Europe registry of motor vehicles in Heidelberg Germany will close at 11 30 . Dec. 10 for its annual Christmas  other branches will be open for business. The Heidelberg office will be open that Day from 8 . To 11130 ., spokesman Herb Logan said. Trip winners announced Birndorf Germany a winners were chosen monday in the Quot to Russia with love Quot contest sponsored by Burger King sat travel and the cafes sports stores. Five winners were chosen f. Each of the three prizes which included a round trip for two to Russia a round trip for two to Rome and a ski weekend for two to either Austria or Switzerland. Ail the winners live in Germany. Or onners of the Russia trip were Josi Vasquez of Frankfurt Edwin Colon of Hanau Samantha Jones and Paul Mitchell both of Span Dahlem and Wendy Reed of Babenhausen v _ the trip a borne was won by j. Garrison of Friedberg Carol Spilman of Ansbach Robert Anderson of Span Dahlem Christina Clark of Kitzinger and Valerie valiant of Frankfurt. Winners of the ski weekend were Chuck Johnson. Ansbach Denise Nelson of Ramstein Marge Renau of Frankfurt Ray Burris of Hohenfels and Diane Trant of Niernberg. Winners were picked at random during a drawing at the  and air Force Exchange  Headquarters in Birndorf