European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 06, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 11 the Ann Landers column for this Date was not available for this edition of the stars and stripes. Ideas on military . Like most military people i am keeping a watchful Eye on the political game being played in Washington concerning personnel accounts and the Transfer offends from weapons systems. I say political game because that is what it is. It has nothing to do with the defense of our nation. It has to do with dollars and cents. It also has to do with who carries the most weight Congress or the department of  problem As i see it we have a weak or nonexistent coordinated de sense policy. Because of this we Don t really know which weapon system to keep and which to Cut. Weapons systems create jobs political Benefit everyone wants to Cut the $3 trillion deficit As Long As it s in someone else s Back Yard. We need to either make cuts unpopular or raise taxes also unpopular but we can t have it both ways. President Bush let the military Down by not excluding personnel from Gramm Rudman but the Mili tary did t let him Down when called upon for the invasion of Panama. Would one or two fewer b-2s and a sea Wolf submarine put the Security of the nation in jeopardy i Don t think  t misinterpret my position we can t disarm because Utopia does t exist. We need a Strong de sense. There Are still people in the world who hate americans just because we Are americans. And the soviet Union believe it or not is not a democracy. But before we pour millions More dollars Down the Drain let s look at where we want to go. Getting rid of 65,000 Quality personnel and slowing or cancelling promotions is not the Way Forward. Every machine on Earth needs a person to maintain it use it train others to use it or plan its use. There Are Many e-5s and e-6s who have said the would get out voluntarily. My separation Date is april 1992, and i la take my 12 years of decorated air Force service to the civilian world. I am Good at my Job enjoy it and feel that i am doing something worthwhile for my country. If the military can t sufficiently provide for my family by Means of Job Security and promotion Opportunity i la have no qualms about getting out. I believe that there Are always companies looking for hard workers. My final word to the Secretary of defense the sub committees which hold the purse strings and All of our elected representatives take care of America  goes for education social programs the environment the Economy everything where americ forgets to help themselves because of our world status. If that Means personnel cuts in the military Fine but if we can give Aid to Nicaragua Panama and dozens More countries that Are Only Loyal to the financial Aid package without thinking about our own people then we be  americans we have lost our sense of direction. No wonder the japanese own 25 percent of Down town los  this i love America. May we Wake up in time. God bless the Usa. Tech. Sgt. Joe Campbell Raf Fairford England some thoughts on military food facilities i m writing in reference to the writer who was upset because another writer referred to the dining facility As a Chow  i have one question who cares for As Long As the military will be around people will refer to the dining facility As a Chow Hall just like they la refer to the dorms As Barracks. People know what the dining facility looks like. They also know they Are modern and Aren t run the Way they used to be. Soil people Call them Chow Halls who really cares i Don t. Staff sgt. Richard r. Menard Ramstein a West Germany i wish to concur with a recent writer that the term mess Chow Hall no longer applies in our armed serv ices. Military food service operations have evolved beyond the Days of mess Chow Halls to a competitive atmosphere that would rival establishments in the Pri vate sector of food and beverage operations. Our own army Philip a. Connelly awards Competition and the Usa eur culinary arts Competition can attest to the Quality and excellence in army Foo service operations. True we no longer have mess Chow Halls we have dining facilities army facilities have not adopted the a la carte program being utilized by air Force facilities but the Quality of product and service is there. Our facility the 5th battalion 3rd air defense artillery consolidated dining facility the dragon s Den offer service on a per meal basis one Price for the entire meal regardless of items subsisted. At a minimum each diner will have a Choice of two entrees two starches two vegetables two soups fresh hot Rolls assorted cakes pics and cookies and assorted beverages and Access to a salad bar containing a mini mum of 18 salad toppings. There is a Short order men available at the lunch and dinner meal service. As you can see we Are a full service operation dining facility not a mess Chow  sgt. 1st class you Lin Chow dining facility manager Mainz West Germany kindergarten students have special needs this is an open letter to All kindergarten teachers. Count your blessings that my child is not yet old enough to be in your class if you Are conducting you class in the manner described by the dedicated and committed kindergarten teacher. I do agree that Chil Dren should not be pushed to do what they Are not yet ready to do. Kindergarten is a foundation for All future  is important for children to have a successful experience so they acquire a love of learning and become life Long learners. I will use the writer s words think of poor Johnny not  no one forces you to get children ready for first Grade with worksheets and other inappropriate curricula. You make the decision to do it because it is easier than doing what is devel of Montahy appropriate for Young children. Little Johnny is not ready to sit still and pay Atten Tion for Long periods of time. He does not want to do worksheets because they Are Boring and he learns Noth ing from them. Young children learn with their whole bodies from real objects and experiences. He will learn much More spending his time in kindergarten playing with blocks paint dinosaurs Sand water dress up clothes manipulative toys such As puzzles beads to string and play Doh which will develop his Fine motor skills much better  sheets. Most important he needs a caring teacher who i aware of where he and All the other children arc developmentally and who plan activities to meet individual children s needs. You Are right it is not my fault or my child fault that he she cannot do the work required by poor kindergarten programs it is the teacher s fault. If teacher chooses to use worksheets and other inappropriate curricula in kindergarten even though he she knows this is not How children learn Best and it is not what is Best for children that teacher needs to find anew Job. Name and location withheld writer urges better latino representative recently i was watching an advertisement of sort for the stars and stripes. It told what would appear in the newspaper the next Day. It was to be an article on the rising influence of latino americans. I looked Forward to Reading that article. I Purchase the paper and eagerly turned to it. Guess what i saw did i see a picture of our new surgeon general congressperson maybe the education Secretary no it was a pop  what Type of influence is the article referring to Here there was an example of Spanish language advertising and guess what it was the Side of a truck in Miami s Little  won t say the article was All bad. There was a tiny picture of the education Secretary and the article did mention a prominent latino american or two. How Ever the article made it seem like All of us were burnout of the United states. That just in t the Case. The latino americans who will have influence Are those who know the issues and who Are registered to vote. I guess it s fair to say that i Felt let Down by the article. There Are Many More influential latino Ameri cans whose pictures could have been  just wish that we were As influential in getting better representation in such articles As we arc in pop music and in advertising for Corn chips and Beer As the article so properly pointed  link Augsburg West Germany pen pals i am interested in gaining friends through your pen pal column. I am 26 years old. Emmalinda Ellen Cugaly 111 Buri Street Ayala Ala bang Village Muntin Lupa. Metro Manilla Philippines i am interested in writing to military personnel. Male and female pen pals Are Welcome. Marian b. Clark 2445 Amsterdam drive Apt. 7-f Augusta. A. 30906-4464 i enjoy cooking and travelling and i love music. I am 35 years old Corrina Yolanda 63 Russell House Cambridge Street London sw1v 4eq England i am 35 and i enjoy swimming cooking and dancing Clare Parenio 63 Russell House Cambridge Street London sw1v 4eq England the european edition col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col. 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