Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 11, 1993                   TAG: 9312110171
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Cody Lowe
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

900 RESERVE JOBS IN VA. COULD BE CUT

In Western Virginia, an Army Reserve battalion in Bristol has been identified as one that could be cut, according to Master Sgt. Joe Covolo, public affairs supervisor for the 80th Army Reserve Division in Richmond.

The division headquarters was ordered earlier in the year to begin identifying units that could be cut to comply with the Army's overall downsizing effort, Covolo said.

Units were notified as early as October that they were on the list, he said.

The decisions are based on such factors as the percentage of people who are fully qualified in their specializations, whether a unit was based on leased or government-owned property, and the demand for the unit's skills.

Covolo said the cuts affect positions, not specific people, so some members of units that may be eliminated could be transferred to other units - even from the Army Reserve to the National Guard.

Some other units scheduled to be cut back are based in Arlington, Virginia Beach and Charleston, W.Va., Covolo said.

A Virginia National Guard spokeswoman said specifics on cuts won't be released until next year.

In an area stretching from Clifton Forge east to Bedford and southwest to Pennington Gap, there are about 1,300 National Guard troops, according to the adjutant general's office in Richmond. The largest units in the region are in Gate City with 252, Roanoke with 199 and Richlands with 136.