European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a a a Page 11 a promotion system for cos explained dear readers once again Letitia Baldridge the Foremost maven on manners has come to the Rescue to guide us with Confidence and courage through the rapidly changing Maze of lifestyles that has left some of us reeling. Her new Book will Tell you the latest protocol for live in relationships. What to do when the problems that surface in second and third marriages get too hot to handle. How to Deal with adult children who want to move Back Home just when you Are beginning to love being alone. The Best ways for women to ask men for dates something that our mothers never taught us. The new etiquette for women and men travelling together on business. How to handle divorce a from breaking the news to your friends and family to starting a new life while his or your children create All sorts of unexpected complications. What to do when your teen Ager is involved with drugs. How to raise the Issue of Safe sex with that new someone in your life. The �?T90s code of behaviour at work that can make or break a career. What to do when your sex husband and his new wife remain in your social orbit. How to make things right when you be done something wrong plus hundreds of situations that did not exist before women liberated themselves. How to execute the traditional rites and passages of life that have changed dramatically in the last 20 years a weddings Ste family etiquette religious ceremonies births funerals entertaining and gift giving. How to handle thorny issues a blended families aged parents who live with adult children interfaith marriages and much More. The author of this 623-Page Book is a rare combination of class and smarts. She has provided practical common sense answers to dozens of questions we never had to ask before. The name of the Book Letitia Baldrige a Complete guide to the new manners for the �?T90s. Dear Ann Landers if anyone has the slightest doubt that we Are living in a totally different world today i Challenge them to browse through the stationery store on the Comer and Check out the card Section. I did it last week and found Beautiful cards for All occasions with the following messages Best wishes to my dear Mother and her husband greetings to my wonderful Stepson Many Happy returns to dad and his new wife Holiday wishes to my former grandparents. I divorced your grandson not you. Congratulations on a great divorce Happy anniversary to my former in Laws who Are still in my heart Best wishes to my former husband on his birthday Happy fourth of july to my live in sweetheart congratulations on your marriage. This one is sure to work. The third time is always a Charm. A bemused in Brooklyn c creators Syndicate from time to time i read articles and complaints about the no promotion selection procedure for All ranks from e-6 up to e-8. I would like to enlighten those who Are unaware of the following procedures that still plague the promotion selection system. A restricted fiches arc still not being looked at by Board members for selection consideration of the top three senior no ranks although the restricted Fiche is used for Many purposes. Commanders have helped wrongdoers in the past by placing disciplinary action punishments in an individuals restricted Fiche in order to not Hurt his career progression and chances of promotions especially if he is a Good no. What this basically Means is the restricted Fiche is used As a a hide away Quot file for wrongdoers who arc competing against those who have done nothing wrong for promotion. This gives the wrongdoer an equal competing Chance with an no who has done nothing wrong or has nothing to hide. For if the a promotion selection boards had Access to All restricted fiches there would be a Little less competing in deciding who is better selected. I am aware commanders Are not the Only guilty individuals in wrongly placing disciplinary actions there without the encouragement and pressure of other senior officers As Well As senior cos. A overseas assignments Are another Factor that promotion selection boards do not consider. I still do not understand How some senior cos arc so fortunate to be selected to the top three ranks and yet were never selected for an overseas assignment in inc 10th, 15th or 20th year of their time in the service. This is while some cos Are selected two or More times to do an overseas assignment. Figure that one out the Only conclusion is promotion selection boards do not take into consideration the weight sharing of overseas assignments. Lets face it the average Soldier does not really want to go overseas. But there is no reason Why some should have to be selected several times to do an overseas assignment is. Those who have not done any and Are selected time after time for promotion. It is not Only unfair to the individual but to his family As Well. An overseas assignment should be mandatory for All cos who have 10 or More years of service before being considered for a senior Grade. A continuous or sporadic alcohol abuse or financial problems bounced checks should be annotated on an individuals Ocoer evaluation report in a separate Block. This is constantly being abused by senior cos and commanders who know of ones problems but do not know How to approach or talk to the individual without turning him off. They know basically How to Correct it by the Book but they do not want to Hurt or damage his career in doing so. Those who have these problems Are not corrected and Are selected Over others for promotion. This explains Why we still see some senior cos at work with these problems that everyone Down to the private knows about but Little is done to Correct it. But let that lower enlisted do it and you will see All sorts of counselling and denial for promotion recommendations All the Way up the Chain of command. In having the fortunate Luck of speaking to no less than four sergeants major and senior officers who have sat on senior no selection promotion boards i find that the average Board member has Only about three minutes to review an individuals record give or take a minute. All of the four past Board members stated one thing that is a problem for determining who is Best qualified. And that a there is simply not enough time for All the Board members to review an individuals record thoroughly in such a Short  if this is True and i take their word for it Why has no one taken the time senior sergeants major or officers to get it corrected or changed instead they carry out a Long tradition of a prolonged problem. A sgt. 1st class Richard f. Tscherne Vicenza Italy editor s note a maj. Stan l. Warrick office of the Deputy chief of staff personnel he Usa eur replies thank you for giving us the Opportunity to address these comments concerning the no promotion system. The commander s decision to place the results of disciplinary actions in the restricted Fiche should be based on the severity of the offence likelihood of recurrence and the Quot whole person Quot concept. All staff sergeants and above May individually request Transfer of old article 15s from the performance Fiche to the restricted Fiche in accordance with army regulation 27-10. Other than by volunteering most soldiers have Little or no control Over their overseas assignments. Assignments Are determined by the needs of the army for a particular military occupational specially mos and rank at the time the Soldier is eligible for a permanent change of station pcs. To penalize or Reward soldiers for factors beyond their control would be unfair in the promotion process. Rating officials Are responsible for accurately reflecting the Overall performance of each rated no. Part in a of the no evaluation report specifically concerns personal values and standards both on and off duty. It is important that appropriate counselling is conducted by the Chain of command and comments on the no evaluation report Ocoer reflect the True performance of each rated Soldier. Promotion Board members generally take Only a few minutes to review each Soldier s records but there is no time limit placed on that process. If the file warrants More time Board members will take it. Cos must understand that the two most important factors that affect the selection process Are the needs of the army and the no s qualifications. The needs of the army can change from year to year As Structure organization changes and Force modernization occurs. The qualifications of the no can improve each year As the no does Well in Tough leadership positions scores High on the skills qualification test set or completes additional military or civilian education. Although individual cos can do Little to change the needs of the army for a particular mos they May improve their own chances for selection by a. Seeking Tough leadership positions. B. Being professionally and tactically competent. C. Keeping physically fit. D. Improving set scores. E. Reclassifying into a shortage mos. F. Seeking and completing military education. G. Reviewing their official military personnel file Impf on an annual basis to ensure it is current and accurate. H. Keeping a current Quality photograph on file. I. Requesting Transfer of old article 15s from the performance Fiche to the restricted Fiche in accordance with a 27-10. J. Obtaining higher Levels of civilian education. Competition for promotion is Tough there is no single item that will guarantee promotion. But the opportunities for promotion arc there for soldiers who take responsibility for their own professional development and careers. European edition col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col. Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. 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