European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 12, 1995 the stars. And stripes Page 3 cargo n by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau. Ramstein a Germany a air Force c-130 Crews this week began settling into two renovated hangars that Are part of an $89 million project to transform Ramstein from a fighter to an Airlift base. Athe opening of the two hangars is a Milestone in the . Air forces in Europe a Effort to restructure the base As it assumes cargo duties from Rhein main a which is drawing Down said capt. Chris Hurley of the 86th civil engr sep the most visible role Ramstein has picked up to Date is the operation provide Promise humanitarian Mission for the former Yugoslavia while the c-130 planes now operate out of Ramstein All of the work is not expected to be completed until late 1996. A we have changed the profile of Ramstein the operational profile a Hurley said. A the whole base has Felt this Ripple a the improvements Are occurring at the base Safe and nato level. Depending on the project the Money to pay for each Job is coming from one of the three organizations. Safe is paying for All of its 13 projects a a which represent the Lions share of the work a with the 100�?~w� Era Stein. Felt this changed the profile of. The whole base has a capt. Chris Hurley million Marks about $67 million that the . Stands to receive from the German government. The Money is in Exchange for the partial return of Rhein main. Nearly s9 million is budgeted for repairs at the base level Hurley said. There Are 46 projects that Range from converting hardened aircraft shelters into office or vehicle maintenance space to constructing a Tower  drying parachutes to building two new c-130 engine test stands. Planning began in the Spring and Hurley said the Squadron has worked Long hours to finish the project sooner than projected he expects base engineers to Complete their work in the next two months to hurry construction along paper and design work was expedited on projects that did not exceed $300,000, said Leo Klingl who oversaw the projects that fell under this  the end product is As Good As any other Quot Klingl said. A to me you have More flexibility a meanwhile nato is kicking in about $13,5 million for a major drainage repair program to an Airfield it uses said staff sgt. Barbara Lavigne a Ramstein spokeswoman. The other major improvements such As a new hangar and modifications to the two that recently opened arc being handled by Safe. In addition to tie hangar projects the command is overs Ching the Extension and repairs to aircraft ramp the most expensive project is the construction of a new strategic Airlift ramp Tor c-5s and c-i41s that will Cost at least $6.7 million said David Johnson a Safe program manager Safe also plans to build a new passenger terminal that will Likely replace the current facility a former military personnel office that was renovated last Spring. The estimated Cost of that project slated for 1996, was also not disclosed. A this would be a new passenger terminal to. Handle the additional traffic that would he coming our Way with the closure of Rhein main a Johnson said a amps Darrell Lewla spec. Jason Heitz spends his third night of his first overseas temporary duty dining in a virtually empty dining room at Chi chips in Kaiserslautern. The Iowa National guardsman is on loan to equipment maintenance Center Europe repairing military  from Page 1 restaurants such As Taco Bell or Elchico a. A a a a Cpl. Patrick Jeffries of Frankfurt said the loss of Chi a hts a would Lessen the Quality of life within military communities. A a a a a a a. A a a a not so much the food but the bar and to he said. A a it a a Good place to come and drink after w Ork a said spec. Steve Gibbs of the 378th personnel services co in Frankfurt. _ Grube said troop withdrawals have made serving the military no longer what it once was a a lucrative business venture. A a a. A a a a. Quot not a single military installation interests us now. They re no longer Profita blk a said the former Frankfurt military club manager. Doubts about the Wisdom of operating on military bases surfaced not Long after the first restaurants were opened in 199 1, the first year of the draw Down he said. But the company has used the last four years to establish a reputation among nonmilitary clients he said. The response from German customers whom Grube described As guests of . Id cardholders has been very positive. A we found the military to be Overall a Good testing ground for the company a Extension into the German eco Mony Grube said. V. -. Closure of the restaurants also will mean a loss of Revenue for army morale welfare and recreation programs. When business was Good in Mainz for example the army received about si25,000 a year according to army figures. Officials at . Army Europe Headquarters in Heidelberg said wednesday they were not immediately prepared to comment on the status of the Chi chips contracts. A v a a. V under the terms of the contract for Mainz the army provided the building Quot and related services and the restaurant agreed to pay.5 percent of its revenues from food sales and. 7 percent of alcohol. Sales the Martin Luther King Village hous ing area where the Mainz Chi chips is located is scheduled to be returned to the germans in september. Grube said that business went sour in Mainz when the i a Fentry and tank units of the kit inf div Quot departed in 1992. Profits of s1u, Ijo a w Eck fell by 50 percent lie said. Grube said operating Oil the Economy. Will better serve the interests of the restaurants because managers will have More administrative and practical management leeway. U Grube said that Over tie years his company has turned Down several offers from the military to open restaurants at Ca Serns in Nairn Borg Stuttgart and Berlin a  and Berlin Are gone Stull Gart became smaller he said a luckily with foresight a just looking at what was a happening and in some cases asking the. Right person the right question a we do. Cited against them a. Chi a big i International operates nonmilitary oriented restaurants in Drissel Dorf and nearby Bockum in Germany in. London Luxembourg Brussels Paris Barcelona and Kuwait but that Wall be of Little help to amen cans on military bases especially in More. Isolated areas such As Grafe Nojir "1 know a lot of people who really. Really do like it and go there often a said an employee of Grafen Wuhr child development services farewells and birthdays arc common celebrations at. The restaurant said the woman who asked not to lie. Idem Ifie a to would be missed Quot she. Said. A worker at the bases Gettysburg club said the loss would mean lev Choice a for people who  stay on Hae for Stern fical by lunch or dinner. A that s a pretty  it that Waydo he said. _ a spec. Jelf Pilgrim. One r f the lunch crowd at the term Kurt Chi Chis spoke for a Nav a Hen he Icid a just by having. Chi Chi s Here is like being Back Home. A it s Nice to have some Type of it Down restaurant for the military Community a a incr u Dpi to in 5 report Truu Jon Iri do  or j in Jur a. M a new head of v corps nominated Washington a amps maj. Gen. John n. Abrams has been nominated to become commanding general of v corps Pentagon officials announced tuesday. If confirmed by the Senate Abrams would replace it. Gen. Jerry a Rutherford who has commanded corps since july 1992 and is scheduled to retire shortly after More than. 32 years of service. Abrams who now commands the 2nd inf div in South Korea also has been nominated for a third Star Rutherford he came on Active duty in 1967 and spent almost 10 years in uniform before drawing his first tour in Europe As hut Taliban operations officer for the now defunct 3rd army div.  Wing a consecutive overseas tour As brigade operations officer with tie 3rd army div from 1977 to 1979, Abrams returned in 1983 to take command of the now defunct 11th army Cav regt s 1st . A a. A a a in .1986, lie again Drew a tour in Germany As assistant chief of staff and later chief of staff for his old unit tie 3rd army div he followed those Tours with a two year stint As commander of the Lith army Cav regt from 1988 to 199.0, Abrams who served two years in Vietnam has More than 27 years of service _ and holds degrees in business  a administration his awards include the Silver Star  of Merit Bronze Star purple heart and meritorious service  some Bank branches to close for Holiday by the stars and stripes merchants National Bank branches in the United kingdom Iceland and the . Embassy in Bonn Germany will be. Closed monday in Observance of the Martin i Uther King or. Holiday.  brandies will operate monday under their regular schedules a automated Teller machines will be open at the dosed merchants branches