European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 28,1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 airman 1st class Joe Weyers exchanged season greetings with president Clinton on Christmas eve. By Marian Hamilton Mediterranean Bureau Kirin Ciurlik Turkey airman 1stclass Joe Weyers talk with his commander in chief saturday night was Short but Sweet All one minute and 14 seconds fit. The Security policeman was chosen from about 100 air Force members at Kirin Ciurlik to have a Brief Long distance Telephone Chat with president Clinton on Christmas eve. I Cinciruk a satellite tracking station for the air Force space Abmd is located in Southeastern Turkey near the City of Diyarbakir. Weyers on installation patrol when the presidential Call came through about 9 45 p.m., t get a Chance to say much he said. It was mostly season s greetings the 20-year-old Maple wis., native said. I Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Clinton reportedly said and i Hope that you la Tell you fellow airmen that i m thinking about them and that All of us Back Home Are grateful to you All for your    presidential Call is part of a White House program to boost military morale at Remote Sites. During the Chat Clinton also commented on what an impressive family Weyers has. The airman said his parents live in the United Arab emirates where his father has taught at the University of Al Ain for the past three years. When i get the tape of the Clinton phone conversation Back my parents May actually believe it Weyers said laughing. He plans to carry the tape personally when he flies out in mid january to spend time with his family in their Middle Eastern Home. Finally Clinton congratulated Weyers on his 21$t birthday on new year s eve. I can barely remember my 21st birthday Clinton  a / a it could t have been that Long ago Weyer rejoined. / Weyers also got a Chance to wish Clinton and his family a merry Christmas before the conversation ended. -. I thought it was some kind of practical joke when i was first told he was calling me he said. But now i really feel kind of Honorey that i was chosen to speak to the  in Ciurlik runway opens by Marian Hamilto Mediterranean Bureau a new $24 million runway was opened recently during ceremonies at incur Likay Turkey a base spokesman said. Representatives from Turkey the United states the United kingdom and franc gathered for the official ribbon cutting and to witness the sacrificial slaughtering of a sheep to Nark the runway s opening. " in Turkey animals Are sacrificed to re quest god s Protection for those using a newly constructed facility according to a news release from the base Public affairs office. \ athe old in Ciurlik a runway built in the 1950s was torn apart and rebuilt to help accommodate aircraft supporting operation provide Comfort to Aid kurd Northern Iraq. Construction was completed and the runway opened More than two weeks ahead of schedule a base spokesman said. However the rebuilt runway will not reused for military missions until Early Jan uary said 1st it. Patrick Ryder a base spokesman. Runway systems will undergo extensive testing before being certified for use. / a " it the old runway was cracking up and generally unsafe for these million Dollar aircraft and their pilots to land on said col. Mark Dougherty commander of the 39th operations group. Coalition airborne warning and control system aircraft and tankers had been forced to operate from Adana and Antalya but will now be Able to return to the air base. The fighters assigned to the humanitarian task Force stayed at in Ciurlik when theold runway closed. Dougherty said provide Comfort participants had endured a logistical Nightmare while the old runway was being built. Supplies and equipment going to Adana and Antalya had to go through Cus Toms and Bryan Nannc every time Doug Herty said and the pilots Here were land ing on a 75-foot-wide washboard taxiway we used Only in emergency situations be fore the regular runway  Beya name refers to the turkish system of monitoring tax free goods coming into and out of the country. Heavy cargo aircraft such As c-5 Galax ies and c-141 Star lifters could not land at in Ciurlik so they arrived in Germany and their cargo was shuttled to Turkey on smaller c-130 Hercules aircraft. While the construction was under Way pilots landed with limited instrument help and temporary lights Dougherty said. Now they will have the advantage of Preci Sion approach radar an instrument land ing system and High tech Landing lights.  club yaws for new members by de reams staff writer Garmisch Germany the new president of the federation of German american clubs is vowing to rejuvenate an organization decimated by the draw Down. Retired army it. Gen. Robert d. Chelberg who be came president of the federation in october said he is determined to bolster membership and reawaken inter est in the clubs. Now that the draw Down is overage need to concen trate on getting the word out especially to americans said Chelberg a former european come chief of staff. In 1990, the federation had 319,000 members. Today there Are 61 clubs with about 165,000 members. We be lost 50 percent of our american membership and that s where the push must be he said. The federation is Active in youth programs raising funds for scholarships student exchanges seminars and Friendship celebrations throughout Germany. Since the inception of its student Exchange program in1957, the federation has sponsored More than 1,500 Ger Man and american College students who have spent year studying in another country. The federation also Hopes to attract some of the other clubs such As the Kontak clubs to join us Chelberg said. The Kontak clubs Are an army activity geared generally to younger soldiers. Chelberg said he is motivated in part by germans whore concerned that the draw Down will harm German american relations. Chelberg said German interest in the organization always has been Strong especially during the persian Gulf War when support for american troops was exceptionally High. We want to pick up from there Chelberg said Outwith More emphasis on gaining american  Chelberg said he nominated military officials for two is Dav Casey retired army it. Gen. Robert d. Chelberg new president of the federation of German american clubs is deter mined to rejuvenate the clubs with an influx of american members. Slots on the federation s Board of directors to Aid in his revitalization program. Col. James w. Mcguire . Air forces in Europe Public affairs director and col. William a. Alexander . Army Europe s Deputy chief of staff subsequently were elected to the 19-member Board. They Are the first american men to be on the boar for a Long time Chelberg said. In the past we had left the Burden of responsibility to the germans and to women he added noting that at times All 19 members of the Board had been women. The majority of american federation members Are higher ranging officers some retirees and civilian govern ment employees Chelberg  federation has in the past attracted German Polit ical leaders american military commanders and . Ambassadors to serve As honorary Board members. We also want to establish relations with sister club that exist in the United states so that we have a trans at lactic link Chelberg said. The federation has its roots in the German american discussion clubs started shortly after world War ii by the . Military occupation government. The federation was created in 1948 and has served As a meeting ground for germans and americans