European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday january 18, 1994 gis exit spurs rift Over Fate of Sickels by Mark Kinkade staff writer Fulda Germany in its final Days As an american military Post Sickels army Airfield was More a scene from an old disaster movie than an operational flight line. A handful of soldiers scurried Between buildings gathering the last usable pieces of furniture to turn in for local auction. T paper blew across the unguarded flight line and doors banged on broken hinges in the cold wind. Just off the Road leading to the Post from the nearby town of Heimbach a sign pleading Kein flu Platz in Fulda no Airport in Fulda jutted out of the Rich Farmland outside the front Gate. As the once important tripwire to potential soviet invasion the Post is now in the Center of a new standoff. Attempts to revive Sickels As an Active Airport Are being battled in the Fulda legislature by local citizens intent on keeping the farms near the flight line quiet. A it s quite a political question said Bernd twin Meyer president of the Fulda pilots association and a leading advocate for making the Post an Airport the stars and stripes Page 3 a sign in a Farmer s Field expresses opposition to proposals to replace Sickels army Airfield with a new civilian Airport. For Small aircraft. On the one hand people living close to the Airfield Don t want air planes there because of the noise. On the other hand some people want it because we could revitalize the Economy in that part of the  but opponents say they have had enough of loud aircraft narrow roads clogged with delivery trucks and people milling about the farmlands. The group i represent wants to use the area As a combination residential and commercial area but not an Airfield said Wolfgang Wehner a Fulda businessman in the Alliance against using the Post As an Airfield. Sickels occupies the area that is the natural direction for the City to grow. Now people have to leave town and move to the surrounding villages. With Sickels we can increase the capacity of the  Wehner said claims by the opposition that an Airport would help the area Sis photos Dave Casey the flight line is now deserted at Sickels army Airfield in Fulda Germany where soldiers once stood watch against soviet attack. Economy Are wrong because the Airport would service Only a Small number of people. Studies by the local chamber of Commerce have shown that Hobby and business fliers at Sickels would never be financially feasible Wehner said. The 4th aviation Szof the Lith army Cav regt in Fulda formally closed shop Friday when the 12 senior ranking Squadron representatives remaining at the Airfield cased the Squadron s Flag. But the death of the Airfield began Long before Friday. When Fulda got the word that Trie regiment would leave the area by june one of the first places the americans started packing up was at the Airfield. The last helicopter left in december. Shortly after most of the remaining 100 or so soldiers packed their bags As Well. On wednesday the last Soldier to live in the Sickels Barracks finished Reading a Book while a detail moved furniture into a truck. This is my last Day Here Man he said As he pulled his coat Collar around his ears to Block the cold wind blowing through the Fulda Gap. I m ready to go now. I can t  he did t get a Chance to give his name As he ran off to catch a ride to Downs Barracks. Airport advocate twin Meyer worries that his Small group of business people May lose its Battle to the City government. As the last soldiers pack their bags local officials will have to rethink the Way the City s Economy is run. The decision will be made after the elections at the end of the year twin Meyer said. No one will make a move until then and we could lose a lot of our support while we  although Airport opponent Wehner conceded that the City was interested in an Airport and immediate use of the property the Cost could be too High. The army left a lot of avionics equipment in place at the Airfield control Tower twin Meyer said As Well As fairly modern buildings including several Barracks and a modern dining facility. The avionics equipment would be needed to operate an Airport he said but the German Federal minister for finance april Mulican acting curator of the Lith army Cav regt s historical Center stands amid trophies that have been collected Over the years by the famed Fulda unit. Twin Meyer conceded. I would say we have about a 25 percent Chance of succeeding he said. This is the political question of the year right  while the City considers the Issue both sides Are preparing for a Long struggle. Wehner s group was to meet monday in Fulda to discuss its Side in a Public forum while twin Meyer s group meets today. While the Battle begins to heat up Sickels army Airfield already is being destroyed. The windows to the guard Shack Are broken out. The Barracks were boarded up wednesday. Nearby a Small snack stand Orl miss was a burned out Hulk thursday after fire gutted the place. At Downs Barracks soldiers who saw outposts that once guarded the Border be turned into refugee centers shrugged when asked about the future of the Airfield. Almost to a Man they said refugees would probably inherit the billets where helicopter mechanics and pilots slept while the Warsaw pact growled at the Border a few Miles away. Stall writer de Reavis contributed to this report spec. Dave Madden helps dispose of paperwork at the army s Fulda base. Wants to sell the equipment to the City. Fulda s Economy is smarting from a Europe wide recession and an overflow of refugees from the former East Germany. Spending Money on a Small Airport does not seem feasible