European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday novembers. 19bt letters readers express views on working military wives this is in reply 10 the Man who feels Hal an officer s wife should not hold a Good paying Job either with the government or in the Public Sec Tor. Why should t a woman be Able to fulfil her goals even if she ii married to an officer actually with the frequent moves Hal a military family makes these women should be commended for being Able to attain such High paying jobs and most certainly they should not be forced or pressured to quit them in order for their husbands to be pro moved. As far As conflict of interest goes the example cited about inc Junior no refusing a free lunch from a Gasthaus manager has nothing to do with a married couple who both work for the government. Low can there be a Ria conflict of interest when they arc both working for our government 1 could Sec a conflict of interest if one works for a company dealing Wilh government contracts and the other works for the Federal government Bui not when both spouses work far he Federal govern men. I believe every person male or female should be Able 10 be whatever he or she is willing 10 work to be in t that what being an american is about and in t that the right thai we Are overseas to protect Melinda Gallagher Rhein main a Germany. The fact is that not everyone is equal in ability and therefore not All salaries should be equal. Some people and couples have abilities that May be Worth much nine than 180,000. The free Market will determine the level of salary. This is not to say that some people Aren t overpaid. The distinction Between Public and private sector employment does not make sense unless you believe that inc government should not hire the Best Quali fied person for a Job simply because his spouse Al ready works for the government the idea would certainly limit office Romance but would certainly not improve govern men t service. What conflict of interest is Here i guess in an ultimate sense both Wile and husband work for Ibe president but 1 think the president can handle it. James Wbaker Frankfurt officers wives have it bad in some Arras of the military because they Are accused of carrying their husband s rank or lashing heir husband s rank for special treatment. They Are also stereotyped As being stuck up people Wilh their noses High in the air. Well guess what we arc not stuffed Shim As some of you think. We walk talk cat and breathe he same As you do. Secondly regardless of what our husbands bring Home or put in the Bank we Are still individuals and human mings Wilh wants and need. If a wife has the qualifications by All Means she should have the Job. Sure we have Community obligations and other functions to attend to support our husband but we also have an obligation to ourselves for piece of mind. Living in a foreign country away from family we suffer the stress of feeling boxed in just like others. A Job helps relieve the pressure of adjusting and jets us out of the House plus it helps us retain Oursa Nily. Mrie Rich ads Bobell Egeit Germany t am an officer s spouse working in a civil service position applied for a position through co was rated referred and eventually hired co sent the referral list with my name included to the hiring official who interviewed All the applicants on the referral list. She determined that i was Best Quali fied for he position. My husband s rank did not appear on my application. 1 reiterate i was hired for the position because of my qualifications. I was according to inc hiring official Best qualified. What this writer suggest about restricting officer spouses from holding fed eral jobs is discrimination Kil Hryor l. Kuhn or Pirn Sens Ger Niue this writer s position seems to agree with hat of eliminating the so called double dippers who draw a military retirement and then accept a salary As a Federal employee. To suggest that one person or one family should b limited As to How much Federal compensation should be received likens the Federal compensation system to a Giveaway program and that nobody should get More than his snare. Whether it is a spouse of a senior officer or a military Retiree compensation paid should be based Sok by on fair pay for services rendered. In the Case of the spouse if she orc is hired based on qualifications for a Job that does nol fall under the Spon Sor s Chain of command then it is nobody else s business How much other salary comes into that household. I always thought the reason we go to school is id be better qualified to compete for some Job. Spouse employment or Retiree double dipping the principle is Etc same. Should we pay for services rendered by the most qualified or apportion jobs As part of a Giveaway program for the needy chief master sgt. Joseph h. Allen Hahn a Germany i am a major s wife and i work. While i would dearly love team 530,000 As the writer assumes All officers wives do i am currently earning a Mere 1297 per month working four nights a week until something better opens up. Ifs not thai our family cannot survive on my husband s wage nor am i working to support an addiction to Lla Dros. Crystal China or Antiques. 1 am working to put food on our table As court or dered obligations take half of my husband s pay each month. The very minute i am considered Eligi ble for a higher paying position Federal or otherwise i am going to take it and wot be to any person who has the audacity to Tell me i can. Firs of All this writer linked two separate issues with the original Story. The initial complaint pertained to commanders pressuring wives la quit Well paying and highly Corn Mandable jobs simply to participate in base activities and thereby increase their husband s promo ability. The idea being that an officer s command potential is enhanced if he can train his wife to attend luncheons and work for no pay in an activity she probably has no interest in. Period. While i hesitate to turn what should be a personal rights Issue into one of equal rights the situation at Grissom clearly depicts the overtly chauvinistic attitudes that permeate the higher ranking military echelons. The follow up Story report Etc that Al though the wives complaints were verified As fact no disciplinary action will be taken against the of fending commanders As there was no hard and fast written Rule guarding against the Type of pressure such As was exerted upon the women. Of. But Here was also no Rule directing it and common sense alone should have prevented it in this Day and age of enlightenment did they truly believe they could get away with it obviously they did and they have. But reverse the situation. Introduce me please to any self respecting career oriented officer no Soldier or airman who would calmly listen to his wife s employer Tell him that in order for the wife to be nominated or the position of Ali Crnalic exc Cutic officer to the assistant Vicc Deputy of the Sieno Pool a relative position in comparison to he air Force s big picture he must paste on a plastic smile have lunch Wilh the boys and play Pat a cake with people he May nol choose to associate with on his own furthermore in order 10 play those silly games he must resign his commission or separate from service abandon his own chosen career and farm his children out to Day care services on any Given Day to be Avail Able for Coffee. All this so his wife will be nominated for s new position. Thai Type of pressure would not be tolerated in thai come i so Why should a Field Grade officer s wife submit and submit quietly. If inc substance abuse therapist referred to is forced to resign her position because her husband is a military officer Only one Job vacancy will be created. Only one person will be pulled from he ranks of the jobless to fill that vacancy and the unemployment rate will nol have been changed As his letter would suggest. Society is served every time a military member dependent or average citizen turns to that therapist for help in overcoming a penchant for snorting drugs or smoking dried houseplants. Her credentials did no come in a Box of Corn hates. It lakes years Money initiative and dedication to obtain inc qualifications necessary for thai Job and anyone who works Hal hard Damn Well deserves to pursue his talents. She should be commended lauded a Tau did and held As an example for others to follow nol stifled and pressured to quit regardless of where her husband works. While i share the Point of View that a Squadron entertainment no May be giving the appearance of conflict of interest by accepting a free meal from a Gasthaus manager i sol cannot thread that into the subject of an officer s wife working As a Counselor teacher or suggest Ion program manager. To those who share these altitudes and the com Manders at Iris som i say it s a greater disservice and a greater conflict of interest to promote an offi cer because his wife submitted to unfair pressure rather than promote the officer whose wifi has intelligence.  and a concern for her Community even if she Doc Xvi paid. The worst of the situation is that it has been condoned for so Long. Now it will be Given an obligatory nod and swept aside when she dust St Cults. I suppose we should All learn to pretend ii never happened or believe As this writer docs that ii was All right and in