European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 05, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday november 5, 1994 the stars and stripes Paga 3 i it d s of to get Frankfurt Hospital july 1". -. A. -.-. =. " m by Wayne v. Hall staff writer the air Force expects to take posses Sion of the army Hospital in Frankfurt Germany on july 1, a . Air forces in Europe spokesman said. One officer and 16 enlisted personnel will be assigned to the former 51st com Bat support Hospital when it becomes a contingency or standby medical facility. Contingency hospitals would be used if War broke out or other emergencies occurred. Such facilities Are used for stabilizing patients until they can be medically evacuated to another Hospital probably in the United states. Once Safe assumes control of the Frankfurt facility it will have two Contin gency hospitals within 16 Miles of Rhet main a Germany which is becoming a contingency air base. The other Contin gency Hospital is in Wiesbaden As of right now the Frankfurt Hospi Tal is in addition to Wiesbaden said Safe spokesman Doug Moore. No other plans for the Wiesbaden Hospital have been announced yet. It s still on our books As a contingency Hospital. However we re always looking at our options and reviewing All of our facilities As our Mission changes the Frankfurt Hospital will have 500 inpatient Beds and 150 medical staging Beds. ? Vav a " a. Annual operating and maintenance costs for each Hospital Are expected to run about $ 1.5 million Moore said. The . European come is constantly assessing requirements for contingency hospitals in Europe in Light of current roles and missions said air Force maj. Jerry Winaris a Neucom spokesman. I. The Frankfurt Hospital shown from the front in May will transferred from the army to the air Force As a contingency Hospital in july while we assume we will be Able to maintain two contingency hospitals for the near future we cannot predict this with a 100 percent degree of certainty Winan said. The recently renovated Frankfurt hos Pital has Long appealed to Safe s med ical professionals Moore said. Our surgeons said that s a great a ,1" Moore said. Planners at Safe said that it was too great to give  Safe s command surgeon then asked Neucom to turn the property Over to the air Force instead of returning it to the germans a request that Neucom s command surgeon approved. The Hospital Winans said has state of the Art facilities at the right location near Rhein main a which remains a strategic Airlift Hub for  the Hospital known As the 97th Gen eral Hospital before it became the 51st combat support Hospital was to be re turned to the German government in round 12 of the draw Down. The 55-year-Oid building had under gone More than 12 years of renovations which were completed in 1993 and Cost the . Army roughly $94 million. The value of the Frankfurt Hospital s equipment and supplies was not Avail Able said Barbara surfer a spokeswoman for the army in Europe s medical service. Slifer said it was too Early to estimate the value of the contents because the army is still working with the air Force to determine which equipment and sup plies will be left in the Hospital officials with the Frankfurt military Community could not give a current value of the Hospital property giving Only an estimate that it is at least Worth As much As the $94 million spent to renovate it. New by Doyle Tillma Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany construction of a new commissary in Kaiserslautern s Vogel Weh area could be finished in june 1996, if Congress approves the project officials said this week. Thei defense commissary Agency s stateside Headquarters has set aside $ll.5 million for construction and equipment for the new grocery store said Gerr Young a deca Europe spokeswoman. In August 1993, a fire damaged the commissary warehouse loading area and the sales floor. The new store is to be built near the Rodeo grounds a few blocks from the existing commissary said air Force col. Mike Dunn Deputy commander for the Kaiserslautern Community. Also the commissary Agency has ear marked Money to repair the existing commissary said air Force it. Col. Randall j. Thady commander of the 86th civil engr so. Repairs to the fire damaged aging store should be Complete hopefully by the end of january Dunn said. The commissary discussion came up at a town Hall meeting thursday held for residents of the Konigsberger Strasse and Posener Strasse leased housing areas. Fewer than a dozen residents attended. On Friday deca officials confirmed that the design of the new grocery store  ready in february 1995. Construction pending congressional. Approval is expected to begin in june Young said. Construction should be Complete in june 1996. The store will be just a straight commissary with All the things you d find in a Large commissary said Bill Mackrain deca Europe director. The biggest concern for Konigsberger Strasse residents thursday seemed to be a directive to remove satellite dishes from apartment exteriors. Resident were told to remove the dishes so Cable could be installed said staff sgt. Law rence Smith a building Leader for 37 families. Dunn and others noted that the decision was made by the German land lord. The landlord has the ultimate say on what can be done to a leased housing apartment. Before the meeting began Community officials said Posener Strasse leased hous ing once Home to 149 families now has Only 18. The drop in military usage is the result of a lease termination. Community officials said the decision to give up the Posener Strasse residences was made aug.5. Community housing authorities said the lease was ended because there is now sufficient military housing and Economy rentals. Plans Are to have the remaining Posener Strasse families out by Christmas said Saundra Reynolds director of the local housing organization. That deadline will allow american officials More than two months to Complete maintenance needed to return the hous ing area to the German landlord March 1, 1995. A Rumor that the Konigsberger Strasse housing will be returned to the germans is unfounded Community officials said. They explained How american officials continually review leased hous ing agreements against the need for those apartments. One military consideration said Dunn is that the return of leased housing does not affect the joint travel for spouses currently permitted to the Kaiserslautern military Community. Families living in housing where leases Are not renewed will be notified quickly the Deputy Community commander said to expedite their moves to other quarters. 4 receive medals victims by Christopher allbr1ght staff writer four special forces soldiers from Stuttgart Germany were awarded army commendation medals Friday for their emergency Aid to three German boys injured in an explosion of a 40 my Shell. The four Are capt. Alexandre t was the first Tim that we worked together and because of  and team Jerk it was As if it were planned capt. Alexandre Migala Migala sgt. 1st class Rodney Hite staff sgt. John Hofstetter and set. Alan Butler. They were awarded for their actions oct. 19 in treating the boys who were in Judd when the Shell exploded at the Wil Flecken training area. The soldiers Are All assigned to the 1st in 10th special forces group based at Stuttgart s Panzer Cavern. On oct. 19, the boys were apparently playing on Range no. 17 at the training area when they either picked up or kicked an unexploded Shell i gala said. . Officials did not identify the boys but gave their Ages As be tween 10 and 12. The americans were on a tactical exercise when they responded to a Call from a German army commander. This was something that we were trained to do Migalia said. It was the first time that we worked together and because of the coordination an teamwork it was As if it were  the first and most seriously injured of the boys had two severed arteries in his legs had lost nearly a third of his blood and suffered from Shock an hypothermia Migala said. He was evacuated by helicopter to Agerman Hospital in Fulda. He faces More surgery but is in Good condition said maj. Dennis Downey the executive officer of the special forces unit. The second boy lost a portion of his jaw and the third suffered lacerations from his hip to his shoulder. Both boys were released from another hos Pital after a few Days Downey said. The soldiers tended to the first boy s wounds on the Shell Impact area surrounded by unexploded shells Downey said. Downey said the source of the Shell was unknown. He also said he did not know How the boys entered the Range which is circled by a series of fences. . Forces returned the 18,000-acre Wil Flecken training area located about 22 Miles South of Fulda to the germans last summer. The special forces unit was the last american unit to use the training area and the first to use the area again last month when the Accident occurred Downey said. Contributing to Thea report Effia Bathen in Heidel Berg Germany