European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes i age 3 officer promotion rules opposed purple suit Law has army seeing ret Washington a a new Law thai promotes Only an officer who hat Idda joint or purple Suil Job serv ing All branches of the military rather than just the one whose uniform he wears is meeting with army opposition. But John 0. Marsh the army s Secre tary thinks he s Goi some powerful am munition to persuade Congress to Amend the new joint officer personnel policy. He Points out the army s lop officer docs not meet the jaw s Tough promotion requirements although his service in joint commands totals 16 years. A joint officer is an individual who has been assigned a Job in support or the entire defense department. In Pentagon Slang such an individual becomes a purple Sailer he still wears the army Green the Navy White the Marine corps Khaki or the air Force Blue bul does not work solely for his service. Examples include serving the joint chiefs of staff inc Secretary or Deputy Secretary of defense or heading a major command that oversees units from sever Al armed services. Congress convinced military prone Tion policies discourage he Best officers from seeking joint assignments declared last fall a incr it ind admirals could no longer Gam i. Vons unless they have spent at teas thru consecutive years in a joint Post. Lower ranking officers cannot and Vance without spending at least 3 a years in a joint Post. This is an area that i can Tell you we re going to go Back to the Congress and ask them for some review Marsh said wednesday. And Gen. Wickham is a Case in Point pen. John a. Wickham the army chief of staff has spent a combined total or 16 years in joint military jobs More than any Flag officer on Active duty. Today Marsh said. But under inc new Law that record would not be Good enough. According to Marsh none of Wick Ham s previous purple suit jobs from serving As an assistant to the chairman of the joint chiefs to working As the Mili tary assistant to the Secretary of defense lasted three years without interruption. I think you should be Able to Lack different joint service assignments to Gether to reach the three years Marsh said. Marsh also argued the list of jobs Conj Side Rcd joint should be expanded and 1 expressed concern about the army s of Star and newly promoted two Star als some of whom Don t have year joint Lour. That Means that for them td0� Ligi blk for promotion that you going to have to take a significant a bunt of the time that they have remaining As general officers in order to accomplish it. You May not in my View Kihe use out of Busy new Yark terminal it figures a woman vol mar new York City s main bus terminal appears to be headed on a collision course with three Passen Ger on Cir Way out. But these Passen Gers Ajun l going anywhere they arc Piaster of Paris figures placed in the bus terminal s main Tabby. The figure Are the work of new Turk artist Geurge Segal. Them As commanders that you would  it Cong resistor is pan.  last year it we jail consider changes suggest by the Imago a if the Law proved Loo inflexible. But a Senate i alter who play Sta role in the original debate War Refl wednesday Congress would t Down much he problem has been that the scr s oversee promotions and joint duly. It Side your service does t help you gel a promotion said the aide who asked not to be identified. Officers try to Igot out of joint jobs As quickly As they can and arc l looking at things from a unified perspective. We re not getting a proportionate so arc of the Best and brightest in joint  Congress he concluded wants better people in joint assignments wants More stability with longer terms and wants to Reward them. And that s not going to  greek officials protest closing of Union office Athens Greece a the greek government wednesday protested on order by the commander of a . Mili tary installation closing the office of a greek Union on the base. The protest delivered by foreign undersecretary Yannis Kapsis to Edward Cohen Deputy chief of the american embassy came one Day after . Military personnel emptied the Union s one room of fice at f Ell Nikon a a near a Ihns. The Union represents 1,100 of  greek maintenance and service employees at four . Facilities in Greece two no Nathens and Uvo an the Island of Crete. Union spokesman George Alexandrou said the closure violated greek labor Laws that guarantee Union office space on company grounds. But a . Embassy spokesman said the order by Coj. Ray rider was permitted under the 1983 Greck-. Defense and economic cooperation agreement govern ing the operation of the bases. The base commander has pm Cisco his rights under the deca la utilize so rely needed space said the spokesman speaking on condition of anonymity. He said the base notified the Union and the greek government 11 months ago about the planned closing and arranged for new space near the base in a building that houses affiliated offices. Labor relations at the bases have been tense since 1981 when Premier Andreas Papain Dreau s socialist government came to Power. But there have been no Public disputes recent. Army plan Grill eliminate More than 2,000 jobs Washington apr the army on wednesday unveiled its plans Fror complying with a Headquarters reorganization demanded by Congress describing the moves As the most significant since the end of world War ii. Army Secretary John 0, Marsh or. Said the Truing would result in a 15 percent red com in the army s military and civilian stalls at the i pm gun eliminating is join the staffs of major army commands in the Field also will be reduced by about 1,700 people of 10 percent. Marsh said. The army believes it can streamline its Slaff without firing any civilian work in. Military officers affected by the changes will be moved into the Field with operational units he added. The military services Are under orders from Congress to streamline their head quarters operations under a Rei Iragui a Doit a approved last year. The Law dictates several major changes including merging of military and Civ Iiran offices within each service that previously had separate rules in the development and Purchase of new weapons while the military office within each service that Deal Wilh weapons acquisition have ultimately reported to civilian superiors they have done so through the service s lop military officer the chief of Salt. Under Hie no Rijani Alion. The military and civilian Nutices Are to he merged and will a Pori directly to the service s civil Ian Secretary. The air Force announced two weeks ago its Reo Riam Ailiin Wii uld eliminate roughly 2,000 jobs the Navy announced earlier Iii a Cal the reorganisation would eliminate about . In i he Case of Ike army a Ofili Saij the merger of Mililani and civilian offices would produce a major shift in the composition of the Headquarters staff. Gen. John a. Wickham army chief of staff expressed support for the reorganization moves on wednesday but predicted we re going to be Fine tuning this for several  this is the my significant reorganization Puthe army mat since world War ii Wickham wid and ii is not going to he done without turbulence Marsh said that to comply with Len. Law. The army also would be moving the Ollie to s of the comptroller inspector Gen eral cd aug dior a fed my under Iii control instead u a Khuma