European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes sunday january 23,1994 More soldiers in Europe now qualify for tuition Aid by Jimi Jones education writer the . Army Europe has expanded its College tuition assistance program offering to pay a percentage of enrolment fees for graduate level courses for All its soldiers. In a recent announcement the army command said its tuition assistance program for fiscal year 1994 has been revised to provide 75 percent assistance to warrant officers and enlisted soldiers taking graduate level courses. Previously usage  a army continuing Educa a Tion system or aces provided Only commissioned officers with financial help to study for a masters degree. The new policy which became effective Jan 1, allows the commands noncommissioned soldiers the 75 percent assistance for up to 15 semester hours per fiscal year with no limit on the number of courses taken simultaneously. Air Force and Navy education policy allots the same percentage of tuition assistance and the same number of semester hours per year to All service members. Officials said the army and Usa eur offered the Aid to All its soldiers in the past. But last March the army command slashed assistance to 50 percent and limited the number of credit hours to nine for . Soldiers in Europe. It claimed that increased enrolment was draining its $9 million fiscal 1993 tuition assistance fund. By june the fund had been emptied and Usa eur was without Money for tuition assistance until late october. The commands fiscal �?T94 education budget earmarked $10.6 million for tuition assistance. At the be ginning of the fiscal year in october tuition assistance returned to 75 percent for All soldiers working toward a bachelors degree. Commissioned officers pursuing graduate degrees were eligible for financial help at 50 percent for a total of 12 semester hours per year. That Rule still applies. A based upon input from the Field this item was clearly an Issue affecting morale and Quality of life a Usa eur spokeswoman Millie Waters said late Friday. A since Quality of life is a readiness issuer the command re evaluated its funding priorities and. Determined this program should receive additional  Waters said the command had received funds in addition to its $20.5 million fiscal �?T94 education budget to offer the noncommissioned soldiers graduate level tuition assistance. Under usage  a 75 percent rate army students pay about $150 for a three semester hour graduate course with the University of Oklahoma s european division. Such a course typically costs $611.25. The army picks up the balance. A graduate level course with the University of Maryland costs just under $500, of which the army pays about $375 and the student about $125. The University of Maryland a registration for term 4 begins March 14, with classes running March 28 through May 20, registration at the University of Oklahoma is continuous with classes beginning at various times. A a a a a a. A a. 7. Quot aces officials said a Soldier must be working toward a degree to use tuition assistance. Soldiers needing More information about tuition assistance should visit their local education Center a. A v v t for in. Or  a danish armoured vehicle destined for Bosnia Roliz Ofta British vessel in split Croatia on Friday. Imminent airstrikes unlikely . Chief s threat seen As ploy against serbs by Steven greenhouse the new York times Washington a administration officials said Friday that they did not expect nato airstrikes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the near future contrary to suggestions from Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali that he might ask for airstrikes to open the Airport in Tula. A a there a no sensation Here that something a about to happen a a Pentagon official said. Nonetheless state department officials said that airstrikes remained under consideration. American officials said that Secretary of state Warren Christopher who arrived in Oslo on Friday would discuss Bosnia with european officials attending the funeral of Johan Jorgen Holst Norway a foreign minister on saturday before he holds talks with French officials in Paris this week. Boutros Ghali in suggesting that he would Call for Ai strikes added the proviso that additional ground troop would be needed to assure the operations Success. On american military official said Boutros Ghalie Scall pc More ground troops was an Effort to intimidate the Bosn an serbs so they would ease pressure on the Muslim or Clave of Srebrenick. Dutch peacekeepers were suppose to replace Canadian troops protecting the enclave by serbian gunners have blocked the rotation. But american officials repeated Friday that  forces were taking part in the North Atlantic treat organizations preparations for possible airstrikes a a we be been ready to do airstrikes for a Long time one official said. A but we still need a .  airstrikes would have to be authorized by Boutros  registration fees increasing to $3 per firearm by the stars and stripes Heidelberg Germany a starting feb. 1, it will Cost most . Soldiers and airmen in Europe $3 to Register a privately owned firearm. The $1 Price increase is to cover the administrative costs associated with registering weapons and is not a Effort to control weapons said Millie Waters . Army Europe spokeswoman. The $3 fee applies to All weapons no matter How Many Are registered to the same owner. The registration is Good for four years a police source said. A a a a a Quot .7. 7. In 1993, $48,602 was collected and $78,784 was spent on administrative costs Waters said. Employee salaries data processing costs paperwork and office supplies Are included in those costs. There Are about 42,000 weapons registered in Europe she said. Air Force personnel who fall under the army a registration umbrella also will pay the increased fees a . Air forces in Europe spokesman , Spain units awarded Naples Italy a naval units in Italy and Spain recently won All six annual Golden and Silver Anchor awards for fiscal 1993, officials announced. The awards Are Given to communities which have a fostered an atmosphere that encourages our top sailors and their families to re enlist in the Navy according to a letter sent dec. 23 by adm. Mike Boorda commander of . Naval forces Europe. Golden Anchor winners included a Large category Fleet air recon so naval station Rota spam. A medium category naval support activity la Maddalena Sardinia. A a Small category tactical support Center Nas Simonella Sicily. Silver Anchor winners included a Large category naval support activity Naples. A medium category naval Hospital naval station Rota. A Small category commander 6th Fleet guided missile Cruiser Belknap Gaeta  Roth Cadet honoured Raf Daws Hill England a a Junior Roth Cadet from London Central High school has been honoured for Quick thinking after a bus collision last october officials announced. Cadet staff sgt. Donald t. Davidson Iii of the 932nd unit of the air Force Junior Roth United kingdom earned the Silver valor award in part for directing a witness to Call an ambulance said Heidi Poland spokeswoman for the Junior Roth at the High school. The Silver valor is the second highest award Given by the Roth Davidson 15, and six classmates were passengers on a minibus when it collided with a British school bus oct. 4, Poland said. He is credited with preventing further trauma at the Accident scene by comforting the students despite his own injuries until medical help arrived she said. Davidson suffered a broken Collarbone in the crash. The collision occurred when the British Driver of the 14-seat american minibus suffered a heart attack while transporting the seven students to school. The minibus collided head on with a 29-seat British school bus. The Driver of the minibus was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the american students Tracy Dashiell 14, is still hospitalized at a British Hospital in a Amersham Northeast of the London suburb of High Wycombe. Her father it. Col. Thomas Dashiell of Raf High Wycombe said that Tracy had regained consciousness and that her condition was improving slowly. The other american students were treated for a combination of facial injuries head and abdominal injuries and cuts and bruises. All those students have recovered and Are Back in school. None of the 11 youngsters in the British bus was seriously injured. London Central High school is located on Raf Daws Hill previously known As High Wycombe air station. Raf High Wycombe is a British installation located nearby