[misc.headlines.unitex] <2/4> DOD NEWS BRIEFING BY MR. PETE WILLIAMS, ASD/PA

unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/02/89)

     mines; flares and weapons systems for the helicopters.

     For the Air Force:  two C-130Bs with spare parts;  eight OA-37s
     with spare parts and aircraft and helicopter spare parts.

     For the Army:  vehicles, radios, medical equipment, grenade
     launchers with ammunition, machine guns with ammunition; small
     arms with ammunition and inflatable boats.

     For the Marine Corps:  individual troop equipment and inflatable
     boats.

     For the Director of Administrative Security, which is Colombia's
     FBI, small arms, smoke grenades, handcuffs and observation
     equipment.  Again, DDI has the breakdown.

     One other announcement for you.  There is a memorandum for
     corresponden today announcing the identification of four remains
     repatriated from Vietnam. The remains will depart Hickam AFB,
     Hawaii tomorrow, on their way to Travis AF CA.  With these
     identifications, the number of Americans still missing and
     unaccounted for in Indo-China is 2,334.  The memorandum for
     correspondents has additional details, and of course, DDI can
     provide you with further background if you need it.

     Those are my announcements.  I'll take your questions.


     Q:  (Inaudible) on the sale of aircraft to Korea?

     A:  No, and I think the latest I've seen is that we hope there
     will be decision, or we're told there will be a decision some
     time this year.  But I don't know precisely when that will be
     made.

     Q:  You hear nothing then?

     A:  No, I didn't see any characterization of it as to one part of
     the year or the other.

     Q:  Have the Koreans given you any sense as to why they're
     delaying, they said they would have it by the end of...

     A:  No, I don't think there's anything I can say about that.

     Q:  Do you have a line on what the reason for the failure of the
     MX was?

     A:  No, I'm told that's still under investigation.  Let me give
     you the Air Force's words.  The Air Force has not yet finished
     its investigation so it really doesn't have any details.

     Q:  The Trident?

     A:  I don't have anything new on that at all.  I don't think our
     answer has changed since the last answer we gave you Tuesday
     which was the same as the one we gave you in August.

     Q:  Will you take a question.  Will they need to add launches to
     the program in order to test this fix?

     A:  Sure, I'll be happy to take that question.

     Q:  I don't know if you have any information about this, but in
     regard to the accident at Fort Sill, are there some type of Army
     regulations by which people are not supposed to be so close to
     these artillery ranges?

     A:  I don't know.  The base out there has been very forthcoming,
     I think, in providing information.  There is an investigation
     underway.  It started last night.  There will be an
     investigation team from the Army Safety Center at Fort Rucker
     arriving today.  Obviously, the range is shut down. It's a
     subject of great concern to the Army.  They're going to
     investigate it very thoroughly.

     Part of the problem, as you know, is that this round exploded in
     the trees.  That's one of the reasons the injuries were so
     widespread.  But it's obviously of great concern to the Army and
     they'll be making a very thorough investigation.

     Q:  Evidently there were also some deaths with mortar fire.

     A:  Yes, those were at Fort Stewart in Georgia about 9:00 o'clock
     this morning.  Two soldiers were killed when a 4.2 inch mortar
     exploded.  The first indications are that it exploded in the
     tube.  There's no idea yet on what caused the mortar to
     explode.  There was also an investigation team going there from
     the Army Safety Center at Fort Rucker and they will be looking
     into that.  That's all the information that I have on what
     happened at Fort Stewart.  Again, that was about 9:00 o'clock
     this morning.

     Q:  Is there a way you can get an answer about Army regulations?


     A:  I think the best place to start with would be Fort Sill, but
     you can also check with DDI.  Colonel Monteverde is well
     familiar with Fort Sill, having served there, so he's a minor
     expert on the subject.  You could talk to him.

     Q:  Can you provide a little bit more information as far as
     Minister of Defense Yazov's visit here next week?

     A:  His schedule is still somewhat up in the air, but let me give
     you the best that I have so far.  I'm going to go back to some
     of the stuff that we've already discussed and then provide you
     with additional details.

     He will arrive at Andrews on Sunday, October 1st.  I don't know
     the precise time for you yet.  There are quite a few dignitaries
     arriving at Andrews on Sunday and it simply becomes a matter of
     traffic control right now.  Then on Monday, Secretary Cheney
     will host a full honors ceremony at the Pentagon River

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