European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a Page 11 re Are a a question on underpayments answered dear Reader this May be the most important column you have Ever read. The Sis the most feared word in the English language cancer. Here Are some facts and figures compiled by the american cancer society. More than 6 million americans Are alive today who have a history of cancer 3 million of them diagnosed five or More years ago. Most of these 3 million can be considered cured. By a cured Quot it is meant that a patient has no evidence of disease and has the same life expectancy As a person who never had the disease. These facts and figures indicate that Early detection and Early treatment can and do make the difference Between life and death. This year about 510,000 will die of the disease. For 50 years breast cancer was the major cause of cancer death in women. In 1990, for the first time breast cancer moved to second place and lung cancer took Over. The principal culprit is cigarette smoking. It remains the single most important preventable cause of death in our society. Smoking also has been implicated in cancers of the Mouth Pharynx Larynx oesophagus pancreas uterus cervix and bladder. Smoking is also a major cause of heart disease. Recent surveys show that More men have quit smoking and More women have taken up the habit and at an earlier age. Teen agers especially girls represent the largest group of new and heavy smokers. There Are about 49 million smokers in the United states today and 40 million sex cigarette smokers. The symptoms for lung cancer Are a persistent cough sputum streaked with blood Chest pains and recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis. Two cigarettes a Day doubles your chances of getting lung cancer Over 30 years. Three triples it and so on up to 20. Does it pay to quit ten years after you quit smoking the added risk of lung cancer virtually disappears. In 1987, it was estimated that 45 percent of All adults who had Ever smoked had quit. Chewing tobacco or using snuff As a substitute is not a Good idea. There is a risk of getting cancer of the Mouth Larynx Throat and oesophagus. When i see major league baseball players with wads in their Mouths i worry about them. I also worry about the example they Are setting for the youth of this country. About one in 11 men will develop prostate cancer. This is the second most common cancer in men. Skin cancer is first eighty percent of All prostate cancers occur in men Over the age of 65. Most common symptoms Are difficulty in urination and the need to urinate frequently especially at night. For reasons not known Black americans have the highest incidence rate of prostate cancer in the world. Cancers seven warning signals a change in Bowel habits. A a sore that does not heal. A unusual bleeding or discharge. A thickening or a Lump in the breast or elsewhere. A indigestion or difficulty in swallowing. A obvious change in wart or mole. A nagging cough or hoarseness. If you have a warning signal see your doctor at once. Gem of the Day Yogi Berra when told by a major celebrity a you look Cool a replied a you Don t look so hot  c creators Syndicate there was an article published recently regarding a study performed by the Gao general accounting office in which it found allowances were miscalculated by the defense department. I am not surprised As 1 am sure that people who Are affected Arentt either. The study showed that As much As $58 per month May have been withheld from families living on the Economy. Of now that a been established what is going to happen to reimburse these people we lived in Kaiser Lautem for two years and finally were forced into government housing As it was just too expensive to live on the Economy. Between rent Gas electric and water we were paying too much out of our own pocket and  afford it. We All know that if it was us owing our government $58 a month for the past two years we would have started paying this pay period. What should we do is. Jones Sembach a West Germany editors note a sgt. 1st class Michael Donohue staff finance no office of the Deputy chief of staff resource management he Usa eur replies the article you refer to had several inaccuracies. Only after Gao completed its study did it talk to members in the few communities mentioned in the article. The Gao study found Many things with Oha overseas housing allowance and cola Cost of living allowance working Well. However the Gao also found some things that need to be done better. One that affects the amount of Money we receive deals with the Survey process. The surveys Are completed by soldiers and determine the amount soldiers Are paid. The Oha Survey never clearly reported the period of time soldiers reside in private rental housing . Since one component of pm a is an initial terminal occupancy expense moving in moving out allowance and is determined by the average expenses involved in moving into and out of private rental quarters divided by the time spent in those quarters this could someone please answer the following question Why can department of defense civilians employed by the . Government in Germany get reimbursed for their Agency fee when they go through an immobile in real estate Agency to find an apartment or House this fee normally amounts to two or three months rent plus tax of 14 percent. Military members cannot get reimbursed for this expense even though in a lot of cases they must Deal with an Agency to find an apartment because so Many Are controlled by agents. The military members Are the ones who need this added help the most. If i am wrong about department of defense civilians getting reimbursed please inform me but 1 believe they have been getting this reimbursement for years. A name and location withheld missing data created a problem. In the absence of data pm tatar per diem travel and transportation allowance committee used 34 months. Gao reported the time spent in  is less. Based on their report Usa eur and Safe and Nav eur did a review of All communities. We found in Germany the average is really 20 months. That information was provided to pm tatar and effective March 16, the in out portion of Oha was increased from $15 to $25 per month. _ another Issue affects soldiers Only and deals with computation of the Utility portion of Oha. To make it simple the Utility allowance is made up of five utilities and services electricity heating air conditioning water and trash disposal. Each Utility and service has a Point value assigned. Soldiers accrue Points for those utilities and services not included in rent. After determining the Utility Point score the joint Federal travel regulation a for is checked to determine the percentage of the Utility allowance to be paid. When the current Oha system was implemented in april 1986, credit for air conditioning was not Given since most european Homes Are not air conditioned. Soldiers were not Hurt As they do not pay for services they done to receive. The Gao study concluded that air conditioning credit should be Given. As a result of this Gao study pm tatar amended the a for effective sept. 1 to state that if neither the landlord nor the Soldier pay for a Utility service the Points accrue to the Soldier. Usa eur finance offices have adjusted the Utility codes on less to reflect this sept. 1 change. However not All soldiers will receive More Money. Many soldiers currently residing on the Economy Are already receiving 100 percent of the Utility allowance and therefore will not receive additional monies because of this air conditioning change. Still have questions Contact your servicing finance office through your personnel services no. Editor s note on april 20, our Washington reporter. Janet Howells Tierney reported that a Pentagon official said service members who had been underpaid allowances would not be reimbursed because it was not possible to calculate the amounts due individuals editors note a Donald p. Grassi housing division office of the Deputy chief of staff Engineer he Usa eur replies thank you for this Opportunity to answer your questions. The Issue to reimburse military personnel for fees paid to agents for a dwelling unit has been one of the major housing concerns. We have been working on this Issue for several years with the people who establish the overseas housing allowance a the per diem travel and transportation allowance committee. They have informed us that effective sept. 1, military personnel will be reimbursed Agency fees up to an amount that is a customary for the area As certified by housing referral offices to local finance and accounting offices. Is my hobbies Are playing football and dancing and corresponding. I would like to correspond with pen pals from age 15-23.1 am 20 years old. A Micheal Simpson Mcgrath Road Ewarton . St. Catherine Jamaica West indies i am 40, married and looking for a pen pal. Corazon Caballero 1315-g Catano St. Samplo Manila Philippines i am a 23-year-old Catholic. Berlin Kee 310-b Sta. Teresila St. Game Ash Manila Phalinn inels i am 22 years old. My hobbies Are singing Reading watching movies and listening to music i would like to correspond with pen pals irom age 17-25. A John Simpson Mcgrath Road Warlon . St. Catherine Jamaica West indies a policy on rental Agency fees explained the european edition col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in Chiel it. Col. Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in Chiel Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication Lor members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command the appearance of advertising in this publication incl thing or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the sense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertise. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made Purchase use or patronage without regard to race Leolor Raling. National origin age. 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