European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 7, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. January 1986 the stars and stripes Page 11 Usa eur explains sofa agreement hiring rules Ann Landers upon our arrival in Germany i looked Forward to the Chance to work hopefully in my Field of data processing. When we got to our assignment that dream almost disappeared. Everyone we talked to from civilian personnel office personnel to neighbors put a Damper on Job opportunities. Neighbors told me the Only readily available Job for a military dependent a  finding this hard to be Lieve i began looking around at places like the Exchange Woodland commissary Etc., and found that 90 percent of these workers were German nationals. I be been told that because of the High rate of unemployment in this area most German nationals find employment at the installation. And because of the status of forces agreement they Are hired before dependents. Could you Tell me Why this is and exactly what the sofa is this agreement would seem to alienate family members and make an overseas tour even harder if the family is used to two incomes. Also if this is the Case what exactly can the co do for you does this agreement apply to a a fes also i be applied for child care worker Cash Ier about every Job listed. Unfortunately my Field is overstaffed on this Post. After four years in the army among other experiences i find it hard to believe that i and Many other family members have such a hard time getting work. This problem should be addressed for the Sake of morale and re enlistment. If the wife must have Long periods of in thes an Lpes european Edmon capt dals k. Patterson us editor in cum cmdr Jeffrey 1 Zakem a Deputy editor in chm . Blah Well m. Proctor Rob Mcdermot production Manama managing de. Cremation manager tos newspaper is an author lied Uno Iclal pub Cattai Tor members of me military services overseas. Contents of the stars and surlees Are not Nece Siarto me off Cal vows or endorsed by. Me us. Government the department of defense or me u j. European  of advertising in mis publication include in siem supper Neils does Al  by me department of defense or the Slars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Every Ming advertised in this pub Callon she Bead available Tor Purchase use or patronage without regard to Ace. Color religion sen. National origin. Age mar Al Itai i and tical Handicap Pohll Cal Alan gallon or any  Otoji cow. User or  Zok York 10mi, to area code ji2 uo-to3. News bureaus Neuron bunding ii. And Joe Owen Box i. A Ono. In my or wanted unemployment it can put stress on the desire to make a career of the military. Name withheld Crafe Woehr Germany editor s note a spokesman from the office of the Deputy chief of staff personnel he Usa eur replies Over 27,000 family members who hate com panned their sponsors to Europe Are employed in organizations serviced by . Army Europe civilian personnel offices. This is approximately 23 percent of All employees. An additional 8,000-plus family members Are employed by a res and the european stars and stripes. To Date this is the Success of the army in Europe s commitment and initiatives to provide employment opportunities to family members. We appreciate that Many family Mem Bers give up promising careers in the United states to accompany their sponsors to Europe and that employment with the . Forces is their Best Opportunity to continue those careers. Also a two income family is a necessity rather than a desire. In Many instances. A status of forces agreement is an International agreement negotiated Between a coun try hosting the . Forces and the United slates. Ii governs Many of the rights obligations and privileges of the military and civilian members of the a forces. The nato sofa is the agreement thai coven parties to the North Atlantic treaty organization. A supplement to the nato sofa coven the status of forces in the Federal Republic of Germany. White the nato sofa governs such things As privately owned vehicle registration tax Relief and the conditions of employment when local nationals Are hired it does not require that los be hired nor does it preclude the employment of family members or other is. Citizens. Decisions on the mix of is. Citizens versus los Are dictated by Mission needs and compliance with Dod policies govern ing civilian staffing support overseas. Because of the army s Mission in Europe a civilian manpower mix of . Citizens and los is required. Accordingly both categories of civilians Are an integral part of our civilian work Force. Family members along with other . Citizens and los play important roles in the army s Overall Mission assisting nato in its defense of Western Europe. Since Many More people Are seeking employment than there Are jobs available a fair and balanced is. Citizen and Ger Man work Force consistent with Mission needs and financial prudence is our goal. Because the army in Europe uses a mix of . Citizens and los authorizations for manpower in overseas areas Are allocated by both categories of civilians. Therefore in Europe we have a mix of is. Spaces that can Only be filled by . Citizens and in spaces that prior to 1971, were reserved for los. Since we have always had More in spaces than . Citizen spaces because of the nature of our Mission. In 1971 we established a program to increase employ ment opportunities for family members. A component of that program was to appoint family members to in spaces in the absence of having a qualified in currently working with the army. In essence this gave family members seeking employ ment preference Over los seeking employ ment when we were filling an in space. Since 1971, family members employed in the army in Europe have grown from fewer than 5,000 to More than 27,000. Family members also receive preference in employ ment for is. Citizens spaces after statutory veterans preference has been satisfied. A recent Usa eur policy change governing the till of in spaces gives Community commanders authority to make an exception to family member preference Tor in spaces under certain specific conditions to meet Mission needs. This change in no Way lessens our support of family members employment and is not expected to have an Impact on our current level of family members employment. The army in Europe has Long been the voluntary Leader in the department of de sense in offering employment opportunities to family members. As in All communities civil Ian and military the chances of gelling a Job when seeking employment depends on Avail ability of jobs number of other people apply ing for the same Job and individual qualifications. This is True in the Stales As Well and is not unique to Europe. Through Usa eur s initiatives family members Are Able to be appointed in overseas areas without regard to civil serv ice registers Are Able to be considered non Compoli Lively upon return to the United states after 24 months of overseas employment and receive preference in employment overseas for certain positions Over other . Citizens and los. We will continue to make family members employment opportunities a reality and we wish you Success in getting a Job soon. A Reader responds to pea Cenik Greece Anneni Civ. Maw the self proclaimed Young pea Cenik near Augsburg quoted president Eisenhower concerning the economic wastefulness of defense spending. At first glance his argument sounds appealing but it overlooks key , world poverty is not just a resource problem. There is already adequate nutritional potential. But How can you feed starving people in Ethiopia when their own government will not allow it How can we whip hunger in countries where population growth automatically accelerates to outstrip whatever amount of food is provided How can poverty be conquered in countries where government policy cripples economic incentive the Only workable engine for wealth creation slash ing defense costs won t solve these prob lems. Second Many economically wasteful expenses Are indispensable. Police judges firefighters even doctors add nothing to Man s net wealth in goods and services. Their role is to protect what we already have from destruction by criminals disorder fire disease Etc. Their functions Are no less critical and the Money devoted to them no less Well spent because they arc preservative rather than creative forces. So it is with defense which protects what we have against destruction by aggressive tyrannical systems. Lastly he makes the mistake of treating Man As a purely economic animal. It is ironic thai this mistake is almost always made not by the so called materialistic capitalists and warmongers bul by the socialists and pacifists who fancy them selves More spiritually uplifted than the Resl of us there Are worse things than hunger cold or even death such As loss of Liberty dignity and Pride. Eisenhower understood that. He knew that no matter How much one Longs for peace and abhors the waste of War and even of preparedness for War nonetheless Readi Ness and sometimes even War itself May be forced on us. Sometimes we must endure them to preserve those human values of Liberty and dignity and Justice that Are even More precious than economic welfare peace or life itself. One wonders if the Young pea Cenik understands that too. There is nothing in his letter to indicate that he does. Harry f. Noyes Iii Wiesbaden Germany pen pals i am 23 years old and would like to have pen Palt. My hobbled Are Reading Magallnes and pocketbooks playing chess and i am also a Nusic Lover. Miss Susan Cuer 97 Tondalo Avenue Capitol shopping a. It Bacolod City tool Philippines dear Ann Landers the tightness or wrongness of Abor Tion aside 1 would like to say a few words to those people who say that they arc financially and emotionally unable to care for a Handi capped child. My husband and i have six children from ii months to 12 years old. Our 12 year old daughter has severe cerebral palsy and is unable to walk or feed herself. She Speaks with great difficulty. Not a Day dawns when i feel either emotionally or financially Able to care for my handicapped child and equal to facing the Heartbreak and inconvenience. But i do the Best i can and somehow everything gets done. 1 wish i had a Dollar for every Lime some one has said to me i Don t see How you do it. You re remarkable we could t get to Gether the Money to buy a new wheelchair and it would kill  i used to smile when people would Tell me How thankful they were for their healthy children and that they could never take care of a handicapped one. I Tell them they could handle whatever Challenge they had to face. I then explain brain damage does not Al ways occur at birth. A car Accident a High fever or an injury can cause As much brain damage As a congenital problem. Most of the brain injured children i know sustained their injuries after birth. Their parents Are in a slate of Shock when the injury occurs but like the Resl of us they adjust to the tragedy and do the Best they can. Life is not always fair and it was t meant to be. The same couple who decide to abort their baby because they learn through amniocentesis that the fetus is abnormal could have a car Accident on their Way Home from the abortion clinic and wind up with a husband or wife who is in worse condition than the baby would have been. Would they then say i can t handle this emotionally or financially i doubt it. Somehow they would find the strength to do whatever is necessary. We parents of handicapped children Are not superhuman nor arc we emotional giants. We Jusi know that sometimes you have to take what life hands you and do the Best you can with it. I know from my own life and from the lives of the Brave families i associate with that the difference Between saying i can to and i can is often saying i  susans. In Danville dear Susan you be written a remarkably sensible letter and i thank you for it. I know you Don t consider yourself special but let me Tell you you Are. You did t choose the role but you Are handling it with dignity and courage. I doff my Bonnet to you Susan and to All the others out Here who Are travelling the same Road. Dear Ann Landers i m awfully Laic gelling Inlo the Squab ble Aboul the cosi of nurses uniforms but no one to my knowledge brought up the fact that uniforms arc lax Dudu Lible. Please Prim this for me. Penny p1ncher in pottersv1lle dear pot right you arc thanks for the reminder. Readers wishing to write to news America Syndi Cate columnist Landers May address their letters in care of the stars and sir let Apo Wii. . Forces reminder All letters to the editor must contain the full printed name and address of the writer and must be signed. We will withhold your name on request and protect your privacy