European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday september 29, 1994 the e stars and stripes Page 3 . To pay to return retirees7 bodies by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington retired service members who live overseas soon will be Able to arrange to have their remains shipped to the United states at government expense.  v a provision buried in the $263 billion defense authorization Bill for fiscal 1995 will allow the remains of retirees to be transported by air on a space available basis to a . Port of entry. The measure will ease what can be a significant financial Burden on the survivors. The Cost of shipping a casket and remains is substantial. Delta air lines for example quotes a Price of $1.67 per Pound to ship a casket with body from Frank Furt Germany to new York City. A Washington area funeral director said a casket and body together can easily weigh 400 to 500 pounds based on Delta s Price quote that would put. The ship Ping Cost from Frankfurt to new York somewhere be tween $668 and $835. However although families of deceased retirees will not have to pay shipping costs to the . Port of entry they still will have to pay to ship the remains from the port to the final destination. The survivors would be limited to using whatever routes the space a traffic happens to be going in terms of Gettig the remains into the United states a House armed services committee staff member acknowledged. " / the staffer said the proposal originated with the army and was contained in the Clinton administration s fiscal 1995 defense budget request that was submitted to Congress Early this year. An army personnel official said the Issue has been on the Agenda of the . Army Europe Retiree coun cil for several years and has also surfaced As an i sue in the army family action plan. He could not say Why the army s senior leadership finally decided to Forward a formal policy change proposal to Congress this year. The Cost of putting the provision into effect will be minimal. There could be some Small logistical and administrative costs but since we re talking space a our projection is that there won t be any major Money involved the staffer said. The services will Iron out the details of How the pro Gram will work once president Clinton signs the de sense authorization Bill. The Bill has been cleared by both  House and Senate but has not yet been presented to Clinton for his signature. The most recent defense department statistics Avail Able show that More than 27,000 retirees live outside the United states and its territorial possessions of Guam puerto Rico and the Virgin islands that is less than 2 percent of the total . Military Retiree Popula Tion. The government already pays to transport the bodies of Active duty service members civilian employees and family members. New customs mailing rules key change of mailing goods to the United states you May now mail $100 up from $50 in gifts duty free to a single person per Day. Is gift exemption raised for items a Heidelberg Germany