European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday May 22, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3oaks recalls triumphs retiring Safe chief hails airmen s performance under stress by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a Germany . Air forces in Europe personnel Are busier than Ever their retiring commander says but that Hasni to hindered their performance or effectiveness. On the Day after his retirement from the air Force was announced Gen. Robert c. Oaks spoke with fondness about the airmen who have served under him during his four year stint As Safe commander. He said he is proud a Long sustained performance of Airmet while undergoing significant personal stress from the draw Down and increased deployments. A when you look at their performance you believe that they would be undergoing that kind of stress a he said. Oaks stress level will Lessen in the coming weeks. The air Force announced thursday that the 58-year-old Oaks will retire july 1. A formal announcement on who will replace Oaks is pending president Clinton a approval. Oaks would not identify his successor though he did refer to him As a a highly qualified air Force a change of command ceremony is scheduled for june 24, Oaks said. The four Star general guided Safe through the tumultuous and unprecedented military draw Down. He also was at the Helm during the persian Gulf War the collapse of the soviet Union and the birth of democracy in Eastern Europe. And despite the draw Down of . Forces and the demise of the Warsaw pact the Tempo has Only intensified for the estimated 40,000 airmen who remain in the european theater. In fiscal 1993, half the airmen assigned a amps John Bohmer Gen. Robert c. Oaks. Will retire july 1 to Safe deployed for contingency operations such As provide Comfort and deny flight. The increase is in Sharp contrast to 1991, when about one in five received temporary orders to take part in a deployment. Safe personnel a May be As Busy As we be been since the end of world War ii a Oaks said. Oaks does no to believe the Pace will slow any time soon. He said Safe personnel will continue to take part in peacekeeping humanitarian and multinational provide Comfort is a humanitarian Relief Effort for kurd in Northern Iraq. Deny flight enforces a no Fly zone Over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to Safe personnel Oaks thanked army Navy and Marine person incl for their cooperation on his watch. He also praised member nations of the North Atlantic treaty organization and said he is pleased at a How the Alliance has strengthened in Many ways rather than weakened by the Post cold War Oaks considers his most painful expert ence As head of Safe to be the april 14 Downing of two . Army Black Hawk helicopters which were mistakenly attacked by two . F-15c eagles. Twenty six people were killed including 15 americans who were taking part in provide Comfort. The f-15cs were Safe planes from Spang Dahlum a Germany that deployed to Turkey. A the helicopters shot Down in Iraq is a tragedy that you feel very personally a Oaks said. A that whole affair was a great personal lost to All of us everybody in the a in Oaks View the commands greatest Challenge in the next year is finishing the. Downsizing of Safe bases. The current Effort involves closing Pitburg a in Germany substantially reducing us Afes presence at Rhein main a and Sembach a both also in Germany and shifting personnel and planes Between Rhein main Ramstein and Aviano a Italy. Ramst Eiri will assume Rhein mamas Airlift operations while Ramstein a f-16 fighters move South to Aviano. The challenges facing Safe Over the next five years lie to the cast Oaks said. Clinton a partnership for peace program designed to Foster better relations by tween nato and former Warsaw pact countries depends heavily on . Forces based in Europe. Its incumbent upon american service members to a make sure we look for new a and innovate ways to make the partnership work a he said. While Oaks secs great value in maintaining a creditable . Presence in Europe the House armed services com nut tee has taken up a position that could adversely affect americans ability to remain a persuasive Force. An amendment to the houses authorization Bill that was approved thursday seeks increased compensation from nato allies 10 help pay for the continued presence of american forces in Europe. Depending on the level of compensation . Strength could conceivably drop to As Low As 25,000 by 1998. A \ Oaks called the amendment a part of the democratic process a and said the Senate defense department and White House have yet to weigh in on the Issue. A there have been those kinds of pressures since 1990,�?� Oaks said referring to proposals to drastically Cut the . Forces strength in Europe. A i take my Lead from my commander in a a in a much More eager and willing a he added a to take that the president s decision As the will of the american people a v Oaks and his wife Gloria plan to move to their House in Washington d.c., once they leave Germany. Concerning any future plans Oaks said Only that they intend to spend More time with their six children and seven grandchildren. An eighth grandchild is expected in two. Quot a a a a a a a a a they have mixed feelings he said about leaving Europe a a we be enjoyed just about every Day of air Force life a he said a and every Day of air Force life in by Wayne v. Hall staff writer Rhein main a Germany the executive director of the program that supplies most of the food for Relief flights to the former Yugoslavia said wednesday that she was impressed by the military a creativity in delivering the goods. A it shows great strength when the military commits to what we a United nations Agency can to accomplish alone a said Catherine Bertini who oversees the world food program. Bertini last week toured facilities that Are responsible for the delivery of food and other humanitarian Aid to War torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among the stops on her four Day tour were Rhein main a and the bosnian capital Sarajevo a . European come representative travelling with Bertini said she was there to see the operation a from Cradle to another reason for her visit was to see How the Money being spent by her organization is put to use in the Eliv Ery of food. The world food program has received $329 million in donations from More than 15 countries according to a statement from the Agency. These donations have allowed the Wop to mobilize More than 504,000 tons of food As Well As to covers amps Wayne v. Hall pfc. Frank Gonzales of the 5th quartermaster Dot shows Catherine Bertini executive director of the United nations world food program How some Relief rations Are packaged at Rhein main a Germany. Related shipping and transportation storage and handling costs. The military has air dropped More than 16,930 tons of food and 155 tons of medical supplies Over Bosnia As Well As airlifting More than 46,980 tons of supplies into Sarajevo. During her visit Bertini saw How food is readied for the Many forms of delivery used in operation provide Promise. While touring the Rhein main site for flight preparations she told a contingent of riggers a yesterday during my visit to Sarajevo the bosnian prime minister told me a the single most successful humanitarian Effort thus far is the a she later addressed a crowd of More than 50 provide Promise participants at the Aerial port so saying a ethnic conflict in the former Yugoslavia has resulted in the death of nearly 200,000 innocent men women and children. The War has not come to an end yet. But by providing life sustaining food millions of people will survive this brutal
