European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Friday april 22.1994 budget a called threat to vital bomber needs Washington a the nation won t have the bombers it needs in the next five years under the Clin ton administration s budget plan which would slash b 52 and by forces a senior air Force general said wednesday. President Clinton s budget Calls for cutting Back to107 bombers in 1995 and keeping that Force until 1999, when some planes would be drought Back into opera Tion. V. If you add up those we need for combat operations both conventional and nuclear and those that we need for training and those we need in depot for repairs and test status i come up with the need for More than 107," Gen. John m. Loh commander of the air combat come told a House defense appropriations subcommittee the defense department has said the reduction could be re evaluated based on the outcome of a stud of the nation s nuclear forces Loh s assessment was buttressed in an Independent study conducted by the Rand corp., a research organization /.  study concluded that the planned bomber Force could handle a major regional War Only after the planes Are upgraded with smart weapons and other new equipment which won t be installed until the end of the decade even then there would no planes available for nuclear warfare and Only a limited capability to fight a Sec Ond major conflict said Glenn Buchan the study s co author. ". ".  ,. I would assume in your personal opinion this bomber Force in t up to it said rep Norman d. Dicks d wash., who chaired the hearing. It s certainly very marginal Buchan said. Under the president s budget plan the air Force would lose 24 of the 64 b-52s it has available for com Bat and training and 24 of its 84 a is saving about $500 million a  in addition the air Force will have seven b-2s ready for combat by year s end Andis buying 13 More. The Rand study said the air Force needs up to 60 b 2s, which Cost about $500 million each to fight simultaneous wars the goal of the administration s Long term defense strategy. The b-52s and a is that would be taken out of serv ice would be maintained and flown periodically but they would not be available in a crisis because they would t have Crews or spare parts Loh said. He said it would it take one year to two years to put them Back into service. In the stars and stripes 10 year Sago april 22,1984 two soviet built warplanes fired on a . Army Heli copter engaged in a routine Obser vation Mission along the West Ger Man czechoslovak Border the Pentagon announced. 20 years ago april 22,1974 Senate water Gate probes charged the internal Revenue service with putting frustrating and debilitating roadblocks in the path of their investigation of Howard Hughes controversial $100,000 Campaign contribution. 30 years ago april 22,1964 supermarkets for service members Cost american taxpayers $150 million a year and More than half of them in the United states should be closed the Gener Al accounting office said. 40 years ago april 22,1954 . Air forces in Europe transport planes began an 8,500-mile Airlift of French troops from Paris to Indochina. World War ii 50 years ago today april 22 Allied ships begin Landing 84,000 Soldier near Hollandia new Guinea the 11,000 japanese defenders Retreat Inland. In the Central Pacific the americans wrap up capture of the marshalls by occupying Ungela. A . Marine patrol clashes with japanese soldiers on new Britain the last Battle on the Island As the allies shift to isolating the japanese at Rabaul with air and sea Power. Source 2194 Days of War w. A Smith publishers inc. 77i world almanac of world War ii. Bison books corp. 1981 a worn e Ris to it hop k s 0 it in court Las vegas a a Federal judge dismissed most of the claim against the Navy contained in a lawsuit by five women who said they were sexually assaulted at the 1991 Tail Hook convention. For the most part the women did not have the Legal standing to sue the Navy . District judge Philip pro said tuesday. But he did not dismiss the women s claims against the Las vegas Hilton where the convention took place or the Tail Hook organization of current and re tired Navy aviators. Pro also said the women could pursue their allegations that the Nav failed to protect them from being groped by Drunken aviators. Those filing the lawsuit were Suzanne Hallett of san Diego Lisa c. Reagan and Marie Weston of Sacramento Calif. Judy Mas of los an Geles and Rhonda Rama whose Hometown was not available. A trial Date for the lawsuit was expected to be assigned later this month. The woman who blew the whistle on the scandal former Navy it. Paula Coughlin is not suing the Navy but is pursuing a separate lawsuit against the Tail Hook association and the Hilton. Her lawsuit is scheduled for trial this summer. The five women contended that the Navy intentionally attempted to cover up the actions of conventioneers they sought unspecified damages on charges of sexual assault and Battery negligence intentional infliction of emotional distress and punitive damages. Pro ruled that people May not sue the Federal government for sexual assault or seek punitive damages from it under the Federal tort claims act. The act outlines the types of claims that May be brought against the government. Pro did allow the women to pursue their argument that the Navy effectively controlled the area on the Hilton s third floor where numerous women said they were groped and fondled Many of the suites were occupied by Navy personnel. Unlucky 13 a Houston firefighter goes to the Rescue of a window Washer stranded wednesday by a scaffold breakdown at the 13th floor of a High Rise. The dangling Man was one of three window cleaners left High and dry by a mechanical failure. All three were brought Down safely. Senate barely oks free parking Perks Washington a senators had their Politi Cal radar turned on wednesday As they voted 53,-44 to defeat a Resolution to eliminate the free parking spaces at National and Dulles International airports. Most of those running for re election voted to eliminate the perk a decision Likely to be popular with some voters. But none of the retiring senators did so instead backing the Long standing availability of close in no Cost spaces to senators and House members whose an Nual salary is $133,600. Only the sponsor of the nonbinding Resolution expressing the sense of the Senate spoke in favor. Sen John Mccain r-ariz., argued that the 175 spaces in the airports also reserved for diplomats and supreme court justices were symbolic 01 a con Gress being out of touch with Ordinary americans. Plan to Cut social Security alarms recipients Washington a there s nothing like talk of cutting social Security benefits to stir up Strong feelings in hurry. Less than 24 hours after rep. Dan Rostenkowski proposed shoring up so Cial Security by trimming benefits raising the retirement age and increasing payroll taxes in the 21st Century worried seniors were phoning Washington and advocates were alerting the baby Boom generation to pay attention. The working generation the baby Boomers we better Wake up and smell the Coffee. This is our retirement they re talking about said Roberta Havel executive director of save our Security a labor backed coalition. The proposal coming out now will Hurt us. But we re the ones who Aren t organized because we re All Busy work  baby Boomers were born after 1945 and before 1965. Rostenkowski d-i1i., chairman of the House ways and Means committee said his blueprint is intended to encourage debate about the Long Range health of social Security. It also prompted within hours tues Day a flurry of Calls to the National com Mittee to preserve social Security and medicare and the National Council of senior citizens two advocacy organizations for seniors. Martha Mcsteen president of the National committee fired off a statement calling Rostenkowski s proposal a pre mature reaction to a report last week that said the social Security s Trust funds would run out of Money in 2029. Given the financial squeeze they Nehad to endure from Congress and the White House in the last year seniors Are understandably suspicious that this is just one More Effort to wring More Money out of social Security and make the budget deficit look smaller than it really is Dur ing an election year Mcsteen said. But Robert Myers who was chief actus Ary at social Security from 1947 to 1970, said Rostenkowski should be applauded As a statesman for tackling social Secu Rity s financial health. Under Rostenkowski s plan All of so Cial Security s 42 million recipients would receive a smaller Cost of living adjust ment in 1995, an estimated loss of $3 a month for each recipient. He also pro poses a tax increase for single beneficiaries with incomes of $25,000 to $34,000 and married couples with incomes from $32,000 to $44,000. It would also delay the age at which workers May retire with full benefits. Under current Law the retirement age of 65 will Rise gradually reaching 67 for people Bora in 1960 or later. Rostenkowski s plan would raise the retirement age to 67 for anyone born in 1949 and later