European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday May 5, 1987 in Long run pcs delays won t save Money i find it hard to believe that someone actually believes the army saves Money by delaying permanent change of Stalion pcs moves. Of maybe for this fiscal car but the people stil Hove to be moved Don l they the stars and stripes announced the army s plan to delay pcs moves recently and i am incensed the Sams Man Euver was tried fast year and now that has to be compensated for. At least it was first Wermers and Short hours that were extended. This year it s people month err yer Tours thai Are looking Forward to resuming to their native country which they faithfully served Only to have to Watt thee More months. There Are some Points i feel need to be explained. I. How do delayed pcs moves save ? it might help fiscal 1987 s budget but fiscal 1988 s Bud get will surely suffer. It does t appear that air travel for any other Type of travel is going to become Les expensive. I m quite sure the army will have to spend More Money on increased Carrier contracts not to mention extra Man hours to compensate for the slut of personnel in the october december time Frame. The army will still be paying cos of living allowances Basic allowances for quarters and housing costs for those soldiers who Are entitled. 2. What of the Burden on the units units Are faced with losing Soldier rapidly in a Short period of time and consequently receiving replacements often slower and gelling them settled in in processed and trained when necessary before they Are wholly productive 3. What about morale although i m not condoning the Short timer s attitude it s certainly hard to make plans and look Forward to returning Home and then having the Rug pulled out from under you. The army has initiated what May become a vicious Cycle robbing from the next fiscal year to pay for this fiscal year. There Are Many other ways to save Money in the budget that would Nave a lesser effect on the lives of soldiers. The army needs Good soldiers but does t seem to be worried about them once they get them. In closing the army still has to move soldiers. Sow Cre s the savings staff sol. Stephen a Mccool Aduf Wenborg Germany editor s note maj. Mark Yrazabal person Nel staff officer office of the Deputy chief of stall personnel Hyu Sarett replies recently announced pcs policy changes Are the re sult of congressional budget cats Oer the past Nornen Yam. Since 1983, Congress has reduced the army s pcs budget annually. Additionally the army Felt the effects of tit Gunni Radii i Bill cuts in much 1986. There was no sufficient me remaining in fiscal 1986 for the army to implement appropriate policy change to alleviate this Money shortage. Thin the j986 pc delay Wai initiated which incidentally i padded Millers mining accompanied torn. Yon Are Correct that pcs delay dots not Tare Money it Only postpones paying Tow Bill. The Bill car Riedma from the 1986 pcs delay coupled with an additional congressional pcs budget cat Nate serious pcs pro blend for the army in fiscal 1987, while these cuts will save Money congressional in tent was to slow Down mores stabilize Soldier an family members and increase Long term morale and unit Cohnin Veneng. The army examined several possible solutions to the problem. Senior army Leaden directed that a 1987 pcs delay be used Only As a last resort and Only if budget constraints could not be met. As a result of the army s analysis policy change were initiated to provide Long term solutions la the pcs problem. These changes Are designed to reduce the fre Quency of mores and encourage voluntary Oversea extensions. Although implemented the anticipated tar Ings from these programs will not be sufficient to permit execution of All scheduled moves in fiscal 1987. The army was forced to resort to severe Short term pro brains designed to divert pcs costs out of fiscal 1987 in order to function wifi Hon these reduced Bodet limits. Consequently a fiscal 1987 pcs delay was  army Leaden Are extremely Cen Althe to the fact that this action will cause digit Pathra it nor Oulu replacement flow and is detrimental to Soldier  attempt is being made to minimize disrupting to overseas personnel flow by also delaying Soldier in the United states All indications Are that visa eur trill receive continued priority Tor personnel replacements. Additionally the army believe that the new Long Ter programs will generate Luff Dent savings to avoid Fth inn pcs delays. Simply stated the army has been forced to withstand severe budget cots Over a Short period of time. The Anny staff continues to seek additional measures to allow operation within a reduced budget i that i readiness or Cre Njika add fool Hardawy on Towert and family member. Thu a a tooth in Fem that to net completely resolved. I Kusk Yoa that the Csc pm my Titrations that Yon Hare expressed Are Nole tool and will remain of Central concern to the color army Leader faced with making these difficult ded sons. Consecutive overseas tour policy outlined i am writing to try to gel a straight answer on the army consecutive overseas tour policy. I is omitted a 4187 on feb. 2 requesting a cot. Have had nothing but problems trying to do this. I am trying to have an intr theater Transfer itt for a cot to another major command. I slated thai 1 would extend my overseas Lour to meet the requirements for Acot. I arrived in Germany on March 30, 1984, to serve a command sponsored Lour 36 months. In january 1986 i extended my tour for is months which now Pun my Date eligible for return from overseas Deros at june 29, 19bs. 1 was informed by 1st personnel come that i could Only Start my cot after june 29, 1988, and 1 would also have to take my leave beginning then not to exceed 30 Days. If i did t Start my cot until june 1988 that would put my new Deros a june 1991, which Means i would be serving 87 months in Germany. On the other hand if i had t extended my tour 1 i months i could serve a cot that would be about 72 months. That is Abig difference. 1 like Germany but not to the extent to serve j 7 months As opposed to 72, Here Are my questions 1. Whal is the real policy concerning cots 2. Can i have a foreign service Lour Extension Asti adjusted so that i could be Able to Start a cot prior to the end of the fste7 3. What is the time limit that one has to take the travel Benefit that come with the cot staff sgt Donald g. Mckeen Grafe Woehr Germany editor s note master sol David a Snyder chief noncommissioned officer. Enlisted assignment division lit personnel come he Usa eur replies hunk Yon for this Opportunity to discuss the rules for consecutive overseas Tours Cotin conjunction with intr theater  titans to Clear of meow the confusion thai ims been generated by recent changes to the permanent change of station pcs poli 7 a cot can be served at the same permanent station or be the result of movement ram one station to another. Both Are based on Tow completion. Tour completion is defined an a Normal Oversea Lour and includes any addition period of me for which a Soldier has volunteered to serve Inch As foreign service Lour extensions Ste. Yon need to understand that when you extended your Lour it was not a new tour hut an Extension of your previous tour and therefore adj it de your Toor completion Date. Extensions of hours do not qualify As  unless the Extension is equal to a Complete tour. For example � Complete tour far a married accompanied Midler is 36 months. If this Soldier desire to Lew a consecutive tour the consecutive tour would be bated upon completion of the fint Dot and require the Soldier to sent an additional 36 months. If Ink same Soldier extended his or her tour for 11 months and then desired a cot the effective Date of the co i would be upon completion of 48 months and require the Soldier to serve another 36 Tonuu. Cancellation of a foreign service tour Extension Al though possible is not automatic. To cancel a tour Extension a Soldier most submit a written request and the request Rouse contain justification. Normally to receive new management at Exchange praised it seems us though All of the letters published contain Only complaints about cafes. This letter will in that Case More than Likely never be published As it is not my own pet Gripe. When we came to the United kingdom what Severni us though a lifetime but Only three years ago i rarely went into the Exchange because it seemed us though the buyers Only selected lines catered to the perfect size seven who also happened to be a five Star general s wife. There were no larger sizes available in he women s Section. There were no items available for my tall thin husband. There were no reasonably priced clothing items available for my toddler son or pre teen daughter. Then on a sunny Day or. And mrs. Barry Gor Don had a permanent change of station to assume management. Things began to change. They took looks in every department and decided that the buy ers obviously did not know for whom they were buying and things began to change. Change has been slow because old habits Are hard to break but it has been certain. Or. And mrs. Cordon also seem to have placed the care in cafes we care motto. I experienced two Small problems after meeting the Gor dons at our monthly wives club social where they came to do a slide presentation. I approached or. Gordon on both occasions and he i medially set Forth to solve my minor problems. Several acquaint ances who work for cafes have also noted How much better they feel about their jobs since the Gordons also care More about the regular employees. Since my family is soon off to the land of k Mart Sears . Penney Etc., i would like to thank or. And mrs. Gordon for making my last year in the United kingdom a Little bit More bearable because shopping at the Exchange was easier on the budget than shopping at the off base shops. Maureen l. Easterling Raf Mildenhall England approval the justification must he for extreme personal hardship. Free travel is provided to the Boot kit Home of record and return for soldiers and command sponsored family members who Complete one Normal Lour and incur a commitment to Complete an additional prescribed tour. Free travel must begin within 30 Day fallowing comple Tion of the original Lour if granted in conjunction with a cot at the same location. Free travel authorized in conf Union with an  reassignment Grill begin not earlier than the Day following completion of the original tour but prior to clearance and departure from current duty station. He porting Dales to the gaining duty station Are established us not later than 45 Days after completion of bet lean travel to ensure thai ample time is provided for Clear Ance and . As an exception if cot free travel cannot be granted at the times specified abort Doe to military necessity leave May be delayed on u the first Leare Opportunity after the second tour begins. The amount of lean authorized is at the discretion Al the commander. Although Leare travel i Fine and the travel Tine la no charged As leave the actual leave is charged to your leave balance. Therefore Soldier should be cautioned against exceeding their leave balance a tip for club customers upon receiving orders for Germany we began to read about the various cultural differences and pre pared for our move. One of the things we read about was the incl it of a service charge in the prices at restaurants in i Etc. Therefore it is not necessary to leave a lip Lor the waitress although one can round off to the next Mark and leave Small change. May i inform stars and stripes readers who May no be aware of it that there is no service charge included in the menu prices at your local officer or no club they Are run the same Way dubs and restaurants in the Stales Are. I am not a waitress at a club but i work close enough to see Over and Over again people who receive Friendly fast service special attention whether for a customer s Many children wine service or other extras provided and then see these cheap customers leave a Quarter on the table or worse yet leave nothing at All. Would you go to a place in the slates and do that most club waitresses work very hard to please you. If you have an enjoyable evening meal and were pleased with your service please Lake time to fill out a comment card these to to the manager and remember your waiter waitress when you pay your Bill. Name and location withheld