European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 12, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. December 12, 1986 the stars and stripes 19� 9 promotion to sergeant getting harder army to Forf High school requirement March i Washington almost 7,and corporals who Don t have Hig eau Meliky certificate will not motion after March 1. Specialists four school diplomas or considered for  additionally. Anyone without a High school education who Njal read on the Stream promotion list will be removed at the end of february an army personnel Center official said. If Xou Reone of those people i d suggest seeing you education Counselor very soon he Saidt there were 6,881 specialists or Corporal without g 8� mho d Ptons or equivalency certificate As of sept. 30, on official mid. The figure is Down by about 3,000 from the previous Quarter. The move is part of an army Effort to toughen educational promotion standards particularly for military education. We re trying to set up a stepping Stone system i which Nii have to have attended one army school for promotion to this Trade another for promotion to that Grade and so on he said. A nigh school education has been required for  motion to staff sergeant for years. As of july 1, 1986, graduation from the primary leadership development course has been a require ment for promotion to it aft sergeant the army Plant to eventually make the course a requirement for promo Tion to sergeant then we d Abo like to make the Basic no Conne which in the next step up from Ploc. T requirement Tot promotion to to Naff sergeant the official Frfd. The problem is that not All career Fields have t Baste no  another change next year will be that sergeant first clan must be graduate of the advanced no course to be considered for promotion to master sergeant. That take effect when the next master sergeant promotion Board Convene to june the official said. Our Long Range goal is to make the advanced no course a requirement for promotion to e-7 sergeant first a at he said. Lost month the army made graduation from the sergeants major Academy a requirement for appoint ment to command sergeant major. Ged fest to be More difficult beginning in 1988 by Chuck Vinch Kuhlt Glnn boreas Washington the general educational development test used by thou Sands of service members each year to earn High school equivalency certificates will become More difficult beginning Jan. 1,1988. The new version which will take Al most an hour longer to Complete than the current test will require a written essay and focus More on analytical skills said Doug Whitney director of ged testing for the american Council of education the new exam will be phased in at military testing facilities beginning oct. I 1988, said Richard Schram of the de sense activity for non traditional Edu cation support in Pensacola Fla. The activity administers the test for almost All military personnel. The test is upgraded about once Ever decade to reflect changes in the program of study in typical High schools Whitney said. The one in use is based on a Model developed in 1978. The shift to reasoning and writing skills parallels a change in . Schools Whitney said. A number of states such As new York have made writing tests a require ment of High school graduation he said and Many schools Are paving More at Tention to developing thinking  service members can take the five part exam writing social studies science Reading and mathematics at about 750 military test Sites in 38 states through out the world and aboard some Navy ships Schram said. The requirements for obtaining certificates vary from slate to state Whitney said. There Are seven different sets of pass ing scores in use he said. The most common is a score of 35 on each of the five parti of the test and an average of at least 45 on All of them  about 95 percent of All . College will accept students with ged equivalency certificates although the schools May have additional graduation require ment for such students Whitney  said about 96 percent of employer also recognize the ged equivalency certificate. In fiscal 1986, about 6,800 army personnel 2,775 sailors and 380 marines took the ged test. The air Force which has the highest number of recruits with High school diplomas had Only 180  pie take the exam. About 96 percent of service member who take the test pass it because the military require a pretest to identify any weaknesses they might have Schram said. Anyone who passes that pretest is Al most sure to pass the actual  former Dodds student seeks his Seoul mates by Charlie Bowden Munich Bureau historian Keith Banks is searching for his Seoul males. Banks a 1975 graduate of Seoul american High school in South Korea is one of the Many former students of overseas schools who years later find themselves wondering about their High school friends. " think we were no different than High school students in the Stales while we were in school Banks wrote in response to questions from the stars and stripes but what happened following graduation was completely unique to us overseas. All of us with few exceptions moved thousands of Miles away scattered around the world. Kids in the states at least have their friends to go through the big transition into the adult world with. Most of us had to go h  it did t bother Banks at first. After a few years like others he had made his adjustment and found his Niche in life. He had a career a wife children. Then comes the big blow he said. The spouse s 10-year High school reunion. There is Noth ing More Kandy for an overseas graduate than going to your spouse i High school reunion. Here they Are getting to see Bunch of their old friends to brag about their kids and possessions and the Good Ole times and you d be satisfied with getting to see just one of your old  when that happened id Banks he moved into action. He contacted his old High school got a Nice letter and a list of names but no addresses. Next he contacted the department of defense dependent schools in Washington and was Given the name of a Man who was compiling a data base of former Dodds students. Dodds told me there were big reunions being held All the Lime but they did t know How people found out about then. They assured me that the minions were extremely  he also spoke with another former student now living in san Antonio Texas Joe Condrill who is trying to publish a Magazine tilled overseas brats. After talking to All these people i realized that 1 was no closer to finding my former classmates and friends than when i had started Banks wrote. Lots of people apparently were trying to do the same thing with moderate Success but none had found that one medium that would reunite All for Mer overseas students who wanted to renew old  Banks plans to publish a directory of All former students and faculty that respond to him. His biggest problem has been getting the word out. He is relying on direct Contact with the schools letters to the Dif Ferent services Public affairs offices and whatever interest he can arouse in the news Media. I sent out More than 100 news releases to the largest newspapers in the .," he says but very few used it when they did however he got what he describes As a tremendous  Banks a historian for the air Force at Warner Robins air logistics Center in Georgia is compiling the list on his Home computer. Publication is set for August and he Hopes to have More than 25,000 names lifted. He intend to update the directory every five Yean. The directory will Cost s 16.95 plus $3 for postage and handling which he Hopes will cover nil expenses. My Only objective in this project is la create an Opportunity for overseas alumni to find out about old friends Banks says. "1 intend to make it pay for itself As much As possible and if i make a Little Money for my Effort great. But right now i look at it As a labor of  former students and faculty of overseas schools including International schools can write to ban sat . Box 1289, Warner Robins a. 31099. He will Send you a one Page Survey guaranteed student loan requirements tightened Charlie Bowden Munich a change in the govern ment s guaranteed of lot"1fjgg?fmay Cut by one fourth the number or Stenli who a Fol qualify for the Low in to Crest  2-Motitb-ow change requires ram Fife to ds3o� their total income and net  of their taxable and tin Conw previously retard Virginia Benge. -5 Aid we Viper at the University of Maryund-1 Munich Cun put Tib h a bit Tim Nind the Atria by psf Sov sout 25 pen o who previously would have been eligible for a guaranteed student loan Boeh ringer said. Students now roust fill out the More extensive paperwork for a Pell giant when applying for a guaranteed student loan. The change will dramatically affect certain families living and working Over seas on a non taxed basis she said in those cases the adjusted Gross in come often is Zero because the income it pot taxed Boehringer said. Under the old guidelines those families might be making 150,000 or More a year while overseas but the student would still be eligible for � guaranteed loan. That s All out the window now Boehringer said. That income is now being taken into consideration. At Lent 25 percent of the students nationwide will no longer be eligible and another 15 percent will Only qualify for a partial loan she twid. The maximum amount of the Loans was raised from $2,500 per academic year to $2,625 per year with the change she said. The Loans Are at an 8 percent interest rate but the government pay the interest As Long As the student u in College. Repayment begins tin months after the student leaves school and can be stretched out for up to 10 Yean. That part of the program hat not lunged Boehringer said. Of the 600 students at the Munich Campus she said  50 have guaranteed student loan Worth afoul $400.000. Well see that drop about 15 percent just like in the states the mid what the government u trying to Dois tighten up on All the education Finan Cial Aid programs in an attempt to reach the neediest students Bod Tager said they found that Lei of Itu Cau urn getting financial Aid who had the Pum a especially in the Caw of the student Loam. It was unrealistic to look safety i adjusted Gnu