European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes Friday March 24,1989 army running out of Money to ship products to cafes stores overseas by Chuck v1nch\vshin Jlon Bureau Washington the army is scrambling for Money to pay for shipping products to cafes stores overseas in the face of hefty increases in transportation costs and a congressional Cap on morale welfare and recreation funds. Rales charged by commercial Ocean freight Compa Nies jumped 50 percent this fiscal year compared with costs for fiscal 1988, resulting in a shortfall of More than s67 million for the shipments. Army spokesman la. Col. Greg risen said. Continued devaluation of the Dollar against the Weil German Mark and japanese yen has aggravated 1 lie problem causing a further deficit of 128 million that is hurting not Only the cafes shipping account by also All other aspects of army morale and recreation activities Rixon said. Neither event was foreseen when he army which manages the funds used by the Exchange service to pay for its Ocean shipping costs sent its fiscal 1989 budget request to Congress in Early 1988, he said. But some aides on Capitol Hill already arc Grum bling about what one railed the army s faulty Book keeping.". It should t have taken them nearly this Long to figure out that they had a problem and to address it said a congressional source who requested anonymity. They got almost the enact amount of mar funds that they asked for. This is the second year in a Row that we be seen this problem although last year weddin t have a Cap so it was easier to solve the shipping account would have run dry at the end of this month Only Halfway through the fiscal year but the army has been Able to Shin about $12.4 million from other mar accounts to keep . Products temporarily flowing to overseas exchanges said Clare Moelk a defense department mar official. Moelk said moving the Money should carry the account through april although air Force Mai. Jim Cha Berg an Exchange service spokesman in Dallas said that might be enough to keep goods moving through Early summer. Beyond that the Pentagon will have to seek legislative Relief. At Issue is the Cap placed on morale Wel fare and recreation funding by Congress in the defens appropriations act for this fiscal year. The House and Senate appropriations committees capped morale and recreation funding at the level re Quested by the defense department ,16 billion for fiscal 1989.  the problem is not that we need More Money Moelk said. We just need to get Congress to raise that Cap and give us the authority to spend More of the Money that we already have on mar. Right now we re barred by Law from spending More than $1.16 billion on mar Ali is  Pentagon will have a proposal ready for con Gress within the next few weeks Moelk said. The congressional source said a request to raise Theca slightly would probably be granted if that proves to. Be the Only workable solution. We re very concerned he said. That subsidy fora Afes transportation costs is really a lifeline for our people overseas. It s one of the most critical aspects of All mar  but the source also wondered Why the other services or at least the air Force which administers cafes operations with the army could t help cover the deficit since the Cap affects All defense department mar funding. V however because the army is designated us the manager of the transportation account for the Exchange service the problem is unique to that scr inc Moelk said. " of. "  we understand the army is pretty much on its own with this one cab org added. Employees shielded from Adverse effects by Crystal Laureano staff writer Heidelberg West Germany army civilian cup Joyces tearful of los my some benefits if their jobs Are converted from. Non appropriated to appropriated fund pay systems cannot be forced to make the conversion. Army regulations have shown " i. J citing an increasing number of employee complaints to Congress Gen. Crosbie. E. Saint commander of the army in Europe stressed in a March 7 message 10 civilian personnel officials that no non appropriated fund positions Are to be converted to appropriated fund if employees would be adversely affected funding changes in military morale welfare and recreational activities have meant that some non appropriated fund jobs will become appropriated fund or Tan supported positions. At the same time some appropriated fund jobs will become non appropriated fund. But without specific legislation employees converting to appropriated fund positions cannot take existing benefits such As step increases. Sick leave or an Nual leave withthcm., ,. The defense department has drafted a proposal covering the benefits Issue but it has yet to reach Congress. Mean while non appropriated fund employees who enter the civil service do so under the same conditions As a new govern ment employee. 7v  however army appropriated fund employees transferring to non a Propri a cd fund jobs have new regulations that allow them to bring earned benefits into the new system if the switch is due to the congressional classification. Non approx plated fund personnel policies Ore set by the department of defense an the Parent service so legislation is not necessary to change policy. Nearly 2,000 positions in Europe Are slated for conversion to appropriated fund most in child development serv ices youth services and recreation. Personnel officials say the current Dod. Proposal would make any benefits trans Fer retroactive to Jan. 1, 1987, when the. Congressional funding reorganization was enacted.  Many workers arc Sec pit Cal about converting without any Guaran tees. Some say their jobs and earned benefits have been threatened by supervisors attempting to coerce them into convert ing to the civil service system. V i As Early As 1984, army regulations slated that no action can be taken that. Will adversely affect the non appropriated fund employee reflecting defense department and army policies on Posi Tion conversions according to usar eur officials the regulation further states that reductions in Force or rims should be avoided by reassigning employees to other positions and that conversions to the new funding system should be delayed until the employee can be re assigned. A february 1986 update clarified the prohibition on forced conversions to appropriated fund no action can be taken that will adversely affect the. Non appropriated fund incumbent without the incumbent s specific consent in a december Mes be army Community and family support Center officials in Alexandria va., said that until it is possible to protect the benefits of converted non appropriated fund employees conversions should be accomplished As positions become vacant or when the employee voluntarily agrees in writing. The recent message insisted that identification of a position As excess and separation of an employee who docs not Volunteer for conversion is not a  officials at Usa eur s non appropriated. Fund civilian personnel division say they Are not aware of any employees threatened with r1f or position Elimina Tion if they do not convert and re emphasized thai. Employees cannot be forced to convert news update paraguayan paper Asuncion Paraguay a the Independent morning newspaper Abc color resumed Publica Tion wednesday five year to the play after it was closed by the de posed government of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner. When i saw the first test news in pcs i could t contain my  said editor and publisher Aldo Zuccolillo who founded the newspaper in 1967, an editorial published in the first Issue stressed that Good government is impossible without Freedom of the press adding it has been said that ideas can be dangerous but the suppression of ideas is always fatal " provisional president Gen. Andres Rodriguez who toppled so roessner in a violent fcb 3 coup gave Abc color permission to resume publication and prom ised to respect Freedom of express Ion Bill would curb sex spouses right to collect military retirement pay by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington a California Law maker is seeking to prohibit divorced spouses of military members from collecting a share of retirement pay after they remarry defining which benefits divorced spouses Are entitled to has Long been Ahot Issue in the military and rep. Rob Ert Dornan a Calif has joined the fray with a position favouring the military member in divorce cases. We arc suggesting that the  be amended so that if a spouse who has been awarded joint retirement pay remarries they arc no longer entitled to the joint retirement pay and it goes Back to the scr ice member an aide to Dornan said. However Dornan has yet to find a co sponsor for his Bill which was introduced in late january and is now in limbo with the House armed services manpower and personnel subcommittee. We Don t think it s going to succeed said Shirley Taft of expose which stands for sex partner Elf service members Taft is Quick to admit that efforts by rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., to improve the benefits Given to former spouses of military members also have been Floun Dering. Dornan s aide said the congressman s Bill is not dead. He pointed to Strong support from veterans associations and veterans support groups which have been offering suggestions on How to make the Bill More politically acceptable. Bob Doman is the first congressman in years to have tried this the aide said. It s not going to happen  Schroeder has said the defense depart ment unlike the foreign service and Cia refuses to automatically acknowledge a spouse s right to a share of retirement pay and then unfairly divides the pay after a court orders spouse support  of what mrs Schroeder and others who have supported expose and other groups think. To first off believe that it is not the Federal government s area to set priority Dornan s aide  a court decides the spouse is entitled 10 one half of the retirement that s fair and Good he said. But if they re marry that should void  defense department spokesman said Domen s legislation if successful would bring Dod in line with the Cia and the civil service regarding retire ment pay and  to a 1985 Survey the Man Power data Center estimated there were 57,000 divorced enlisted . Service members on Active duty and 157,000 re married enlistees. For Active duty offi cers an estimated 9,000 were divorced and 31, remarried