European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                10 the stars and stripes Friday. July 11,1986 spokesman explains Dod policies on hiring military retirees a group of us Here have heard various stories concerning the hiring of retired personnel but we have not been Able to obtain definitive answers to several questions. Can you help we know that there is a required six month waiting period before one can be hired. Under what Circum stances and for what positions can the six month period be waived and what Headquarters has authority to Grant the waiver to what Grade can a local hire those not on a list from a be hired we have heard that grades up to gs-9 can be hired from a local list and up to is ii from a usar eur approved list. Is this Correct and at what level or circumstances must the list come from a under what conditions is a local hire a Ihori de living quarters allowance we will All appreciate an authoritative answer to the above questions. Name and location withheld editor s note Carolyn while chilian personnel division office of the Deputy chief of , he Usa eur replies the writer is Correct retired members of the armed forces must generally wait 180 Days after retiring before they can be appointed to positions to Ibe department of defense. This waiting period is applicable to All positions except those for which he office of personnel manage ment pm has increased the minimum rate of bask compensation a engineers medical officers Etc. The 180-Day waiting period Ean be walked for an position when the following conditions have been met equally Well qualified personnel Are not available among the current employee being considered under in service placement and promotion procedures employee candidates Are not available Amon those required to be considered under a priority place ment program intensive external recruitment efforts fail to pro Duce any better qualified candidates than he Retiree. The approval authorities for waivers of the 180-Daywalling period Are 1. Assistant Secretary of he army manpower and Reserve affairs for positions in the senior executive service ses and equivalent grades. 2. The level above the appointing authority for wage system positions general schedule is positions at gs-7 and below and gs-8 and above positions for which travel and transportation expenses to first Post of duty has been authorized. The appointing authority is Gener ally the installation commander. Therefore if the installation commander reports to a major command Suchias Vii corps Vii corps would be the approval authority. 3. The chief is. Army civilian personnel Center Civ percen for appropriated fund positions not listed in i and 2 above. 4. The installation commander for non appropriated fund positions. Local applicants May be referred for non career pro Gram positions gs-8 and below and non supervisory wage Grade positions by the local civilian personnel of fice. Referral lists for non career program positions gs-9 and above supervisory wage Grade positions and career program positions up to the major command referral level Are issued by the Usa eur civilian recruitment Center arc. Arc also issues referral lists for moral support activity key positions permanent social worker positions and chilian personnel administration positrons in professional series paid from . Referral lists Are issued by a for career program positions generally at the gs-i3 Lerel and above and club manager positions gs/ua-7 and above. Some career programs require a a referral list for position sat and above the gs-11 or gs-12 level. Local hires persons recruited outside the United slates Are authorized a living quarters allowance subject to meeting three conditions 1. The actual place of residence is fairly attributable to employment by the is. Government 2. Immediately prior to the local hire appointment he employee was recruited in the us the common wealth of puerto Rio the former canal zone or a Possession of the is. By the is. Government a is. Firm organization or interest an International organization in which the is. Government participates or foreign government. The conditions of thai employment must have provided for either return transportation to he  be Commonwealth of puerto Rico the former canal zone or a Possession of the is or movement to another area As specifically authorized by the Agency head.3. The previous employment was substantially continuous. Employment is considered substantially continuous when no part of the travel or transportation entitle ment has been  you for the Opportunity to explain the rules that apply to employment of military retirees. Reader wonders How shipment was lost up to now i have had a relatively optimistic View of the Way the Ordinary Soldier and his family arc treated of the military. However after coming to Germany we inquired about our unaccompanied baggage Only to be told it was  the baggage had actually reached the Ger Man Carrier Johann Burkart. We put in a claim an waited. Four weeks ago our household goods arrived. To our horror we found a Box containing photos awards certificates Job references letters and photocopies of All our important papers was not present. Somehow a mix up had taken place and a Box of professional books supposed to be in the accompanied baggage had been substituted for the personal papers. Other. I have contacted the German warehouse. Still nothing. I requested the help of people with a higher standing they were not Able to receive help in tracing the baggage either. Someone must know where the unaccompanied bag Gage is. Can goods just disappear the personal com fort items have been replaced Long ago. We Don t wan the claim just our personal mementos Back. What else should 1 do offer a Reward to whom does just anyone have Access to unaccompanied bag Gage or household goods i fail to see How it just got lost the official explanation. Writer says women get special treatment i would like to thank defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger for Clearing up an Issue i have been confused about. I have watched the an commercials concerning equal Opportunity but never seen them put into practice. Weinberger put into words what i had fell was really going on All along women in the military get special  from what i have seen the military is pushing females whether qualified or not into leadership positions. Promoting the females instead of their male co workers leaves the heavy labor Type jobs for the males. This does t happen everywhere i Hope but it is definitely not offering equal Opportunity to the males involved. The statement that women Are too valuable for combat is very offensive to Many of us. Both male and female. As a wife i Don t like the idea that my husband s life is of Little value to the government he is committed to. As a woman 1 Don t like the idea that Weinberg or does t feel we Are capable of defending our country. His statements seem to imply we Are weak or unstable or delicate. With the world situation As it is now our Mili tary needs All the support we can gel from our Lead ers. If we can t learn equal Opportunity from our leaders do you think the commercials will help we All have biases that need to be overcome but statements such As Weinberger s build More Walls than Bridges. 1 do Hope he thinks before he makes another statement of this kind. Paula Skerry Karlsruhe Germany editor s note assistant Secretary of de sense Robert b. Sims replies Secretary Weinberger strongly support equal treatment cod equal Opportunity for women la Ibe military. He is proud of the Foci that the United Stales leads the world in integrating women effectively into the military. He has pledged that the department of defense will continue to adhere to a policy which provides women fall and equal Opportunity with men. This policy allows women to panne appropriate careers to the military for which they qualify and which Are not explicitly prohibited by combat exclusion Laws and related policy. The key word is  women Are not provided special treatment but rather Ibe Chance to use their skills and talents in competing with their Peers without arbitrary barriers. Secretary Weinberger s statement that women Are too valuable to serve in combat reflected his per Sonal views and was provided in response to a ques Tion asking for Bis personal feelings. His comments did not imply that the life of any other member of the is. Armed forces is consequently of Little  to Ibe contrary the Secretary of defense has strenuously worked to provide for the Best defense of our nation while consistently stirring to improve the Quality of life and to protect the Well being of each member of our armed forces. I am so tired of receiving the runaround and would greatly appreciate a straight answer from you. Elaine Pickett Kirch Goens Germany editor s note a spokesman from the office of the Deputy chief of staff logistics he Usa eur replies during Calendar year 1985, 121364 inbound ship ments were received by Usa eur soldiers civilians and their families. We work to make every move As free from loss or damage As possible. However losses Dah Appen More often with Small shipments. /. The Glessen transportation office look All possible tracing actions to locale your shipment the unaccompanied baggage was placed on a pallet at Dover fab with other shipments. The pallet did arrive at Rhein Mam and was tamed Over to Burkhart on june 22,1984. Blk Hart informed As that the shipment was forwarded to their Gussen agent on Jne 25,1986. Somewhere Between the Frankfurt warehouses Aad Glezen the shipment was lost. Burkhart did initiate a All Points search for the property. The property Cou not be found. We regret the loss of the personal items and Lap or when property b declared officially lost a data settlement is the Only compensation available. We recommend you again visit your local jag office and proceed with the claim action. Perhaps one of our readers has seen parts of this shipment. The picketts report the iwo contained per Sonal photo albums certificates personal letters photo copies of important documents and conies of resumes. Speak out Reader says. This in Ponse to proud to serve but not for Ife in or stated that he picked up the Sun and stripes Only to find hat the headline read Senate votes to Cut future i  Well my Friend when the Senate votes on something it is carrying you vote along As Well. If you Don t agree with their decision write to you senator and express your concerns. After All you Are the Only one who can make the difference. If you Are not registered to vote i urge you to do  you made the Effort to write the editor of the stars and stripes i wonder if you Ever took the time to Wale to your senator congressman. Believe me the listen especially if they receive numerous letters reprimanding them for their decisions. Come next election time they ii want your vote to stay in office i agree with you on the Issue of servicemen an women being underpaid compared to civilian Cou Ter arts. However fit s that comfortable life you re looking for you should have never joined the armed s a orcs. It s not an occupation you will get Rich on and Nave jots and lots of Money to spend. I you will get Rich in other areas though. For in stance culture and the Chance to experience life in s Piner countries the Opportunity to meet More people in your lifetime than most could Ever dream of Laj t but never least the privilege of serving both god of country. A Nch Man is not measured by the Siz of his Wallet rather by the qualities he possesses. Shelly Starkey Aschaffenbur Germany