From: bergman@AFPAN.PA.AF.MIL (CMSgt Mike Bergman)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: Army News Service 10/08/92 (fwd)
Date: 9 Oct 92 13:51:21 GMT
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC


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  <<>>   U.S. Army Public Affairs                                        <<>>
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Leave portion of Gulf vets' LES's wrong for September

      WASHINGTON (ARNEWS) -- Desert Storm-era soldiers who are 
entitled to a carryover of excess leave may rest assured that the 
leave will be preserved, despite what their end-of-September leave-
and-earnings statements may reflect.
      That's the word from Defense Department finance officials, who 
explain that a recent programming backlog caused some October LES 
entries to drop leave in excess of 60 days.
      "We're working to correct the LES's by the time soldiers receive 
their November statements," said a spokeswoman for the Defense Finance 
and Accounting Service in Washington. "We first must account for all 
leave taken in September before restoring any lost leave."
       The spokeswoman explained that two categories of leave 
carryover are affected:  "First, the soldiers who received special pay 
for their exposure to imminent danger or hostile fire, if their 
service period for entitlement covered exactly four months, or 120 
consecutive days.
      "The other category pertains to soldiers not entitled to the 
special pay but who had authorization from the U.S. Total Army 
Personnel Command or from a field commander to carry leave in excess 
of 60 days into the next fiscal year.  Other leave accounts appear 
unaffected."
      Incidentally, policy requires that "A soldier who departed the 
area of hostile fire in fiscal 1991 must use all leave in excess of 60 
days by the end of fiscal 1994," she said.


Soldiers help senior citizens battle computer illiteracy

      WASHINGTON (ARNEWS) -- Members of the Army's Information Systems 
Engineering Command are helping senior citizens in the Washington area 
be citizens of the future.
      Seniornet -- a volunteer program that introduces computer 
concepts to senior citizens -- has enlisted the expertise of Lt. Col. 
Jay Jones, Sgt. 1st Class Steven Cheney and Noel Rivera-Silva, all 
from Fort Belvior, Va's. Information Systems Software Center.
      Seniornet's goal is to give computer knowledge to seniors who 
want to work part-time, or to those who simply wish to acquire helpful 
skills such as word processing and running spreadsheet and 
communications applications.
      In the Washington chapter, the equipment is provided by a major 
computer firm, the "classroom" and utilities are donated by a shopping 
mall, and Jones, Cheney and Rivera-Silva do the tutoring.
      "Our involvement in this project provides an excellent 
opportunity to reach out to our surrounding neighbors," said ISSC 
commander Col. Rayford Vaughn Jr., "especially the senior citizens who 
often don't get the support they need.
      "We have a wealth of expertise in this command, and it makes me 
proud to know that members of our command will volunteer time from 
their already hectic schedules toward this worthy cause."
      Some of Seniornet's potential benefits may include a 
telecommunications network of group contacts for seniors who are shut-
in, job skills for the older work force, a hobby for the retired, and 
a medium that can help keep senior citizens active in society.
     (From an ISEC release.)







Soldiers lend a hand in Africa

      WASHINGTON (ARNEWS) -- About 90 soldiers are currently taking 
part in Operation Provide Relief, the humanitarian effort bringing 
lifesaving relief supplies to drought-stricken areas of Somalia and 
Kenya.
      The soldiers -- from Germany's Berlin Brigade and Fort Campbell, 
Ky.'s 5th Special Forces Group -- are part of a joint task force that 
began operations in Africa in late August, according to JTF Provide 
Relief spokesman Marine WO1 Hartman Slate.
      The task force is responsible for the airlift of food and other 
relief supplies from Mombasa to relief agencies at various locations 
in the two countries.
      Fourteen Air Force C-130s have delivered more than 6,200 metric 
tons of supplies, flying 521 sorties. The bulk of the task force 
consists of Air Force flight and ground crews who fly and maintain the 
aircraft, Slate said.
      The relief effort "is an open-ended mission," Slate said. "We 
will remain as long as we're needed."


Aviation officials seek new 'trainer' helicopter

      WASHINGTON (ARNEWS) -- The Army is looking for a few good 
helicopters.
      Testing is now underway at Fort Rucker, Ala., to replace the UH-
1H Iroquois -- or "Huey" -- as the primary trainer model for soon-to-
be Army aviators. The UH-1 has been the standard aircraft used for the 
Initial Entry Rotary Wing course at Fort Rucker since May 1988.
      The UH-1 has proven to be a safe and effective trainer, but 
because of its size, weight and design, it costs more to operate and 
maintain than would a smaller, lighter, "off-the-shelf" aircraft, 
according to Fort Rucker Aviation Center officials.
      The initiative will reduce operating and maintenance costs for 
flight training without sacrificing quality of training or safety, 
officials said.
      A team of experts is evaluating a number of trainer candidate 
proposals through November, officials said, and expect to award a 
contract in February. The team is taking into consideration features 
such as life-cycle operation, maintenance costs, flight performance 
and crash-worthiness.
      Aviation students are expected to begin training on the new 
aircraft in September 1994.


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