European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. February 8,1990 the stars and stripes pages his words live on 7 decades later in  by Ron Jensen staff tiler the paper written by the men in the service should speak the thoughts of the new american army and the american people from whom the army has been drawn. It is your paper. Good Luck to  those words from Gen. John j. Per Shing commander of the american expeditionary forces greeted readers of the first edition of the stars and stripes produced this Century. It was feb. 8. I9i8. And the news paper rolled off the presses in Paris and went directly to the doughboy who had recently arrived on the battlefields of world War i. The lop Story was headlined army men build an Over seas Pittsburgh and told How warehouses rail Yards. Factories and the like were being constructed to Supply the War Effort. Another Story told of the tooth yanking car. A Mobile dental clinic operated by the red Cross. Men on leave not to be led round by hand blared another headline. The Story below assured the soldiers that they were on their own while on leave. The stars and stripes had a Brief history in the american civil War so the world War i version was not ground breaking. But the stars and stripes struck a chord with soldiers who contributed cartoons stories and poems. It also was Well received in journalistic Cir cles. A writer for the new York Globe said the great american novel was being written every time the stars and stripes rolled off the presses. And some of the men who helped produce it went on to journalistic Fame. Grantland Rice became famous As a sportswriter with the new York Tribune. The name of Alexander Woollcott is known As a new York times drama critic author play Wright wit actor and radio personal  1925, former stripes reporter Harold Ross founded the new yorker Magazine. After the armistice. Frank Lin Pierce Adams returned to the new York Tribune. His byline eventually appeared in the new York world the new York Herald Tribune and the new York Post. The world War i version lasted for 71 weeks coming out every Friday from feb. 8, 1918, to june 13, 1919. Those 71 editions set the tone for the world War 11 version of the stars and stripes that began in 1942. It is that newspaper that continues today. The army s commander wished stripes Well in its first Issue in 1918. Voa still advertising Obs despite hiring freeze by the Washington Post Washington the voice of America is Adver Tising nationwide for International broadcasters in 43 languages including English at the same time it has announced a hiring freeze and the firing of 37 employees. The three advertisements posted on the office of personnel management s nationwide Federal Job opportunities list in Washington and in other cities across the nation seek applicants for International broadcast ing jobs that pay starting salaries ranging from $15,738 to $34.580 a year. What s going on Here said Gary a. Marco presi Dent of local 1418 of the National federation of Feder Al employees at the Voa. I heard them announce a total hiring freeze and the last time i checked that meant no  a Voa personnel official said the Job listings were not As mystifying As they appear. Given the length of time it sometimes takes to go through the hiring process and conduct tests if we said Mel s take Down our announcement thai might cripple us six to nine months from now said John s. Welch via s chief of personnel operations. He said that when Voa imposed a hiring freeze Sev eral weeks ago personnel officials asked if they should review inc number of people on their wailing lists for jobs to Sec if we should cancel some of our announce ments Given the constrain is on hiring should we cease soliciting further applications was the que lion he said. We arc in the process of carrying that  Welch said the freeze docs allow for filling critical positions in languages other than the six language serv ices to be eliminated in april. For example he said if we lost a critical position in mandarin chinese we could fill  the Voa announced thursday thai in will eliminate broadcasts in six of its 43 languages greek turkish laotian slovene uzbek and swahili. One of the Ihrcke Job notices however advertises for employment in 43 languages apparently including the six the Agency plans to eliminate. The three International broadcasting notices on the govern Mcnol s bulletin Board for Job Hunters have been open from three to almost five years. All Ihrcke Job listings expire next october. An introductory poster on the Job Bull Lin Board Siales inc Lisl is not a list of immediate Job vacancies bul an applicant might gel inc impression from the announcement Hal there arc such vacancies. The announcement reads voice of America seeks inner National radio Broad casters. A skills Tysl and a voice audition arc mandatory. 22 languages Are covered by this  a second notification covers 43 languages and a third Only English. The notices say Hal inc jobs Avail Able Are few however the continued posting of jobs during a Hir ing freeze coupled with the polite offer to mail an a Pica lion loan English Only speaking applicant inc Day Afler the freeze was announced May undermine the credibility of the Federal hiring process. Former Federal Reserve chairman Paul a. Volcker s National commission on the Public service has Cril Ici cd the system As slow confusing complicated bureaucratic and ineffective. The system frustrates applicants and agencies alike according to the commission. Advertisements arc sent out but applicants May not hear if they arc in the run Ning for several weeks or months. By the time they arc placed on the Lisl As a qualified applicant icy May have already gone to work some where else. Continuing to advertise during hiring freezes has occurred in the past according to Richard b. Posl Dirac Lor of the Washington area service Center of  maintains the Job Bull Lin Board. Frequently agencies under a general hiring freeze will have positions that arc still open for some career intake so they Don t bankrupt the future he said. Galvin criticizes cuts in overseas construction by Chuck Vinc Washington Bureau Washington Gen. John Gal Vin. Inc lop . Military official in Europe criticized lawmakers wednesday for not supporting the military construction needs of troops in his command. Galvin commander of the . Euro Pean come. Urged lawmakers to full fund the Pentagon s fiscal 1991 construction request to maintain the Quality of life for troops in Europe even As con Gress prepares to reduce the level of those troops. In testimony before the Senate armed services committee Galvin forcefully called for approval of the 66 construction projects proposed in the budget for the european come. We be seen support for military construction falling off especially in Europe in the past few years Galvin said. A renewal of thai support from con Gress he said would reassure service members thai while troop Levels May drop in does t mean thai those who re main in Europe will be forgotten. Many Junior enlisted personnel arc concerned not Only with their careers but whether the Quality of life in the Mil itary will stay adequate. Galvin said. That translates into child care Cen ters clinics mess Halls Barracks and schools he said. The european come has a valid need to spend Money on building and upgrading facilities that directly contribute to troop morale even at a time when the Overall military Structure is shrinking he said. Over the past two years lawmakers have drastically reduced Money for overseas military construction pro decl Sand diverted Illo Domestic bases in what congressional staffers have called a policy of Amoric  for the current Galvin fiscal year Only $500 million of the More than $8.5 billion approved by Congress for military construction is targeted for overseas bases. I m really worried about the $290 million requested for military construction in the european come for fiscal 1991. Galvin told the commit tee. The european come construction request the lowest in nine years proposes 18 army and 24 air Force projects that focus on giving our peo ple Quality living and work spaces an supporting readiness and training Galvin said. Six Navy projects arc facilities to support maintenance and operations. There arc also eight medical facilities thai arc especially important along with 10 schools projects to Cor rect substandard aging and Over crowded buildings he said. The enormous pressures on the Dod budget should not be allowed a overshadow the fact Hal these facilities support our Forward deployed forces Galvin said