European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ann Landers sunday August 28, 1988 the stars and stripes dear Ann Landers a woman in Albany wrote to Tell you hat she is having a Tough time because her voice sounds just like Ann Landers. Wherever she goes people come out of the Woodwork and want to see the famous columnist. If you think that lady has a problem what about me i am Ann Landers. Ten years ago i acquired your name through marriage. Ever since that time i be had to answer a lot of dumb questions. I even get it at Home. My 8-year-old just walked by and wanted to know Why i am writing a letter to myself. There Are both advantages and disadvantages to having your famous name. On the plus Side my friends get a kick out of saying they know Annanders. When i give advice people have a tendency to be respectful. The disadvantages i can t write a Check use a credit card or give my name on the phone without getting some smart Aleck re Mark. I m expected to have All the answers. Nobody is that smart. Not even you. When people ask if i m the real Ann Landers i say yes because that is my name and i m a real person. It always leads to a hassle which i find pretty tiresome. I wonder How Many More of us Are out there your namesake in Dallas dear Dallas sorry to be causing you so much trouble but i had the name first Honey. I d like to hear from others around the country who Are similarly cursed or blessed. Is it fun is it a headache do you hate it do you love it please let me know. Dear Ann Landers although i strongly suspect that the letter from the woman who already has three kids and wants another one so badly she can t stand it was written by someone on your staff to stir up controversy i am rising to the bait. This blinkered wife says she can t understand Why her husband is so stubborn because she is the one who has to go through the pregnancy and the delivery whereas All he has to do is get her pregnant. Neither she nor you seem to realize that he is the one who will have to put yet another child through school and in the not too Distant future he will be borrowing Money to pay tuition for three University students. He also knows that he will have to put up with a fourth petulant argumentative whining ungrateful teen and that As soon As they Are in High school they will demand sports cars of their own then apartments and help Between jobs if they Don t feel like working. Dad is the sucker the great silent minority. He has every right in the world to decide How Many Chil Dren his wife can have. I m on his Side and i think you should have your head examined for telling that fool ish woman to take him to a Counselor. Sign me  planet in Bangkok dear  planet first your suspicions Are wrong. No one on my staff including me could write letters half As Good As the ones that come from my readers. I Don t know How Long you be been in Bangkok but i think you d better come Home and get a Reading on what life is like in America these Days. The stereotype of dad As the sucker the great silent minority is from old movies dear. Very old. The cliches Don t fit anymore. If on the other hand you Are writing out of your own experience i d like to ask who raised those whining argumentative and ungrateful kids who demand sports cars apartments and help Between jobs if they Don t feel like working sounds like maybe the chickens went Home to Roost. Page 11 letters restrictions on use of facilities explained i m sure there s someone out there who will be glad to take this Opportunity to explain what appears to be an ill considered policy wrong and obviously so. While on leave i recently visited an air Force installation in Spain at Zaragoza. I was denied the use of the base Exchange and commissary because i did t have a Spanish id card. My Active duty id card an leave orders were not sufficient. The lady checking id cards at the Exchange and the sergeant at the pass and id desk both patiently de scribed the policy although neither understood it. Normally a Tantrum or shouting fit would have neatly resolved the problem but i could see that they weren going to Budge. The trouble lies with some Peculiar agreement we have with Spain. Apparently service members assigned there Are accorded the exalted privilege of using Exchange and other military facilities with the rest of us lowly Usa eur Safe soldiers left to forage on the Economy and just holding the Short end of the stick i general. Frankly i think the military is bound to provide me and the rest of us Here in Europe with the use of All available facilities. We work a Little too hard to accept half our due. At least the thoughtful personnel at Zaragoza ensure that minimum needs can be Pur chased at their shop Pette. Please explain Why this policy is in effect and what is being done to change it. I do not appreciate being a second rate citizen and i m sure that any one facing similar circumstances finds them Equall dissatisfying. By the Way if the answer is that Zaragoza is Actu ally a Spanish base and they set policy please Tell us to what extent they have contributed to the construction of the Exchange transportation of items from the United Stales paying the employees and All that other neat information that shows de Facto control of the cafes facilities. 1st it. Matthew h. Ginn Baum older West Germany editor s note Thomas p. Kennan or. Spe Cial assistant for nato Legal affairs he Usa if replies the . Forces ability to operate resale activities such As the Exchange and the commissary at overseas locations is subject to the approval of the Host country concerned. The . Forces do not have an unconditional right to do so because most if not All of the items sold at such facilities have been imported or purchased free of Host nation customs duty and other taxes. In Spain the United states agreed As part of the 1982 agreement on Friendship defense and cooperation with that country that Access to and sales by such resale facilities would be limited to military and civilian personnel and their dependents who Are stationed or on temporary duty in Spain. Consequently personnel stationed elsewhere in Europe or in the United states for that matter on leave in Spain As Well As military retirees Are precluded from using those facilities. Spain by the Way is not the Only nato country where Access to the commis sary and the Exchange is restricted to personnel stationed in country. Similar restrictions exist in most four Host nations. If the writer intends to vacation in other countries in the theater he would be Well advised to ascertain he forehand what . Facilities he will be Able to use so As to avoid the Surprise and disappointment he encountered at Zaragoza. Soldier questions proper lacing of boots what has happened to All the cos it seems As though there is a new fashion style in the army to wrap your excess Boot laces around the top of your Boot on the outside. I guess we should just select what parts of a 670-1 we would like to comply with and go from there right i walked into the Exchange the other Day. I saw five soldiers with their boots Blouse in the above mentioned manner. No not All of them were below the rank of specialist. There were two cos an e-4 and two e-2s. Everywhere i go now i find myself looking at soldiers boots and to my amazement this epidemic is everywhere. It seems that this new fad All started when the new leather boots came out the ones that have Metal clasps instead of eyelets. In the Box with these boots is an instruction slip that states that the excess lace May be wrapped around the outside of the Boot. Obviously some soldiers fail to realize that this manufacturer has no More authority to Tell people in the military what to do than we As soldiers have to Tell him How to make boots until a change to a 670-1 comes out to alleviate the problem with these new boots the regulation remains Clear that All excess lace is to be tucked inside the Boot. It stands to reason that once other soldiers noticed this new mousing procedure they began to accept it As being authorized for All the types of boots authorized forbear. Don t the cos of these soldiers enforce All the standards set Forth in Wear and acceptance of army uniforms and insignia or just a select few of these standards such As haircuts and polished boots i find it amazing at How few cos there Are left who make on the spot corrections on soldiers who Are blatant in their violation of the standards. If All cos were to act in this uncaring manner the army would be nothing but a mass of rebellious and undisciplined losers. Why Are you considered hard Core if you enforce the regulations you swore 10 uphold when you pinned on those stripes name and location withheld editor s note sgt. 1st class Bradley t. Neff leadership Branch office of the Deputy chief of staff personnel he Usa eur replies you Are absolutely right in regards to a 670-1, Wear and appearance of army uniforms and insignia. Para 27-4 c states the boots will be diagonally laced with Black laces with the excess lace tucked into the top of the Boot or under the Blouse trousers or Slacks. The majority of soldiers in today s army take a great Deal of Pride in their military appearance and Are extremely proficient in their duties. It is unfortunate that a few soldiers either Are not aware of current uniform policy or Are apathetic in their responsibilities to Correct violations. Cos should be familiar with not Only a 670-1, but also a 600-20, pm 22-100, and pm 22-600-20 which outline their authority and responsibility. Pen pads please publish my name in your pen pal column. My hobbies Are Reading music travelling and exchanging ideas on various subjects. . Nilwan communication department Ofrim directorate Kim a . Box 23, Hafar Al Batin-31991 kingdom of saudi Arabia i am a 40-year-old elementary school teacher who would like to have pen pals. My hobbies Are writing pen pals Reading collecting Stamps and travel ing. I like volleyball and basketball. Thelma Cagatin Canduro Ace. Valencia Bohol Philippines european edition col Jeffrey m. Cook Usa commander editor in chief it col Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. 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