European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes wednesday april 30, 1986 give gis local car plates lawmaker urges Schr Decker asks Weinberger to intercede with Host nations by the stars and stripes calling . Troops and family members stationed overseas american heroes rep. Patricia Schroeder has asked defense Secretary Caspar w. Weinberger to help them get License plates issued by Host nations. Many of our soldiers and their families live off base the Colorado Democrat said in a letter to Weinberger. In most nato countries they Are required to use a special License plate that identifies the vehicle As belonging to a member of the . Military. Obviously this makes the vehicle an easy target for terrorists. Certain general officers already Are authorized to use local plates and Greece re quires them for All our personnel stationed there she said. I recommend that Dod move with All deliberate Speed to change our agreements with our Host countries to permit All our soldiers to use local  a Dod spokesman said Weinberger has received the letter and it is being studied. After a tour of . Installations in Europe in Early april the seven term congresswoman and member of the House armed services committee said she believes soldiers in Europe have enough to Cope with without the added fear of finding a terrorist bomb in their cars. Morale of our soldiers overseas is a key component to . Readiness in Europe she said in the letter dated april 15. The personal safety and economic Security of military families Are some of the worries that soldiers and their families brought to my attention. This is a dangerous time to be an Amer ican Soldier based overseas. They and their families Are american heroes. We must do All we can in Congress As Well As in the administration to make sure they Are not under undue hardship because they Are serving their  the German government last week announced it is studying the pros and cons of issuing German plates to . Service members and civilians. The study was prompted by a request from the . Euro Pean come. Of the 335,379 . Troops assigned to Europe 247,349 Are in Ger Many. A spokesman for the German Federal ministry of transportation said tuesday that initial talks on the conversion to Ger Man plates for . Military personnel in Germany took place in Heidelberg Mon Day. We Haven t gotten Down to the nuts and bolts but discussed the problems and advantages of the possible conversion the spokesman said. It la be a while yet before a final decision is made on the ifs whens and Hows of the  officials urge . Ser remembers Noffo develop Bunker mentality by Charlie Bowden Munich Bureau Garmisch Germany two senior . Officials cautioned the american military in Europe against developing a siege mentality in the Wake of the bombing raid on Libya. We must guard against a siege mentality or the terrorists will have won by default said army Gen. Jack Mer Ritt . Military representative to nato. Merritt said the United states must be prudent and Security conscious but we cannot afford to pull in and  the general made his remarks monday during the an Nual convention of the european department of the association of the . Army. Merrill s comments were reinforced later monday in a speech to almost 500 people by the . Ambassador to Ger Many Richard Burl. The ambassador said . Service members and their families must be careful and prudent but they must avoid developing a Bunker  Burt said such a mentally would play into the hands of the terrorists. If the terrorists Are permitted to drive a wedge be tween americans and germans then they will largely have succeeded in their Basic goal he said. While noting that american personnel and installations continue to be targeted by libyan directed terrorists Burt praised efforts by German Security officials to curb terrorism. The germans Are doing All that we could ask of them he said. Merritt in discussing nato denied the Alliance gives europeans cheap Security with the United states provid ing most of the manpower and Money needed to make nato an effective deterrent. We underrate the contribution that europeans give to the Alliance Merritt said. Not Only do they make contributions in ways that we Don t always understand but More important is the fundamental contribution. They re bringing the Battlefield to the War because the first Battle will be fought Here on the continent of  the response among europeans to the . Bombing of Libya was not what was expected Merritt said. But he said the re actions need to be put in the proper historical perspective. In the United states we have never dealt with terror ism As such he said. Even though there have been Iso lated acts of violence we have viewed those As the acts of either the desperate or the demented. Compare that to Europe where they have lived with terrorism for More than a Century. It was a singular act of terrorism at Sarajevo that inaugurated world War  today instead of dealing with acts of terrorism you Are dealing with state sponsored state trained state promulgated state projected terrorism which is Well on the Way to developing a terrorist front a worldwide terrorist front that is entered in this part of the world Merritt said. Because some innocent people were killed or injured in the raid on Libya some critics have said that puts the United states in a state of moral equivalency with Libya. I reject that As a disgraceful and outrageous Sugges Tion Merritt said. The United states does not target innocent  while some were Hurt or killed in the bombing that is a far difference from targeting discotheques bombing air line terminals and bombing civilian airlines he said. America has assumed a role of leadership in the world As nations attempt to Deal with terrorists Merritt said. In the final analysis the military can be called on As a court of last resort he said. Food Stamps not Cost effective for military overseas Dod says by Clint Swift Washington Bureau Washington citing a Lack of precise data a Pentagon report says the defense department cannot recommend that the food stamp program be extended to military members overseas. But the report said Congress May want to fund a study to determine if service members abroad need the income boost to ensure they can afford a nutritious diet. The Pentagon report ordered in the fiscal 1986 defense authorization act said from 650 to 13,000 military Mem Bers overseas would qualify for the Stamps. Its Best Esti mate of 2,550 qualifying would make the program less than half the size of the smallest . Program on Guam. An average monthly Benefit could Range from an estimated $29 for an e-3 s family of four to $58 for an e 5 s family of five with an annual Cost of about $1.5 Mil lion the report said. But the Cost of certifying those eligible for the Stamps issuing Stamps keeping records and training staff for a pro Gram that would be stretched geographically More than any in the United states could reach $620,000 a year. Under these conditions the administrative costs of operating such a system would make it highly unlikely that it would be the Cost effective Way to provide financial assistance to military members overseas the report said. About 20 million people a month about 8.5 percent of the population participated in the food stamp pro Gram in the United states last year the report said. They received nearly $11 billion in benefits. The report estimated military members and their families would receive about $10 per person compared to about $40 per person in the states. One reason is that the . Recipients were among the poorest people in the country 37.8 percent had incomes of less than $300 a month and 96.1 percent owned assets totalling $500 or less. But the program is not aimed solely at the very poor. In some High Cost areas a family of six with an income of $18,000 a year could qualify. This. Means that Low ranking military personnel with larger than average family sizes will qualify for food Stamps the report said. If the program were extended to military families Over seas Congress would have to consider related issues including whether . Civilians overseas could qualify said Doug Mccormick the defense department compensation analyst who wrote the report. The food stamp program could be extended overseas with some changes in the Law Mccormick said. But he said the available information is too crude to say for cer Tain whether there is a problem abroad or whether Stamps Are the Best Way to address it. Is photo by Tracy Baker fashionable kids Tynesha Cobbin helps the Karstadt Bear played by spec. 4 Ronald Walker Down from the stage during a children s fashion show. Twenty two aspiring Young models strutted their stuff in the season s latest fashions at the Woodlawn club in Giessen Germany. So Many children Are shy and Don t think about How Beautiful they Are. I wanted to do something to make them feel Beautiful and some thing to make them think Well of themselves said Veronica g. Rines who coordinated the program for youngsters from age 3 to 16. Property sales furniture televisions vehicles camping and sports equipment stereos photographic equipment clothing and musical instruments Are among items being offered for Sale by two defense re utilization and marketing service offices in Germany Friday. The re utilization office in Nuernberg will hold an auction at 9 . Friday in building 946, Johnson Barracks. Registration of bidders begins at 8 . Property for Sale May be inspected through thursday from 8  to noon and from 1 to 3 . More information is available by calling civilian 0911-713935 or ets 460-7039. The Kaiserslautern office will hold a retail Sale at 9 . Friday in building 2384, area 100, near the Kaiserslautern army depot. Terms Are Cash and carry with payment in . Dollars. More information is available from Kaiserslautern Mili tary 2221-8691 or civilian 0631-61468