European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Saturday february 12,1994tailhook whistle Blower quits Navy Norfolk a. A it. Paula Ann Coughlin who blew the whistle on the Tail Hook sex scandal is resigning from the Navy. In a letter submitted this week Coughlin said the Tail Hook assault a and the Covert attacks on me that followed have stripped me of my ability to serve a according to a copy of he letter obtained by Abc news. It. Susan Haeg an Atlantic Fleet spokeswoman said it would take two or three months before the resignation is processed and Coughlin leaves the service. Coughlin has an unlisted Telephone number and could not be reached thursday for comment. The letter came As the Navy was about in the stars and stripes 10 years ago feb. 12,1984 a the space shut tie challenger streaked across Florida made a sweeping turn Over the Atlantic and glided to its first Cape canaveral Landing from orbit. 20 years ago feb. 12,1974 a citing the Energy crisis the military Exchange system in Germany raised its fuel prices with Premium gasoline going from 45.53 cents a gallon to 60.31 cents a gallon and regular gasoline going from 35.53 cents a gallon to 52.18 cents a gallon. 30 years ago feb. 12,1964 a by a vote of 290130, the House passed and sent to the Senate a civil rights Bill that is broader tougher and More controversial than any anti discrimination measure since reconstruction. 40 year Sago feb. 12,1954 the big four Tor eign ministers recessed their second top secret meeting and announced that another restricted session would be held on the soviet proposal for a big five conference to include China. 50 year Sago feb. 12,1944 . B-17 bombers spearheaded the growing Allied Aerial offensive against German Industry and the Luftwaffe pounding Frankfurt a railway Center and Industrial targets with a loss of just five . Bombers. 50 years ago today feb. 12 19 4 4, new zealand and Indian troops replace exhausted americans across from Cassino on the italian front. German units intensify their fight to break out of the Korsun pocket on the Southern soviet front. In Burma Tarakan Region an attack by two Indian divisions surprises the japanese and frees a surrounded Indian division. Source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc. The world almanac of world War ii Bison books corp., 1981 a to close the books on its final three cases stemming from the scandal. Vice adm. Joseph p. Reason who was appointed by chief of naval operations Frank b. Kelso ii to handle Tail Hook punishments was expected to announce Friday that a military judges ruling dismissing the charges in those cases will not be appealed. However reason probably will take administrative action against the three aviators whose cases were dropped a source told the associated press on thursday. Such action probably would be a letter of caution a mild censure that does not go into an officers official record said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Coughlin who is assigned to a helicopter combat support unit at Nas Norfolk was an admirals aide when she attended the september 1991 Tail Hook association convention in Las vegas. She said a Gauntlet of men began chanting at her As she walked Down a crowded hotel hallway and someone grabbed her from behind. She said she went Public with the assault when she became convinced that the Navy would not punish those responsible. Despite Navy and Pentagon investigations no one has been court Martiale for Tail Hook misconduct and the Marine corps officer identified by Coughlin As her attacker was cleared. On tuesday a Navy judge capt. William t. Vest jr., threw out All charges against two commanders and a Lieuten ant the Navy a last pending Tail Hook cases and asserted that Kelso a involvement in Tail Hook tainted the charges. Vest said a Kelso knew that the annual Tail Hook meetings had become troublesome because of lewd behaviour but failed to do anything about it. A Kelso personally was exposed to nudity and leg shaving at the gathering a and Kelso tried to shield himself by keeping files about the roles of senior officers at Tail Hook away from reason. Kelso has yet to respond to Vest s ruling but testified last november that he never saw misconduct at Tail Hook. Of 140 naw and Marine corps officers implicated in Tail Hook misconduct about 50 received administrative discipline. Sue to released from death Row Taro a 110-Pound Akita who spent three years on death Row is escorted thursday from a Hackensack n.j., jail. The dog had been sentenced to death under the states vicious dog Law for injuring the 10-year-old Niece of his owners Lonnie and Sandy Chr or of Haworth. An order from new Jersey gov. Christie Whitman spared Tarot a life but exiled him forever from the state. Taro was taken to a new Home in new York. Officials would not identify the new owner who has promised the Chr cars unlimited visitation rights. Pentagon seeks reprieve for beleaguered �,-17 Washington a acknowledging that the c-17 transport has an awful record of Cost overruns and some performance flaws the Clinton administration still is asking for More time to decide whether it should be killed. The Pentagon Stop acquisition official told the House armed services committee on thursday that the administration wants to further relax performance standards on the air Force Craft hoping to preserve what he called a absolutely critical Airlift capability. The official undersecretary of defense John m. Deutch asked the committee to approve a proposed settlement. Between the Pentagon and the prime contractor Mcdonnell Douglas corp. The company would waive $1.2 billion in claims against the government and invest $454 million to Complete flight tests and improve management and construction. The Pentagon would spend $348 million to Settle outstanding claims and cover its portion of the flight test program. It would agree to buy at least 40 aircraft but could then terminate the program in november 1995. By that time according to a report by the general accounting office the government will have spent $21 billion on the c-17. In addition Deutch said the Pentagon would agree to a significantly relax payload and other performance standards that the c-17 already has shown it cannot meet. The general accounting office an investigative Arm of Congress also detailed numerous problems with the aircraft including cracked wings faulty Wing flaps defective Landing gear and flawed payload performance. The administration is requesting $2.98 billion for six c-17s and plans to seek funding for another six next year. Eight c-17s Are flying and 20 More Are under construction. A a we re not saying the problems Are Over we re not saying we be turned the Corner a Deutch said. But the Airlift capacity of the c-17 a is absolutely critical to National Security a he added. Washington a naval Academy midshipmen involved in a cheating scandal have asked the courts to Block the Navy from holding hearings to expel them and alleged that they were coerced into confessing. Forty eight midshipmen were plaintiffs in a suit filed thursday in . District court for the District of Columbia that challenges use of an Honor review Board to consider their dismissals. A second suit filed in the . Court of military appeals by three midshipmen alleges that investigators forced confessions from the midshipmen with threats screaming and in one Case refusal to allow a scheduled cancer treatment. The Navy has said that 133 midshipmen All from the 663-member class scheduled to graduate in May May have had an Advance look at a 1992 engineering test and that 81 had confessed to cheating. The Academy a superintendent rear adm. Thomas c. Lynch has already recommended that sue be expelled. Both actions name As defendants Navy Secretary John Dalton the chief of naval operations adm. Frank b. Kelso ii and rear adm. Richard c. Allen who conducted an Honor review Board. The Federal suit also names Lynch. The Federal court suit describes the Honor review Board As a a procedure with out statutory or regulatory warranty that would substitute for a hearing process that otherwise would consider dismissal. The midshipmen seek an order restraining the Navy from using the Board. The action alleges a serious violations of the rights of the plaintiffs that threatens irreparable injury to their reputations and  the other suit asks the country a highest military court to direct the Navy to Stop All proceedings in the Case Ana to forbid the Navy from using a any coerced statements gained from the unlawful  a from the outset agents of the inspector general a office did not advise midshipmen of their right to remain silent a the suit said. It added that agents a used a variety of coercive tactics that included screaming at the midshipmen Challenge ing them physically refusing requests for attorneys and threatening to Tell midshipmen a families of possible misconduct. The suit claims that Mike j. Steve one of the petitioners was initially prevented from receiving the cancer. The other two bringing the suit Are Fred j. Regan and Dante j. Marzetta. Calling the interrogations a draconian a the suit says that Steve and Marzetta a made statements implicating themselves and