European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday february 1, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 in " of. Check fee withdrawn mar officials Hope of resolve conflict with army Rue by Mark Kinkade staff writer the army s 104th area support group has temporarily shelved the doubling of its bad Check penalty fee from $15 to $30. / the policy applied to checks written at All morale welfare and recreation based facilities in military communities in Hanau Fulda Giessen Frankfurt Darm Stadt and Kirch cons said de Gonzalez 104th ask business manager. It took effect Jan. L business managers in the support group backed the fee increase after the percentage of bad checks in the support group soared by 60 percent in november con Zale said. Gonzalez said the number hic cupped from 5 per cent to 8 percent of All checks processed in the Community. But the policy was withdrawn Early last week after support group officials discovered that the new fee was higher than the $15 penalty authorized by army Regula Tion. The $15 penalty has been Standard throughout the . Army Europe since 1987, a command spokeswoman  mar Check penalty is in addition to the fee As f-16 units to replace Aviano Force  Italy Bureau Aviano a Italy two squadrons of f-16 aircraft slated to arrive at Aviano a starting in april gradually will re place f-16s deployed to the base for operation Den flight the new commander of . 16th air Force says. The switch will help prevent additional crowding of facilities at Aviano the Busy Hub of deny flight operations it. Be pc. Joseph w. Ashy said monday following Ashy his taking of com Mand from retiring maj. Gen Ralph r. To Hatscher. Until Ashy s announcement twas unclear whether the new squadrons would be in addition the fighting Falcons Al ready at Aviano or replacements for  f-16s now deployed to Avi Nowill be returned to the states. The two squadrons will come fro Ramstein a Germany. About 1,500 military and civilian positions will be transferred to the base in Northern Italy. It will be tight but we can do Kitwe have a plan to fit it All in said Ashy who also commands nato s Allied air forces Southern Europe. The facilities at Aviano have been sup porting hundreds of extra personnel since Early 1993 for deny flight the  operation to enforce a no Fly zone Over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ashy refused to discuss whether Alli Ance aircraft would be called upon by the United nations to strike at ground tar gets in Bosnia. Messed by the Bank typically about $20. In 1993, mar officials processed about $1 million Worth of checks in the support group. Of that about $90,000 in checks was returned for insufficient funds roughly $10,000 of that was never collected Gonzalez said. We feel we need a deterrent Gonzalez said. I you re going to write a bad Check you re going to pay forit.". Now the support group has asked the department of the army to review the regulations and approve the fee increase As a Way to fight the increasing costs of handling returned checks. Juhe 104th ask is apparently the Only support group to raise its rates the Usa eur spokeswoman said. Gonzalez said he had supported the increase without army approval because of a local interpretation of the regulation. Officials had determined that the $15 fee was the minimum amount activities could charge for bad checks he said. There was some confusion he said. But the regu lation says As i understand will charge $15. " the new policy came under review after activity managers in the Field complained that people were concerned about the new rate and did t understand when it was to be effective Gonzalez said. Gonzalez said the fee increase would help offset processing costs for handling checks. More checks Means More work to process the checks and bounced checks Are labor intensive he  when a Check bounces the Bank returns the Check to the mar business office. Using Telephone Calls Lei ters and notification to commanders the office tries to collect us Money from the customer. If those methods fail Gonzalez said then it s Possi ble to Garnish the Money from the customer s paycheck. But again that s something that requires paperwork and Man hours which Means More Money spent he said  the army approves the rate increase for the 104thasg, it could become a command wide policy Gonza Lez said. That s what i would like to see Gonzalez said. It s the Best deterrent i can think of to Stop people from passing bad  bowled Over by buffaloes 545 King org when Falo i Nate it was lid flipping time for Buffalo tans screams watching the super bowl on to at Rhein Odo Mesmain a Germany Early monday. The quarterback Troy Altai an and romped to Midfield setting up a Steve Christie Field goal two seconds before the half ended for the rest of he Story. Special forces a cruisers hitting Road going three Star general said. Ashy said the dual command arrange ment will mean that he will have to do some commuting Between his Nat command in Naples and Aviano. The role of 16th air Force Headquarters will change Little but its staff will grow slightly Ashy said. Heidelberg Germany is a team of army special forces recruiters from Heidelberg will visit military communities in Europe during the next two  being sought for special forces Are men in the ranks of first lieutenant Cap Tain specialist sergeant and staff sergeant. This is the first time we be had an office Rand enlisted Recruiter going out at one time said sgt. 1st class Loren j. Simpson the noncommissioned officer in charge of the recruiting team. The goal is to increase european recruit ing Tours to twice a year once about every six months said Simpson. Special forces is ramping up not drawing Down 1 requirements for eligibility include a special forces physical a 50-meter swiftest in Battle dress uniform and boots a army physical fitness test score of 220 inthe 17 to 2q-year-old age category and a general technical score stat least 110.for information Contact the recruiting team by calling 06202-25825 or visit its office on Tompkins Barracks in Schwet Zingen on tuesdays at 9  teams will visit the following communities Berlin Mcnair Barracks feb. 14-15. Ai the 5th in class room 1. For times Call sgt. 1st class Steen at 030-819-6286 or030-819-6289. Vilsick Rose Barracks feb. 16, at building 610. In the1st in. 37th Armor classroom. For times Call sgt. Milton at 09662-83-2394. Lambert Warner Barracks feb. 17-18, at building 708% Preston Hall in room 4. For time Call sgt. Let clan Massey 10951-300-8751. Kit Ringen Harvey Barrack. Feb. 22-23, in the Pott Thea Ter. For time Call staff  at 09321-305-8804 or 09321-305549. Wurzburg Leigh ton Barracks feb. 24-25. A the Educa Tion Center and the Post theater. For time Ana locations Call Muter sgt Enger at 0931-889-6132. Baum older in the Wagon wheel theater feb. 28 March 1. For times Call sgt. 1st class Crespo at 06783-6-7140. Or 06783-6-7441. Frankfurt Abrams Complex. March 2-3, room 104. Forties Call staff sgt. Agular at 069-151-5601. Stuttgart Panzer Cavern March 4, in the Post  times Call sgt. 1st class Lucas at 0703-11-5711. Mannheim Sullivan Barracks March 7, in building 242.the Tiger lounge. For times Call master sgt. Thomas Al 0621-779-5264 or 0621-779-5352. Vincenza Italy Caserma Ederle March 9-10, in build ing 205, the multipurpose training Center. For times Call sgt 1st class Sanders at 0444-51-7387 or 0444-51-7759