European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paga 10 letters the stars and stripes a readers object to Roberts Light sentence the recent headline Story sent a loud and ctr Mes Sage id All soldiers if you Don t like the army or arc having problems with superiors Don t use your Chain or command and Don l seek he advice of Counselor. Simply go a vol defect o a communist country preferably our biggest adversary nay in the headlines by saying How wonderful they Are treating you and How much you love your new to and Way of life. Keep it up for a few months and then cry to come Home because life As a communist is not so wonderful. Don l worry the military will Only give you stiff bad boy and discharge you. Kino m. Fount Augsburg West Germany our country has sunk to a new Low by allowing army deserter Wade Roberts logo unpunished. The fact that he turned his Back on his country and embraced the life of communism Only to find it was that he expected is enough to make anyone with an ounce of patriotism revolted. I say we should Send Wade Roberts and the judg Eback to the Snake firm. Cirol slow Frankfurt in an election year one can expect anything. No political trials in the military what a joke this was one. Here is a Trai Lor to his reunify gelling off Scot free for defecting to the russians who used him for their own purpose. Once they found out he knew nothing was worthless 10 them and the United states they shipped him Back. The russians must be surprised and pleased by All the embarrassment it has caused the . Military. But then he did not get off completely. For he will be Able to see his life Story on to and in the movies and read about it in his Book thai i am sure his lawyer is work ing on right now. Tech. Sri. . Dds Raf Ben Twat England what about All the pos who were treated Lea than favourably after years of confinement they still upheld the code of conduct and the moral which we still live and serve by today to let him go with a bad conduct discharge is in my opinion a display of extremely bad judgment. If his unit was so Bod As to warrant Inch drastic action there arc open door policies All the Way to the division commander the 10 and the chaplain. If hews being persecuted As badly As he said he was some one would have spoken up and something would Mcbeen done that s pan of the army s checks and bal ances system one of the Best in the world when used correctly sgt David  or Tinion West Germany almost in private Wade e. Robert is not guilty of desertion. He was Only a Little bit awol and thai it because he ii misunderstood and the Chain of com Mand would not listen to him poor Wade the Giul big sergeants were mean to him and made him do things that he did not want to do. Mean of sergeant wanted Robert to come to work on time to do something while he Wai there and not logo Home until work was done. Bad of sergeant not understand that Wade in love. Wade in love and mean Al sergeant not know what love is. It must be love in feels soon Good big bad of Serjeant not Unden tand that Winter is cold and bed is warm for poor Wade. Wade gel even. He go to soviet Union. They under stand Wade. Wade have soon much to offer .s.rj Wade know maximum effective Range of my 6 Rifle. Mean of rookies great big Ivan mean to him and make him do things he not want to do. Ivan make him gel up in morning and work and live like others in workers Paradise. No like icky snakes. Poor Little Wade want o go Home. Wade no like Sanctuary in socialist society mean of inn no understand Vradi Vich. He go Home. Mean of army not understand. Make Wade sit in jail like common criminal. Wade a criminal mean of army is criminal. Not understand Wade. Peter w. Barber Rhein Moln a Weil Germany the morale of the . Army received Yel another blow with the Light sentence meted Oul to fat. 2 Wade Roberts. The outrageous outcome of this affair was Yel another slap in the face to every Soldier serving Honor ably in our army around the world. However it is my belief thai this episode is merely symptom of a much larger problem. It has become apparent to this observer that the army is caught be tween two opposing societal forces. As a nation we have a need and a desire for an effective fighting Force. Ami yet there is also great pressure emanating fro society to use the army As a great social service organization affecting the hundreds of thousands of individuals whose lives Are shaped by their military experience. A Soldier can get two years for flashing. Why is this so does this Send the proper message to Pur righting soldiers so As to maintain Good order and discipline. The Wade Roberts Case is another indication of a major problem faced by our army that has been generated by the society in serves and defends. In i attempt to Combine some of the aspect of a social service organization with that of a ugh Tang Force the , army is doomed to being effective to neither. Attempting to rehabilitate soldiers into effective Mem Bers of society while maintaining an adequate fighting Force is pure Folly. At soldiers serving with Pride and dignity we will continue to do our duty regard of Che actions of the Wade Robert of the world. However we should be concerned that those who do not serve proudly within our rank Are now being Given License to do virtually anything in order to shirk their commitment. Of this situation should continue can our army maintain the Rood order and discipline that will be vital the next time we Are tested Fay an enemy As sure As the Sun Rise in the East our army will be i sled again some Day and we must be ready for it Daniels pfc rce Pir Maseu wet Germany How ironic in a recent Issue the death of 10 Ameri can soldiers in a helicopter crash appears right beside a photo of smiling pvt. Wade Roberts. It ii not that the Roberts matter merits no space in the stars and stripes his is certainly a newsworthy Story regardless of anyone personal feeling Tor or against the Issue or the verdict. Out tap had t even sounded Over the Graves of 10 real soldiers and you put that photo of Wade Robert be i to their Story. Everyone on Board that Chinook in Texas measured up. Pvt Roberts Case Speaks for itself. A. Col. Wayne a. Silkett shape Belgium do you really expect us to believe thai the soviet Union was your last Hope do you mean to imply to in that nobody Ever told you about the various chapters you could have been discharged under if you had Only just asked for one did you never hear about inability to adapt to the military Tell us How you Are different from i i Riany others who come into the army and decide that they Don t want to slay. I be seen them come and go and i m sure that i will see More of hem before my time is up. They arc boys note i say boys not men who join for no real Good reason who suddenly Wake up ind smell the Coffee and who find out that they actually have to work to earn their paychecks. They Are cry habits who can t adjust to a fact that someone is going to Tell them what to do and they have to do it or they will end up losing time and Money. They Are Little boys who Haven t grown up to realize that they Are responsible for their own action and ind it easier to blame others and say thai the Chain of command is Oul to gel me instead of say ing yes i should not have told Sarge where he could shove it when he told me to sweep the floor and t must now accept my just and fair  staff sgt. Stephen f. Dell to Augsburg Wesl Germany writer suggests alternative to cafes Wilh so Many complaints about cafes maybe in is time to consider some alternatives. First if cafes u really so bad Why is it that whenever i go the stores Are overcrowded help is scarce and line Are Long maybe the users have Loo much Money 10 spend. Or maybe cafes really is a bargain after All and just Plain Irre is stable Why not close cafes the clubs the snack bars and even the commissaries if these places offer an average of 20 percent savings increase wages by that amount and throw in a local Economy kicker. I can t think of one single thing name brands excluded that these places offer that is not available from local retailers. Even All the welfare and morale services that cafes profits provide Are available on the economies of Western countries. What local Economy docs not have clubs and restaurants and swimming poo and bowl ing alleys that Are always Superior to what is on base look at the advantages More discretionary spend ing Money to spend wherever you want or to order from . Bean or scan. Above All it would encourage everyone to learn local ways and culture and break up the Little americas around the world that must be protected livery High costs. There arc other benefits that could go the same route medical care housing car repairs car shipping. The stars and stripes and an and maybe even Dodds schools. Just pay so Many dollars As a lax free supplement depending on where you live your pay Grade and family composition. Lei the fret economies adjust 10 the demands for services from the military. Most foreign doctors and medical staffs speak English at least As Well As Many of those in . Hospitals and there arc accredited English speaking schools scrambling Tor students. Just ask those who serve in the state department. Why do we need american cars overseas with Usa today and a video Mart on every Corner is All this Home grown entertainment really necessary maybe All of these benefits have become obsolete with the changing times and something new is in order. Just think of All inc real estate that could be Given up just imagine the tens of thousands of support jobs trial would be eliminated for example although nol taxpayer supported there arc so people alone in the staff Headquarters of the class i Agency. The Cora Money will pour into local economies a chancing the acceptance of americans. Think whatsit would do to improve the self Reliance of service members. It would surely Weed out the Meek the irresponsible the in dedicated and the welfare cases and leave the lean mean fighting forces to serve the global miss ions of the .a. Sponsors would Only be required to report for duty their personal lives would be what their allowances base pay and Moxy could get from the local Economy. Our  would truly become International. There Are precedent those who have worked for International companies know How in often works. They Are handed a single allowance and told to report for work on monday wrapped up with a Light contract not unlike an enlistment oath. Maybe we Veall become just a Little ungrateful Burthen i too think cafes and a lot of other services could be much belter. Bul then these problems arc systemic and pervasive if the users continue Lopa Tronie and accept the Lousy service and re enlist for More than Lousy services will be the order of the Day. If my suggestions were adopted the savings would be so great that the commander in chiefs alar wars stealth squadrons and 600-ship Navy could be right around the Comer. Instead of spreading the wealth of our nation among the Camp followers pay in directly to those who serve and give them inc Best in Modem weapons. After All Uncle sugar will pay you dearly for the rest of your life if you really sacrifice for just 20 Pius years. If Tough is what the services arc All about gel Tough. Gel Lough with cafes and they will get belter it demanding seek Oul managers and Don l spend you Money on junk. Shop elsewhere in town or by Catalon. Be smart Consumers and All will Benefit. Take in from someone who has read the same complaints and an Swers for 3s years More complaining will never change anything. The Bosses move on with promotions and the service remains inc same. If you want to do More and you really think the bureaucracy is out of control and welfare services have gone too far write your elected officials. Remember this is an election year i can t help but think if All of our services were provided by local capitalist and entrepreneurs they would be far Superior to what we no have. Just another idea that grew out of too Many complainers and no recommendations for improvement. By Dic Kerum Frankfurt