European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday. April 10,1987 letters army $ free travel Home policy clarified i read Wilh interest your answer to the letter about the free travel Home. You did a very Good Job of informing people about this but i still have some questions concerning this matter that i would like to have cleared up for me if possible. My husband re enlisted for present duty assignment for is month when he re enlisted in september of 1986. He completed his first tour at that time. Since he re enlisted and extended Here for 18 months after june 18, 916. Will he be Able to take advantage of the free travel Home if not will he have to extend Tor the additional 18 months to Complete a second accompanied tour exactly what is a Lour Extension of pre scribed length one last question if he does have to extend for an additional 18 months How soon after the paperwork is completed for the Extension would he be Able to put in the a form 4187 to request the free travel to his Home of record Roberta j. Roberts Nen Uhn Germany editor s note chief warrant officer a a Taylor chief management actions Branch 1st personnel come Hausa eur replies let me begin by defining a Lour Exten Sion of prescribed length. To by eligible for free Home trawl a tour Extension of prescribed length is a single Extension equal to the length of he original tour. I your Cue since your husband s original Lour was a 36-month accompanied tour flour Extension of prescribed length would be 36 months. The rules governing eligibility for be Home travel Are very specific. To be eligible a Soldier must Complete Oik Roll overseas Tourand commit to completing another All tour. This can be an Exten Sion equal to the original tour. Since your husband re Ltd and extended he overua.1 tour for in month i september 1986. He has not satisfied the requirement of a inf be Extension equal Toa new accompanied Tow. Also if be were to extend for another 18 months it would still not satisfy the requirement awl be would not be entitled to free Home travel a combination of extensions does not count toward a consecutive overseas tour i am writing in regard to the numerous messages i have read on the new policy the army has come out with for Ste consecutive overseas assignments. I understand that some of the benefits an individual is entitled to arc transportation to the Continental . Or 15 Days leave or certain amount of Money per month. The benefits Are Worth the Extension but what i am concerned about is the intent and True interpretation of the policy. I would like to share an experience. A Soldier is assigned to a command i Europe not a Usa eur asset which controls numerous activities throughout Europe and some in the Middle East re Gion he is attached Tor duty at one of those locations to the local military Community and retains his assigned status to his command. The individual serves six years with his assigned unit but i split up i.e., two years each in three sep Arate geographical locations in Germany. Take into consideration that the sol Dier has spent or will have spent six years in his unit of assignment and has Bee ordered by his unit of assignment on two permanent change of station pcs moves. One pcs from the Continental United slates to Germany directed bythe department of the army and two pcs moves in country directed by Unito assignment. This Soldier did a Ste but Only Wil unit of assignment not for a specific duty station. Would this Soldier be entitled to any of the provisions written about earlier i not what is the intent of the policy for unit of assignment and if the soldiers ordered on a pcs. I Hope the example is Clear and a answer can be Given. Name withheld Frankfurt editor s note chief warrant officer . Taylor management actions Branch lit personnel come he usar eur replies Lei me begin by explaining tie pro Grams for which entitlements Are Anil Able. The consecutive overseas Lour program has Only one entitlement. That entitle ment is free round trip travel. In a duty status to the Soldier s Home of record or a Point no farther Distant than the borne of record. Command sponsored family Mem Bers an included. The Bey to this entitlement to the completion of one nil Oversea torn and the commitment to Complete another full Lour either through an Extension equal to the original tour or a fended pcs from on overseas station to another overseas Sta other entitlements Yon mentioned Only apply to extensions for soldiers pos Sessing military occupational specialities mos that Are included in the overseas Extension incentive program. Soldiers who possess one of these specialities an extend for a minimum of one year Are entitled to one of three options. They Are 1. Incentive pay of $80 per month forthe length of the Extension 1.30 Days absence not charged Sleave 3. Is Days absence not charged us leave and round trip transportation at govern ment expense from the current location tothe nearest port in the is. And return. The latter is for the Soldier Only and not family members. Local personnel service centers can provide information retarding Moss that Are part of the overseas Extension incentive program your example of being assigned to on Anil and attached for duty at another Loca Tion Hao bearing on eligibility for Nett the meals Ano Dald with overseas Exten Sions and soldiers stationed overseas Are entitled to the benefits of us different particular program your aped la question if i understand it correctly is re Yon entitled to the same free Home travel associated with consecutive overseas Toon since you have served or will Haw served six year Over was also Bow an the entitled Elbi affected by the fact thai non were ordered of a permanent change of station pcs the answer to if von extended your tour for a period equal to your original tour length you Are eligible for free Home travel. H Yon volunteered for a series of extensions and they happen to equal your original tour Tagufa Yea Are but eligible for free Home travel. A series of Exten Sions do not qualify Ai a consecutive Over seas tour. Also to be eligible for the free Home travel when ordered on a pcs Yon Moat have completed the original tour prior lathe pcs and have committed to serve an other tour of equal length to the original tour at the previous station. Because the entitlement to free Hon travel was effective june 19, 19u, Only pcs moves and tour extensions made onor alter this Date qualify for free Home travel and then Only when the consecutive overseas Lour requirements mentioned above Are Metthe intent of the free Home travel entitlement is to provide Relief to Amice members who serve an entire additional to nor whether it is in one or two locations. Ramstein a speeders have writer i wanted to be Able to express my gratitude that either the Speed limit in the Ramstein a housing area is not enforced or nobody cares prior to meeting my demise on a dark and Rainy morning. I m sure that there Are hundreds of other people out there who also appreciate the apparent Lack or concern in this area. It allows them to drive through the hous ing area just As if they were on the autobahn. What a convenience 1 really am grateful that nobody has been killed yet because that would probably prompt somebody to take action to reduce the chances of another senseless death. They might go so far As to step up if any the monitoring of the rousing area by Law enforcement personnel. They already have enough to do what with protect ing the base Community and All. Heck icy might even increase the number of Stop signs in the area but thatis bound to slow Down traffic. People on base Don t necessarily Slop for Stop signs but i do see them a least drop their Speed slightly to see if there Are any spa around i Hope people Don t think this letter sarcastic 1 a merely trying to get a Point across. Approaching the subject through the suggestion program or the base safely office has t done any Good. Maybe this letter might prompt some thought or worse ruffle a few feathers tech. Sgt. Michael Kokines Ramstein a Germany editor s note col. Edward h. Martin com Mander he 377th Security police group replies traffic violations on Ramstein a Are a continual problem. That problem however. Is not predicated upon Lack of enforcement As perceived by the writer but rather due to a Lack of courteous conscientious driving habits exhibited by some Ramstein motorists. The police have increased selective enforcement on Ramstein a since the Advent of the new year. Literally hundreds of citations have been used to traffic la violators Wilh an emphasis placed upon detecting Cross walk violations. The police however Are limited in the scope of this enforcement by posting requirements Man Power and ancillary responsibilities. The police do respond to All reported motor vehicle traffic violations. The Point of the writer is Well taken and in the future if he can provide Law enforcement officials with a description of the vehicle Driver and License number appropriate follow up action will retaken. We appreciate his sincere concern. Different rules create cola discrepancy pen pals Why is there a discrepancy in Cost of living allow ances Between . Army civilians and soldiers if the military is getting cola because the Dollar is weak Why not civilians who use the same Dollar Why is the excuse used civilians gel to use less expensive military facilities does t the military net 10 use these less expensive military facilities Why cola for soldiers who live on base and Shopin less expensive military facilities and no cola for civilians who live on me Economy most civilians live on the Economy and they have Many More econ omy based expenses than soldiers do expenses Suchias medical dental foods other goods and services. White the soldiers existence is entered on the army environment the civilian must live As a local in Short not in the army environment. Name and location withheld editor s note Elizabeth Reid civilian personnel division office of he Deputy chief of staff personnel he Usa eur replies the writer asks a Good question. Military and civilian personnel do spend the same Dollar and the Dollar is weak for both. The answer is we have two different personnel systems and Congress has provided different Laws to trigger the cola system for military and civil Ian personnel. The Cost of living for military personnel and civilians is reported similarly. Both Are based on the Cost of goods and services exclusive of housing. However these costs Are compared to two different Cost of la Vang indexes creating the difference you have indexed Cost of living for civilian personnel in any foreign area is compared to the indexed curl Ufa Vlna in Washington ., and the comparison is Madi by the department of costs of living for i nary per incl arc compared la the National average Cost of living in the United slates including commissary and Exchange tent Lite. Military cola is determined by the depart ment of defense. Because inv National Ctet of Litvins average is less than the Washington , Cost the military cola is trip gered sooner than the cola for civilians. Under i current Cthel amt Vinji Index fur Germany Post allowance com for civilian will not be Trier Arvd unless hit us change Nitt Falls to 1.66 Murks tit St. Plea a Metuda my Nara in four pan i column. Fam 26 Yaniri old my Hobby a cooking hiking my raiding. I in Mambo of Iha Phi Spini Inda Ananca Church. 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