European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 3,19b6 the stars and stripes Page 9 Dod changes rules on curtailing Tours   Borean ka1serslautern, Germany following cuts in the military s budget for permanent change or station moves a department of defense directive has changed the ground rules for obtaining formerly routine our curtailments. The directive which went into effect sept 1, requires most requests for a shortened tour to originate with a Gener Al officer and be approved at the Secre tary of the army or air Force level. A spokesman for the Navy military personnel come in Washington said Navy procedures have not changed. Re quests ire considered on a Case by Cas basis. Neither Flag officers nor the Secre tary of the Navy Are involved in any Way. The new directive also requires any one transferring to a new assignment in the same theater or anyone signing up for a consecutive overs1" tour to serve the entire tour at the i ice local you re talking about an Impact 01. A few people that is a major Impact Rathe than a minor Impact on a lot of people said col. Ron Smith director of assign ments for Safe s directorate of i r sonnet. Out of about 23,000 moves in Usa e last year Only 800 involved Depar ure before the end of a tour he said. That does t sound like a very 1. Rec number but they arc generally very Crit ical to us Smith said for example the air Force in the past has transferred officers in the european theater to a Headquarters for a two year assignment even though the slated tour length of the assignment was 36 months. In was a method of pulling people where they were needed. But under the new directive the entire tour would have to be served. It is a fairly substantial change i philosophy Smith said. We Art very much aware that Many people will Volunteer for an additional two year tour who might not Volunteer for an addition Al three year tour. We Don t know what the Impact will be Well just have to  for soldiers the directive has the same result. After a change of station through either Transfer within a theater or consecutive overseas Lour an entire tour must be served. The army process for obtaining a Lour curtailment differs slightly from the air Force. If the combined time in theater for both the original tour and the consecutive or Transfer Lour totals four or More year the request for curtailment can be approved by the general commander of the army s military personnel Center. I the time is less than four years requests for shortened hours must be approved at the Secretary of the army level. General officers must request the curtailment in any Caw said maj. Mary Jackson personnel Sai f officer with the Usa eur office of the Deputy chief of staff for personnel. Several categories of curtailments Al ready have been exempted from the directive in the air Force Smith said. Exemptions include curtailments for humanitarian reasons for the children have a potential program and for individuals who Are surplus following a base closure or a unit deactivation. Other exemptions May exist and Many questions still remain on the specific application of the directive. We still intend to put a message to Gether regarding our uncertainties and go Back to the a department of the army Jackson said. We want to get some  both. Jackson and Smith advised Mili tary members with questions to talk to their base personnel office. The reason behind the change in policy is budgetary Smith said. It s a simple matter of dollars he said. The Congress has not Only reduced our pcs budget but in this Case directed How to spend  the Reagan administration sent con Cress a permanent change of station Bud get request of Sis billion for fiscal 1987. German sports club has Field Day with help of army Engineer unit hot Tiv hp11 of Cirals final la decided on an area us a Routh estimate of Whaby Betty Bell staff writer Heim Kuchenthal Germany thanks to soldiers from the 9th engr in at Smith Casco local soccer players can soon perfect their fancy footwork on a new practice Field. The nearly completed Field was a $170.000 project that the sports club could not afford if it hired ,1 construction firm said Helmut Schussler architect for the project and u sports tub member. The sports club saved More than s 50,000 with the help of the . Army. Our Only Field is Hardtop and 25 years old Schusster said. The Ger Man Rule now states that All soccer clubs must have two Fields one Grassfield for play and one Hardtop where teams can  the old Field will become the new playing Field he said. Schussler said German Laws regard ing conservation of land and Trees in creased the problem of finding a Suita ble site for the new practice Field. City officials finally near the clubhouse. Bui the spot they picked was on the Side of a Hill. It was a dump site filled with Boul Ders and other debris said sgt. Larry d. Smith co c noncommissioned officer in charge of the project. We Halo Cut about seven feet Down to level the i round and fill in at he  Smith said the project has turned into a valuable training venture for his unit and a Chance for his soldiers to gel some Handa on Lime operating the company s bulldozers scoop loaders and Road graders. Some soldiers Are straight out of army advanced individual training others Only get to use he heavy equip ment when we re out on a Field exer Cise Smith said. We re a combat unit and in Germany you just can t go around digging everywhere. It s been an experience working with the German architect and plan ners he said. We started in mid a gust on this project. The germans gave u Roug what was needed. When we get close id the de sired level they come out and Survey the site with our surveyors. Germans like things to be exact and thai brings out the expertise in our soldiers Smith said Schusster said this is his first experience working Wilh ills military. I find it extraordinary that every thing works extremely Well. It s also regarded that Way by the residents of Hei Buchenthal he said. To support the soldiers who work in shifts of six to eight during the Day and those camped overnight guarding the equipment a Gasthaus in the Village provides three daily meals to the  leaders also plan to throw a party to thank the soldiers once the project is finished a Public affairs spokeswoman said. I Hope we can get More projects like this Smith said. It Breaks the Monotony and teaches us to work with the  youth rescues 15 kids from bus Udall Kan. Up a 17-year-old High school senior who challenged Swift Chest High currents to Rescue is children from a school bus thai slipped into a rising Creek in Southern Kansas says his bravery was no big Deal. Trevis Reuther said tuesday the first thing he thought of before jumping into the twirling water was to remove his Good shoes so they would t gel ruined. In did t seem too big a thing