European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 30, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes sunday october 30,198b plan has designs on look of bases move seeks to instill Pride in soldiers by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington a sweeping pro Gram designed 10 bring army installations some of which arc of world War 11 Vintage or earlier into the modern acis just taking hold in the Field army officials say. The 5-month-old concept called the army communities of excellence pro Gram is meant to give soldiers and Rami fies greater Pride in their environment while serving As an umbrella fora variety of of her base initiatives said Mai. Gen. Charles Williams management director for the army chief of staff. Williams briefed 200 delegates on the plan Friday at inc annual army family action planning Eon Terence. It la encompass everything else we re trying to do for our communities he said. All our moving parts will be in  the program focuses on facilities and services with much of the emphasis on the physical Plant at army bases Wil Liams said. But this is not a  pro Gram he said it s not about painting  the concept is meant to spark major changes in the Way the army builds new facilities and uses old ones nol Only in their exteriors but also in their Overall design of interiors and utilities he said. The Cornerstone of the facilities por Tion of the plan will be a requirement for each installation commander to submit installation design guides to serve As master plans. This used to be an option for installation commanders Williams said now it s a  the guides win incorporate inc work ing parts of the plan including enhanced self help programs which Are the heart of a facilities excellence program according to department of the army Pamphil 600-45, a recently published outline of the plan. The pamphlet say a larger self help program will break the habit of waiting for months or Yean for someone else to rectify a facility problem. It s intended to stimulate people to Correct the fault themselves and to provide them the tools materials and expert guidance needed to do  building exteriors. A master paint and finish plan should be Ope of the first parts of an installation design guide to be developed the pamphlet Stales. Interiors and furnishings. It s been proven beyond a doubt that Well de signed and tastefully furnished work an living spaces influence Job performance and Quality of life the pamphlet Lustra. Installation design guide also Dustcover Plani for base landscaping Light ing roads and utilities. Williams Laid. In addition 1o raising Pride in the army environment a substantial Mone tary award is part of tie program. The commander in chiefs installation Excel Lence award Given to one Bate each year has a $250,000 each prize. The army also has established is of her awards for Small medium and Large bases in the United stale and Over seas each with a Cash award of 1100,000. The first award Are scheduled to be Given in May. Army urged to launch drive to restore educational funds by Chuck Vino Washington Bureau Washington the army should do everything possible to restore slashed funding for Soldier and fam ily member education programs delegates to the an Nual army family act Ion planning conference said. When 1 talk about the three r a i m not talking about Reading writing and Rich Metic i m talking about recruiting retention and readiness said lilt Raab a family member from Carlisle Barracks a. Such educational programs As tuition assistance testing Basic skills enhancement and foreign language classes were Cut by about 30 percent for fiscal 1988 and fiscal 1989 because of budget constraints said Raab who voiced concerns expressed by her commit tee during the we Klong conference. That kind of curtailment of such an important pro Gram can be disastrous she said we re telling peo ple who have worked Long and hard to improve them selves that they can to Lake these classes anymore. More than that they can t get educational counselling that s just wrong especially when you consider that education is tied to promotion for enlisted sol Diers and is often the key to career advancement for  in the Quality of life that education can bring combined with the role Model presented to families by soldiers trying to better themselves will Seton example for the Besl Pool of recruits Well have in the 21 St Century our own military families Raab s working group strongly recommended that the army consider restoring tuition assistance As Well As classes testing and counselling services at least to fiscal 1987  then were comparable to types offered by the private sector she said. At current in ecu army programs Are no longer competitive. The group also recommended two changes in the new go birr. To qualify for the Benefit soldiers roust sign up while at the reception station when they enter Basic training and must contribute s100 per month for the first 12 months of their enlistments. The reception Center is a traumatic time during which the enlisted May not be prepared to make a objective decision concerning his future education Raab said. Also under the current program Soldier must con Tibule nearly 20 percent of their pay entitle ments for the first 12 months of enlistment. The working group recommended allowing enlistees to enrol in the program at any time up to 2 months before their initial Date of separation and spread the contribution Over a period of up to 36 months. Issues raised by various working groups Are for warded to maj. Bruce Greenfield chief of toe manage ment analysis division of the army s Community and family support Center. Valid ideas that Are financially feasible Are made part of the next army family action plan he said. Warsaw pact wants Summit talks on reduction of forces in Europe Budapest Hungary a foreign ministers of the soviet led Warsaw pact have proposed an East West Summit to consider reduction of conventional military forces in Europe the Mai news Agency reported. Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze and the top diplomats of the six of her pact members Hungary Poland Bulgaria. East Germany Romania and Czechoslovakia made the proposal at a meeting Friday Mai said. The official hungarian Agency said that in a statement issued late Friday that the ministers pro posed a Summit of All european countries plus the United states and Canada to review cuts in conventional armed forces on the continent. The statement on Confidence and Security build ing measures and disarmament in Europe also Calls for inc Banning of Large military Maneu vers and reductions in the size duration and frequency of other a Nevers. Mai said the foreign ministers proposed notification of Independent activities by air and naval forces and creation of zones of Confidence and Security in Europe and the adjoining seas and oceans. The freezing and reduction of military expenditures and the establishment of a european information and Contact maintaining Center for the prevention of any Surprise attack. Measures for regular Exchange of data about the armed forces and their operations and for Exchange of information on the Structure and substance of military budgets. ,.the statement said the proposals were meant to make the military potentials of the participating state become strictly defensive in  among topics to be discussed by the ministers u the conference being held in Vienna to review compliance with the Helsinki accords on european Security that were signed in 197s by virtually All european coun tries America and Canada. Earlier this month in Vienna the soviets removed a major obstacle to proposed new talks on reducing conventional weapons in Europe. Diplomats in Geneva said the soviets reversed their stand and agreed that the Issue of tactical nuclear weapons would not be included in the new conventional forces talks Between members of the North Atlantic treaty organization and Warsaw  new negotiations would replace the Mutual and balanced Force reduction talks that have dragged on in Vienna for is years. Military Roundup Netherlands army officer named to nato Post Brussels Belgium Netherlands army maj. Gen. Get . Heezen will become them preme Allied commander Europe s re menu live to the military committee at nato he tuesday. He will replace Netherlands air Force maj. Gen. Louis . Herink who will retire he zen will leave an assignment As the army s Deputy director of Materiel. Elferink Baa served As the representative since november 1985. Sembach commissary wins Best installation award Sembach a West Germany the base commissary was named the i Mendel it vers award Winner As the air Force s Besl overseas commissary at the american logistics Assoc a lion National convention in Washington on oct. 18.the annual award is Given to the commissary that is judged Best Overall in troop support Groc Ery produce meat customer service and management support a base spokesman said. Sembach Security no captures 2 top honors Sembach a. West Germany electronic Security so Security policeman look two first place awards in the eighth annual peacekeeper Challenge oct. It i at Kirtland . Staff sgt. Rodney l. Potter represented the electronic Security come in the worldwide air Force Security police Competition. He captured the top spot in the inspector general Challenge an individual physical fitness event in winning the machine gun Competition. Potter trained with sgt. Thomas g. Williams from Kelly fab Texas. Peacekeeper Challenge featured combat re Laid events that included combat Nile hand gun grenade launcher and combat tactics com petitions. Special forces interviews to be held in w. Germany Schwet Zingen West Germany Mem bars of the special forces come will to in West Germany in november to interview soldiers in Leres cd in becoming a part of the command. Interviews will Lake place nov. 7-15 in Frank Furt and  and nov. 16-22 in Wil Ryburg and Stuttgart. For details on interested soldiers require ments and interview limes in Frankfurt Call ets 320-5260 numbers ets 468-8344wnrzburg, ets 350-6164 and Stuttgart ets 428-2419