European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday May 26, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 remains Mission continues to expand for Navy facilities on Crete by sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau Souda Bay Crete a naval support activity Souda Bay has doubled its population and Mission but it is far from a growing . The flurry of construction going on is All being done within the same 110 acres. A a we re a very Small lean command a said capt. Mike Fenn commanding officer. A your purpose is not to grow big like naval air station Simonella or Naples Italy where our overhead costs would overshadow our goal. We heed to remain Small and responsive.�?�. About 300 military personnel Are assigned to the base and Are joined by 200-plus military personnel on temporary duty a a a. A a about 15 Miles East of the City of Chania on the greek Island of Crete a amps Nas Souda Bay soon will be the Only . Military base on Crete. Nearby Trak lion air station closes next month Nas Souda Bay began growing in 1989, when it took Over the air reconnaissance support Mission from the hell Chi Kon a near Athens which shut Down in 1991. The 115th combat Wing flies its a-7 aircraft from Souda Bay base personnel also support . Navy ships when they Dock at the nearby nato piers a nato fuel depot and ammunition depot add to the support Mission. Souda Bay personnel have been living and working in temporary buildings since it was a Small detach inject with 16 people in 1969. Concern about which . Bases in Greece would close their doors kept Souda Bay from setting Down More permanent roots until now. The tiny one Road base is a Beehive of construction a new Barracks a new Galley a new morale welfare and recreation club and office buildings Are among the $20 million in ongoing improvements. A i think that Price tag is a measure of the . Commitment to the Mediterranean and the strategic importance of this Little base a Fenn said. A if you draw an arc on the map around Souda Bay you la realize you can touch almost All of the major hot spots of recent Nas Souda Bay will continue to grow up not but said Fenn adding that he doubts the base will expand much More than already planned. Assignment to Souda Bay is a one year unaccompanied tour for All but a handful of personnel most of whom have to live off base. The base has housing for Only 120 personnel. The new Barracks will House an additional 165. One Sailor said that just two years ago visitors to the base were greeted by the sight of piles of junked cars refrigerators and other refuse. She said it took Fenn who assumed command in july 1993, less than a week to get things cleaned up. A everyone bitched when he started making us do base cleanup but now you see the difference a said Petty officer 2nd class Linda Martinez. A it s taken awhile but things Are starting to look ii a. Up. Area s by Dave Melancon Wurzburg Bureau Kitzinger Germany a two mothers concerned about conditions in the Marshall Heights family housing area Are starting a group dedicated to fixing up the neighbourhood and serving As a Community forum. The Effort has included a petition signed by 300 people calling for playground improvements and other neighbourhood upgrades. A Susanne Hendrix and Eveline Bryant said their goals Are to help repair their neighbourhood and serve As a Liaison Between residents and the Community command. And following a meeting last week with . William Mansell jr., commander of the 417th base support in the women appear to be on their Way to making the improvements a reality. A it was a very positive meeting a Bryant said. A the listened to us and said Well work together to get things a it the meeting went very Well a Mansell said. A they raised some issues that need Topping the women a Issue list is the housing areas playgrounds said Hendrix a six year resident. Much of the equipment is old and is in need of paint or repair. A \ a a dirty Sand was of particular concern. A several children have already become infected by bacteria believed to have originated from the soiled Sand in the sandboxes a a group document states. Two children were taken to the Hospital recently Hendrix said. According to their Mother they were infected with a bacteria found in Sand. A give us a Container and Well put the Sand in there. Give us paint and Well paint a Hendrix said. Other issues include a improving the Community recycling program. More refuse containers Are needed and families heed to understand and follow recycling regulations a finding activities for teens and younger children. A setting stricter Speed limits around play areas. A fostering better understanding and Means of communication Between residents and the Community command. The petition that Bryant and Hendrix presented to Mansell called for army Community of excellence funds to be spent to repair the playgrounds. Soldiers and families will Supply the labor when possible. A they want to use their own strength to change things a Bryant said. A the husbands Are ready to come out and improve it Mansell said he appreciates Bryant and Hendrix a willingness to pitch in help fix the housing areas problems. Some of the $250,000 in award funds could be used to make repairs Mansells amps Davo Melancon Susanne Hendrix left and Eveline Bryant inspect playground equipment at the Marshall Heights family housing area in kit Zingen Germany. Said. However each of the commands three communities a Wurzburg Kitzing in and Gie Belstadt a owns a piece of the pie. Other neighbourhoods and single soldiers Are seeking repairs for their areas. Still others want Mai rooms and recycling containers he said. A you have to look out there and identify what a the most important and what can provide the most Benefit to the Community a he said. Quot i can to make promises to fix everything that they the women took matters into their own hands because they believe that forums such As Community town Hall meetings Are ineffective. Bryant said she and Hendrix know changes to their neighbourhood will take time. Bui More meetings Are scheduled and the women will speak at the next Community town Hall meeting Mansell said. Worker suspected of child by Jon Connor staff Vittier military Community officials in Baum older Germany plan to fire a Man suspected of sexually abusing children at a child care Center according to a document obtained wednesday by the stars and stripes. According to the memo the 222nd family advocacy Case management team has determined that a report made against Mike Glenn 29, is a a Case of substantiated child sexual the team recommends a a treatment plan that includes terminating Glenn. Glenn who provided the stars and stripes with the memo has 15 working Days to Appeal his firing from tuesday the Day he said he received the notification. A they Are going through the motions to terminate me a Glenn said wednesday. He was suspended after the abuse allegations surfaced. Attempts were unsuccessful wednesday to obtain comment from it. Col. Harold Cooney who oversees the Baum older military Community from other . Community officials and from the chief District attorneys office in bad Kreuz Nach which has jurisdiction Over the Baum older area in criminal matters. No criminal charges have been filed against Glenn in an investigation under Way since March 28, that has focused on allegations of child abuse at the Smith child development Center in Baum older. A German judge in bad Kreuz Nach has issued but not imposed a warrant for Glenn a arrest. Glenn maintains he is innocent. A . Army family advocacy come assistance team found no evidence of emotional or nonsexual physical mistreatment of children at the Center. However the team said there were indications that More than one child May have been sexually abused German and . Criminal investigators Are continuing to probe the allegations of sexual child abuse Glenn questioned the Baum older teams recommendation to fire him because his Case has not Quot gone through the German court a they . Officials did no to car what the German determination was Quot Glenn said. The memo said that a defense department form 2486-child/spouse abuse incident report will be forwarded to the . Army Central registry at fort Sam Houston Texas command officials have said the findings of the Baum older teams investigation were not releasable citing army regulations. It was determined that All findings would be treated with the same confidentiality As medical records. Glenn said he has gone to another military Community in search of work. However he said that if he is cleared of suspicion in the Case a i would love to stay in
