European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday May 7, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 real a Day support by Jon Connor staff writer Hanau Germany a a wooden platform probably willbe the 130th engr brigades most visible contribution to the 50th anniversary of the Allied invasion at Pointe do hoc France. At the 8 30 . Ceremony there on june 6, president Bill Clinton and other dignitaries flanked by world War ii Ranger veterans will be standing on the platform said capt. Joe Hanus the units ceremony operations officer. The platform designed by the Hanau based brigade craftsmen and built by local French contractors at a Cost of nearly $250,000, will hold about 600 people Hanus said. Tie dimensions of the 3-foot-High wooden platform will be about 50 feet deep by 230 feet wide. The carpeted platform will use red White and Blue material in its design Hanus said. The brigade the largest of its kind in Europe has been assigned the task of planning and executing the ceremony one of five that Usa eur is conducting to commemorate the invasion of Normandy. It is also responsible for the life support area at nearby Grandchamp Maisy where More than 300 military personnel will be staying during the week of the a Day anniversary. The life support area includes sleeping quarters bathroom facilities and electricity for the working personnel. The brigade will also provide administrative logistical and life support for 68 soldiers from the 2nd in 75th Ranger regt of fort Lewis wash., who will serve As Ushers and provide Cliff scaling demonstrations said capt. De Reinfurt a battalion fire support officer. Four rangers from fort Benning ga., will also participate. A. A a a a a total of 55 members of the i30th engr brigade will go to Normandy said capt. Robert Butts a brigade operations officer. A the soldiers going on this Mission Are All handpicked by their supervisors he said. Forty soldiers arc expected to leave in mid May by bus. The rest will leave after loading rail cars with equipment needed for the Mission Brush up classes in Basic first Aid european traffic a amps sumo he signs French phrases and customs and a Ranger overview will be taught for those participating at the historical ceremony. Butts said. The brigades a redeployment training has a political overtones As opposed to combat preparation said master sgt. Herb Pryor who is serving As a Power technician for the deployment. In combat you expect something to go wrong Pryor explained. A because of All the Heads of stale going a he said a everyone wants Zero defect a other dignitaries who will join Clinton Are his wife. Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of state Warren Christopher defense Secretary William Perry . Army Gen. John m. Shalikashvil chairman of the joint chiefs of staff army Secretary Togo. West and army Gen. George a. Joulwan supreme Allied com Mander Europe. So far eight trips have been made by a Small team of brigade soldiers to scout the area and determine requirements. The actual Mission begins May 18 and lasts until june 10, Butts said. About the Only hurdle that still needs to be met is upgrading local Power equipment to provide More electricity. Some solutions Are providing More transformers and bringing army generators for backup . The unit is trying to a make maximum Opportunity with the utilities that Are there a . A we want to prepare so when we get on the ground we can do our jobs with As Little turbulence As we  the Cliff scaling re enactment consisting of about a dozen rangers is scheduled for four times on june 6, Reinfurt said. A i imagine it will be four different groups to give everybody a break a Reinfurt said. However he said no decision has been made on that yet. A a everybody is pretty excited about the whole thing a Reinfurt said. And the visit Yville provide an Opportunity for today a rangers to a find out what trials they a Day veterans went  at Pointe do hoc an Arrow shaped Promontory atop 100-foot overhanging Cliffs the. Germans had placed guns with a Range of 10 Miles. Rangers suffered enormous casualties As they dashed 20 Yards from the boats to the Cliffs and scaled the Cliffs to take out the Guris. In a few weeks months of preparation will come together. A a /. A a a a a a a a a a the roads there Are a already choked with visitors a Butts said of previous trips. Quot the preparation for the deployment he said has been a your prime Effort for a couple of months  a i done to think that anything is going to Surprise us at this Point a Butts  s top no rallies around enlisted troops by Joseph Owen Heidelberg Bureau Heidelberg Germany a you could be deployed soon. You deserve More pay. And by the Way you re doing a Heck of a Good Job. That in essence is what sergeant major of the army Richard a. Kidd told some 700 noncommissioned officers who gathered to hear him Friday afternoon at the Heidelberg officers and civilians club. Kidd 50, fielded two hours Worth of questions at a Quot a gathering that turned out to be partly Pep rally partly Gripe session and partly a reminder of what it Means to be a a Green Suiter today. Noting that the number of deployments Rose about 300 percent in the past few years while the army a Soldier total dropped. By about 200,000, the native of Morehead ky., advised his Audie Nee to expect a continued High rate of activity. A if you re one of those people who did no to get to go to desert storm did no to get to go to Somalia and you feel worried about this a a jeez id sure like to get one of those patches on my shoulder a stand by a said Kidd whose own combat experience includes two Tours in Vietnam. A if you look at our world today i cannot understand How anybody with Good sense can say there a nothing serious going on a he said. A when i go Down to the army operations Center twice a week and we get updated the hot spots almost outnumber the cold  Kidd s booming voice penetrated the club ballroom As he strode up and Down the Center aisle. A sound technician followed him hesitantly trying in vain to Lasso him with a microphone Cord. Kidd waved the Man away professing a dislike for microphones. A let me Tell you whatever you Are doing is playing a major part in the Success of the army a Kidd told his listeners. The persian Gulf War he said showed that a the people in the War zone Are not the Only ones who Are fighting that  Kidd the army was prepared to address a second conflict had one Arisen and at least one aggressive nation was considering testing the United states then he said. Sgt. Christopher Cosby of the 106th finance co in Wurzburg told Kidd that he Felt the promotional Point system allows noncommissioned officers too much credit for College work and not enough for on the Job. Work. \ a a t a a a a Kidd agreed. He said army leaders Are reviewing the promotion system. He pointed out that they would do this with an Eye toward allowing More Points for Job performance. And if the enlisted Soldier pay scale is realigned the change should Benefit noncommissioned officers most he said. A. That would offset the negative effects of major pay adjustments in 1969 and 1973. Kidd said that these adjustments compressed the pay scale reducing the incentive for people to want to take on More responsibility. A i do not want to focus All the Money on people who Are going to stay Only a Short period of time a he said. This was a reference to lower ranking enlisted soldiers. A a. A a a a a a a Kidd said he believes that Cost of living raises have fallen 15 to 17 percent behind what they should be. But he is optimistic that the army would close that  eventually. He praised the noncommissioned officer corps for its ability to conduct innovative training in an Era of budget cuts and he said Many other countries including those of the former East bloc Are eager to capitalize on . Success in developing their noncommissioned officers. A Quot. A a a i am most impressed by the morale of the army a considering the downsizing the moves the adjustments the. Attacking of our benefits a he  s arrest May have scared off pm burglars Giessen Germany a amps the commotion surrounding the arrest of a 3erman Man thursday May have hearted a break in at a nearby main change according to the Hanau pro Ost marshal. Military police stopped an 18-year-ild local resident who was driving with it headlights about 11 50 . At Pendelton Barracks in Giessen a statement by Hanau regional spokeswoman Robin Campbell said. The Man had a pistol with tear  cartridges in the Back Waistband of his pants and a knife in each pocket capt. John g. Simmons Provost marshal for Hanau a 414th base support in said in the statement. The suspects car contained several cases of meals ready to eat Field rations that were believed to have been stolen tuesday night from a Pendelton Barracks warehouse Simmons said. German police responded to a Call from the maps and arrested the Man. At the same time Post Exchange Security guards reported observing several men behind the pm who fled the area on foot after the commotion began Simmons said. My investigators from nearby Kirch Gons recently began surveillance operations on Pendelton following a rash of break ins Simmons said. A these operations will continue As Long As we think thieves threaten . Facilities or property a Simmons said