European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 10, 1994 Dod to i the stars and stripes Page 3 v Baychuc Vinch Washington Bureau Washington the defense department in Specter general will investigate the propriety of a c-141flight that ferried . Air Force Gen. Joseph w. Ashy and one aide from Italy to Colorado at a Cost of$120,000, Pentagon officials confirmed  investigation follows a complaint from sen Charles Grassley a Iowa who apparently Learned about the incident from military affairs columnist David Hackworth. Hackworth is planning to write about the flight i next week s Issue of Newsweek Magazine. The Abc to newsmagazine show 20/20 was due to air a segment on the incident on its Friday broadcast. Hackworth is disturbed by the arrogance that Gen eral Ashy s behaviour appears to represent Grassle wrote in a dec. 5 letter to Derek Vander Schaaf the Pentagon s acting inspector general Grassley is also concerned about allegations by Hackworth and Abc to producer Don thrasher that air. Force officials repeatedly lied to them in response to questions about the flight. A Pentagon official said Vander Schaaf s inquiry will focus on whether the flight was proper and reasonable and will address the Issue of whether air Force official truthfully answered questions from the Media Ashy flew on the c-141 on sept. 9 from his former assignment in Naples Italy to his new Post As com Mander of the . Space omd at Colorado Springs Colo. Aside from Ashy and his enlisted aide the plane carried soother passengers and was equipped with special amenities including a Kitchenette and sleeping area. The flight originated a Mcguire fab . On its nonstop leg from Italy to Colorado the plane was refuelled twice in the air adding to the Overall Cost. A c-141 normally costs about $3,400 per hour to Fly. Spokesmen for Ashy said the 54-year-old Veteran had checked on commercial flights out of Rome but worried that he would not have enough Tinie to take an eight hour training course on procedures for alerting the president in the event of a strategic attack. His spokesmen said Ashy had to take that training before assuming his new Post in ceremonies scheduled for sept. 13. Space come officials did not want to delay the change of command because a number of dignitaries were scheduled to attend. Officials said Ashy did not specifically request the c-141 and did not know general s flight Ashy that it was anything Oiher than a routine flight fro Europe to the states. They said he also was unaware that the plane would have Specia amenities. The amenities were aboard because ambassador Madeleine Albright the . Representative to the United nations and her staff had recently returned from an overseas trip on the aircraft. The air Force acknowledged that the Issue is some thing of a Public relations problem someone got a Little overzealous when this request for transportation came Down one official said. But officials contend that the flight broke rib regulations or policies and added that c-141 Crews Fly a cer Tain number of training hours no matter what their cargo. The incident originally came to Light after two retirees and their wives in Naples were denied Permis Sion to Board the flight As space available passenger Sand complained to Hackworth. An air mobility come spokesman said the retirees could not Board Ashy s flight because immigration Law require military space a passengers coming from Over seas to land Only at a handful of specified Sites. Peter son Fabj Colo., Ashy s destination is not one of them. But an air Force official in Washington said that snot quite accurate. He said space a passengers Are normally routed through airports that already . Customs checkpoints set up but that accommodations can be made to have customs agents Check Pas sengers through at other Sites. . Army spec. David a. Stark left marts the front Gate at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza Italy with Diaco Soverio of the italian Carabiniero a paramilitary police Force. S a 8&s j. King  it. Col. Gianfranco Ciancio assigned to the . Army s Southern european task Force. On and sea  Northern Italy Bureau Ujj Vicenza Italy if you be Ever Seena Parade or ceremony in Italy you won t forget the sight of the italian Carabiniero members of this 120,000-Strong paramilitary police Force Are recognizable by their dress uniform worn for official functions a distinguished red White and Black ensemble topped by a plume Napoleonic style hat. While the dress uniform is a definite traffic stopper Carabiniero Wear modern military uniforms while engaged in Day to Day duties such As patrolling Road Sand highways. At the . Army s Caserma Ederle in Vicenza or at Livorno s Camp Darby both in Northern Italy one of their mis Sions involves guard duty. Americans stationed in Italy Are familiar enough with the Carabiniero that they casually refer to them As  but few americans know much about them. Founded As an elite military Organiza Tion in 1814 during the time of the Napo Leonic wars the corps became part of the italian armed forces at the time of National unification in 1861_and is still considered part of the army. Members of the corps May be assigned to any of the 4,116 Carabiniero stations throughout Italy said it. Col. Gianfranco Ciancio chief of Carabiniero forces As signed to the . Army s Southern european task Force at Vicenza. Carabiniero serve As both soldiers and civil police. They run Marine patrols on the seas and ski patrols in the mountains. The corps also has a battalion of airborne troops in Case of a National emergency. The corps has ventured abroad for peacekeeping duties in Lebanon Soma Lia Cambodia and Mozambique. That peacekeeping is a new role for us in recent years Ciancio said in a re cent interview at his Headquarters i Vicenza. Ciancio commands 200 Carabiniero at Vicenza and an additional 100 at Livor no. This duty at Vicenza and Livorno is very Good duty because we have the possibility to do a variety of work with  intelligence criminal investigation or Mil itary police. Because the work with the . Army is More varied it is More interesting Ciancio said. While the Carabiniero and american military police run separate motorized patrols at Vicenza and Livorno the jointly guard the Gates at both installations. On a recent Day army spec. David  and his Carabiniero counterpart Diaco Severio were guarding Caserma Ederle s main Gate. \ having Carabiniero on the Gate with us makes the Job easier for us said Stark 27, a resident of Kennett to and member of the 13th military police co. They Are the Bosses. They have authority Over everyone in the country while i Only have authority Over our people Al though i can Stop and detain italians at the  " Stark explained that while the Opsand the Carabiniero operate separate motorized patrols they each respond to an motor vehicle accidents involving Ameri cans whether on or off the Post and file separate Accident reports. While some Carabiniero make careers in the corps Many younger members preserving a one year hitch. Those who elect to do their compulsory military service in the Carabiniero get the same pay As army draftees. These alternates receive Only three months training and Are usually limited to Servings guards while regular Carabiniero recruits get a year s training to qualify the for More specialized duties Ciancio said. Carabiniero always patrol in pairs Andare trained to shoot pistols and Summa Hine . A familiar Roadside sight i Italy is of one corps member checking a Motorist s documents while his partner covers the scene with a cradled Summa Chine gun. While Carabiniero Are the chief Law enforcers in italian Rural areas the Situa Tion is quite different in Urban area where they and the state police have overlapping responsibilities and jurisdictions Ciancio said. \ in big cities you have a Choice of who you want to calf to an Accident or crime scene said Ciancio adding that either can investigate a car crash or a