European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page the stars and stripes april 1985 the european perspective april 1985 the stars and stripes Page i Carla r1dener has been married to an army Man and lived in military communities for nearly 15 but never before has this Veter an of army life has been so who lives in a Small town near is irritated by policies of the housing refer ral infrequent bus transportation to complicated Neo procedures that she doubts will inefficiency of the sponsorship and Quality of medical she concedes that her problems Arent it is Small it is not she yet it is very frustrating when you live Here for three i talk to a lot of people who 1 want to go Ive never had to Deal with a Community so Lack ing in support for Ridener frustration is shared by Many military families in Cut off from family and friends in the unfamiliar with local and often unable to get special help or services off military families in Europe have problems unknown to their counterparts stationed in the As temporary visitors in foreign they rely heavily on their military they often need the hous ing referral office to find a place to they must depend on Neo in Case the balloon goes they need military doctors who can care for children As Well As they need sponsors to help them get settled adjust to new customs and find their Way family members Are much More dependent on the military Community Here because there is no american civilian said Florence us Reurs family program the army has to carry the Load on More the options really Arent available to families yet Many families think their military communities let them three thousand military spouses in Europe listed a Host of complaints in 1982 when interviewed by Mem Bers of the National military family the most widespread according to the Nymfa is that spouses feel like second class spouses must have Power of attorney to conduct Many kinds of business for the struggle to get often cant get credit at military feel they Are treated disdainfully at medical and dental and worry that if they ask for their husbands Ca Reers will some of the reports conclusions were the Junior enlisted travel program needs in better housing is sponsorship programs Are a majority of newcomers did not get any insufficient child care is medical facilities Are inadequate and attitudes of staff Are family moves cause spouses wanted larger weight allowances and better Quality control Over Many military spouses Are employed in jobs far below their More than families surveyed in 1983 by the Usa eur fill unit of the army research Institute voiced Many similar the majority of cos and enlisted according to the Ari believe the army does not care about the army has every reason to be proud of the families who they hold a commitment to the army regardless of reported the Ari report the families in this Sample report feeling a Lack of reciprocal commitment on the part of the army terms of the Quality of services in As Well As the general concern evidenced by the institution to help the inconveniences of army army Europe tests the family strengths and less is available for service members to spend with their and for couples to spend together due to Field duty and try financial culture and of and extended family characterize the Start of life in Usa eur for Many the problems of 1982 and 1983 Are largely the prob lems of service families overseas face the same the same but one major change is under Many military officials in Europe have jumped on the pentagons pro family this family thing is catching Ferguson a shift in attitude is under among commanders and All kinds of the army is not just soldiers commanders in Europe say they support efforts to make military family life a family program ought to be included in the bal Ance of Overall said army John commander of the 21st support we cant do without More of our Force is we must pay attention to the pro family philosophy is paying said air Force Ralph commander of the 86th tac fighter Wing and Kaiserslautern military comm the air he satisfied All its recruiting goals in i attribute a great portion of that to the emphasis on havens weve got people standing in line to stay we can be very selective in our Quality con we can keep Good that attitude is slowly trickling Down from the not everyone has bought into the pro family but in some commanders report Strong pressure to do More for i got to Tell you the push is on in said Mike commander of the 1st 39th 8th inf div in i have yet to see one Community commander who does not beat me with a stick about Community they Lowe ranking offi cers May even hate but they will have to have a decent family and that is the push is gaining momentum this Usa eur officials have just released their own version of the department of the army family action a document that lists problems and ways to solve the army in Europe Ferguson looks like the Parent document but includes issues unique to families living in we want to make sure we identify the family prob lems that Are unique to family life in Europe so our plan is different from the a she we dont want anything special in Europe to be the is just one part of a Complex system being developed to ferret out and solve family Usa eur officials also Are creating a family sup port As part of the each Community and each major command now has a family action coordinator who monitors family in All communities Are setting up places for families to go to talk about their problems and ask for changes and some communities held family sym Posia or town Hall others have established human resource councils or mayoral whatever system is Community officials take the first crack at fixing the a change in Post Exchange operating for can be negotiated within the if the problem is too big for Community officials to it is jacked up to the major Many of these commands have created special committees that review problems regularly and try to find if they the Ball is thrown into us Reurs where a general officer steering committee takes a swing at issues too Complex or costly for Usa eur Are sent on to the where yet an other general officer steering committee several of us Reurs major commands or Are their own family action the Vii corps plan is a three Page philosophical document that sets up a system for finding out about and solving family before it was Vii corps ordered each of its communities to establish human re source councils where families can speak out and established a Vii corps family action executive but so very few of the issues raised in cities have ended up on the desk of Janses Deputy director of human resources and family action coordinator for Vii in that is because the system is he but another reason is that Community officials Are trying to solve problems what in seeing happening is they Are working those issues at the local he some of the changes already made include repairing a racquetball renovating a building into a family fitness changing banking opening More Cash registers at a Post Exchange and putting a better variety of music in a the 21st support come is marching to a slightly different officials required every Community hold a family symposium last their family action plan is a thick document that mirrors the format of the department of the army Tut includes issues unique to the the command also has a special committee to handle family issues and has told communities to hold regular meetings or set up councils so families can air local officials Are expected to try to solve prob were going to have to be convinced they Are doing everything they can at the local level and then we will step said Pam chief of the 21st sup port come Community support v corps is waiting to hear what problems Are raised in communities before writing its family action like the other it has ordered communities to establish a system so families can speak out and has a special corp level committee to Deal with family the whole goal is to have a forum where issues can be raised and resolved at an appropriate said Jerry family program coordinator for v we wanted it to be a part of life Long after we Are and that is Why we have a the air Force is taking a similar by the end of this each base in Europe should have a family action information Board that will act As an adviser to the base family members and representatives of base organizations attending Board meetings will be Able to ask for changes or new its a very Good said Dick director of Pitburg Abs family support it can be a thing that can be viable and alive and become a thing of a they people attending Board meetings know the base commander will be there and they will be despite this surge of pro family the Road to improving military family life is filled with according to a draft inspector general report issued last has received too Little Money from Washington to Start new family programs and Pentagon the report have done a poor Job telling the command about what they Are doing for families and what they expect usar eur to be funding for army family programs especially new daycare centers and family advocacy programs has increased during the last five and usar eur officials expect to get even More Money next but right they they dont have enough to do everything they should be or would like to be for army Community services in Europe received million in 1980 and million in despite the acs is doing Only 50 percent of what it said Darrell acs program coordinator for generally what happens is people work extremely Long hours and a Little bit of everything gets a com he it is the Quality that Falls officials in Europe also agree that the Pentagon has Given Little direction on How to help Many were surprised and worried when the family action plan landed in their i baskets last we kind of cringed when we saw the said Dick chief of the human resources division for 21st support no no since it came from Washington and included a cover letter signed by John Wickham army chief of Huff and others didst throw it but their attempts to Start a similar program Here have caused consternation among commanders who com Plain they will have to use their own Money to fallow Washington their major concern is they dont want programs without Schlie ask How we can put this on the yet officials who Are responsible for family and qual Ito life programs said the document has two major it has helped them focus their efforts for families and has Given them More clout when competing among other army agencies for a slice of the Money this action plan is driving a majority of what we Are photo by Gus Schueller John Bruen Spatcher it gave us because we know what direction to go we can assess and see How much assistance we need and How much Money so we can request it has helped us compete among our own because of this a we were Able to get our projects prioritized Over a lot of other but even As officials gear up to help families speak out and get what they no one yet can say How effective the new systems will the jury also is still out on How closely High ranking officials will listen to family complaints and what their problem solving track record will equally Uncertain is How Many families will use the systems that Are being set up to hear their complaints and Startup problems plague these new Many family members dont know the new councils and boards information about them is often scanty or for a recent human resources Council meet ing in one army Community was held in an officers wives of enlisted men stayed away because they thought they would not be allowed some family members distrust the new fear ing that age old strictures against complaining still apply and that their spouses career will be for such a Long time it was if the army wanted you to have a they would have issued you people cant really believe they have the initiative a lot of people cant adapt to the said Tommie Community life and family action plan coordinator for it will take time to convince family members that officers truly want to hear their said Joyce Baum holders Uso program you cant hold up Neon signs and expect them to she its a whole mentality a Trust needs to be developed that they can relate even if families do no communities have full time family program coordinators to push the bureaucracy into responding to family the new title has been Given to people who have other Usa eur officials Hope to get Money for full time coordinators in the new family network is a halfhearted at in some my gut feeling is in Many communities it is in name Ferguson As Many family advocates the Success of pro family efforts depends on Community if the Community commander Doest feel your pro Grams Are no Way will they become a said Jacqueline director of bad Kreuz Zachs Wom ens outreach a Community commander makes a big if your Community commander Doest sup port the family action you wont have the air forces system faces some of the same Brown said Pitburg Abs family action information Board is now working fairly but it still Hast prompted various base agencies to cooperate As much As they has not yet tackled big and has not drawn attendance from Many family Brown because few family members were attending Board Brown established family Community before acc meetings Are every organization on base is organization leaders Are expected to poll family members on problems that need to be and urge them to attend the this approach is drawing bigger crowds to both acc and fair he even though the services have launched systems to listen to family and Community officials Are smoothing out minor Many major issues re main some Ferguson May never be but she predicts steady i would rather we approach it from the attitude not that we solve everything right but thai we have priorities and focus attention and not let things be in she if you say every problem has to be solved you really paralyse toy blues helping wives Cope Baum older on a recent thursday of 200 soldiers from the 1st 39th 8th inf div got the they were going to the Field but As the men got they we rent Check ing equipment and organizing the their wives and children sat in the Wagon wheel theater on Post listening to the battalion its your Mike Collins told the that before you go to your wives need to know its your responsibility theres enough so there Are no Collins then spoke to the he explained Why the men were going to Grafe Woehr and Hohenfels training what they did and when they would leave and return during the next seven an army Community services representative gave the wives a Pep i know it can be a very traumatic but it also can be a positive said Janie you really Arent alone you have a Strong support system she also offered if dont phone its get out of the House while the men Are dont go crazy taking care of the kids 24 hours a Trade off baby sitting with other wives and use the free time for a shopping or just and dont expect too much when husbands give yourself a readjustment Ellis its not going to be wonderful when Hes Home let yourselves have a Day or hell be very tired and will want to the rear detachment commander Thea took the pod he explained How wives could Contact their Hus bands in an he helped the couples fill out forms so wives could pick up mail and Cash paychecks while their husbands Are in the Many of the wives didst like what they the fact was that their husbands would be gone for nearly three of the next seven but at least they knew when and where and they Maria Szymanski said about the Brief now we know ahead of time whats coming the husbands usually know As Well As a lot of other information about How their wives can pick up Cash checks and reach them in an said her staff Steven but Many husbands dont Tell their whatever time we do get we dont want to talk about Szymanski our average Day starts at 4 and ends at 10 a lot of men dont want to talk about officials of the Baum older Community cant make sol Diers inform their and they wont end Field but commanders can give wives information and help couples prepare for the and they have been doing that for the last two Baum older May be the Only Community in usar eur with such an extensive program for every battalion in the Community holds briefings like the one offered by some Are More lasting almost a Day and including a picnic for but All cover the and All give information intended to make living alone the Baum older single wife program is an exam ple of How commanders Are changing their attitudes about they have been pushed by High ranking officials at the Pentagon who say that service members will not perform Well if they Are worried about their these officials also believe service members will not reenlist if they feel the military Community does not support their but commanders in Baum older dont hold family briefings just to be Nice they have Collins that helping families plan and prepare for Field duty has sharply reduced the number of family crises that used to crop up while the men were we were having a lot of we were losing a lot of time with members coming Back from the Field to fix family Collins the number of problems has decreased what we combat Here More than anything else is frustration and not before the program Many wives didst know when to expect their husbands Many didst know about red Uso and other agencies that could help with they didst have phone numbers for the clinic and other important they didst know they needed Power of attorney to do Many such As Cash while their husbands were and if a family got into a bad the Soldier had to come Home to straighten it problems still crop Collins such medical emergencies or but far fewer families Are unprepared for the separations youd have wives left Here without a Collins that Hast happened for two Collins and other commanders May be concerned about but they wont change the system that tears them apart for weeks or months at a Field duty is Here to As Long As there will be an army in there will be a Grafe Woehr and a Hohenfels and Field exer that is a fact of Collins the difference is now we Are getting programs for families and looking at four years no one cared if the wives had a problem
