European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                N tuesday april 26, 1994 Dod the stars and stripes Page 3  Bureau Washington the defense department has rejected a proposal to give retirement credit for Nona Propri ated fund service to current civil service workers who held Naf jobs Between 1966 and 1986. The department does not recommend expansion of benefits to an unknown number of employees at an unknown Cost during this time of budget constraints and rims wrote Edwin Dorn undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness in a report to Congress. The report was requested by the Senate armed serv ices committee As part of the fiscal 1994 defense authorization act. Civil service employees Are paid by Federal tax dollars whereas no appropriated fund employees Are payed by no tax revenues. Lawmakers said it would be a matter of fairness to compensate employees who lost All retirement credit for Naf service As Well As other benefits such Zassick Leavec and annual leave when they switched to the civil service Between 1966 and 1986. The committee is distinctly unhappy with the Penta gon s response said a staffer. We be expressed our displeasure to the defense department and the services. That they ought Totake another look at this the staffer said. In a cover letter to his report Dorn said the Penta is sensitive to the concerns of the affected pm yees. But he said the situation boils Down to a familiar problem Lack of Money with some administrative logjam thrown in. Any new legislative Effort would almost certainly conflict with benefits offered to other Naf employees under two Laws that address different aspects of the benefits portability Issue he said. A 1986 Law gave Naf retirement credit to certain civil service employees who held Naf jobs before 1966, when the army first established a Naf retirement system. A second Law passed in1199 to provided a Raindl Erie fits Protection to employees who moved Between the Naf and civil service systems after Jan. 1,1987.but Ann Parham an army librarian in Washington said the existence of those two Laws is not enough reason to leave another group of employees out in the cold. Parham is one of several volunteers who have set up a task Force to gather information from former Naf employees who May be affected by the 20-year Naf  the task Force is compiling a Case file to present to the Senate armed services committee in the expectation that the Issue will come up in hearings. Parham related the tale of a supervisor who held Aua-11, step five position and had 13 years of Naf service when the Joo was converted to the civil service in 1979. She had to Start Over As a gs-11, step one and she lost All credit for her Naf service toward retirement Parham said. For All intents and purposes she was a new  Dorn said extending civil service retirement credit to those in the 20-year Law Gap would turn them into double dippers by crediting service already covered under the Naf retirement system _2 up costly an complicated procedures to me re to Active adjust ments he Saith Naf Gap task Force is King current civil service employees who worked in Naf jobs during the 20-year Gap to fill but a 13-question Survey. Individuals can write to Parham at 208 sky Hill Road 14, Alexandria a. 22314. Her fax number is 202-287-9102, and her Telephone numbers Are Dan 667-9454 or commercial 202287-9454. Army loads 8th ship for standby role by Effie Bathe staff writer the army finished loading the last off a Batch of eight ships saturday in ant Werp Belgium in a project that keep some of its Best combat equipment stand ing by on ships around the world. The pre positioning dubbed prep afloat Aims to save deployment time to equipment that would otherwise be stored ashore in the United states or  operation is part of an army plan to have a total of 16 ships with 2 million Square feet of storage space strategically located near ports around the world by 1998, according to Jim Boyle a spokes Man for the . Army Europe. The locations Are classified he said. The first eight ships were from . Owned vessels that Are part of the read Reserve Fleet. Additional ships that Are bigger and More flexible Are to be built by 1997 or 1998, said army capt. William Gibson operations officer for the Mili tary traffic management come at Rotterdam Netherlands. The seafaring warehouses Are a first ,.-for the army which May need to deploy its forces quickly anywhere in the world. Ideally the army says the fully mis Sion capable equipment would be unloaded within three to five Days once a ship is in  the six month project combat equipment from the army s european Rawdon was transported by rail and Barge to the Antwerp port. The eight ships stockpile enough gear to outfit two armoured and two mechanized infantry battalions a combined fighting Force of 3,000 or More  came from draw Down units in Germany including the 3rd inf div s 2nd brigade in Erlanger and the Lith army Cav regt in  supplies were from the 21st theater army area come in Kaiserslautern Germany which also controlled much of the shipping. During the cold War the army Ware housed combat equipment in Central Europe. In recent years the focus has shifted South with equipment pre positioned in  in the first phase included 123 m1a1 Abrams main Battle tanks 126m2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles 24 self propelled howitzers nine multiple launch rocket systems a 300-bed Hospi Tal and 345 other tracked vehicles plus heavy trucks and other wheeled vehicles. 8&sr John Bomor astronaut Shannon Lucid faces a barrage of out of this world questions from a Mach elementary school pupils in Germany. Kids quiz astronaut by Kevin Dougherty Sembach a Germany Young arms too restless to remain still for very Long wave through the air beckoning for their guest s recognition. After All it s not every Day that 215 first and second graders have a Chance to Grill a real life astronaut. How do you go to bed without floating on the ceiling one youngster asked astronaut Shannon Lucid. Are there aliens in space another wanted to know. Aliens flying saucers sleeping favorite foods special underwear an Laboratory rats were among the topics raised by Sembach elementary school pupils monday. Lucid is spending a week at Sembach As part of a Goodwill trip arranged Binasa Northwest airlines school officials and parents. I just feel that something like this is very Good for the kids to further their Grade teacher who spearheaded the Campaign to bring an astronaut to Sembach. The Effort is also helping Horn earn her master s degree. Lucid 51, is a Mission specialist with a doctorate in biochemistry. Since joining Nasa in 1979, Lucid has flown on four space shuttle missions including a 14-Day science flight . She has spent nearly a month in space. I really like being an astronaut Lucid said in response to a Pupil s question. It s a very very fun Job and i really enjoy  the questions will Likely get tougher for Lucid later this week when she addresses older students parents and service members. One of the Best questions asked of Lucid was by-7-year-old Ricky Lubinski who wanted to know what would happen to a Sac Walker if the Walker s tether were severed. Lucid said the shuttle Pilot would Man Euver the spacecraft toward the wayward astronaut and retrieve the Crew member. Ricky a member of Horn s Young astronaut club at school wants to follow in Lucid s footsteps someday because1 want to float in the  As for sleeping and floating Lucid said she fastens a sleeping bag to something stationary and curls up inside est. But Are there aliens i Haven t seen any Lucid said. I Don t know anyone who has seen them but that does t mean there Aren t