European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday May in 198b to maa a Boorff a a further explanation Fine fun Ai i recent Mur Pean it cd real pm society. Conference Cal James a Daug Lirly spoke on the one fund Nafi work farce in morale welfare and recreation. I would like o suite fan the retirement. Benefits differ oily Between appropriated and non Appun Praid funds. For on appropriated fund employee inc con Ribu Tion in inc retirement to nil ii Aboite s per cent and one can retire at nyc s5. An Naf employee 2 percent in i heir re. Lira Mcnol fund Anil a tit k percent to social Security and a in Ngu 62 or Fis an appropriated fund cmp1iih to years service earning 530,001 per year will Tii Ive a retirement of abut . The time employee in the Naf Side will earn 51.000 plus social Security. Presently Naf has one health insurance program by John i Hancock and ifs is nut comparable with the 100-pus offered civil service employees. The army Community and family sup port Center is trying to convince Congress Hiil they Tun site 20 percent of appropriated funds by having the one fund work Force. When col. Daugherty stated there will be sonic appropriated funds available what he did Noi Sny was till positrons that ire currently listed on teas table of distribution Ana allowances As required positions and Are hired under the Nap Side Are All reimbursed with funds and i his is scheduled to continue. In essence All Naf positions except youth activities and Bowling centers and a few others arc Fulli reimbursed with appropriated funds. If we had to rely on generating ill of m or s expenses we could close up All morale support activities in the world. What happens to the Curcur Field program for librarians As an Vojir Traci with Over 30 Yean in civil service it would be foolish for me to Transfer Over this is another Story the plan is in fac cd All person in pm acc if they do Nui wish to convert to Naf. This Means no promotions until retirement. I oho believe that a number of key person Nel in the mar Field will depart for other areas of civil service causing problems that will Ca use the Soldier and his family to suffer. I also believe thai the army Community and family support Center is rowing the boat that Cramm Rii Jinn arc Riding in. Maybe someone will pull the plug. Name und location withheld editor s note col James r. Daugherty director mar personnel task Force army Community and family sup port Center replies the mar personnel task Force Wel comes the Opportunity lat the record straight on the study Effort on mar personnel. The stars and Stripe article of feb. 16 correctly identifies the kill Naf work Force As urn of several alternatives under study. Other alternatives Are being explored including u system in which personnel a Husin rss Typ would All he Naf and personnel in sen Lee activities acs. Libraries sports i would All be apr. No matter what decision is made How Eter we must hoj Jln managing our person Nel belter in order to at tract train and retain the Quality work Force we need. The writer s first concern is with Bene fits. The Naf retirement system differs from the a jail service retirement plan is Tel l in several nays i it is fully funded whereas f sri depends on approx Prin Linns each year. 2. It is partially do pendent in social Security benefits to Complete the package Naf pro Gram is voluntary corp h mandatory. The Naf plan require employee contributions of 3 percent of Gross salary to the a f retirement fund and 7.15 percent to social Security As required by Law for a total contribution of 10.15 percent of a a salary. Corp participants contribute 7.0 percent of Basic annual salary. Both the corp and the Naf plan when combined with social Security pro tide approximately inc Sam benefits at age 62, the Normal retirement age under both icons we re Cornice that Elvil serv ants can retire at age is with 311 years service without reduction the average age of Clit so rials at Retler Rmer is 61, the following monthly entitlements have been calculated for a 62-year-old individual us Uminn 9 High 3-year average salary of -130,000 and 30 years credited service without making adjustment for a survivor Benefit Naf plan participant plan sit v7, Security., ,.605,10 monthly annul in s 1,7112.60. Askp i attic Paia monthly annuity $/,40fi,t o the Naf health plans compare very favourably with the health benefits Avail Able to participants in the Federal employees health Henc fils plans Fei Ibi. The writer s second concern that of appropriated fund support properly a Jucs Hal Inch funding must continue regardless of he alternative chosen for personnel realignment reimbursement is a Means of accomplishing this support. Continued apr support is Cru Ali Fly to the continuation of the mar Mission and we believe that Congress will provide that support. Whatever recommendations Are made by the task Force reasonable Assur Ance of such support Mas he at the Cornerstone. We intend to coordinate fully Nilli congressional oversight committees As the study Effort progresses to insure their agreement. The writer should rethink whether Transfer to Naf would be foolish particularly in this ease. With mtr so years of Emiil Wrice he she is probably clip bite for retirement could draw tin immediate annuity and come to work he next Day with a Nak salary and begin accruing credit for a a k retirement for Hose uni retirement eligible we would provide full credit for All benefits in any potential Transfer to Naf status we believe our work Force is dedicated to the support of soldiers and families and will be fair and objective in us evaluation study Effort. I do not anticipate u major Emlus from the program regardless of the outcome. The completed study should in neat to major commands far coordination in june. Until then please Don l prejudge it the writer s concerns us Well As those of hundreds of other employees have been heard in to countless noun of research discussion interviews and surveys Hal Are going into this project. We intend to be fair to All employees while laying the foundation for a mar personnel system that is based on Lap Quality professional support to military members and their families. Concentrate on Good things army wife says during our present stay Here in Ger Many about id months i have read letters and listened first hand to the complaints of people who arc much less than satisfied with their living quart cars. Be it Economy or military housing. I feel it s time for my two cents my husband and i arc fortunate i be Lieve because we have been on both sides of the Coin. That is to say we have lived in both Economy and military quarters Alt within the Lasi 10 months. So we under stand the arguments of both. Bat during his time we Hare come to realize two things and i would like to share them. When we arrived in country lust june we thought nothing could be worse we encountered numerous problems ranging from the less of our Luggage to having no Spon Sor even though we were granted concur rent travel. When we finally arrived to our Point of destination ludwigs Burg we were in formed hat hey had no housing Perma nent or temporary and expected none for at least six months. Why were you Given con current travel was the Normal response from nearly everyone we encountered. I wondered myself but Don t pretend to even begin to understand the logic behind the . Army. We have to children both under the age of 5. Our youngest being 9 months at the time contracted measles on the Way Over. The Prospect of spending who knew How Long packed into a Motel room was not on our list of excising hings to do in Ger Many. I was it the end of my rope but i m very writer lauds . Service members american service members. You Are the remarkable Unsung heroes of these Days and limes. Whenever faced with the imminent threat of danger you have a grudgingly answered the Call with an undeniable shrug of the shoulders suggesting you Are Only doing your duty.11 without the outward concern for personal safely you have con stantly safeguarded. The welfare lives and assets of the world Over. The american Public along with parents and relative would and should be proud of the unquestionable valor you have displayed during the most Adverse of conditions which reflect the High value placed on Freedom and democracy by yourselves. Each of you have again made the military a fashionable and attractive occupation hat Means More than just having employment. If Congress Ever needs an answer w the question concerning military apportionment then they need not leak any further than your consistent and reliable response to the Call of duty Honor and country. History has proven time and again thai the outstanding support you have and arc now providing is sometimes consciously taken for granted but subconsciously is deeply wanted and appreciated. Let our loyalty continue to preserve the ideals and heritage of our predecessors again thanks for Only doing your maj. Jerome a Chi Solon Nuernberg Lucky to have a husband like Kyle. He is Laving and caring and he does t give up even under the worst of circumstances. So we talked and he convinced me not to let the system get the Best of us. We � out to find a place to live and find we did. We found u House that was a dream come True. An old German House with enough room for iwo families and at a monthly rent that could t be beat. During our slay in that big old House we made some wonderful memories. We met and made Many Good friends in that Little town. We were within walking distance of Llie local Market place and we enjoyed the walk Down there several times a week in fad rarely shopped in the commissary and Exchange. We enrolled our 4-year-old son into a German kindergarten within two blocks of oar House. Needless to say we were heartbroken when my husband came Down on orders for another German City. So just two months ago with heavy hearts vie said Farewell. We now reside in military housing and amazingly enough we Are enjoying our stay Here Loo. We arc Able to participate in the activities on Post whereas we were too far away from the base at , i am Able to work and not be too inconvenienced. We also have made some wonderful friends Here on Post to include our sponsor that we finally got. We Are Able to be Money now. And our son will begin school next fall t s about two blocks from our apartment. Finally our daughter who is 21 months now did not contract Tony major diseases this Lime around thank goodness. 1 guess All i m saying is to count your blessings and talk it out with your partner. Quit dwelling on what you wish you had or what you think you should have. Germany too Beautiful a country to spoil it with the what ifs of life. Pam Murfin. Bad sibling Germany Reader for License plate idea pen pals read with interest the comments by wot. German government spokesman Friedhelm Ost concerning possible Security proposals for protecting americans in Ger Many. I was especially interested in the possibility of swapping Usa military License plates for civilian ones. We United states should have done this Long ago when we eliminated the old Green plates. With the present situation when a Usa plated car is parked off Post it is subject to vandalism or worse terrorist activity. Let s do it now and avoid one More easy Way for dissidents to identify and attack soldiers and their property. Maj . Mook Frankfurt i m looking Lorom pah Ironi sell Ireland. Franco aus Ralic and Cabot rat. T m a married 30-year-old woman in derailed Tampi Uiol planet Uta mar Tantra a urls tit la Phil ii Oean Teot and vim ulna hat Oil. Malt Winfel clinic Apo . . 091 5 i a k Var old and would Floca to have on pals. My Hobt i ire two Mulno. Dancing. Ilir Anina Loti if and o Emma Star quiz Bondor i Urlce Hoin Nal full nov. Neeri Oriental Phylli Wynn ill cutting Corners to save for Charity my wife and i have always used coupons when Girts grocery shopping and saved an average of j5 each month an products we normally use and would Purchase even if vie had no coupons for them. Lately however we found ourselves slacking off a bit so i thought of a new Way id motivate us. We Are keeping track of How Mich we save and every three months we Send our savings to a Charity organization. 11 Moti Vates us to use the coupons not Only for our savings but also because we know it will Benefit others less fortunate than us. I just wanted to pass the idea around in Hope that others might be motivated to Dothe same. Set. Gerardo Yorlli Clossen Germany
