European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page i it the stars and stripes whats on the horizon even Congress is military families have captured lawmakers they Are winning friends on Capitol More than Ever they Are get Ting two Patricia d and Leon introduced wide ranging legislation in March that would give families More and better Edward recently visited Ger Many to Check on military Quality of John has pushed for Les chairman of the House armed services has pledged to try to others also Are speaking up for with such military families have Good reason to expect a Bonanza of new benefits in but those familiar with the ways of Washington at cautiously they dont know How now preoccupied with cutting the 1986 defense will react to proposed new spending programs for military they also Arent sure How hard the Pentagon will fight for in at the they Are beginning to recognize family issues As a serious sch Roeder but it takes a Long time for to Down com it is a new its like youve got lace on your shorts if you worry about these As Schroeder military and congressional inter est in families can die legislation can be lobbying groups can press Congress in other and anything can be traded off for something someone wants even though she believes military families have More political clout than Ever Schroeder said that May not be enough to turn her Bill into i think weve got a better Chance this year to make sure they military family programs Are not traded off than Ever she but there Are lobbies for but not for those who Monitor Progress on military family issues Are equally the climate is the Best it has been in years for family said Carolyn director of the women and the military project for the women equity action but the Dod must really want if no programs come out of the Congress for it is because the military has traded it As the year both the Pentagon and con Gress were poised to step up efforts for the defense department and president Reagan pro posed a fiscal 1986 budget that includes More and better family benefits costing about that includes million to build new military hous ing and improve existing and million for new daycare congressional concern was galvanized by a last 13yearold Danny the son of an army sergeant stationed at fort committed the family was financially troubled following a per manent change of station move from the child reportedly told his Mother that the family would be better off with one less Mouth to that incident certainly focused everyone attention on the said Barry Panetta press there is no question the tragedy in California gives military family issues More political Schroeder it made the political climate it also created a better climate for those who have lobbied Congress but with limited for family every Issue was played out there in the Holley Case Becraft advocates of family issues must realize that is their Opportunity to raise these is the climate is this is not the year to Cut family because Congress is even Congress also is concerned about growing National budget and Many lawmakers Are out raged by weapons systems Cost overruns and reports of Gold plated equipment budget cutting knives Are drawn and aimed at the proposed billion defense of programs for military families Are holding their breath to see and How Congress caught in the balance Are defense department and april i the stars and stripes if if if Page Vii congressional proposals to help the defense department proposals include a graduated increase in household goods weight the minimum would be pounds for Junior enlisted and the maximum pounds for higher a travel allowance for dependents of Junior enlisted members travelling in the United a temporary lodging not to exceed a for moves within the United states or from the states to an overseas duty these payments were authorized by Congress in 1981 but never additional Money for housing and Day Europe would fare Well under Dod housing and Day care if it gets what it the defense depart ment would build nearly new housing including 614 for army communities in the army would build 10 daycare centers in Germany and one in Schroeder and Panetta also have proposed increases in household goods weight allowances and funding of temporary lodging but the two representatives want even More for Fame they have proposed increasing the mileage allow ances paid for pcs moves and creating a voluntary Den Tal insurance program for with costs shared by the service member and the in Schroeder and Panetta also want to establish a Dod family the Dod opened one in february and hired a staff positions have not yet been schroeders Bill goes even she wants to extend the dependent student travel program to service members in Alaska and allow the defense department to con tract with private firms to find housing for military give military spouses and dependents preference in getting certain Dod civilian require the department to ensure that childcare facilities provide 24hour services if Nec Essary to meet Mission and protect military homeowners from loss of tax Panetta Bill would create a test program that lets the services guarantee Security deposits of military families Liv ing off landlords would not collect Security deposits from the command would pay any damages and the service member would have to reimburse the with so Many proposals on the army Robert Deputy chief of staff for describes the 1986 budget As a test of commitment to family pro he and other High ranking officials predict improvements for military but Elton is making no what i can he is Well fight Down to the bitter end to guarantee them so they will not be snuffed Lawrence assistant Secretary of defense for Man installations and agrees the department will fight for family he simply will not but Schroeder does not want to take any legis she will guarantee that families get and keep new there is no question people run hot and cold on she chief of staff John Wickham really wanted Tough legislation so you cant turn it off and on so but with Congress torn Between helping families and balancing the families will win Only if they lobby and keep the pressure advocates the people programs Are always Cut Becraft if the military families dont provide that they will military family members must become More they must learn where the decisions Are made that affect their family advocates in the Pentagon also want to keep the pressure but to do they want More ammunition to convince Congress and sceptics or competitors for Money within the Pentagon that family programs Are Worth the that is one of the reasons defense officials have launched a comprehensive Survey of military it is the larg est Survey of its kind Dod has said Bette the departments Survey statistician for military personnel and Force the defense department is surveying people service members and spouses on what they think about family the Quality and availability of family support spouse employ medical and dental and the which will Cost More than million and will be completed by the end of this will give defense department officials the most information they have Ever had on the Survey is said Gary Shaw of the army Community and family policy the data it will give us will be it will provide us with it will Tell us what families Are thinking and the Way they want us to the particularly the air Force and Al ready have completed research that shows that most service members will not reenlist or do their jobs Well if their families Are not that has helped convince High rank ing officials to do More for families during the last five but the which has done the least family research of any of the wants even More its officials have budgeted million for research that is expected to begin in about one one major research project will be conducted by the army research Institute manpower and personnel research the army is trying to find out what the variables Are that affect Peoples decisions to stay and that affect perform said Joyce Laboratory the Survey and new research also May be the first real measure of How Well current family programs Are to the services have Little hard evidence that new family programs have made family members happier and service members better one key measure reenlistment rates remains in the services Are keeping far More service Mem ers than they did during the retention crisis in the late during the last four reenlistment rates have vacillated in officials say these figures Are meaningless because family programs Are too new to have made an Impact on Rete Many programs Are just now getting off the the army family action plan celebrated its first birthday last to see if the army family action plan is Well have to have a meeting five years from Shields youll see if the emphasis on families was sustained Over a period of Over a period of time is the Only Way youll see a change in reenlistment and people saying the Quality of life is the air Force family support centers and navys fam ily service centers have a longer track but Only a few have been open Long enough to produce measurable Many have yet to be retention rates Are up slightly at bases with air Force and commanders report better but officials say the final verdict is not in you wont be Able to see that for a few More said Dennis chief of the air Force family matters these and other new family programs May be put to the test some signposts Point to impending recruit ment one signpost is the Days of the baby Boom generation Are the number of males in the prime recruiting Ages of 16 to 19 has been declining for several Industry and the services All Are competing for new in a 1984 Survey of service age males showed fewer planning to join the Only percent of the Young men polled said they probably would compared with percent in the number of youths under contract to enlist in the services dropped in officials have said they Are not sure if the Survey Marks the beginning of a trend or Only a Short term but they blame decreases in the delayed entry program to an improving Economy combined with a decline in the number of service age they that a retention crisis is loom we Are certainly aware of it and we Are concerned about said a Korb but the services still Are meeting recruiting goals and delayed entry rates remain Good in comparison with previous we feel we can manage our recruiting and retention he that Means convincing Young men and women continued on Page Hlll a Chance to speak out 4 Roberta Travis faced one of the toughest decisions of her she is the Mother of two 7 and she also is a tactical satellite when assigned to a Remote site on Germany Northern most Travis had to juggle both the she finally should stay with friends in the states during her two year it was one of the hardest decisions Ive had to Travis there is really no childcare facility in flens i work shift work at which makes it there was not too much i could do but leave them in the but there was one other thing she could when she had a she took Travis attended the nor deutschland family symposium held last november in she joined the group discussing child care and pleaded for More and better it wont help me in my present she but it might help someone who comes after while Travis wanted More daycare Julia Gen try wanted better paediatric care for her Dee Cavanaugh wanted the childrens playground to be cleared of Glass and 4 Brandon Pawley wanted a bigger and better pm and commissary in these army family members were among 120 who attended the nor deutschland the meeting was one of scores held in army communities around the world in in soldiers and spouses got a Chance to speak and army officials wanted to hear the As part of the new army wide emphasis on command ers listened to what families dont like about their Mili tary they also have promised to fix prob lems if they were dedicated to making your life Thomas nor deutschland Community com told families at the Start of the we cant do it unless we get feedback on what you want and need and things you want we in the Headquarters Are not repositories of All he we need the feedback you give us to solve the problems you it is very easy for a commander like myself to get isolated from the real world you live words like that Are All it soldiers and their spouses Haven held they have made thousands of complaints and suggestions for the gripes Dif Fer from Community to but military families agree on Many they want More doctors and better medical they ask for better sponsorship More Cashiers and better stocking at commissaries and Post better housing referral and quicker repairs in government they want More Job opportunities for and Are sick of being treated As second class they want More delegates to the sym Posia dont expect at they Hope the meetings will Spur some but they Are pleased that the commanders want to hear their even if Only is i think it will be Worth said 5 Dorthella Owsley at the end of the nor deutschland just knowing they Are concerned enough to do that is a big the fact that the commander and other High ranking officials show up and listen turns Many sceptics into believers that the army is changing its attitudes about this is really Good because you circumvent the system and go directly to the said David Elle another nor deutschland symposium it shows somebody at the higher level cares about the lower said Charles who attended a symposium in it might not change right but it will in he if you have enough people who care about what is going someone has to if you put on enough someone will have to do commanders say they already Are doing at nor deutschland and commanders said they could solve 75 to 80 percent of the issued raised by but complicated issues those that cant be resolved without congressional action or High level policy changes Are kicked up the Chain of at each military officials do what they can to winnow the must be forwarded to the Pentagon or con yet commanders Are careful not to make promises they cant wed be fooling ourselves if we said we could do All of those things right said air Force brigadier Ralph commander of the Kaiserslautern military Community and 86th tac fighter but the sym Posia at least have gotten the Ball rolling on some Travis May not get a childcare Center in but following the nor deutschland officials started checking the need for centers in Remote they also began surveying parents to see if existing centers Are open Long enough each dont always follow family member nor deutschland delegates asked for Banks and automatic tellers in More officials said they could not do that because not enough people would use the facilities to cover the Cost of operating on some agreement is when delegates complained about poo Quality food at snack they were told that All food served by cafes is Quality controlled and we take Pride in producing Good the Quality of cafes hamburgers May be in but commanders and delegates agree that sym Posia two big they Are learning what services already Are available and correcting false information circulating through the the one thread that ran through All your presentations was we Flat dont get the word Tait in really at a loss on How to do that and do that Ive been kicking around the army 26 years and weve never gotten the word olo by gut Schueller ice members and their spouses talk about changes they would like to see in their communities during a family symposium at the Vogelien officers club in