European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. September 11, 1986 the stars and stripes military Roundup Page 9 �45 Toha by Tracy Baffa Quality Circle brainstorms we to decl pallets full of ammunition for Quality screening. Group problem solving method works in military environment  Bureau. Miessau Germany the problem was cold Fork at Miessau army depot firing up forklifts left Over night in the harsh German Winter was a difficult and Timis consuming task. But members of a Miclau pro Gram which helps employees identify and solve work related problems had an idea. Why not Park the for Gifu each night in already heated warehouses someone said i should have thought of that years ago " said col. Joseph Goss Miessau commander. And someone probably did but they did t document it one year ago thursday Miessau started its first qual Ity Circle weekly meeting of five to seven workers 1 who brainstorm solutions to problems in their work area. And a solution to the forklift dilemma is but one example of the no Gram s results. 1 the seven Quality circles at the depot have suggested changes in operation thai will net savings of More than $300,000 this year. That compares with the $69,000 in employee Lime spent during the program s Fust 10 months. Even if you just Brake even you Are improving morale Goss said. But we re doing better than  although the Quality Circle program Al Miessau is the Only one id Usa eur the concept of employee participation is not new to either Industry or the armed services. Goss first Learned of Quality circles while serving Al an array depot in the United states. Like most people i thought it was a japanese pro Gram until i found out it was an american invention he said. A pair of . Industrialists who were sent to help rebuild Japan s Post world War ii Economy implemented the idea in growing japanese companies said Russell Roberts Miessau plans and systems officer. Quality circles filtered Back across the Ocean in the 1960s and were widely used especially in hands on industries such As Auto manufacturing. The army also latched on to the idea and is using it in most stateside depots. Goss said. Bui when Goss look command at Miclau he a not sure How the program would work with the mostly German civilian work Force. Translating written mate rial explaining Quality circles proved to be a problem. It s easy to gel someone la translate the words Roberts said but the concepts Are the difficult  for instance the German language has no equivalent for the word Gnu  and the civilian employees were not used to free discussion of prob lems with an Eye toward suggesting solutions. We could not persuade them we were serious Boutil Roberts said. For Peter Chandler a Miessau employee the proof has been seeing a suggestion implemented. When we first heard of Quality circles we really did t know what in was said Chandler a Leader of a Circle in the Quality control area of the depot. My personal feeling on the subject was i thought it was a Good idea for us to talk to  Chandler s group recently suggested a new method of selecting pallets full of ammunition for Quality screening. The idea Means less Down time in his area and it reduces the number of loading Crews needed to transport the pallets. The suggestion was on of 16 originally put Forth by Chandler s Circle. Members met one hour each week 0 discern the most pressing problem faced in their work area. Other than employees actually involved in the area Only Roberts attended the meetings to help write Down ideas. The Circle narrowed the 16 problems to one major problem worked out a solution and presented it to depot officials. Although he concept was modified somewhat the suggestion from Chandler s Circle is now being tested. The thing about it is 1 think the Quality Circle peo ple and the management people were very flexible be said. Enthusiasm for the program in the military is not limited to the Miessau depot. As of March i9b6, there were 1,970 Quality Circle in the army air Force Navy and several defense department agencies. It s worked very very Well Goss said. Not Only arc we saving Money but we re helping the work Force feel a Little More a pah of things out  2 eos germans fail in escape attempt Berlin Upo two people were arrested by East German Border guards As they tried on fool and in a car to flee through a Border crossing Point to wet Berlin travel ers entering West Berlin told police wednesday. With tempt to flee to the arriving travellers. The would be defectors then tried to Complete their escape on foot but they were caught and arrested in Hurt by Border guards who fired from three to five warning show the travellers said. The crossing Point Al Derwitz where the escape attempt occurred was closed for 25 minutes to traffic in both directions after the incident. No further details were available. Usa eur policy lets gis take leave during moves Heidelberg army personnel making command sponsored moves can he released from duty to be present during packing pickup and delivery of household goods and baggage under a new Usa eur policy. The policy went into effect aug. 8, in the past inc amount or Lime someone was allowed off the Job 10 oversee their move was up to the discretion of the local commander said Victoria Logan traffic management specialist for household goods and privately owned vehicles at Usa eur. The new policy allows com Manders to establish their own procedures for authorizing administrative leave. The recommended guidelines arc one Day for inbound and outbound unaccompanied baggage and inbound household goods and two Days for outbound household goods. A message from Usa eur said the presence of the property owner during packing pickup and delivery is expected to reduce loss and dam age and ensure Quality of service during move ment of personal property shipment the Mes Sage also stated that fewer claims Tor damages and improved Carrier performance should offset any loss of work hours. Exit Lions will be based Only on military necessity and approved by company commanders or equivalent authority the message said. Mobile Force units begin deploying for exercise Venice Italy the deployment phase of the Allied come Europe Mobile Force exercise Allegro Exchange 86, got under Way monday at Marco Polo Airport exercise officials said wednesday. The exercise is designed to test the Mobile Force s ability to quickly deploy to the Northeast Italy theater of operations and join italian forces an exercise news release said. About 1,500 soldiers and their equipment from the United Stales Belgium Luxembourg Germany and the United kingdom will take part in the exercise. The Mobile Force is a conventionally armed immediate reaction Force made up of land and air components. It is designed to be Able to de ploy rapidly to threatened areas and provide a deterrent presence alongside the Host nation. The exercise will end sept. 28. Rooms still available at bavarian american inn schwetz1ngen, Germany because there Are fewer permanent change of station moves than Normal this month rooms Are Avail Able at Nuernberg s bavarian american hotel according to i personnel come officials. For More information Contact the hotel recep Tion desk at Nuernberg military 2621 ets 460 6632 or civilian 0911-23440. Petty officer 1 a. Eastman gets achievement award London Petty officer . Robyn a Eastman was presented the Navy achievement medal for Bis selection As the Navy in Europe s 1986 Sailor of the year according to a Newt release from Nav eur. Eastman received the award tuesday in Lon Don from attn. Arthur s. Moreau jr., Nav eur commander in chief. Eastman who is assigned 10 he Navy recruiting District in Memphis term was cited for hit work while he was As signed to the Public works department at Sigo nellanasinl985. Eastman was selected from More than 100 nominees representing More than 13,000 Saton in Europe. Canp Tad the Suri ind stupa Lull Fram no must