European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 letters the stars and stripes readers comment on anti smoking letter i cannot believe the letter i just read in the stars and stripes from a Man who believes he has 30 extra Days leave coming because he is a non smoker t am a non smoker. This was nol always True t smoked for close to 10 years. I have never Felt better since i quit smoking. While i did smoke 1 worked with Many non smokers. They look just As Many Breaks As i did. Would you really try to have people believe Hal you work non Slop for the full eight hours you Are at work. As for your comment on smokers using More sick time i did nol miss one Day of work due to illness during my last year of working As a smoker. Putt Ollerer spun Dahlem West Germany. If people would spend As much Energy in trying to solve inc drag problems child abuse spouse abuse alcohol abuse and All the other abuses that abound and quit picking on inc smoker we would All be better off. Smoking Only hurts inc individual who docs in. Drugs alcohol and the rest of the abuses hurl All of us. To is Loo popular i Csc Days to pick an the smoker and picking on the smoker is an excuse to violate thai individual s rights. Frankly i would rather associate with someone who smokes 20 packs of cigarettes a Day and who is honest to begin with polite and Well mannered than i would someone who misuses Jove Mienl time in being Dis honest by spying on his fellow workers and Olio is probably obnoxious rude and bad mannered As most non smokers Over Here seem to be. Margaret d. Milarg Mars Augsburg West German dear smoker observation specialist you Don t have much to do As you re Busy surveying smokers. You must be assigned to the 1c or a manpower Survey Board to arrive at the astounding time figures you presented is in also Safe to assume you Are also a medical researcher since you seem to have facts concerning increased sick time that smokers experience facts which i be never seen published 1 served 26 years 22 years of which were with Spe Cial forces and the other airborne units with no Smuk to f t Sii k Lime i re command that you spend More time pursuing and improving your own Job pc for Mance or thai of your subordinates. Unfortunately no matter How Many hours most work 30 Days is the Max for yearly leave better Luck on your next Survey. . Fever West Germany. I and Many other smokers have stood by Andice you inc great non smoker walk Over us discriminate against us pass Laws that clearly Are against our human and american rights. We As Good Law Abid ing citizens follow the rules and go to our designated smoking area so we Don t invade your rights. So Why As a non smoker Are you hanging around the smoking area Liming cigarettes. ? Robin Hodge Mannheim West Germany Well i have done some research of my own on non smokers on the Job and 1 found out that non smokers waste on the average Over 65 Days per year because they arc non smokers. Here Are some inter Esting facts 1, non smokers cannot relax therefore they spend a lot of time at the doctor for ulcers More than smokers. 2. Non smokers after getting ulcers suffer other ailments both physical and psychological from the prescribed drugs they take for their ulcers. 3. Non smokers keep their hands in their pockets on the Job More than smokers 4, non smokers suffer More nervous breakdowns than smokers. The list goes on and on but the Point is All of this adds up to a lot of lost time Over 65 Days of it per year but do you hear smokers moaning and groaning about it and demanding extra Days leave in any Case it is pretty obvious that this writer i unaware Hal for him to qualify for inc extra 30 Days smokers arc getting he would have to become a smoker thereby giving up Over 35 of inc 65 Days non smokers Are presently getting. I am a smoker. Spec. Dennis Wilson Kaiserslautern did t learn to smoke cigarettes in a Day. I slowly gave Way to peer pressure from people in the bar Racks or at work that smoking was Cool. Wanted to be Cool t wanted to be a pan of the look time to condition my mind and body to accept the smoke nicotine and tar from the cigarettes the Cost of 40 cents a pack per Day was t going to bother me either. I could afford it. I would afford it. Who knew cigarettes would Cost per pack later on that was 15 years ago. That was Over $3,000 ago. Sound familiar with 15 years of experience Quilli Ngmay not be As easy As starting was so Long ago. A smoker who quits is initially extremely vulnerable emotionally and physically. This is due to addiction. The addiction of inc nicotine and the actual physical habit of smoking the constant movement of the hand to get the cigarette holding the cig relic in your hand and moving inc cigarette to and from your lips. Sure there arc numerous ways to quit nicotine gum special filters to decrease nicotine intake or having someone adopt you for one Lousy Day of the year. Those did l work for me. I hate chewing gum. I Don t need a filler for my cigarette filter. The person who adopted me was great Al the office but whereas he Al two in the morning when i was mentally screaming for a cigarette quilling smoking is nol a fad or a one Day i needed was honest support and under standing from family friends and co workers t am going through a difficult Lime trying to break his habit and you Nave no understanding or concept of what 1 am feeling because you have never smoked. Itis difficult to explain what withdrawal is like. Good news though. I was Lucky. I got the support and understanding from family and friends. Letter sin the mail filled with excitement and Joy from rela Tives inc Pat on the Back from inc commander and first scream both of whom still smoke the Lieuten ant who works on the other Side of the building handmade a special trip Over to my office to acknowledge my efforts. All of this can be a Long and difficult Road to travel when you quit smoking. My own desires for better health and the support 1 have received from everyone around me makes the Road that much easier to tra Days without a cigarette the rest of my life tool tech. So. La ask Mumn a Reburg West Germany writers sympathize with jobless spouse i feel compelled to comment on a recent letter to the editor entitled Dac spouse wants a fair shot Al the woman who wrote it is telling it like if is. She even makes the Point that management is in some cases denying itself inc ability to select the most Quali fied person for their jobs. Undoubtedly department of defense management and the Congress fell and probably feels that in did the Correct thing in granting employment preference to military spouses but they have in fad created a monster. They have managed to create yet another area where inc civilian member of inc Force is made second class citizen and where civilian and military personnel Are set up to Battle with one another. 1 happen to be a civilian employee of the Navy but everything said in inc letter applies equally Here. Infant the situation Here May be somewhat worse in that there is a critical shortage of jobs for dependents and the current policy concerning spousal employment has contributed to divisiveness Between the military an civilian communities and Only made an existing pub ice worse. Having been Here for nearly two years now i can l say that the military spousal employment preference policy comes As a Surprise. Rather it s just one More reminder Hal As civilians you take a Back Seal one final comment the writer of the letter is also right on when she says that civilians would seriously reconsider taking overseas jobs if they knew in Advance of inc inequities that they must live with on a daily basis once Here. A. R. Casey Rota Spain Nen pals i really understand How you feel about nol being other and to love each other Able to obtain a position even though you Are highly j now it is difficult to be without a Job particularly qualified the aggravation of not having a Job and if we hav. Otner family expenses involving College Lui income is very disheartening. I like Many military spouses gave up a professional career to join my counterpart Here in Germany and found myself unemployed. I Well know the difference of earning per year in 1986 in the United Stales and today an average of $200 per month if i work. 1 have a part Lime on Call position i can definitely state that military spouses do no have a monopoly on jobs although Many work As Cashiers at the commissary Exchange snack bars and at various sales positions. In the Post 18 months i have spoken to Many Mili tary spouses and department of the army civilian Dac spouses who Are unemployed. 1 Mel a spouse recently who has not been Able to find a position in Over two years. In nine months her husband will have a permanent change of station to the United Stales. She like myself and Many other spouses is a Colleg graduate with previous civilian experience but with out a Job. I myself have three degrees plus Over 20 years of civilian Job experience plus Active duty Lime. I fully understand your comment about co responding with thai worn out cliche 1 have been to Many pos Many times and have tilled out Many manysf171s. Sometimes i wonder really How Many spouses Are unemployed in Germany. Are we a Small minority or do we represent a Large segment agreed we did not have to join our spouses nor did we have to give up our Careen. We came because we did not want to be apart. We wanted to be together to support each other to care for each other to talk to each other to see each Lions and so Forth. 1 know that unemployed spouses carry additional stress but again knowing the limitations ordered by the Congress we will have even less chances of gelling a position As time passes. I really Don t think it matters what Type of spouse we Are we Are All going to find in difficult to find a Job Over Here. I have already win in to my congressman and others and have received correspondence to again Contact my local co after one year of unemployment and at the advice of my local 1c, i have even filed a complaint Wilh the Hopes of some action. Of course the reply was negative and in sounded More like a letter of reprimand. 1 am really beginning to think that we dependent spouses arc nol that important As individuals. We More or less agree that we Are third class citizens. Al present All 1 can say is Good Luck in your Endeavor and Don l give up. Do not feel that you can not contribute do nol feel rejected do not feel de pressed. Reduce your stress faction set aside Large financial decisions and Hope Hal you can find a Job As i visualize it it a a policy More than an actual happening thai spouses Over Here Are employed in meaningful work 1 must however admit the spouses 1 meet mostly Are the ones i see looking for openings Al co or the ones i meet who Are not employed like myself. 1 must say thai i know of some spouses work ing Al gs-3 and gs-4 positions. Again Good Luck in your search for a position. Name did to onion withheld i Puld by pan pah Horn around tin writ. M 21 Jaan old. Mini Loma b Awamia Bacong. Nogron Oiw Ilal of Hal pippin via would like our m i a Yonina Mima in Pip cd Fin. Magda Laius u. Ensuk. 24 3ln Lynn v. Iuno 23 Cip Sulaim. Dimaguila City primp Pirimi am i Ttimr-oktt8ii i Orkow w san Gleera ror m Piu Tan Vasari and am no Worting in Canada my it Obama a cooing Wamming. Toking and Rarang Advt Bra and duct a Ator i ,. . V8slj Canada p44m Bilm i your pan pay column i a i 3s Maaia old. 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