European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 212, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 tax agents raid Union offices official for teachers group suspects huge  by Effie Bathen Heidelberg Bureau Heidelberg Germany in three simultaneous operations German tax authorities last week seized re cords and a computer from offices of the largest teach ers Union serving Dodds educators in Europe and sealed its Central office. It was a raid said Michael Bauernfeind an attorney for the overseas education association. It was like a rape. They even took my daughter s letters from  several boxes of records were taken thursday by agents of the German Finan amt Steur Ahndung or tax investigators from the Union s Central office in Frankfurt. Bauernfeind s Home office in Schwet Zingen near the Home of Union area director Jan Pepelnjak near Frankfurt. According to a search warrant that agents presented at one of the Sites the Union has an annual $1 million budget but has not paid any German taxes. The action was taken on the suspicion of possible tax evasion said Wolfram Otto speaking for the Frankfurt District of the Finan amt. The question instill whether they Are taxable in  Bauernfeind said he was unaware of questions about the sea s tax status. Pepelnjak said monday that Union officials remain baffled As to Why the germans took the action. The sea officials have operated in Germany since 1956, crack controller keeps air traffic on solid ground by Ron Jensenn Urnberg Bureau Hohenfels Germany the most valuable asset at the army Airfield Here is a not too tall not top Short Silver haired Man who has an unrivalled familiarity wit the airborne highways above the rugged land in and around the combat Man Euver training  can t see those heavenly thoroughfares and neb ther can Tony Sollner. But he knows where they Are and for nearly 30 years he has been the traffic cop directing aircraft in and out of the Airfield via those invisible routes. We Are the policemen of the sky Sollner said of himself and air traffic controllers everywhere. We control the traffic up there just like a policeman controls traffic on the , 56, has been an air traffic controller at Hohenfels since 1966 and an employee Here since 1956. Infant his family history goes Back further than that. His father planted wheat on this land in 1930 before it be came an Airfield. And Sollner delivered newspapers to american sol Diers at the base shortly after world War  it is As an air traffic controller that Sollner has written his personal chapter in the base  operations of this Airfield run incredibly smooth with Tony Here said sgt. 1st class Terry Pennington platoon sergeant for the 4th platoon co a 3rd in 58th aviation regt a Job that makes him Sollner s  it is Clear that Sollner is in charge Here. Hohenfels is kind of the envy of the battalion with Tony Here Pennington said. No other Airfield has any one of his experience and knowledge of the specific air space for which a Tower Crew is responsible he said.s611ner was a dispatcher in 1966, when his Boss suggested he learn air traffic control. At that time All the controllers were  wanted to build up a civilian contingent Sollner said. In Case the military had to move out the Mission would still go  the Job carried More responsibility he said but also More pay for a Young married Man with two  simply an air traffic controller holds in his hands the lives of the Crew and passengers aboard All of the aircraft that come into his airspace. At Hohenfels that covers a 15-mile radius from the Airfield and includes everything from the ground to 10,000 feet. It was like a rape. They even Loo my daughter s letters from College Michael Baum fend Unton attorney believing that the organization was exempt from Ger Man taxes she said. We re a victim of a huge misunderstanding Pepelnjak said. Being subject to German taxes would have to be Complete reversal of policy As we know it she said. However the sea is not listed in the nato status of forces agreement that specifies organizations such As the boy scouts As tax exempt. The sea is a federally sanctioned labor Organiza Tion certified under the civil service Reform act. Sea officials said All of the educators who Are Mem Bers As Well As their staff hold . Identification cards. The action comes at a tune when the sea wit More than 3,000 members in Europe is moving to take Over membership of a rival teachers Union the Over seas federation of teachers sea officials acknowledged. The federation serves about 800 educators inthe Mediterranean area. Ernest Lehmann speaking for the federation said . Military Legal opinion offered about 10 years ago assured his Union that it was not subject to italia taxes. The Union has offices in Verona and Livorno both in Italy along with members in Turkey and Spain. Because of his Union s close relationship with the department of defense dependents schools and nato he said we do not have a concern  the mid morning raids involved German agents and at one location two agents from the . Criminal investigation come or Cid. At Atterberry elementary school in Frankfurt where Dodds provides the Union with an office next door agents presented principal Lee Hunt with a warrant Bauernfeind said. At the agents request Hunt unlocked the satellite building about 100 Yards from the school where the Union office is located. The German agents removed the lock on the unoccupied office s door seized records along with Pepelnjak s Laptop computer and sealed the office. . Agents went with the German agents to Atter Berry to help with entry into the american area and with translations said a spokeswoman for the .army Europe. At Bauernfeind s Home five German tax agents rang his Bell entered and seized Union records and other written material from his Home office. At Pepelnjak s Home in Kelterbach German agent gained admittance from her landlord. They took Bank and address records along with several personal item such As her . Transportation agreement personal loan paperwork family photos and her passport. I personally feel. Violated by the German govern ment officials Pepelnjak said. Contributing to this report Ortwin Nosal Nykl in Darmstadt 848. Tony Sollner left and Rainer Hoeft take a break from directing air traffic at the combat Man Euver training Center. Any Pilot entering that area must Call the Tower. An quite often the pilots find Sollner s voice of experience coming Back at them. From him they learn the wind Speed and direction the degree of visibility and the presence of any other aircraft in the Vicinity. Without the controller s approval no Pilot lands or leaves. There is no escaping the responsibility. Every radio transmitted word in and put of the Tower is recorded. When crashes occur an investigator listens to the re cording and times the controller s response time in any emergency. If we make a mistake they got us Pennington said. Severe restrictions Are placed on controllers. They must abstain from alcohol for 12 hours before their shifts. If Sollner has a headache he is prevented from taking a painkiller for fear the Medicine would affect his judgment and reaction time. Sollner remembers several crashes. Close to 30,000movements takeoffs and landings can occur at the Airfield every year so accidents Are inevitable. But asked to recall one particular episode he quickly began to Tell of a Winter Day five years ago. An ah-1cobra helicopter had sheared off a Landing skid when it struck a Rock in the training area and was unable to land. The Guy had one hour and four minutes of fuel left Sollner recalled. Sollner directed the Pilot into a Low hover above the Airfield while they sought a solution that would allow Safe Landing. With one skid missing a Landing would have been unbalanced and the Rotor would have struck the ground endangering the Crew. With the chopper s fuel running Low Sollner called the Supply depot and told workers to bring several wooden pallets to the Airfield quickly. The pallets were piled to a height equal to the skid and the Pilot made a Safe level Landing with less than 10 minutes of fuel  had a couple drinks after that he recalled. With All of his experience Sollner is still second this partner Rainer Hoeft. He has been a controller for the army since 1960, but the first 31 of those year were in bad Tolz where the special forces trained until moving to Stuttgart in 1991. He then moved to Hohenfels. I be done it All my life the 57-year old Hoeft  s different every Day. It s not a routine  with such a responsibility already Sollner takes on More As training supervisor for new army controllers at Hohenfels. Some of them Are coming fresh out of school Sollner said. They have no experience  he trains every controller who comes to  those with experience elsewhere must learn the specifics of this Airfield. Every facility is different Pennington Sai d. You have to learn it All Over again. Tony ensures that the know that. It s a stressful Job. Tony relaxes them. By the Tim Tony s done with them Well we be never had a fail ure