European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. October 28. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 0 they put his John Hancock there what s in name As tar As the is. A to is concerned everything when Thil name happens to be John Hancock. Permission was Siren to allow the famous signature of the Massachusetts signer or the declaration of ind Epen to be reproduced on the Solero of the guided missile frigate John Han cock the ship left Bremer Haft Mon is phom by to Day along with a half dozen warships assigned to the nato Fleet id the North Atlantic. Change in mar workers status urged by Clint Swift Washington Bureau Washington an army task Force is recommending that the service s Chitre morale welfare and recreation work Force be non appropriated fund employees army officials said. The development was announced Fri Day to employees through the Community and family support Center newsletter. The newsletter said that if the concept is approved divisions of the work Force could be converted on the following schedule Community operations 1987-1989. Community recreation and services 1989-1990. Financial management 1990-1991. Family support 1991-1993. Bui one defense department official who monitors non appropriated fund activities said thai even if the army vice chief of staff. Gen. Maxwell Thurman approves the concept it could not be imply Menico without agreement from the Resi of the defense department and Congress. The army was studying it but the Dod position is that it would Kave to go department wide i said. Certainly it would also have to be coordinated with Congress civil service  the problem the proposal addresses is Hal an army dub manager May be a Soldier a i Ivil servant or a non appropriated fund employee said col. James Dati wherty director of the task Force Hal studied the Issue fora year. Each is paid differently managed by different offices and recruited different  he said. Mar also involves recreation centers libraries entertainment family fitness Bowling Golf travel and other activities available on base. The task Force s recommendations Are being considered by the major com mands Daugherty said. The task Force also recommends authorizing ranges of employee Sal Aries instead of standing each new hereon step i of a of or similar level. That would give managers the flexibility to keep salaries competitive with the Pri vate sector training for All mar employees. Centrally recruiting training and As signing people to key jobs. Recruiting College graduates actively. Offering bonuses. Simplifying employment Sci i nation procedures. Daugherty said converting All Themer jobs to non  fund ones would Cost the least and present fewer problems than for example trying to bring the entire work Force under civil service. A Fluherty said no civil service employee would lose benefits except for loss of civil service status. Naf employees would have most to gain. Although they Are 80 percent of the work Force they hold Only 25 percent of the jobs at grades 10 and above. Current rules say managers Are appropriated food employees Dau Herty said. About 7.600 of the army s 51,000 mar employees Are paid with appropriated funds and about 2,600 Are soldiers. German store makes shopping easy for americans by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Karlsruhe a program which introduces army family members to the German Economy has led a Karlsruhe department store to offer americans Many new services including a layaway plan. Teti women in the families learning about Germany program or Flag vis i cd the downtown Hertie store Friday As part of a Lour to familiarize them with local stores and Public transit supervising manager Alfred Frey told them thai store employees who speak English Wear Small american flags on i hair name tags so americans can approach them for help. The store provided a list of those employees identify ing the departments in which they work. Store management also has agreed to ship purchases to the United Stales to change dollars into Marks at the German Bank Rale and to Post size conversion charts in clothing departments and met Ric conversion charts next to carpets and drapes Laid Flag founder Ingrid Osc Wald. The conversion charts Are going to make thing a lot easier said Michelle Mcfadden who Lell Denver to join her father in Karlsruhe Only three weeks ago. The store s experimental interest free layaway plan applies to goods costing 500 Marks or More in the furniture clothing toy gift and China depart ments Frey said. Osewald said the sys tem allows military families to buy goods on an instalment plan without incurring a credit risk. We did t want another charge account. There Are too Many ways Ameri cans can charge Over Here she said. Frey said the store is not offering the layaway plan to German customers be cause they already Are eligible to apply fora store credit card the layaway plan has one disadvantage . Customers cannot gel the 14 percent value added tax removed As they can when paying for their purchases at Oace. On the other hand Hertie has instituted a system which allows . Customers to select Many Small purchases at once have the store set them aside and pay for them within two Days by Check minus the lax if the customer go through the military tax program Beatrice Allman Schewitz an army Community services consumer adviser in Karlsruhe said the military Community is not trying to promote Hertie Toich disadvantage of other stores now that i have an example that Hertie did this my office can approach other businesses in the Karlsruhe area she  said Many Ameri cans shop Only in inc Post Exchange be cause of the weak Dollar and the language Barrier in downtown stores Yel the exchanges Are unable to provide Many specialized services the problem is Hal we re isolating our americans to the Point that they Don t think quiere j any other Choice he said noting Flag s attempts to change Hist attitude