European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday september 26, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 11 inflated proficiency reports i i would greatly appreciate it if anyone could Tell me How the airman proficiency report apr system has been allowed to become so inflated and Why a better and More realistic system can t be devised. The system As it is today almost de nimands that a military member receive an Overall nine rating to remain in a favor Able career position. What happened to the other eight ratings below nine Why is it that if an individual receives an eight or even worse a seven he is deemed unfit to perform his duty responsibly Why can t the air Force realize and acknowledge that there Are Normal average hard working individuals who Are the Backbone of the  people should if the system worked right receive a six or seven. Then up the scale Are the above average people who should receive an eight or nine. These Are the ones who have done something Spe Cial or beyond the  system definitely needs to be re Vised or better yet replaced when is the last time you read an apr the unrealistic glorified wording that the system demands does t in fact paint a truthful picture of the individual. The Way the apr is made to sound it May As Well read member can Fly faster than a speeding Bullet leap tall buildings with a single bound walk on water part european edition col. Billy e. Spangler Usa. Editor in chief it. Col. . Taylor Usan. Deputy editor in chief Mert Proctor. Managing editor Elmer d. Frank. Production manager henrys. Epstein. Circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for . Armed forces overseas. The stars and stripes is published in conjunction with the armed forces information program of the department of defense. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official View of the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of displays in this newspaper concerning commercial publications does not constitute an endorsement by the department of de sense including the military departments. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09175. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 10 34, d-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany. Tel Griesheim c prefix 06155 811 m Darmstadt Airstrip prefix 2376 741, telex 0419-332. New York office room 948, 201 Varick st., new York 10014, Tel area code 212 620-3333. Second class postage paid at new York . News bureaus Bremerhaven Germany Dan Synovec building 103, Carl Schurz Cavern Bremerhaven military 8659 or Bremerhaven Civ 0471 88782 Kaiserslautern Germany Floyd Harrington building 2897, Pulaski Barracks Vogel Weh military 6050 or Kaiserslautern Civ 0631 52104 Nuernberg Germany John Savard building 21, William o. 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The red sea at will and can also see in the  i have asked time and time again Why the apr has to be so inflated and the answer is always the same it s your career that s on the line you have got to make it sound  does t anyone have a better answer i am going to have to write my first apr soon and i m searching my conscience try ing to justify having to Spruce up the words and paint a pretty but unrealistic picture of the average military member. Why can t i give the average Good individual who is hard working devoted and an asset to the military a six or seven at the same time reserving the higher eight and nine for the individual who has done something outstanding. Why because As the system is today i would be jeopardizing that individual s career harming his promotional standings and i would be bucking the system. I think a sys tem should be devised that would measure an individual by his merits rather than the glorified words on a piece of paper. Concerned military member Kar Mursel Turkey editor s note col. Marvin r. Brown director personnel plans he us afe replies you Are Correct. Apr s Are inflated. The problem is Many supervisors Hope to motivate their people and help them get promoted by giving High ratings. Over the years so Many people have adopted this concept that the average rating has steadily risen so that a nine rating is now the  similar problem existed until 1975 for officer reports. At that time a system was implemented which restricted the number of top Block ratings that can be Given. How Ever this quota rating system has draw backs and until they can be resolved it is unlikely a similar system would be adopted for  a better Way of evaluating individuals is found i can Only suggest that you prepare apr that Are fair to the Ratee under the current  pen pals my name is Bonnie Heathfield. I am8-years-old. My Hob Bies Are fishing dancing and gardening. I would i Ike to col Lect Post cards and Stamps rom Europe. I la Trade cards and Stamps. Bonnie Heathfield 229staffenson Amery wis. 54001 i am a 12-year-old american girl who would like pen pals 10-13 years old. I am interested in making new friends and learning about the customs and cultures of different coun tries. Jeanette Goodyear 503 South Pine Roswell . 88201 i am an 18-year-old boy from Ghana and i am interested in writing foreign friends. My hobbies Are playing football Lawn Tennis volleyball and exchanging of gifts and photo graphs. John Gyebi Bradu to Box 226 Cape coast Ghana West Africa letters to the editor test Center scene is criticized i already have my Oklahoma Driver s License and i recently went for my usar eur License. Unfortunately i failed. But so did Many others and it s really no  Sermersheim the test Monitor does t care. He screams from one Side of " the room to the other paces Back and Forth and talks to his buddies the Telephone rings and when possible he screams As loud As possible. No matter How Many questions you miss he screams it out for everyone to hear which is very embarrassing. After wards you get hassled gee you re Stu pid Etc. Why can t the testing in Sermersheim be in a quiet place and Why can t the test Monitor show some manners and discretion triple dippers it s astounding How the . Government tries to penalize those who work and re Ward some who Don t this letter refers to some on welfare who Don t have legitimate reasons to receive it. We Veall heard about the double dip Ping retired military folks and now we find them in Congress. Few congressmen have my respect but if they receive military retirement pay i would like to think they deserve it. When will it Stop Are civilians who receive Christmas bonuses double dip pers Are waitresses triple dippers be cause they get wages tips and in some cases a free meal some things appear rather illogical. Which brings me to another criticism. Sarcastically speaking How come we read that Marina Oswald Porter looked at Tractive while recently testifying wearing a Pageboy Hairdo but never a similar word concerning men Are these things really pertinent to news coverage that does not specifically Deal with fashion and Beauty to make my Point i la rewrite a phrase i recently read in your newspaper while saying this was Only percent of the nearly enlistments during that period. Gen eral looking stunning in a neatly pressed uniform the hair at his temples grading and slightly Curling said see what i mean one final word. You sent me a note say ing you d have printed my last letter but asking Why i did t write sooner. I did write soon but perhaps my letter met the same Fate As your inquiry to me which you mailed july 28, and i received sept. 1. Susan j. Thomas Torrejon Spain an answer would be appreciated. Name withheld Sermersheim Germany editor s note it. Col. Bruce e. Holroyd commander Sermersheim Mili tary sub Community replies the Driver s testing station at the Ger Mershie military sub Community is established to provide a local capability to test and License . Military and civilian  capability is a convenience to the local Community so that applicants need not travel 30 Kilometres to Karlsruhe to obtain a Driver s  testing station operates twice weekly from a single room wooden Struc Ture which is neither partitioned nor soundproof. The facility is staffed on a part time basis by one trained non commissioned officer who administers the examinations and issues the temporary Driver s  the written portion of the examination is not conducted under any time constraints it frequently occurs that an applicant will Complete the examination ahead of  each applicant completes his examination the testing official grades the answer Sheet and issues the temporary i  procedure requires a verbal Exchange of information and typing of the necessary forms for License application. The limits of the testing facility and personnel staffing provide no other alternative to the method of testing without reducing the service to our  testing station has been in opera Tion for five years. The pass failure rate at the Sermersheim facility is comparable to the Usa eur wide  this reason we must assume that the writer s failure to satisfactorily com plete the examination on the first attempt is attributable to an unfamiliarity with the material tested rather than the minor distractions expressed in the letter. We Are interested in providing the Best possible service within available resources to our soldiers and families at Germer Shim. We Welcome All constructive suggestions that Are sincerely offered in the interest of improving these  reminder All letters to the editor must contain full printed name and address of the writer and must be signed. Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication. Writers Are encouraged to include phone number and Economy address especially if they desire a fast reply. With Home delivery take advantage of the stars & stripes Home delivery service in most government housing areas. Delivered to your Mailbox daily for $4.50 a month. 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