-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 992315. Signing ceremony gives closure on Rhein-Main's future by Senior Airman Dan Bernath 469th Air Base Group Public Affairs RHEIN-MAIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) -- The writing was on the wall for Rhein-Main Air Base for years, but with the signing of an agreement to return the entire base property to the Federal Republic of Germany, Dec. 23, it was finally in black and white. The agreement, signed in a ceremony at the base passenger terminal by officials from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, the German government and the German states of Hessen and Rhineland-Palatinate, calls for the complete return of Rhein-Main by the end of 2005. Negotiations for the return began in May 1998. Frankfurt's international airport, Flughafen Frankfurt Main AG, will be the beneficiary of Rhein-Main's nearly 385 acres, allowing the company to expand its cargo handling and aircraft parking facilities, said Flughafen officials. In return, USAFE will receive a total of DM 730 million to relocate Rhein-Main's contingency and airlift operations to Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases, Germany. Gen. John P. Jumper, USAFE commander, said the agreement would offer "tremendous benefits" to both German and U.S. interests. "The Air Force will reduce its manpower and operating costs by consolidating Rhein-Main's functions at two existing bases," the general said, noting the move would also provide an opportunity to modernize airlift operations facilities at both bases. "In turn, Germany's premier airport will gain room to expand and to accommodate the future growth of air transportation." According to USAFE officials, Ramstein will take 65 percent of Rhein-Main's traffic load -- which totals about 3,900 aircraft arrivals and departures each year -- while Spangdahlem picks up the rest. To accommodate the extra traffic, USAFE planners envision major construction projects at both bases. Using funds from the agreement, Ramstein will receive runway, ramp and taxiway construction as well as new freight and passenger facilities, said Lt. Col. Fred Schmokel, USAFE plans, programs and readiness. Meanwhile, Spangdahlem will need additional parking ramp space, wider and stronger taxiways, and new cargo and maintenance facilities to handle the heavy cargo aircraft that make up the bulk of Rhein-Main's business. Rhein-Main, perhaps best known for its key role as a staging point for the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949, experienced an initial drawdown in 1995. About half the base property was returned to the German government, and the base population was reduced from about 10,000 community members to about 3,000. In addition to its current role in maintaining contingency operations for deployed aircraft and personnel, Rhein-Main hosts 30 tenant units, including State Department facilities and the Army's processing center for personnel assigned to Germany. 992314. Now Showing: Dec. 27 edition of Air Force Television News KELLY AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The final 1999 edition of Air Force Television News highlights airmen who, during the past year, were examples of how unselfish and giving men and women in the Air Force can be. The program features a series of stories aired during the year on the program of the humanitarian side of the Air Force. It is dedicated to the men and women of the Air Force and their contributions to their country. >From a colonel who collected more than $100,000 to get bone marrow transplants for a young leukemia victim in Bosnia, to an Air Force family that has become its own version of an adoption agency to help homeless kids, the program shows just how involved airmen are in their communities. Other examples of the giving spirit of Air Force members include the life-saving efforts in Albania for a young victim of the Balkans war; the undying spirit and determination of prisoners of war during the Vietnam War and Hollywood's tribute to their belief in their country; and, the story of one POW and his return to the country of his captors as a representative of the United States. **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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