it is necessary to provide 16,640 feet of new pipeline and that is what the project is for, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. This is a maintenance project, pure and simple? Major General SHULER. Rehabilitation and replacing, yes, sir. Major General SHULER. Next we have a classified project which we will discuss in executive session and the same applies to another project. ENLISTED WOMEN'S BARRACKS This next item in Okinawa is for an enlisted women's barracks with mess. Ninety-eight enlisted women are currently occupying a barracks designed for enlisted men. These barracks are not adequate, and also the barracks are required to house enlisted men. This project we are requesting will provide the women with adequate laundry and other facilities peculiar to women's barracks. Upon construction of this barracks, sir, the other barracks will revert to housing enlisted men who need it. Senator SALTONSTALL. This would provide quarters for, let us see, 100 WACS? Major General SHULER. Yes, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. The cost will be $2,275? Major General SHULER. Yes, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. All right. Major General SHULER. Next we are asking for a continuous power supply project for Headquarters, U.S. Ryukyus, at a cost of $40,000, and this is the last of the four items of similar nature I referred to previously. This again gives us continuous power without interruptions. Major General SHULER. No, sir, this is not an emergency, this is to guarantee we do not have any interruptions in the power because it throws our equipment completely out of synchronization. We have to take a lot of time to get it back into synchronization. It is very important when dealing with cryptographic communications. EUROPE Senator SALTON STALL. This takes us now to Europe. Major General SHULER. Next you see a list of all items in Europe. The countries are France, Germany, and then various locations for the European tropospheric scatter system. BUSSAC POST IN FRANCE The first station is Bussac Post in France. Senator SALTONSTALL. Were these authorized this year, General? Major General SHULER. Yes, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. I thought we eliminated some of these igloos here in Europe. Major General SHULER. Sir, previously, the Appropriations Committee cut the appropriation in half. This is now an addition to the first increment. Senator SALTONSTALL. That was last year or this year? We are build Major General SHULER. And you gave us only half of the money against the full authorization. Senator SALTONSTALL. This was authorized last year and you are now asking an appropriation for it? Major General SHULER. No, sir, this has become a little complicated. We have chosen, with the approval of the Bureau of the Budget and Department of Defense, to allow the remainder of the authorization that we got last year that you gentlemen did not fund, to lapse and to be rescinded automatically under the 2-year rescission by law that is now set up. We have been authorized another increment of our requirement. This is a new authorization that has been granted this year. I would like to show you a few pictures, Mr. Chairman, of the conditions we have at Bussac Post, and then I would like to justify this project, if I may, sir. This is an ammunition storage area that supports our 7th Army in Europe. You can see the size of the present area, I believe, in the first picture, sir. This item, sir, $3,666,000, is to continue to improve the ammunition storage facilities at Captieux, France. This is the third increment of the phased program to provide adequate storage for war reserve ammunition to support U.S. Army forces in Europe. At the present time, the ammunition is being stored in approximately 6,000 small shelters consisting of metal prefabricated or wood frame buildings or canvas-covered frames of the types I showed you. Senator SALTONSTALL. If we are going to have troops and ammunition we have to protect the ammunition. Major General SHULER. Yes, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. And that is what you are attempting to do? Major General SHULER. Exactly. We can't utilize materials-handling equipment. We have to manhandle it. Since we have very unsatisfactory storage with attendant humidity problems, we intend to put up igloos which will have humidity control, and they will take care of the situation Senator SALTONSTALL. This is as cheap as it can be done? Senator SALTONSTALL. All right; next. ITEMS IN GERMANY AIRFIELD PAVING, AUGSBURG Major General SHULER. Next, we come to Germany. The first item is at Augsburg. There we have one item for airfield paving costing $321,000. The present unpaved facility is a German airfield leased to the Army for an annual fee of $117,000. The aviation units of the 24th Division are being furnished new gas turbine aircraft which cannot be operated from the existing facility. The muddy conditions of the existing field causes landing gear and wheel damage. We would like to return this facility to the Germans, and this would save us $117,000 a year which would very soon amortize this project. BAD KREUZNACH POST CALIBRATION LABORATORY The next station, sir, is in Germany, the Bad Kreuznach Post. This is the item which is a calibration laboratory costing $92,000. The efectiveness of calibration equipment is presently inhibited by irregular temperature and humidity, by electronic interference and by limited space, all imposed by the existing structures and location. The proposed facility will allow optimum calibration of our weapons systems recently added in Europe. We feel the cost is very nominal, sir, for the purpose intended. MOTOR MAINTENANCE SHOP BAD KREUZNACH The next item on page 389 also at Bad Kreuznach, is a four-bay motor maintenance shop. There is no shop space which can be allocated to the unit concerned without depriving other units of needed space. By criteria, this unit is requesting only half of the eight bays normally authorized for its 17 mechanics. We are now doing the majority of our maintenance in the open. Senator SALTONSTALL. In other words, what you are saying is you require in the 40th artillery group; they have to maintain these vehicles and have no place to do it now? Major General SHULER. That is right. Senator SALTONSTALL. Where are the vehicles getting maintained? Major General SHULER. In the open, not under cover, and it is unsatisfactory, especially in the wintertime in this area. Senator SALTONSTALL. How many vehicles come in there? Major General SHULER. This involves, sir, a total of 266 vehicles. Senator SALTONSTALL. 266 of the vehicles are now being maintained in the open? Major General SHULER. That is right. Senator SALTONSTALL. Next. Major General SHULER. This is a classified project, and we request to present it in closed session, and the same applies to the next item on page 392. FULDA POST, MAINTENANCE HANGAR On page 394, we come to Fulda Post in Germany, and we request one item which will provide a maintenance hangar, apron, and related items at a cost of $1,125,000. The present facilities have become progressively inadequate with the increase in numbers and change in type of Army aircraft assigned to the Armored Cavalry Regiment for surveillance of the East German border. There are hardstands and parking for only one out of five planes, and hangar space for less than one out of eight aircraft at one time. The runway is only 2,200 feet long. This project is of vital importance to us in improving our aircraft readiness. This unit is right up next to the East German border. Senator SALTONSTALL. This is a very substantial improvement, is it not? Major General SHULER. It is, but it is certainly needed, and when you consider the cost of the aircraft that are being maintained, it is a very small percentage to pay to back up the maintenance of these aircraft and safety requirements. Senator SALTONSTALL. Where are they being maintained now? Major General SHULER. They are being maintained, sir, as I said, we have hardstand for only parking one out of every five planes, and hangar space for working on less than one out of eight aircraft, so we are just doing some of it in the open and struggling along and not doing a good job. Senator SALTONSTALL. So it is not just a question of getting things under cover in the winter? Major General SHULER. No, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. You want to be able to work in the winter? Major General SHULER. We would like to get them under cover to work on them, but not for parking all of them. Senator SALTONSTALL. What you want to do is work under cover rather than in the open? Major General SHULER. Yes, sir. GRAFEN WOEHR, TRAINING PROGRAM PROJECTS Major General SHULER. Next, we come to Grafenwoehr. This lists the line items, and on page 396 is the first item. The Grafenwoehr Vilseck training area (90,000 acres) serves the entire 7th Army as a firing and field problem center. I call this to your attention, because this involves the projects at this location and the next. Units visit the center in rotation for crosscountry-type training in which they do not have to circumvent croplands and private real estate. Four projects are needed this year to support this very large training program. The first is to provide materials to be placed by troop effort for airfield surfacing at a cost of $89,000. Inadequacy of runways, taxiways, and parking aprons has been compounded by increase of aircraft authorized for units training at this post. During bad weather the ground gets soft, and we have hazardous conditions for the aircraft. We are using troop labor to minimize the gold flow cost. It will also serve as a training project for an engineer unit. Senator SALTONSTALL. Really what you are doing here is building up a new training field, are you not? Major General SHULER. We are improving it, sir, so it is much more efficient in getting the people out of the mud so we can utilize the runways, taxiways, and parking aprons properly rather than having them muddy and boggy. Senator SALTONSTALL. Does that mean, that 413,533-does that mean that is already in there? Major General SHULER. Sir, that 413,533 is the total square feet for alterations to messhalls and latrines, page 397. This project will give us adequate facilities at a cost of only 63 cents a square foot, which is a very reasonable amount. It involves 124 buildings and is a very worthwhile project. Senator SALTONSTALL. All right, sir. TRACKED VEHICLE HARDSTANDS, GRAFEN WOEHR Major General SHULER. This is the third item in the Grafenwoehr area, and it is for tracked vehicle hardstands. In order to clean the mud out of the tank tracks for maintenance, and to prevent the freezeup of the tracks, the tanks should be parked on a hard surface. At present, a great deal of training time is lost, and maintenance is substandard during inclement weather due to the limited hardstand area. The dollar savings in gasoline to move tanks every few hours before they freeze up in the winter should exceed the hardstand cost in less than 5 years. In other words, every few hours we have to get in the tank and move it just to keep it from freezing in place, and this is very expensive. Senator SALTONSTALL. I think this is a "must"? Major General SHULER. Yes, sir; it is very expensive. TANK HARDSTANDS Major General SHULER. This fourth item is for tank hardstands and these will be at a different location, which is Vilseck, which is still a part of this training area. Senator SALTON STALL. This is the same problem? Major General SHULER. The same kind of problem and the same type of thing; only at two different locations. Senator SALTONSTALL. I think this is a "must." HEIDELBERG POST, GERMANY Major General SHULER. The next item, is the Heidelberg post in Germany. This is for alteration and expansion of the communications building. The present signal center has become progressively overcrowded with expanded missions and additional equipment to the point of reduced efficiency. This is part of the defense communications net and the STARCOM implementation capability at the principal Army communications hub in Europe. This is the nerve center in our communications network. PROJECT WITHDRAWN There is a project that I would like to explain to the chairman. Something has arisen which causes me to request that we be allowed to withdraw this project. For the record, this project has not been withdrawn before because we didn't know what we know now; and therefore this project should be deleted by this committee, if this is possible, sir. This is in the amount of $94,000. Because this was such an urgent project, the command has restudied it and found that another building could be made available and by reducing the scope, they have been able to do it under the $25,000 authority using operation and maintenance funds. This project has now been completed, and we no longer need this $94,000. Senator SALTONSTALL. Thank you, sir. Major General SHULER. Yes, sir. |