European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 01, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday. November 1, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 Usa eur re enlistments up in 1985 by Brenda staff writer . West Germany army re enlistments in exceeded Usa eur goals for 1985. Saving thou Sands of dollars and strengthening the modernization program for the service. From april through september. Usa eur retention cos retained 4,000 More soldiers in Europe than in previous years. That Means we had 8,000 less per manent change of station moves which saved thousands of dollars said Brig. Gen. William Gourley. Commander of 1st personnel come. Plus we kept Quality soldiers with experience in the keeping Quality soldiers is a priority for modernization. Gourley said. We can t spend Mega Bucks on weapons systems and equipment without the Quality soldiers to operate them he said. It s too sophisticated of an army. So As we go about Manning Europe and the army we re thrusting the Quality Gourley commended the cos for exceeding the fiscal year 1985 usar eur retention goals and for doing so by retaining soldiers. I m impressed with what our no have done for retention in Gourley told 170 non commissioned offi cers attending a Usa eur retention no symposium this week. The army had a Banner year for retention and so did we Usa eur Overall the army enjoyed a higher re enlist men rate in fiscal year i9s5 than in previous years with initial term re enlist ments reaching 102.5 percent of the projection mid career re enlistments tallying 101.1 percent and career re enlistments to taling 97.7 percent. The percentages equate to 696 More initial term 244 More mid career and 512 fewer career soldiers re enlisted than was projected. Usa eur re enlistment figures ran close to the army statistics with initial term re enlistments at 101.5 percent mid career re enlistments at 100.8 per cent and career re enlistments going above the army s with a 116 percent total. The total army Force will remain at 781,000 through the 1980s. Gourley said. That Means we can t afford to keep anything but the Best. Also re enlist mints and service extensions save Money. It s much cheaper and More beneficial to keep a Quality Soldier who Al ready has the training and Between 1982 and 1984, the army weeded out about 12.000 soldiers whose performance both on and off duty did not Merit staying in the army. We cleansed our army of some sol Diers who just were Riding along and heretofore were being allowed to re enlist Gourley said. The philosophy of making Mission re enlistment quotas was the old army. Now we want to make sure that on the last Day of the fiscal year a Quality Soldier can walk into the office and re enlist and that we did t re enlist a Soldier the Day before who did t deserve the privilege of being in the keeping qualified soldiers involves making changes in promotion and re enlistment criteria. We re trying to bring re enlistment and promotion policies closer together said sgt. Maj. Bob Waugh army senior retention no. It does t make sense to have a Soldier promotion eligible one Day but not re enlistment eligible the Waugh said the new performance oriented criteria include higher Levels of civilian education higher military test scores completion of certain military schools and physical fitness. A recent change in promotion criteria requires sergeants to graduate from a primary leadership development course in order to make staff sergeant. Soldiers on the promotion standing list to staff sergeant who arc not graduates of a primary or Basic leadership course As 01 june 30, 1986. Will be re moved from the Waugh said. Sergeants and promotable sergeants will have priority for course attendance from january through june 19x6. As of March i. 1987. A High school diploma or Gid equivalent will be required by soldiers looking for promotion to sergeant. Also those on a second enlistment must meet the same criteria in order to re enlist Waugh said. The conference also discussed the problem of imbalanced military occupational specialities. We have All the cos we need we just Don t have hem where we need them said . Col. Dean Phillips chief of enlisted programs a Inch. Office of the Deputy chief of staff for personnel. The voluntary reclassification program conducted in fiscal year 1984 helped bring those Over strengthen Moss Down but we still have a Way to go. The adjusted sergeant and staff ser Geant Model and the automated specialist promotions already in effect will help but we probably won t Sec the results of those changes until fiscal year 1986," he said. The future Success of keeping Good soldiers in the army who Are in voc strength Moss will rest somewhat on the units. Commanders and first sergeants need to counsel Thoice soldiers about re classification opportunities. And. In doing that it will help the army keep the cos it needs and then put them where they arc open Hearth rec censer be songs of everyone7 by Tony Nauroth Nuernberg Bureau Grafe Woehr Germany rash Back. To the barroom scene in the first Star wars movie. Crea Tures from worlds Flung far apart mingle for rest and relaxation. Cultures mix ideas spread. In another Galaxy far far away Joe Mclaughlin lounges in a soft naugahyde chair watching Over his own Domain of rest and relaxation. But he says it s not really his Domain it belongs to everyone. Soldiers from the most Remote regions of Europe and those from places not so Remote at one time or another end up in the Field at the Grafe Woehr train ing area. And Mclaughlin says those soldiers Are Welcome to Tromp their Dusty Way across the washable Wall to Wall carpet of the open Hearth recreation Center. We get to see practically every Soldier in usar eur said Mclaughlin the recreation Center director. He said that turns the Center into a kind of Laboratory Tor recreational ideas. Mclaughlin said attendance at the facility on the main Post has increased since it reopened oct. 10 after a $500,000-plus renovation which turned it from an Eye sore into a sight for sore eyes. It has Wood panelled Walls Wall to Wall carpeting a theater Center three soundproofed music rooms a new Kitchen and two television rooms which also can be used for meetings. The outdoor recreation Center Barbarossa travel office and the itt office Are also in the building. On wednesday night there was a pumpkin cutting contest on the first floor a haunted House was scaring he Dickens out of people in the cellar a fashion show was being rehearsed on stage and folks were just hanging out. I get soldiers who come in Here and stand with their Mouths open and say i wish we had a place like this Back Home " Mclaughlin said. He said soldiers frequently come in with ideas from other communities that the Center sometimes adopts Andi he believes Many of his staffs ideas work their Way Back into communities All Over Germany. Mclaughlin said some people worry about these soldiers and How they behave at the Center but he says generally they re very Well mannered. If they re not he has his own personal method of letting them know that it s time to Settle Down. I have this Little pc Light flashli8ht. I go up to the Soldier Flash it in his eyes and Tell him you be just been enlightened they take the hint. Secs photo by Tony Naurot Nauru Truman Ritchuk 9, kit and Nathan Tanner 7, perform open Hearth surgery at the rec Center at crafts Wocher. He said they feel better about such off the Wall enlightenment because they get yelled at enough All Day. When they re relaxing they need off the Wall treat Mclaughlin said his staff of ii also runs a recreation Center at Camp Algiers out on the ranges but Only when . Troops Are training. Soldiers from other nato countries arc Welcome to drop in during these times too he said. He warned that those facilities arc primitive and even have pot bellied stoves for not All soldiers can come to the open Hearth. Mcgrath said each commander bringing in troops sets his own policy. Some soldiers can come to the main Post others must be accompanied by senior cos and some can t come at All. Some commanders feel that their soldiers Are there to train and that s All they should be Mcgrath said
