European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 13, 1993 the stars and stripes Page 3 costs Dod spent on nonmilitary duties by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington the defense department spent More than $10 billion Over the past four years on activities that have nothing to do with its Core Mission of preparing to fight the nations wars according to a new government report. The nov. 26 general accounting office report also said spending for S.C. purposes called a Domestic civil activities a has More than tripled since fiscal 1990. Such activities include providing Security at major sporting events supporting National celebrations aiding Cou Temar comics efforts and conducting technological environmental and medical research. But the military often lambasted for its wasteful spending habits is not to blame the report said. Rather the fault lies with lawmakers who have piled S.C. missions of the services. A congressionally directed activities accounted for 96 percent of the total funding we identified for fiscal years 1990 to 1993,�?� the report said. Moreover that portion of the annual spending on Domestic civil activities has skyrocketed from less than $1.5 billion in fiscal 1990 to $4.6 billion in fiscal 1993. For example operations and maintenance spending Rose from $21.6 million in 1990 to $1.2 billion in 1993, largely because of costs involved with converting defense Industry assets to commercial uses. The other 4 percent of the total a discretionary funds earmarked for unplanned operations S.C. As disaster Relief and civil unrest As Well As support for the Counselor annual boy scout Jamboree and other events a has remained relatively stable. The Gao compiled the report at the request of rep. Floyd Spence r-s.c., the ranking minority member of the House armed services committee who has Long been concerned about the diversion of defense funds Tor no defense projects. A was we draw Down the propensity to divert Money from traditional defense missions seems to be going up a an aide to Spence said. A knowing that you have to establish some kind of Baseline to see How big the problem is. This report does  the report said the True spending total is probably much higher than $10.4 billion because the defense department has no Standard definition for Domestic civil activities and normally does not track the amount of Money used to support them. During the four year period total defense spending was More than $1  whether specific defense department activities do not involve the services Core Mission of training for combat can be a Quot very subjective process the report said. A a the Gao was forced to develop its own rough definitions of Domestic civil activities based on Pentagon documents and talks with military officials. For their part service officials seem ambivalent about the effect of Domestic civil activities on their War fighting Mission. On the plus Side S.C. activities often provide real world training. For example one army brigade commander inter on benefits by Joseph Owen Heidelberg Bureau Heidelberg Germany a Many service members who Are preparing to leave the military have mistaken notions about what awaits them after Active duty a department of veterans affairs Counselor said. However service members now preparing for discharge seem to be better informed than their predecessors last year said the Counselor Ruth f. Schadler. Schadler has been briefing Europe based troops on veterans benefits since last summer. Five other representatives Are also helping set the record straight. Schadler who conducted the last of her nearly 100 benefits briefings in Heidelberg last week noted several common false assumptions S.C. As a veterans affairs lends Money and a a loan is a one time offer. In fact the a Only guarantees Home Loans and an eligible Veteran can obtain a loan More than once. A a a the i Bill funds Only College courses aimed at getting a Bachelor s degree and Only in one study program per person. Actually financing of postgraduate education and multiple Fields of study is possible. A disability benefits Are paid Only to veterans who receive medical discharges. In reality some service connected disabilities done to become apparent until after discharge Schadler said. Also some serv ice members tearing an Adverse Impact on their careers Don t report disabilities Dod budget for nonmilitary activities 1993 a. Dollars m Menton 1992 1991 1990 total operations and maintenance $1,200.2 $67.3 $21.3 $21.6 $1,310.2 research development test 1.667.8 661.5 294.5 225.6 3,049.4 and evaluation procurement 30.8 8.7 7,5 419.7 466.6 other 362.5 288.7 305.0 270.0 1,226.2  1,140.7 1,247.6. 1,084.1 450.0 3,922.4 total $<002.0 $2,273.5 $1,712.4 $1,386.9 $9,974.8 a does not include about 4% to discretionary spending. Totals May not add up due to rounding. Examples of congressionally directed activities operations and maintenance research. Development Teet and evaluation procurement  defense conversion initiatives Security at sporting events and participation in National celebrations. Technological medical and environmental research including research on Jet fuels manufacturing systems cancer and nutrition. Coast guard ships and civil air patrol aircraft. High school career academies and Junior Reserve officers training corps development. Detection of Aerial and maritime transits of illegal drugs into the United states. Source general accounting Otic viewed by the Gao mentioned the deployment Small unit tactics and command and control training that his troops received when they responded to the los Angeles riots last year. But units engaged in S.C. activities for lengthy periods May miss Normal training opportunities the report said. These activities also drive up equipment costs because assets used for S.C. purposes Wear out faster. Despite the Sharp upward spending trend the Gao said Overall military readiness has not been noticeably of. S4s Fec cd so far. But military officials Are concerned that the negative effects of supporting Domestic civil activities could Worsen if Congress continues to add S.C. missions at a time when the defense budget is quickly shrinking the report said. Those concerns have sparked a coordinated defense department Effort to gauge the Impact of support for Domestic civil activities on Overall readiness and to develop Standard doctrine for the military a involvement in a other than War operations. Pullout of civilian planes could Hurt wartime airlifts amps Dav Casey Ruth f. Schadler. Veterans affairs Counselor until after they leave the service. A service members convicted and jailed for crimes committed while in the military lose All of their veterans benefits. In fact they remain eligible for Many. If troops write to veterans affairs offices in the United states to obtain information about benefits Schadler said they should address queries to smaller regional offices that Arentt Likely to be swamped with S.C. requests. Before doing even that soldiers should visit their local army career and alumni program office she said. People in other services should use the transition assistance program. The two programs also Are open to . Civilian employees of the military said Mike von Milanich the Heidelberg Acap representative. By Nancy l. Torner . Bureau Raf Mildenhall England the recent withdrawal of some commercial airlines from the civil Reserve air Fleet could Strain the air mobility come in the event of a War the am commander said saturday. Mildenhall was the first Stop on an orientation visit to All am units in Europe by Gen. Ronald r. Fogleman who also commands the . Trans come. Fogle Man held the briefing at the Raf Mildenhall officers club to answer questions submitted in Advance by Mildenhall a Public affairs office including the Impact on the am caused by the withdrawal of some civilian airlines from the civil Reserve Fleet. One third of the . Military a total Airlift capacity during a crisis is supplied by commercial aircraft Fogleman said. Operation desert shield in the persian Gulf was the first crisis where the civil Reserve air Fleet was used he said. Under the civil Reserve program commercial airlines Are guaranteed a share of military air traffic during times of peace in Exchange for a commitment to provide a specified number of aircraft during times of crisis Fogleman said. Such traffic includes both passengers on temporary duty and cargo. As troops draw Down there is less peacetime military business for commercial airlines and some carriers including american airlines and United airlines have found it infeasible to continue to participate in the program he  smaller civil Reserve Fleet Means that if the United states went to War it would have to use its c-141 Star lifter aircraft for medical evacuations rather than for hauling cargo Fogleman said. However the am is studying hew incentives to boost commercial airline participation in the program he said. Currently the c-141 elect is grounded for repairs. Each Wing which holds fuel for the aircraft has 760 Small holes drilled inside to allow fuel to float Back and Forth Fogleman said. Some cracks developed Between the holes that could allow fuel to spread into the Structure of the aircraft raising the planets failure probability to one in 10, he said. Aircraft inspections were completed last month and about 80 percent of the c-141 Fleet should be repaired by the end of March Fogleman said. The other 20 percent will require the installation of new Wing panels which should be completed by the end of summer he said. The c-141s Are used for hauling cargo Long distances. As a result of their grounding the am has had to charter More commercial aircraft to fill in he said. A had we had a major crisis during this time we would have been in very bad shape a he said. On another topic Fogleman said the draw Down was causing am personnel to spend More time on temporary duty to service planes than in the past. This year c-130 Hercules personnel have each spent an average of about 160 Days on temporary duly c-141 personnel have spent about 140 Days on temporary duty c-5 Galaxy personnel have spent 120 Days on temporary duty and Tanker personnel have spent about 90 Days on temporary duty he said