European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes Page 11 Jettes. Feather merchant offers a proposal recently the stars and stripes has reported on two major air Force issues leather flight jackets As a retention ploy and a pending Cut in officer strength. Since both issues obliquely affect the Navy As a kibitzing naval officer i respectfully submit inc problem and a modest solution. The air Force officer corps in accordance with Parkinson s Law. Has Ratchet led itself to a bloated total of 109,098 officers. The enlisted to officer ratio has ballooned to a healthy Micro management level of 4-to-l. The unfortunate backlash is that the military bashing con Gressional critics who put Gramm Rudman ahead of solid air Force leadership have successfully pressured the Secretary of defense to apply Lipo Suc lion to the air Force officer cadres. If Frank Carlucci has his Way 2,155 of officers will lose vacuum on the Federal Areola be evicted from their respective sinecure and be expelled East of Eden Inlo the free Enterprise Jungle of productive ily unbridled Competition and the Market morality. The proposed decimation of the of officer ranks will precipitously drive the enlisted to officer ratio up to s-to-1, True the Navy operate Uekes fully with a 7-to-l ratio but such statistic Are meaning less unless one stops to consider the differences in managerial effectiveness and leadership potentials. By the same officer Manning proposal the Navy stands to gain 559 officers. At a Navy Feather merchant transport Pilot who regularly flies Inlo air Force and Navy bases i was t surprised to learn the Navy was severely undermanned to counter officer Manning shortfalls the nary has traditionally applied such Stop Gap solutions As As signing a marginally qualified fc-6 o cover a High pressure Billet which at an air Force base would be staffed by a major Wilh 1s to 20 years experience. If the air Force wants to painlessly yet selectively trim its officers in could cancel the leather flight jackets ordered to improve retention. Seriously s3.5 million for leather flight jackets to improve retention in the face of an officer rif7 first of All it s not Cost effective. Secondly in keep ing Wilh the tradition of defense contracting the air Force has found its own purveyor to provide an identical product . A Navy flight jacket which already exists in the Federal Stock system. And thirdly 13.5 million is a lot of discretionary spend ing for the Sake of flight Crew jackets. From whom is the air Force buying them the Lime contractor who sold them the hammers Aad Coffee pots please Don t get me wrong i Don t begrudge air Force pilots an officially sanctioned Opportunity to impersonate a Navy Pilot. The popular Success of the Hollywood documentary top gun has brought heavy social pressures 10 Bear on All pills. By does t the air Force kill half a dozen Birds Wilh one sidewinder cancel the leather flight jackets Slick with the ones made from Slick polyester synthetics conserve the traditional air Force image save the $3.5 million taken out of hide for Navy look alike jackets and the Fence sitting Prima Donnas willing to be bought off by a Chance to Don the Tom cruise look will be gone. Finally the air Force has a Chance to appease the nipping pro mires and sniping spins and parsimonious taxpayers. Collectively these kvetching critics Carp on about air Force profligacy Call for fiscal responsibility and conspire to drag the air Force Standard of living Down to parity Wilh the other branches of service or even Down to the civilian this time the air Force could do som Ching Radi Cal and Lake an unprecedented step rather than apply the bureaucratic Maxim use it or lose ii and spend the s3.s million with the vengeance of a neurotic housewife buying carpets drapes Wood panelling and padded swivel chairs this time urn in the Money designated for leather flight jackets to the department of defense. When the air Force look the s3.s million out of hide it proved to Congress that it did t need the Money except for leather night jackets. Now that the rationale for leather is gone turn the Money Over to the department of defense. Remember. With one providential stroke of car Tucci s pen the air Force lost 2,255 officers while the Navy gained 559. Dod can Forward the air Force s Windfall surplus of$3.s million to the Navy in order to train its new officers and outfit them with authentic Navy Issue leather flight jacket. , ski wkly sadly editor s note Eric m. Thonon Deputy i Tut in teary manpower Rcw Orcea and Mili tary per Mikl department of the air Puree Replin your Reader i nary Feith Mer chant basically asked abort three in int line it Eetla the air Force leather flight jacket add Pilot retention tie ratio of officers and no filed members in the air Forte a other a Errott and officer Ndoc Leaai. Lei me address each one briefly. The air Force ii lining difficult time retaining As Many experienced pilots u we would like. Dual Isaac thou with today s Pilot career path family arts in and Quality of life some of the reasons for the Eidom. While we can t match the airlines Dollar for Dollar nor should Wewe Are removing u Many career it Ilant Perc Elred by our mini Force u we can. Leather flight jackets symbolize the air Force s appreciation of tar unique and vital contribution pilots make to or Mission accomplishment. While Jour Reader tries to attrib of officer enlisted ratios o Vervlee differences in managerial effective Ness and leadership potentials the divergent mis Sion requirements of the air Force army and Nirve determine the composition of cd Urrico i officer and enlisted corps. The air Force has More officer Marion than the army and Navy and a unique High tech Enir Mamrot which demands people in the offi cer and enlisted ranks who highly skilled and educated. These requirements do no exist 0 such a degree in the army and nary the eff car enlisted ratio in each service is skewed right now by hard personnel it Deloni we be been forced to make la meet the goals of Las year s budget agreement Between Cong ass and the administration. Secretary Carlucci rightfully decided Hal we would have smaller forces u necessary to maintain our High standards of combat capability and readiness in this to gel fiscal environment. It s impossible to draw any conclusions regarding respective service gains and losses since each sen Lee a taken a different approach in terms of personnel operations and maintenance and research and development to achieve these cuts. The fact thai Secretary Webb resigned Over the budget Battle shows to Tough these decision Are. Unfortunately these prot Torrn require More than the Model solution put Forth by your Navy Reader. Ann Landers dear Ann Landers recently 1 read a personal and from a Man who listed the Quali ties he wanted in a woman. He ended by saying if your Lummy is larger than your Chest you Are automatically i am a woman who can Cook fish ride a horse and Iki. 1 am attractive intelligent warm supportive and an enthusiastic bed a partner. In Short i possess the p qualities he wants plus a Tummy that is larger than my Chest. That Man will never know me or my listers and it s hit loss. Happily 1 have a Long Landing solid marriage. Our life together ii based on appreciating one another the whole person instead of focusing on specific parts that May be less than perfect. My husband is not turned Oft by my Tummy any More than 1 am tamed of by his Bald head. One of the most important concepts we arc passing on to our three children is to recognize and respond to the whole person and not get Hung up on physical flaws Tuch As too abort too tall too fal too thin Loo much nose not enough Chin Etc. Etc. Perhaps the Man s attitude explain Why be must de Trusic for a woman. Wash., . . Thank you for a postgraduate crw in mate elec Tion. Here s a letter that Deterry at be Indus u a Cue Rody dear Ann Landers my Friend Ruth was attractive Well dressed warm generous lovable and fat she had enormous Energy and was never sick a Day in her life until she contracted her final illness at the age of 43. In eight months her weight went from 220 to 110. Her hair Felt out and she was sick from chemotherapy. Bui she kept up her spirits and her appearance with wigs makeup and scarves to hide the ravages of the illness that was killing her. One Day Ruth and i ran Inlo in acquaintance who had t seen her in several years. She raved Aboul Ruth s weight loss and gushed endlessly Aboul How wonderful 1 was that Ruth finally took herself in she Ihen asked How did you do it what weight loss program did you follow Ruth looked her in the Eye and said i would t recommend my weight loss program to anyone. 1 have terminal cancer of the pancreas. Until she died Rulh kept asking me Why she was t acceptable when she was fat and Frappy and Well and now that she is thin and dying she is receiving bad of compliments. My Only answer is. It s a sick can you think of a better one Janet 1ssaquah, Wash. Dear Janet no. When it comes to weight Tome people a Hay. Wire. The Best evidence is in the fashion a Gaienn one need Only to look it pictures of the models. And you would not believe How strenuously these women did to look like Broomsticks. It s Amtal dear Ann i.andcrv1 have never seen this question in your column and i need an answer so i will know How to behave. It i about weddings. I have attended three weddings in the last year and in All three instances when the minister said i pre sent to you or. And mrs. the congregation applauded and let out whoops and hollers. I was raised a presbyterian. Never have i heard people yell in Church. Are things changing i still feel that it s disrespectful. Comment please. 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