European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 30, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 in cafes thefts at Ramstein a by Doyle Tillman Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a Germany an air Force Road maintenance worker was convicted this week of stealing electronic equipment Worth More than $5,000 from the Exchange service at Ramstein a. Sgt. David k. A is the first of two airmen from the 786th civil engr so to face a court martial in the thefts which apparently also involved employees of the army and air Force Exchange service. A s conviction monday followed his guilty plea to three counts of stealing from cafes. He was sentenced to six months in jail at the army s correctional facility in Mannheim and ordered to be demoted to airman Basic and receive a bad conduct discharge. " a  / a stole cafes electronic gear from november 1993 to february 1994 the Case also involved cafes employees said capt. Jay Mounkes a Ramstein military Justice attorney. A was arrested following an investigation con ducted from april to june by cafes Security personnel and air Force office of special investigations agents. Air Force officials would not release specifics about the Case citing future court cases. According to tech. Sgt. Michelle Demers abase spokeswoman military attorneys said All of the Sto Len property two Yamaha Power sound amplifiers a computer system two Multi system videocassette recorders a cassette player and a compact disc player was recovered at a s Home. A lived in military family housing at Ramstein. There were about 10 people involved in the thefts said Jake Jakob cafes general manager at Ramstein. Those who were Raees employees have been fired and could face prosecution under German Law. Jakob was Uncertain whether any of the former employees would be prosecuted since he has not yet received the final investigation re port. The thefts occurred at the rear warehouse area of the air base s main cafes Complex said Demers. Cafes Europe spokeswoman Carrie Higley Krowka acknowledged that the thefts involved employees but declined to say How the equipment was removed from the store warehouse. A second airman sgt. Jerome Hernandez is expected to go on trial next thursday at a special court martial in connection with the thefts. Officials also have preferred charges against an unidentified third person with the 786th. A s confinement began monday. Confinement is the Only punishment imposed until the special court martial convening authority 86th Wing com Mander Brig. Gen. Jeffrey. S. Pilkington reviews and approves the Cou rat s findings. Gas leak evacuates 700 from buildings Aviano a Italy is leaking propane Gas forced the evacuation thursday morning of More than 700 people from a number of buildings Here including two schools and a child care Center. Students and teachers smelled the Gas at Aviano High school and the base fire department was notified shortly after 10 . Air Force Security police immediately cordoned off a Large area of the installation known As area one the most congested part of the sprawling base and the site of several schools and most shopping facilities. Buildings evacuated included the Chapel child care Center High school and Middle school. The cordoned off area was reduced in size at 11 15. Am. To Only the High school grounds according to staff sgt. Sandy Elijah a base spokeswoman. The High school building was declared Safe an hour later and students returned to classes Elijah said. While the exact cause of the leak is still being investigated it apparently came from a pipe leading from the propane tanks located outside a High school building to the school chemistry lab Elijah said. Fired employee wins against sex by Ron Jensen Nirh Borg Burea uan employee fired by the Exchange service 20 months ago for retail theft and three other charges has had his punishment reduced to a 30-Day suspension without pay which Means Randy Stahl will pocket about $22,000 from the Exchange service for his time away from the Job. Plus he intends to fight the suspension in an Effort to Clear his name of All charges. I did t do it Stahl said. Stahl was manager of the shop Pette in Aschaffenbur Germany when he was dismissed on Jan. 7, 1993, in the face of four charges retail theft As Sault and Battery failure to cooperate with an investigation and conduct unbecoming a manager. A hearing on Stahl s Appeal was held oct. 28, 1993, in Wiesbaden Ger Stahlmann. The Exchange service examiner Edward n. Peterson ruled in August that Stahl s punishment was too severe. Instead he was Given the suspension which Stahl said he will continue to fight. I will definitely address the suspension he  examiner s letter also said Stahl had no further rights of Appeal through cafes meaning Stahl will have to take his fight to the courts. Whether that Battle is successful Stahl already has won a monetary Victory. Cafes must now reinstate him with full pay and benefits minus any Money Stah has made on jobs during the 20-month period since his dismissal. Stahl who now works for a German electronics firm said he had trouble finding work initially and probably made Only about 33,000 Marks or about $21,000, since his dismissal. � at his old pay rates he said the Exchange service now owes him in the neighbourhood of $22,000. Cafes responded to inquiries about the Case with a Short statement cafes offers All associates an ave nue to Appeal any disciplinary actions against them. Inthe Case of or. Stahl the cafes hearing examiner determined that the incident merited lesser punishment than was initially  the dismissal stemmed from an incident on the eve Ning of oct. 24, 1992, an undercover Security agent for the Exchange service Eugene of Usmari said in a statement that he saw Stahl put a Box labelled As Cham pagne in his car he asked to look at the receipt and Stahl complied however Usmari later determined that the Box in the car had been tampered with and asked to see the contents. Stahl refused and according to Usmari s statement physically nudged Usmari away from his car and drove off. Stahl said he asked Usmari three times to move away from his car before putting his hands on the agent and pushing him away. Ten Days later Stahl received a letter telling him that he was being fired because of the incident. The dismiss Al eventually took effect Jan. 7, 1993. Stahl had worked More than four years for the Exchange service and had spent nearly 13 years before that with morale welfare and recreation. He said he could not let 18 years of government service end in this matter.  ,. I can t allow something like this to be Dona and not fight it he said. It s not in my makeup.". Plus he said there was a practical reason for Clear ing  can t get a Job when you be been labelled a thief he said. If i had t known somebody who knew me for years and years i would t have been Able to get. Stahl said he refused compromises three times when cafes offered them. One offer he said was to simply resign. A second was to resign with 30 Days of sever Ance pay. The final was to resign and take $4,000 pay Merit. Re. But he said none of those options would Clear him of the charges so he refused them. To proclaim your innocence too much makes you sound guilty he said but i did t do it \ expects to give up of .1 ". F by Jon Connor staff writer the Baum older Germany Soldier who lost a Finger and a thumb in a bizarre Retreat ceremony Cannon mis Hap is recovering from his injuries but expects his army Days to come to an end i think it la be the Best for me in the Long run spec. Matthew heading said tuesday from his Hospital bed at Walter Reed army medical Center in Washington . I honestly Don t think i m going Back except to sign out said the personnel clerk. Heading was flown to Walter Reed in Early septem Ber from Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center near  army medical Board has not yet convened to de cide his career Fate said the 24-year-old heading of1st army div s he Btry 4th in 29th Field arty. According to or. Col Allan Smith chief of the hand surgery service at Walter Reed no exact Date is known for the Board meeting. I suspect it will be several months because he is in the process of Healing Smith said. He s doing very Well Smith said considering the degree of injury that heading suffered. Heading and Hugh Mackey the Baum older civilian Post adjutant were injured when Mackey attempted Totire a 75 my Cannon with the Breech open during a Baum older Retreat ceremony aug. 25 at Smith bar Racks. The two men were filling in at the ceremony be cause the Normal complement of five military police personnel was not available. Immediately following the explosion heading a six year Veteran was taken to a German Baum older hos Pital and then one in Mannheim As doctors tried unsuccessfully for 5l/i hours to reattach his Finger and thumb. Since his arrival at Walter Reed heading has under gone intensive occupational therapy twice a Day on weekdays to increase the Range of motion of his  estimates that he s lost about 50 percent of his ability to move his left Index Finger. But heading said they medical personnel say i might get it  total of 19 stitches were removed from his right hand heading said. I be gained Back most of the motion in my right hand said heading who had a Small Inetal plate with five screws inserted in his right Index Finger which was fractured. In about six weeks heading is expected to have five pins in his right hand and two in the wrist removed Smith said. Soon heading will be fitted with a glued on cos Metic thumb that looks heading "100 percent  As an alternative he also will receive a gloved hand and a plastic thumb held on by a strap. Heading who is right handed said i m living off Rny left  he said he does t know when he will be released from the Hospital. More operations Are scheduled through the next year or so Smith said. Separate investigations arc being conducted by safety officers military police and the military command a spokesman for the 1st army div has said. Mackey sustained Burns to both hands arms and legs. He was treated at a German Hospital and released the same Day. The investigations Are still ongoing said spokes Man capt. Greg Bartlett on tuesday. In a letter to the stars and stripes the 1st army div commander maj. Gen. William g. Carter Iii said the findings will be re leased when completed