European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 2, 1991 the stars and stripes a Pago 9af1 Star selection system revamped by Chuck Vinch j a a Washington Bureau / Washington a the air Force has Revaj aped the Way it promotes colonels to one Star rank ornate the process simpler and More open according to the. Services top officer. A a it a gone to an open system in the sense that we have for the first time published the procedures that we will use to select brigadier generals a Gen. Merrill Mcpeak the air Force chief of staff said in a prepared statement. Mcpeak said the. Changes were made because he and air Force Secretary Donald Rice were never comfortable with the previous procedures which involved confidential ratings and a three tiered screening Board system. A we want to get away from the idea that we have to keep secrets from ourselves especially in this important business of How we select general officers a me Peak said. A this change is one aspect of a new open Ness in the Way we do our business. The new air Force regulation which was approved by Rice on feb. 11 and should be in the Field within several weeks makes three Pajor changes to the services one Star selection process. A the first is the elimination of a series of three screening boards that was used to narrow the Field of candidates whose records eventually were reviewed by the final selection Board All colonels eligible for promotion will now be reviewed by a single selection1 Schroeder now in select crowd. A a. A. A a. Tas panel head Washington apr rep. Patricia Schroeder on thursday became one of the few women in this Century to head a House committee As she took the reins of the select committee on children youth and families. A it Schroeder a Colorado Democrat it those recent autobiography was subtitled a Champion of the great american family a is a longtime family advocate. The first Bill she introduced in Congress 18 years ago concerned child abuse. Schroeder said her Mission at the children a committee will be a to look at programs to see if they re  one target will be the Federal tax code. A you do better raising thoroughbred dogs or horses than raising children under the current system she said. A Quot Schroeder a senior member of the House armed services committee tested the Waters for a presidential bid in 1988 but decided not to run. President Bush last year vetoed a family and medical leave act sponsored by Schroeder. The Bill guaranteeing Job pro Schroeder tested unpaid leave for employees with new children or medical crises will be one of her top priorities in her new assignment. Schroeder said she also wants to look into head Start funding child care How divorce Laws might be rewritten to ensure the economic Security of children and How . Policies stack up to the Way Othen coun tries treat families. Schroeder succeeds rep. George Miller d-Calif., who has been acting chairman of the Interior committee during chairman Morris Udall a extended illness. House press gallery records list three other female chairmen in this Century a Democrat Mary Norton of new Jersey who headed the District of Columbia labor and House administration committees at Points in her 26-year House career. A a a Republican Edith Rogers of Massachusetts who chaired the Veteran affairs committee during the 1940s and 1950s.a Democrat Leonor Sullivan of Missouri who chaired the merchant Marine committee during the 1970s. The congressional research service added three other names of women who  which no longer exist including Democrat Martha Griffiths of Michigan who once chaired a committee on the House Beauty shop. A. One aspect of a new openness in the Way we do business a Gen. Merrill Mcpeak Board. The 1990 series of screening boards met but the final selection Board was disbanded to allow Mcpeak and Rice time to change the procedures. Mcpeak said the results of the 1990 screening boards will be discarded and colonels who would have been considered last year will be reviewed again under the first selection Board to Convene under the new system. That is tentatively scheduled to occur april 1 at Randolph fab Texas when the Board will review records of All colonels with at least two years in Grade an air Force official said. The Board will take at least two weeks or possibly longer to Complete its work since several thousand colonels will be eligible the official said. A another change abolishes the use of air Force form 706, a so called a closed form that rated eligible colonels and was seen Only by senior commanders and the final selection boards. A a this was a confidential evaluation that was not seen by the colonel who was being7 rated and handled through a system of scaled envelopes a Mcpeak said. A we will no longer do  instead selection boards will rely on form 709, the same form used for promotion to Field Grade ranks and it will be available for review by the brigadier general candidates. The third change eliminates the tradition of submitting confidential a priority lists to final selection boards. The lists contained the names of colonels judged to be top candidates for promotion in the eyes of their senior commanders. A this was also a system that was closed off and none of the colonels being rated knew where they stood on this priority list a Mcpeak said. Concerns raised last year by the Senate armed services committee regarding the old system also played a Quot part in the air Force decision to make the changes. Congressional sources said the defense officer personnel management act requires the services to have regulations in place governing promotions of All officers up to major general. The air Force regulation however addressed promotion procedures Only up to the rank of colonel an omission that came to the attention of Congress last year. A final report is expected to be delivered to Congress soon. Miko Brando comforts his brother Christian seated in photo at left during a break in sentencing Hwing wednes Day. At right Marlon Brando struggles to hold Back his tears during the testimony he gave on behalf of Horton. Brando gets 10 years in prison Santa Monica Calif. Apr Christian Brando was sentenced thursday to 10 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his Hal sister s Lover. A a it a a tragic situation for both families for Christian Brando a Superior court judge Robert w. Thomas said in imposing the sentence. In tearful rambling testimony before sentencing actor Marlon Brando portrayed his son As a a Basket Case a a drug and alcohol abuser whose parents failed him. A a a. Christian Brando 32, Drew a six year sentence on the manslaughter charge and four More years for aggravating circumstances for use of a gun. He pleaded guilty last month to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting last May of Dag Drollet whom he maintained was killed accidentally in a struggle. He said he was angry with Drollet for beating his pregnant half sister Cheyenne. Prosecutors alleging the killing was premeditated sought the maximum 16-year prison sentence. A probation officer recommended the minimum sentence of three years citing chemical a diced brain damage and Lack of self esteem. The sentence appeared to stun the 80 people who filled the courtroom. There was silence for a moment and no one moved. Christian Brando wearing a business suit kept his head bowed and showed no reaction. He had been out on bail. After sentencing he was immediately ordered into custody and led away by sheriffs deputies. A a he a getting away with murder definitely a said Drollett a father Jacques Drollet. He and Drollett smother said the sentence was not severe enough. In testimony before the sentencing Marlon Brando said his songs Mother was an a unhappy arid cruel person but admitted that he too May have failed As a Parent. A a most people have some Good and bad aspects a he said. A this Mother came As close to being a negative person and As cruel and unhappy a person As in be Ever  the elder Brando was married for a year to Anna Kashfi his first wife. The couples divorce touched off a 16-year custody Battle for Christian who was 5 months old at the time of the separation. Breaking into sobs Marlon Brando testified that he asked police to unzip the body bag after the shooting so he could kiss Drollet goodbye. A was Rii Uch As it May not be believed i loved Dag. He was the father of my grandchild a he said