European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday june 30,1994 separate Monitor urged for harassment probes Deconcini plan seeks Dod safeguards by Nancy l. Torner . Bureau military investigations of sexual harassment complaints would be monitored by an Independent office if a proposed amendment is added to the fiscal 1995 defense authorization Bill. The proposal is to be introduced on the Senate floor by sen. Dennis Deconcini a Ariz. Quot my Bill sets up an office outside the code of military Justice a Diccon Cini said by phone from Washington ,. Deconcini a proposal Isnit the Only amendment Wing for inclusion into me authorization Bill during upcoming Senate debates. Sen. Carol Mose icy Braun d-ill., has authored a proposal designed to strengthen the military a sexual a Deconcini Ras Smunt regulations and complaint procedures. Quot i m not sure they Are going far enough Quot Deconcini said of Mosc Lcy Braun a amendment. This is the third straight year Deconcini has tried to get his amendment adopted into Law. Under the Deconcini proposal an Independent office a responsible directly to the defense Secretary and staffed by investigators with Federal Law enforcement authority a would be established within the defense department. The investigators would track and report on investigations and prosecutions in the armed forces involving allegations of sexual misconduct including rape Battery and sexual assault and harassment the Independent office would ensure that sexual misconduct complaints in the military Are handled properly Deconcini said. The Independent office also would enter an ongoing investigation at the defense Secretary s request. Under Deconcini so proposed amendment anyone responsible for taking action on military reports of criminal sexual misconduct would face felony charges for failing to report the allegations. Failing to report alleged sexual harassment to the Independent office and to the supervisor of the accused would be a Misdemeanour offence. The amendment also would prohibit the defense Secretary from granting any financial award for annual performance or from advancing in rank people who have been convicted of criminal sexual misconduct have civil or administrative findings of sexual harassment against them or have retaliated against someone for reporting sexual misconduct. Under Deconcini s proposal the defense Secretary would be required to make an annual report to con Gress on sex related violations and the status of prosecutions and to Issue regulations that protect people from retaliation if they complain about sexual misconduct. Deconcini said his amendment was drafted in response to discussions Over the last three years with numerous veterans who were victims of sexual harassment and misconduct by people the military never prosecuted. A this is very serious. 1 think Vve need a statutory revision a he said. For the amendment to become part of the authorization Bill Deconcini will have to gain a majority vote from fellow , satellite destroyed after steering glitch Vandenberg fab Calif. A a rocket and an air Force satellite it was carrying were deliberately destroyed Over the Pacific Ocean after a steering malfunction. Orbital sciences  Pegasus rocket was launched monday from a converted l-1011 Jet that took off from this base in Central California. Shortly after the first stage separated from the Booster there were signs of a steering malfunction and other problems said . Thompson general manager of Orbital sciences launch systems group a decision was made to destroy the rocket by Remote control when it was approximately 240 Miles offshore and at an Altitude of 124,000 feet Thompson said. Also lost in the Accident was a 767-Pound air Force satellite called space test Experiment platform 1. It was designed to study uie ionosphere a effects on radio communications provide information on upper atmospheric conditions and create global maps of electrons present at High altitudes. The flight and rocket Cost an estimated $10 million to $12 million but the value of the satellite Wasny to  s wife Dies Mcpherson Kan. A Connie Nichols wife of former . Rep Dick Nichols died tuesday of cancer. She was 62. She was a professor at Mcpherson College. In 19s6, Dick Nichols was wounded by a sword wielding Man on the Staten Island ferry while he and his wife were visiting new York. Rory James Reynolds police seeking missing . Teen from Darmstadt Darmstadt Germany a amps a authorities arc searching for an american teen Ager who has been missing from his parents military quarters since june is. Rory James Reynolds 16, the son of a . Soldier was last seen at 12 30 . June 18 in Darmstadt a Lincoln Village housing area according to the army Community a Public affairs office. Reynolds is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds with Brown hair and Blue eyes. He was last seen wearing Black Tennis shoes Blue jeans a Black shirt and a White sox baseball Cap. He is believed to be in the Frankfurt area the statement said. Anyone who knows of his whereabouts should Contact a local military police station or the Darmstadt my desk at Dan 348-7777 or civilian 06151-69-7777. N sprints Over 1 hurdle Bonn Germany apr a government plan to sell off Germany a sprawling postal service including the state telecommunications company got the Green Light from the lower House of parliament on wednesday but there could still be a hitch. The postal service is Germany a largest state owned employer. It has three components and 670,000 employees twice As Large As Germany a armed forces. The three components Are mail delivery a banking system that lets people Deposit and withdraw Money at their local Post offices and the telecommunications company Tele Kom. Chancellor Helmut Kohls government Hopes to turn Tele Kom which has 230,000 employees into a world player in the telecommunications Market. Two weeks ago Tele Kom announced that it and its French counterpart plan to buy a 20 percent stake in the sprint corp., the third larges t Long distance Carrier in the United states. The privatization plans could still run into trouble. A a the opposition social democrats voted for the privatization legislation in the bundestag the lower House of parliament. But they vowed to Block it in the upper House the bundesrat when it comes up for a final vote july 8 if the government does no to give adequate assurances to save jobs and benefits. About 15,000 mail delivery workers stayed away from their jobs wednesday to underscore their demand for a contract that will contain satisfactory guarantees. Similar walkouts have occurred in selected areas for the past three weeks. Under the legislation approved by the bundestag As of Jan. 1, private investors could Start buying Stock in All three branches of the postal service. Tele Kom and the banking services could be totally privatized. The government would hold a majority of shares in the mail delivery Branch for at least five years. Police May charge Driver in death Aviano a Italy a amps italian police Are considering bringing a wrongful death charge against an italian Motorist who struck and killed an american airman tuesday near Aviano a a base spokeswoman said. The italian police notified air Force officials wednesday that they Are pursuing the charge against the Driver said spokeswoman staff sgt. Sandy Elijah. The dead airman was identified As senior airman Christopher t. Croft 23, an aircraft tracking technician assigned to Aviano a 603rd air control so. According to italian news reports Croft was Riding his bicycle to work tuesday morning when he was struck by a car operated by Ornella Canzi 29, a resident of the nearby town of Montreal. Croft who was pronounced dead at the Accident scene died from a fractured Skull the news reports said. The Accident occurred during a  storm As Croft was Riding in a file with another military member. The Otho bicyclist was not injured. Croft who entered the air Force in november 1989, had been stationed at Aviano since april. A resident of Smith Field r.i., Croft is survived by his parents Robert and Sheryl Croft also of Smithfield. A memorial service will be held at 1 . Friday in Aviano a base Chapel. . Community in Naples planning fest Naples Italy a amps a americans in Naples Hope to give local italians a taste of an old fashioned Independence Day Celebration Friday through sunday. Festa americana �?T94 is a three Day fourth of july extravaganza featuring carnival rides sports tournaments Bingo live entertainment a vendors mall and food Booths. A fireworks display will be held saturday. The fest is a Community fund raising event that provides support to youth organizations including scouts youth sports and High school clubs. Several new events will be added for children including an obstacle course a Watermelon seed spitting contest Story time a puppet show and a Talent show. The fest which Quot will be held at Carney Park in Naples will open at noon each Day and close at 2 . Parking will be limited inside the Park. Bus service will be available from the base and military housing areas. Entrance to the Park is free and the fest will be open to the italian Community