European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 16 2007 stars and stripes pages Paul Parley Courtesy of the us a uss san Juan Sailor heaves a line ashore in this 2005 photo the Navy briefly lost Contact with the submarine and launched a search Effort before communications were reestablished Early wednesday submarine Crew of after communications were lost the associated press Norfolk a the Navy temporarily lost communication with the uss san Juan off the coast of Jacksonville Fla before communications were reestablished Early wednesday there were no problems with the los Angel Sclass submarine based in Groton Conn the naval submarine Force said in a state ment the communication lag was not explained and the Navy was investigating the incident spokesman Phil fortunately the submarine established communications in the Early morning hours and indicated that there were no prob lems hence units were Able to stand Down from the search and Rescue that was already Well under Way the Navy said in the release defense Secretary Robert Gates was awakened in the Early morning hours and told of the events said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman the Secretary of defense was notified at the time when the Navy Felt that they had a sub in distress he said units of the uss Enterprise Carrier strike group saw a red flare in the Vicinity of the missing submarine tuesday night Mcguinn said ships and aircraft immediately started searching the area where the submarine was operating and also contacted the International submarine escape and Rescue Liaison office in Norfolk to assist with the efforts family members also were notified Navy officials started a phone tree around 4 am Edt to notify family members that a search Andrescu Effort had begun said it Mark Jones a Navy spokesman in Groton family members were called again at about 6 am once communications were reestablished Jones said we want to keep them in formed As we Are informed Jones said everyone was very appreciative of keeping them in formed there were about 140 sailors on Board Jones said report army promoting officers at a rapid Pace As War taxes gis stars and stripes the army is promoting captains majors and lieu tenant colonels More quickly and at a higher percent age than before the Iraq War according to a report in tuesday editions of the Boston Globe according to the Globe the army attributes the accelerated promotion rates to the pressures of War and the urgent need for Field commanders while military analysts say unit leaders Are quitting the army faster than anticipated after multiple Tours of duty in Iraq citing army statistics the Globe wrote that in 2006 the army had a goal of promoting about 70 percent of eligible majors to lieutenant colonel instead it promoted 90 percent of them to fill the vacuum also last year year the army advanced nearly All of its captains to majors roughly 20 percent More than its guidelines Call for in addition to potentially lowering the Overall Quality of the officer corps the shortage of mid level offic ers could harm the army readiness analysts told the Globe ground level commanders Are responsible for Lead ing combat units into Battle planning military operations and managing troop logistics such As Supply con Voys one officer who served in Iraq last year related How the exodus has affected his own unit from my Micro View of the army the Junior officer attrition is unreal the officer who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution wrote in a personal email from Iraq that was provided to the Globe in my battalion alone one of 10 officers in my year group is staying in the army All the rest Are leaving with me Charles Moskos a military sociologist at Northwest Ern University in Evanston 111 told Usa today that the army is going to have problems with Fiel Grade officers big shortages there going to have to Limp through the government accountability office notes that part of the shortage of mid level officers stems from Pentagon decisions 10 years ago to reduce the num Ber of officers commissioned after the cold War audit millions needed to fund move to Guam by David Allen stars and stripes Camp Foster Okinawa the move of some 8000 marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam by 2014 is expected to Cost the Marine corps an extra million annually however a recent inspector generals report concluded that the Navy air Force and Marine corps Are not prepared for the in creased annual costs resulting from the planned changes to the Force Structure in the Pacific the 14page report released monday is the culmination of a yearlong audit and interviews with military officials it states the Marine corps is the Only Branch so far to estimate How much it will Cost yearly to move assets to Guam from Okinawa however the corps has not included the Cost in its budget projections the source of funds for the additional requirements has not been resolved Between Headquarters Marine corps and the department of the Navy the report states the Navy and air Force also will incur additional annual costs by moving assets to Guam but the services have not determined what they Are the report adds if Dod and the services do not include the projected in creased annual funding require ments in the next program objective memorandums for Day 2009 the report read the Quality of life for service members and their dependents and the Readi Ness of us forces in us Acom May be adversely affected the United states has reached agreements with Japan and South Korea for a major restructuring of us forces in the Pacific a reduction of some 12500 us forces Korea personnel is expected to be Complete by the end of 2008 the United states and Japan agreed last May to replace Marine corps air station futenma ii the Quality of life for service members and their dependents and the readiness of us forces in us Acom May be adversely affect Edil inspector generals report with a new Airfield on Camp Schwab and to close several other marines bases on Okinawa that would result in the move of 8000 marines and about 9000 family members to Guam with Japan picking up about billion of the estimated billion Cost to help cover that Cost Japan officials Are considering reducing Host nation support for us forces remaining in Japan Japan now pays about billion a year to maintain us forces and is expected to pay that much until 2008 Dod must recognize and plan for a possible substantial increase in funding requirements to sup port forces remaining in Japan if Japan reduces its Host nation sup port the in report states besides the marines the air Force plans to relocate about 3500 service members civilian employees and their families to Guam from various locations but has not estimated the increased budget requirements for the move according to the report also the Navy which closed Many facilities on Guam in 1993 will need an increase in funds to refurbish and adequately main Tain facilities for the influx of marines and airmen email David Allen at convicted go testifies at sergeants murder trial fort Campbell by an army staff sergeant accused of murdering three iraqi detainees gave soldiers the option of taking part in the shootings before the kill Ings took place a Soldier testified wednesday in the mans murder trial pfc Juston graders testimony came a Day after two other Soli Diers testifying tuesday in the opening Day of staff sgt Ray Gir guards trial said Girouard gave them the order to release the three men and then shoot them Girouard is the last and most senior Soldier from the 101st air borne division to face trial for the May 9 killings during a raid on a suspected insurgent Camp out Side of Samarra Iraq he is accused of ordering soldiers in his squad to kill the men and cover up their crime As Sel defense in court on wednesday Graber said Girouard called members of his squad into a meeting in Samar a in May and gave them the option of shooting the detainees after they were released said Graber who pleaded guilty in Jan uary to aggravated assault for shooting one of the detainees who had been wounded he was sentenced to nine months in jail from the associated press