European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday september 5, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 9 divers risk their lives and love it by Thea Abbott staff writer Schwet Zingen Germany is they buy their own equipment work two jobs sometimes risk their lives and still say they want More. They re the Salvage divers at the 541st engr at Tompkins Barracks. They in clude spec. 5 Joseph m. Vanderbeck of Glen Rock . Sgt. Jim g. Dicus of big Sandy term. Sgt. Charles w. Apodoca of Sante be . Sgt. George c. Hunter of Pensacola fla., and sgt. Gary l. Getmen of Ontario Ore. We trained hard to become divers and use a lot of our own equipment said Van Derbeck. Considering the weight of the diver s full gear the Job is not one for the weak so physical fitness plays an important role in training. The shoes alone each weigh 35 pounds said Apodoca. The total deep sea diving uniform weighs 194 pounds. It s not bad in the water. But during training we had to get out of the water and climb up 12 rungs of a ladder on our own. I still remember counting each rung of that  training leaves its Mark on More than the memory. I had calluses from the weight of the headgear said Apodoca. Apodoca said he considered joining the Navy but joined the army instead when he found out they also had Salvage divers. Sal Vage divers scuba and deep sea dive. They re trained in underwater construction and repair. The army however has few places where they use these divers full time he said. One of those is in Korea where Apodoca was last stationed. His Job there usually in German tester hands saw to Gary l. Getmen. Photo for is by Charles w. Apodoca valved installing and repairing underwater pipelines. Europe however is different. Here Apodoca said we Aren t being used As much As Many of us feel we should be. We usually dive about once a  so divers become company clerks or typists while maintaining their diving skills and physiques through sporadic offi Cial practice and on their own. Over Here we usually dive to find lost articles said Vanderbeck. They retrieve evidence for the criminal investigation division work with Demoli Tion teams and on occasion have helped bring up a Bridge that slipped during train ing. When diving they re plagued by dark Ness currents River traffic the unknown. I d say it s one of the most if not the most hazardous Job in the army said Apodoca. We often work in Low or Zero visibility. The current sometimes will whip your mouthpiece out of your Mouth. You never know what problems you la face when you go  yet the men say they love to dive. Many even plan vacations in areas where they can dive. They keep on their toes for the Semi annual German testing twice a year in Munich. There they have to re qualify As Salvage divers. At their last test the germans asked the americans to help search for a girl. The americans found her in the Bottom of a Lake. A somber Job at times yet the men All said they re glad when they re called on for help. It s part of our Job said Apodoca. You Don t want anyone to have to Call but it s Good knowing when they do you have the skills to help  14 signed up at one crack sgt. Runs unit re up program Story and photo by de Hill Stuttgart Bureau chief Nellinger Germany is i run the company re enlistment program just like i would a business said sgt. . Billy m. Miller of Clarksville term. To be successful in business you heed an office a Good environment and most important something to  last november Miller took Over As the re enlistment no for the 800th Materiel management co Maca unit in the 2nd support come s special troops in. At that time the 800th Mac barely had a re enlistment program said Miller. One of the first things i did was build up an office. This used to be a Section of Hall Way until i put in partitions and designed this office. Now i have a place where people can come and talk it took More than just a fancy office to beef up the unit re enlistment program. I do anything i can to get them what they want he said. When they come to talk to me i have to give them something of value. I never try to Force something on them that they Don t want. And actually it s not too hard because the army has Over 300 schools available for qualified  in addition to giving the unit s re enlist ment program credibility and respectability Miller believes in the personal touch. Every time someone re enlists i have his state Flag right there beside the National Flag he said. Also every person who re enlists gets a Cash Bonus on the spot in hard Cash a Silver  Miller gives a lot of the credit for his program to the support of the cos and officers in the 800th Mac. On several Occa Sions they have helped me buy things i needed for the office said Miller. In july our operations officer maj. John n. Marshall jr., donated a Shotgun to be raffled off to the people who had re in sgt. Billy Miller puts up a Star with the name of each company re enlisted. Listed since the beginning of the  just How successful has Miller s pro Gram been the monthly quota for a unit of this size is usually one first termer and one career Soldier he said. Since the first of january 35 members of the 800th Mac have re enlisted. On july 26, 14 people raised their hands for a total of 80  Brig. Gen. Maxie 0. Redic jr., com Mander of 2nd support corny swore the group in. After the swearing in ceremony Redic surprised Miller with the army commendation medal for his work. What really impressed me was that it was not done As a publicity stunt or by Gim micks such As transferring people from one unit to another said Redic. It was an honest Effort on sgt. Miller s part along with the support of the officers and cos in the unit. He is capitalizing on that sup port and doing a really Fine  according to Redic Miller s re enlist ment office became a Model for re enlist ment offices throughout the 2nd support come. During one of my meetings with subordinate commanders i took them to that office so they could see How a re enlistment office should  while it sounds like a full tire Job for Miller it s an additional duty. He manages the calibration system for Vii corps in addition to being the communications no for the 800th Mac. How does he do it when someone stops me in the Hall to talk re enlistment said Miller i have to Stop whatever i m doing and talk re enlistment with  statistics indicate that it works. Turk toll 359 so far in 78 Ankara a Turkey s Interior minister Irfan Ozaydin i said 359 persons were killed this year in clashes attributed to a relentless left right feuding plaguing Turkey