European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Monday january 1986 the stars and stripes Ann Landers Page 11 letters dear Ann Landers you printed a let Ter recently from a Oman who criticized her parents for being self entered and uncaring. They refused la baby it the grandchild said they and earned their Freedom and had lives of their own Lei me 1el you my Side of the Story i have taken care of ail my grandchildren Tinct the Day they were born. I was there when they were brought Home from the Hospital. No daughter or daughter in Law of mine Ever had to hire a nurse. Moved in to care for them when their parents went Nway on weekends and conventions and when Mother were ill or recuperating from surgery. Now i am 78 and in a nursing Home. One granddaughter informed me last sunday her first visit in two months she lives three Miles away and drives a car that she will not be visiting me anymore because it is too depressing. Another granddaughter quit coming several months ago be cans the smell of the place made her nauseated. Don t these Young people realize we need their love and companionship More thai Ever now1 Why Don t they understand will they Ever Boston dear Boston what a no breaking letter. All i can say is yes they will understand when their Lime conies. Dear Ann Landers sorry to bring up this subject in a column that Many people will be Reading at the breakfast table but it s gulling to me. The problem is spitting. The a Csc baseball commissioner says baseball needs to be cleaned up. He is talking about drugs. I agree that drugs Are a terrible problem. But something should be done about All that spitting during the world series almost every Guy who got up to Bat had a plug of tobacco in his jaw. Home plate with All that tobacco juice has got to be the filthiest spot in the world. I d hate to slide into it facedown. Baseball players Are the Only athletes 1 know of who do this despicable thing. And i Csc Fellows who Chew and spit a it right on camera. I have never seen a basketball player chewing tobacco during a game or a Tennis player or a golfer or a swimmer. Is spilling supposed to be Macho it strikes me As ugly unappetizing in Sam Lary and ill mannered. It s a pretty poor example for our Young people too. What do you say Jake a. Port Gibson miss. Dear Jak Jit u indeed Mil the hings to said but Nen More important the american can Ter society and the american Mirical Apoc upon say chewing tobacco May cause cancer of the Mouth and Tongue. I wish they would Nix it l a St on to. Kids Tow to imitate their heroes. Dear Ann Landers this is for nameless in sunny califor Nia " run Don t walk to the nearest bus train or plane and head for Home. Tell your parents you acted hastily and foolishly. Seek their support and Oback i school. De lop mme self esteem and go after the kind of future you  i fell for the line ill kill myself if you  being a gutless wonder Lud in 48 years of misery. I Wensu a my life and is much out there in. His big Beautiful world i say �0 for in Don t let n Landers. I think you re still trying in Lancaster a r terrific. Readers respond to Captain s letter on appearance congratulations to it. Gen Andrew p. Chambers commander of Vii corps who is fighting the Uphill Battle of trying to eliminate harassment of Junior enlisted. Congratulations also to the Captain from Wiesbaden who sees through the Glam of shoe polish Well enough to realize that Al though neatness has in place soldiers should be spending their time at their jobs it is common knowledge that the most intelligent and promising soldiers Are not re enlisting. May i be so bold As to suggest it s because they arc not being challenged they Are not being educated. It is extremely difficult for Many of those who have had an incomplete College education to enter the army expecting Job training and receive occasional instruction from people who often have a hard time Reading a comic Book. The larger part of their training lies in handling a Broom or a Rake. By the time spec 4 Joe College is due to re enlist he has witnessed sergeants who Hove taken it upon themselves to Cut the hair of privates whose style does t Appeal to them inspections by a High ranking no who did t approve of the condition of a person s room so he Tore it apart throwing food on the floor and damaging furniture he has been continually frustrated due to the unavailability of parts he has been unable to re enlist in an mos that is commensurate to his capabilities. He Realises that he faces the Prospect of spending the next Lour of duly pushing a Broom so he respectfully declines the cordial invitation to be All that he can be because it seems he will wind up being precisely what he is told. The army is not Likely la change for the better until the no ranks arc purged of the dead weight meanwhile there s another Well known slogan which should be considered for use a mind is a terrible thing 10  name withheld Bobenhausen Germany i m writing this to congratulate the Cap lain from Wiesbaden for an est Allenl letter and to thank the newspaper for printing it. The Captain refutes a statement in a previous letter to the editor. The statement was that the appearance is the Soldier. The Captain writes a Soldier s Pride in his uniform and personal appearance is in deed important but it is the icing on the Calic not the cake  i agree with him 100 percent. As a sol Dier in a non combat military occupational specially i have often wished my superiors were As concerned with my receiving mos training or common tasks test training is they seemed to be with having my locker squared away Tor an inspection or my Barracks room in compliance with an sop. I be known several soldiers with a Mirror looking Shine an their boots who quite frankly i would t Trust to take out my trash. Just because our rooms and uniforms Are squared away does t mean we re Good soldiers any Marc than in Means we re Good human beings. Sgt. Debbie Dre Stuttgart surely the Captain understands that there exists in the army the skills qualification test and the common tasks test which arc used As gauges to determine How Well qualified a Soldier is in his partic ular Job specially As Well As How Well he can perform combat related tasks having served As a team chief i have noticed that those soldiers who lend not to care about personal military appearance also tend not to care about How Well they perform As soldiers Alt Loo often i have seen a Soldier who is characterized As a dirt Bat on the Job i.e., uniform looks like in came from the Bot Tom of his Duffel bag shoes Are polished Wilh a Hershey bar downtown after duty hours looking like he could make the cover of go if Only these soldiers took the same Pride in their military appearance As they do civilian attire. 1 expect and demand my soldiers to be tactically and technically proficient and to maintain High personal appearance Stan Dards As outlined in army regulations. Finally there Are exception to every Rule and i m sure there arc same soldiers out there who get by with spit shining their boots and not knowing the first thing about their mos or How to function on the Battlefield Bui Wilh Good no leadership they arc the exception and not the Rule. Not Xiv expects any Soldier to have boots i oiling like Glass a uniforms with razor arc discs while dodging incoming artillery shells but while in a Garrison Anvi run Cal every Soldier should hold True to the  of an army of excellence. Sri. Dunne e. It Recto Augsburg Germany the Captain s letter regarding our Eye Wash army was Long overdue he hit the Nail on the head when he stated that Many Young soldiers Are being encouraged 10 equate readiness motivation and proficiency Wilh respect to appearance my introduction to reality came in a unique fashion when my company got a new Man a couple of years ago. His hair was borderline Wilh regulations. His uni form was impressed and his boots were Brush shined. To what was then my Way of thinking everything about him spelled the word  i knew his area of operation was going to look like a Pigpen and he did t disappoint me. I hardly got a Chance to talk to him while he was in Cha Start and i dreaded taking him to the Field the next week. The weekend passed quickly and monday was spent travelling to Hohenfels. My education began on tuesday shortly after my platoon sergeant ordered me to take the Man on a reconnaissance of the opposing Force positions. As we moved i found myself continuously looking Over my shoulder to ensure that he was still with us because his movement was totally silent lie blew my mind on the objective too. 1 Low crawled As close As 1 dared and observed the enemy through binoculars for about a minute. When i lowered the binoculars he was right next 10 me. He did t whisper a syllable instead he showed me a note he d scribbled asking whether i d spotted their snipers in the Trees. I , even though i was the one with the binoculars. After we crawled Back to the objective rally Point i discovered that i d lost my Compass. He said not to panic and that he d gel us Buck. When i asked How he proposed to do that he matter of tacit said he d follow our tracks. I did t Sec any tracks and neither did anyone else. He was moving before i could Tell him How crazy i though he was. We made belter Lime getting Back than we did going thai was just one half Day of the Field problem. No one Man has Ever taught me so much about real soldiering. So who is this Guy that could t care less about his Boais being shined or Haw tight his bunk is made when he makes it at All ? i can t give you his name but i la Tell you a bit about him. He was a member of Rhodesia s killer elites the special air service and the so Lous scouts. Both units participated in numerous Cross Border operations into Mozambique Botswana and Zambia. Their selection courses were incredibly brutal and included parachuting and scuba not to mention a great Deal of hand to hand combat with a Strong emphasis on silent killing techniques. Land navigation under croat physical and mental stress As Well As Bush Craft were the foundations from which these troops were developed. The Sas specialized in precise Surgi Cal assassinations prisoner rescues vip snatches and sabotage while the Clous scouts specialized in deep reconnaissance combat tracking and sabotage As Well. The kill ratios of Boih until fluctuated Between 76 to 1 and 100 to and now to the Point my Friend Learned Early on that appearance does t mean a thing the Only Lime he s Ever been Happy in the . Army was when he was in the special forces at fort Bragg where thinking went along these lines. Training both in the classroom and the Field Are the key to Success. Room inspections in general and Wall locker inspections in particular Are very detrimental to a Soldier s dignity and morale it s no fun having someone inv what pre Cious liitle privacy a Barracks Soldier has. Nor is in rational to cd pct him to be fully Moi valid in such a Ricky Dink atmosphere. As he it Iju icle to Point out these Fine Young americans did nol join the army to spit Shine flours Roll Tollins six inches or participate in other forms of a do and Pony show. They joined to defend their country which Means training for combat not crawling around their rooms an All fours making sure that some Jerk who has t lived in the Barracks for 16 years won t be Able to find and hold in front of their face a teeny Liny Illy bit by piece of dust. He has no respect for non airborne units because at present he airborne units seem to be the Only ones that can grasp what their real Mission is and train accordingly. Their Barracks Don t look Loo pretty but dismount your Mechles against them in equal numbers and see How Long they lost. I m sorry for being so Long winded but this problem has existed far too Long to go unchecked. My buddy used to think i was a joke until 1 showed him i could be open minded and ready to learn. And learn 1 did i can track. I now have an Eye for arteries and the knife and Bayonet fighting prowess to go with in. I can do land navigation in any conditions. I can hit any target within the Range of my weapon. I can do a lot More too. Appearances no longer mean anything to me. I never dreamed that this quiet soft spoken considerate comedian could Tench me a thing in the world. Thanks to him i la be what every Soldier strives to be a stir Vival name and locution withheld the stars and stripes european edition capt Dale k. Patte Rioh. Ugh Eolior to cow a Mol jct Fri 1 Zakeih Linda Oulu edit in Chr . Blackwell m. Proctor . Mcdemott production Magaoay managing de. Orc Ullon Mart per talk iwo comm it an aul Carlim Knoll Iclal  orm Ambari or re Raul Lara ural Sci cd Riml. Cont Ali a the Start and sir owl Bra my two Nuner lha  a invt  to Oread by lha us.  lha by Parlman of Delmire or lha a. European command tha a Pear arb of Milf let info in Mil publication including a Ciarli or . Dot no com Lault rofl Fowman by lha Dapar Manl it Del thu of the Star and sir Pitt of Ina product or of in adv re my.   in Lull publication Luau a crud available tar Burcham. It. W mar Onega without regard to Raca color religion tax Nall Gnal origin Apa. Marital Tahiti Phr Ilcau Handicap p4tilk�l Ham Tai or 4nv a Thor non Tearil Factor at re our Chute Uver for  Domi Tim Slan and so Loal Apo 07711. Urn Ullom maj tha Stan d sir two path Ali 11 u us too Rajtr Quadt 11, gun a nut her m soil tamil 132. Naw York wet Fin la Vanl Navy Niv a Root tit a com 111 00333. Cwi by Zeaui Murg cd briny Jian Abr Ghl but nig in Boom a. Bill Hurt As Apo Llor map he ill. Hill an Mil. I cum have a Gehma Mvi pm Mao Ollor Buonata Crl shun Cavern. Apo ohm. Itta Pham draw two an Mil. I4h, Civ. Jul Lloja. Kaveri Lautkin Eirma Hyl Dick he gun hid ing act Pia Aiki of rms Baa my. Apo 090lli lat phom Voga Haah Mil. Itti ui5. Ets no. Of  or kill monju it ii a Man my. Muh Tchi Guam Al Chart Bowdon Bull dind Salmi 914. By ii Moro own Moursi a up Matt rat Munki my 15111 Flets no. Uff act v Muddy do. Ok-w-1hq. Huh Truro surm Juirl Tony Hainan mining ii Hunan 0. Do try Charn. Apo Owoc Taa Jumna Nubarn Frimll Lui Psi it no. Do hit or Guam we cd. Mill 7ij541stuttomt. Cebu my Chi to foam Tad Jot own bunding 2x9. Room lit pall Torr Cal pox off Apo a. To Mccoa Palch my shut. Ets to. 4�-iu or cd. 1071 ii to met Taki , Talv Ramft Ltd Rural hangar us Camel  a Fpo by it. Tau Phona cd. Ant la thou. Mil. Auto Vonah Mlo ant. A Uhner kingly Mac j. Kuna Cru at and Otnott buying at ecs1-uk. Bad milk Tanhill a la Olpp Tmur ill Auto on Ith Iii ail Mikkii 1ih-z2h or in Vanlul Cli. Obi Iihu-llitu.wa1hincton, Duj Cunt in tit Ana child Vine Oaid Paim pinagr.-, room 1ejss, . Boa a i Hii Kiwi. Ooh us Waunona 7071 muh. Circus Tatish  it Riv Civ Duma my. Mb7, ets no 3� 44l3i Ernt Fluva Civ. Ugh my 1119, 6t1 no. Vill it he ten Mata. Fran Lurl Civ. To off Lakja or Ansami. Tan or pk9, Eti to. Jw-m31 or Iuo tatti 41 111 Sabart a Jiff do. Sat or stun. No. To Mortn a Eti no. He to my flan. Chr. H01s09 or 1hi1u. Rn.1. So. Etsuno. 4u.us4 he Armig. Civ. 7us�. Mil. Twi. Eti no. Uo-ik1 slut Karl a. 07ii-uc14h. It. Heti . Esi num. Civ. Ernst to taxi Lunia do. S1s3sl Vul Madru to. Ihh1i Lovied or ctr. Ami i Hull Tux by ill Wall. Do. Sotl. Tim u1� Lahl thu Htiu Kirc dam Cranham common do. Nio Bury iou5i 447� my naw Virv oos1 till i 90