European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A. A monday january 7, 1991 a a a a a a a a by  Reader feels of rating system flawed in be spent 20 years in the military both As an enlisted and officer member. In be yet to see an office unit or organization who owns 65 percent of the top performers within the air Force. Yet statistics already indicate a Large percentage of enlisted Are receiving the highest rating allowed. The myth that most air Force personnel Are exceptional performers lives on. I discovered that ratings were Over inflated after completing my first enlisted evaluations under the new per system. My ears were solidly written. I gave the rates excellent performance ratings of �?o4�?� ready for promotion category. The meaning of the words a ready for promotion seemed Clear enough an excellent worker ready for promotion because he she does More than expected. In other words these people would earn their paychecks if prompted. R i fairly rated my troops. They deserve to be placed competitively for promotion consideration. That show the system works right Wing Here a my opinion Why its wrong. V /.�/. Quot a. A. / a a Ratee expressed concern Over his rating. A video tape on the enlisted evaluation system yes he viewed described the air forces a rating expectation  the air Force produced video on the yes explained these ratings expectations not As a quota system but merely As the air forces forecasting of what1 the rating percentages would look like once the mass of new enlisted reports were tallied. I assured the concerned Ratee that his per properly reflected his excellent performance and his �?o4�?� rating fairly placed him in Competition for promotion. After my conversation i decided to do some research. I viewed this yes video. I saw the same listing of a air Force rating expectations which provided expected percentages for each rating within each enlisted rank staff sergeant through chief master sergeant. I  believe it this video presentation of air Force rating expectations was made available to All military members. It had created a pseudo quota system a perceived gauge raters endorsers could use to place rates in the competitive promotion Pool a not based on performance alone but on percentages allowed by the system. For rates the perceived quota system produced a fear that anything less than a top rating would kill their promotion chances. I researched More to disprove the notion that the air Force created a self fulfilled prophecy by incorrectly providing expectation Levels. I was dumbfounded. The local or per Monitor validated my suspicions. A review of local ears revealed our local rating percentages for each rank category matched the air forces expectations almost perfectly. In other words 69 percent of the master sergeants were rated exceptional performers under the yes at this base Well in line with �?oexpectations.�?�. With All my Effort to maintain integrity i feel the system let me Down. Specifically my fellow supervisors and raters endorsers let me Down by overeating their people. Quot a / a a a. A reflecting in be let my people Down. In be put my a the stars and stripes Pago 11 tees in less than competitive positions a not due to poor performance but from our new yes which allows 65 percent of its personnel to receive the highest evaluation rating. My master sergeant now is rated in the 26 percent bracket Well below the 65 percent rated As exceptional performers. No convincing in the world will make this excellent worker believe his work. Performance is 65 percent below All other master sergeants in the air Force. Against everything i believe and have Learned i May play the statistics game next time i write an per. To not play the system might place my troops unfairly in an already inflated rating system. Raters and endorsers still believe the myth that most rates Are exceptional performers. The system allows us to maintain a highly inflated evaluation system and keeps alive the myth that most our people Are exceptional people. A a maj. Jonathan c. Canter Raf Greenham common England editors note a it. Col. Valerie a. Elbow chief Public affairs military personnel Center Randolph fab Texas replies when the air Force implemented the enlisted evaluation system in May 1989 the goal was to improve performance through a formal performance feedback system and to ensure performance counted in the promotion process. Reducing rating inflation was never a formal goal although it was anticipated that with proper feedback and use of qualifiers in the evaluation Section of the performance reports we would see lower ratings. A. However shortly after implementation numerous questions and concerns were raised across the air Force. Most commonly people wanted to know How ratings and endorsements were being applied and wanted Assurance that everyone was following the same procedures and guidelines. Because of this concern and inconsistencies in rating criteria air Force wide the air Force chief of staff established a rating expectations in january 1990. A a expectations were not and Are not intended to be quotas. They re a common set of reference Points for everyone to use and Are based on two things the actual rating and the philosophy that As individuals Progress in rank and experience and pass each promotion Bur die they re expected to be performing at a higher level and ratings should reflect it. Before the a a expectations had time to have a a real Impact a review of per rating showed that the majority of ratings were already in line with the a a expectations numbers a and still  key to the yes is honesty and integrity not expectations. If ratings Are based on performance and potential the system will work. Individuals who received an per prior to the release of a rating expectations a and who believe they received a rating based on a local a a quota system May have been unfairly considered. They should Contact their consolidated base personnel office customer service unit. Pen pals i am a Catholic and 19 years old.  Reading gardening and swimming. A Brenda p. Amancio a no. 10 Perdices St. Banic old Bridge Quot Dumaguet City 6200 Philippines thirty something Good sense  humor love socializing and junk food we May have something in common. I would love to hear from you. A Pat Readett 4 Peel close Atherton Manchester m29 9ef England i am 20 years old and would like pen pals. A Estrella Castanares a 45 Hibbard Avenue f tubed Dumaguet City 6200 Philippines a. I am 23 years old and new to Germany. I am lonely and shy and would like people to write to. I like cure Dereche Mode. Violent Femme Tchaikovsky Bach e. E. Cumming3 and Albert Camus. A Douglas Mhz hic Usa eur Pac corp Box 455 apo09102 i am 17 years old. My hobbies Are writing Reading dancing and playing volleyball softball and basketball. A Sharon v. Catubay Poblacion Sabinay Negros Oriental Philippines a. Dear Ann Landers in a a 20-year-old College Sophomore who lives in a co cd do Rrt with 300 other students. Last year 1 met a really neat Guy from another school at a party. I made the mistake of sleeping with him on the first Date. I thought he liked me a lot and would ask me out again. I was wrong. In a sure he considered me a Pushover. I wish 1 could Chalk this up to experience and forget it but i can to. He gave me genital warts. Ann id never even heard of genital warts but now in be become an expert. Its one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases around. Too bad it does no to make the headlines like aids though it is highly contagious. You can use a condom and still get genital warts. Once you have the virus it is in your system for years. Without treatment these warts can cause cellular changes that could Progress to cervical cancer. If you re pregnant you can pass the virus on to your unborn child. A \. \ a a. A  Ann in a scared to death. I can to concentrate on school. Id give anything to be healthy again. My folks arc supportive and in a thankful for that. And what about the Guy i was with he a out there still scoring. I done to care what happens to him which is not very Nice but i feel sorry for the girl he will probably Charm the pants off of this weekend. Please Tell your readers that this disease is serious stuff. It can be deadly. No sex is Worth the Price in a paying. ,. Hurting alone dear alone i can understand your bitterness but your attitude is almost As destructive As the genital warts. This does t have to ruin your life. Huv human papilloma virus the virus that causes genital warts is both treatable and manageable. A i Hope you Are seeing a competent gynaecologist. Treat mint May not eradicate the Pesky things but you la feel a lot better. Please educate yourself. For More information Send a self addressed stamped envelope 45 cents postage to the american social health association . Box 13827-w, research Triangle Park . 27709. Asha is forming a National Huv resource Center and can Tell you what try Hortent is available and whom to Contact in your Arpa. Thank you for writing. I wish you the Best of Luck. Dear Ann Landers please Tell your younger readers that i am not their a pm oms and my husband is not their a pop a we May have lived a few years longer than they have but we Arentt their parents. If they want to speak to either of us and they done to know our names they May address me As a a May am a a a lady or a mrs a and they May Call my husband a sir a a a mister or even a they  this mom and pop stuff Isnit indigenous to one particular part of the country nor has it anything to do with old age. It began when we were in our 40s. We get it on both coasts and places in Between. Kids use these salutations to address adults of All Ages. If you print this Ann you Are sure to get a rousing cheer from the Over-40 crowd. Sign me a taking umbrage in grand Forks . . In . While that familiar salutation May suggest a Lack of propriety there san element of harmlessness that should not be overlooked in a not condoning it but just pointing out that these kids  cull you mom or your husband pop if they disliked you. A c creators Syndicate a a letters to Ann Landers May be addressed in care of the stare and Stripe. Apo new York 09211. And they will to forwarded to  St team Fries european edition  200,000 col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander publisher Bernard a. Zov1stosk1 a editor it. Cot Gayle w. Fix Usa Deputy commander Marie Kominicki Bob Wicker 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. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department at defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for Purchase. Use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex. 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