European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday january 12, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3af again Hopes to lure Early out bonuses retirements offered to separate 19,300 by mid 7 995 by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a Germany a in an Effort to trim nearly 20,000 airmen from its Active duty ranks the air Force once again is offering exit bonuses and Early retirement As part of its 1995 draw Down program. Air Force plans Call for the separation of 17,000 enlisted members and 2,300 officers by june 30, 1995, said tech. Sgt. Ronald Gomez chief of the separation and retirement office for the . Air forces in Europe. It is the third consecutive year the program has been offered in an Effort to meet military personnel strengths mandated by Congress. Those interested can apply beginning feb. 1, Gomez said. Applications Are accepted on a first come first served basis. A we have to meet those goals a Gomez said a a it a not something that we would like to  the latest plan expands the eligibility criteria for temporary Early retirement voluntary separation incentive and special separation Benefit programs. Vii is an annuity the sub offers a one time payment and includes other benefits. If the programs fall Short of the targets the air Force May Call for selective Early retirement boards for officers and senior noncommissioned members. Although the air Force has held such boards in the past for officers it has not used the process for senior cos. Conducting such boards for senior cos a is something that a been out there As a possibility a Gomez said. The air Force has excluded 135 career Fields from the program Gomez said. The exclusions include those Fields that Are understaffed or where a shortage is anticipated. Although All medical positions have been excluded in the past the 1995 program will become available for the first time to some personnel in nursing biomedical science and medical service which is medical administration. Gomez said those interested in the program should Call their local base personnel office for eligibility details. The program offers a Early retirement and exit bonuses for senior master sergeants and below who will have 15 years of service by their requested retirement dates total Active Federal military service Date of june 30, 1980, or earlier some exemptions apply. A exit bonuses for staff sergeants and below with 10 years of service by their separation dates. Some exemptions apply a Early retirement and exit bonuses for eligible line majors and lieutenant colonels including majors and lieutenant colonels passed Over for promotion with 15 years of service by their retirement dates online officers Are pilots and navigators while line officers Are those in support career Fields such As communication transportation and administration. A exit bonuses for majors who entered service in 1980 and 1981. Pilots and navigators with less than 15 years of service Are ineligible. A Early retirement and exit bonuses for line captains who entered service from 1983 to 1987 who have not been passed Over for promotion and with 15 years of service by their retirement dates. Pilots and navigators Are not eligible. A exit bonuses for captains who entered service from 1983 to 1987. Officers below the promotion zone pilots and navigators and captains passed Over for promotion remain ineligible to apply. The 1982 officer year group also is excluded because those captains just met their major boards. Captains in the 1983 year group must apply for separation or retirement no later than aug. 19, 1994, with separation or retirement to occur Between oct. 1,1994, and nov. 21,1994. A exit bonuses and Early retirement for majors and lieutenant colonels who have been passed Over for promotion in judge advocate general chaplain biomedical science corps medical science corps and nurse corps. Only chaplains passed Over for promotion twice or More Are eligible. Nurse anaesthetists arc ineligible.12 commissaries in Europe to be is Yea r Bidav Walczak staff writer shoppers at 12 military commissaries in Europe will have to look elsewhere for food and other items when these facilities close sometime this year. Defense commissary Agency officials at Kapaun air station near Kaiserslautern Germany have released a list of stores slated for closure in 1994, including the facility at Erlanger Germany which served its last customer sunday. About half the 1994 closures will occur in Germany reflecting the draw Down of . Forces from the country. In addition to Erlanger commissaries will close in Regensburg Lan Stuhl Fulda Wildfi Ecken and Berlin. Other stores in Europe slated for closure in 1994 Are those in Ankara Turkey Oslo Norway Iraklion Crete Raf upper Heyford England Oesterberg a Netherlands san Vito Dei Normanna Italy and Torre Jonah Spain. Commissary officials decided to close the facilities1994 commissary closures in Europe late Dayhof operations Sixo Stecol 3 Quaro Mim foot million $ Ankara Turkey May 21 7,648 $ 2.6 Berlin Germany september 20,342 10.94 Erlanger Germany Jan. 8 15,604 2.58 Fulda Germany june 15 6,719 6.88 Iraklion Turkey april 30 4,206 3.22 Lan Stuhl Germany March 1 1,760 0.49 Oslo Norway aug.1 4,032 1.52 Regensburg Germany feb. 28 770 0.08 san Vito Italy july 30 6,338 3.79 Oesterberg Neth. July 16 12,336 5.86 Torrejon Spain july 15 15,837 3.10 upper Heyford England june 30 12,624 9.24 Wildfi Ecken Germany april 30 5,221 3.13 no final data determined service source defense commissary Agency a amps after consulting with military Community officials said Gerri Young a spokeswoman for the commissary Agency in Kapaun. Closure dates Are subject to change. The Lan Stuhl facility was scheduled to close next saturday but european Region commissary officials at Kapaun have extended operations until March 1. On linked to repairs Frankfurt Germany a amps the Frankfurt areas on again off again am radio signal is a routine part of previously announced repairs to the 150,000-Watt transmitter an american forces network spokesman says. The 25-year-old transmitter which broadcasts More than a 40-mile radius from Frankfurt was taken out of regular service last week. Network radio service across the rest of Germany and Europe remains unaffected by the intermittent transmitter outages and Many am radio listeners in the Frankfurt Region can listen to a weaker signal at either 1107 am or 1143 am. The Frankfurt transmitter broadcasts at 873 am and is scheduled to be alternately on and off the air until repairs arc completed. A a we re still doing the repair. We have to turn it on to test it a an spokesman Herb Glover said tuesday. Normal service in the Frankfurt area Isnit scheduled to resume until Jan. 23 or 24, though an a Hopes to get it Back on the air sooner a Glover said. Quot whenever we can turn the transmitter on we will turn it on a Glover  of panel on military visits . Officials Stuttgart Germany a amps a rep. Ronald v. Dellums the one time Berkeley Radical who last year became chairman of the House armed services committee paid a two Day visit to top . Military officials in Europe this week. Dellums d-calif., spent monday and tuesday in operations intelligence Security and draw Down briefings As part of an information gathering trip a . European come spokesman said. A i would characterize it As a highly valuable visit a said Navy capt. Gordon Peterson senior spokesman for the . European come. Dellums was not available for comment. Dellums has been a longtime critic of military spending and led congressional opposition to the persian Gulf War in 1991. Phone scam targets at amp to cards by Wayne v. Hall staff writer investigators at Rhein main a Germany say at least three service members there have been targets of a recent Telephone scam aimed at obtaining at amp to calling card numbers a Young male caller who claims to work for at amp to has been calling americans assigned to Rhein main at their Homes and attempting to persuade people to give him their at amp to calling card numbers according to a flier being circulated by the bases office of special investigations. The caller tells his intended victims that they Are Over their phone card credit limits. He then asks if they want to cancel their cards and says he needs the card number to do so. Three people received Calls on Jan. 4 or 5, Saia Osi special agent Raymond Kostusz. All three refused to provide their calling card numbers. A a we be had other phone scams in the ast. However we Haven to had one quite Ike this before a Kostusz said. This particular Type of Telephone scam is not common in Europe but is More i prevalent in the United states according to at amp to officials in Brussels Belgium. So far the Effort has been limited to at amp to cards. A a person could use the card numbers to make All kinds of phone Calls on the persons card number and avoid All charges a Kostusz said. A in the past there have also been reports of people who sell phone card  Kostusz had several suggestions for preventing credit card fraud a done to give your card number to anyone. A when the operator asks for the card number As you place a Call make sure that no one is listening in on your conversation. A done to leave phone Bills around where they can be seen. A the first Effort we use to prevent fraud is education a said Valerie Hassel Bach an at amp to spokeswoman in new Jersey. A when we mail cards to the customer we include a list of tips on How to protect their  tips include a enter the calling card number manually whenever possible. A take care not to let others see which digits you Are entering. A done to offer your calling card number As identification. A give your number to the operator Only when placing a Call. At no time will any at amp to representative ask for or Call to verify your calling card number. If your at amp to card is lost or stolen you can report it by calling 1-816-6546004 collect from outside the United states Hasselbach said. If you be been contacted by a caller asking for your card number you can report it to the at amp to service Center in Germany by calling toll free 013-083-4444. A you should also take notes about the caller such As the accent Young or old listen for any background noises try to get a number to Call the person Back at or any other details that May be helpful in finding the caller a Kostusz said. If contacted by such a caller report it to Osi and then Call your phone company to ensure that your card has not been compromised Kostusz said. At Rhein main you can reach the Osi by calling 069-699-7701, or 069-699-7702