European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Babies a not a healthy combination by Sally Squires the Washington Post they seem omnipresent at swimming pools in the summer babies and toddlers sporting new swimsuits and Neon coloured flippers goggles and water wings. Increasingly Chil Rerras Young As 6 months Are being enrolled in swimming classes a trend that some health experts say is ill advised proponents of Early swimming programs contend that drownings could be prevented by teaching babies and toddlers to swim. Quot swimming is a very important life skill Quot said Mark Widome associate professor of paediatrics at the Pennsylvania state University College of Medicine. Quot having said that there is a lot of controversy about swimming for infants/1 a some paediatricians say that even when infants and Young children Are taught to swim they Are too Young to know what to do if they fall in the water unattended. A we advise that parents hold off until children Are developmentally ready Quot Widome said. Quot age 3 is the lower  Quot it is unlikely that infants can be made a water Safe Quot noted the american Academy of paediatrics in a 1984 policy statement on infant swimming programs Quot in fact the parents of these infants May develop a false sense of Security if they believe that their infant can swim a few  another danger of Early swimming programs is transmission of serious illnesses such As Guardia an intestinal infection that can spread by drinking water that is contaminated with fees. This can occur even in some paediatricians say thai children should not be introduced to swimming until they Are 3 years old. Sas fib chlorinated pools physicians report. Infants and toddlers can Swallow Large amounts of water during swimming lessons when they Are encouraged to put their faces in the water or submerge themselves. This can sometimes cause a condition known As water intoxication one reason the american Academy of paediatrics labels infant and toddler swimming programs As Quot somewhat  no one knows exactly How Many children under 3 participate in such programs. But the paediatrics Academy recommends that parents who choose to enrol their children in swimming lessons make sure that the programs follow National Myca guidelines including maintaining proper Pool temperature controlling focal contamination and prohibiting total submersion of children. In addition they advise water play by infants and younger children should be done on a one on one basis with a Parent or other adult. Among the other recommendations for Pool safety a never allow children of any age to swim alone or without adult supervision a carefully watch a child who is in or near the water. A Don t allow children to use inflatable toys or mattresses As life preservers. Children can easily slip off Orthe floats can deflate. A take special care when children Are near spas and hot tubs because they also pose a threat of drowning or overheating. Hot tub temperatures Are sometimes too High for Safe use by infants and Young children the paediatrics Academy advises that babies and toddlers be kept out of them. Readers action line1991 taxes and desert storm i would like to know How taxes for 1991 will be handled. Will we be paying taxes on the total amount we made for 1991 or from the Point we came Back from saudi Arabia spec. Marizol Cintron Katterbach Germany Marcia Shotton taxpayer service specialist internal Revenue service replies thank you for this Opportunity to explain the tax ability of combat pay for desert storm participants. If your Grade is below commissioned officer and you served in a combat zone during any part of a month All of your military pay for that month is excluded from your income. If you Are a commissioned officer the amount of your exclusion is limited to $500 of your military pay each month during any part of which you served in a combat zone. If you Are a commissioned warrant officer you Are considered an enlisted person and your exclusion is not limited to $500 a month. Pay for service performed in the persian Gulf area combat zone is excl Dable from income Only if it is performed beginning Jan. 17 per executive order 12744. Service in the combat zone includes any periods you Are absent from duty because of sickness wounds or leave. If As a result of serving in a combat zone you become a prisoner of War or missing in action you Are considered to be serving in the combat zone As Long As you keep that status for military pay purposes. You also can exclude military pay earned while you Are hospitalized As a result of wounds disease or injury incurred in the combat zone any income tax liability is forgiven if a member of the armed forces Dies As a result of service in a combat zone or from terrorist or military action. Your 1991 w-2, wage and earning statement should correctly reflect the amount of income which is taxable. Further details of tax benefits available to those involved in operation desert storm Are described in irs publication 945, fully booked for an a entire year on june 71 called the arc armed forces recreation Center reservations desk at Chi Emsee and asked if i could get reservations for aug. 12,13 and 14. The woman at the reservations desk said they were Quot fully  i gave her three alternate dates in August and she said Quot we re fully  i then asked if the whole month of August was booked. She said the Quot entire year is  assuming she was t lying to me i would like to ask Why does t arc announce this on an so people Don t waste time and Money calling for reservations that won t be available until 1992? Why does arc pay someone Money to Man a Quot reservations desk Quot when the next six months Are Quot fully booked Quot Quot sgt. 1st class William e. Cotter Crail sheim Germany be James Mccrindle executive director arc Europe replies being Able to truthfully say that farce is fully Quot booked Quot for the rest of the year is a statement that i would like to be Able to make. However that is not the Case and i am most sorry the letter writer was not provided the Correct information. Due to the Liberal leave policy for Usa eur forces after desert storm coupled with the desire of Many service members to visit farce and enjoy Bavaria farce has seen a Large increase in the number of reservation requests this summer. It is possible that when the letter writer called the periods requested were  however the reservations agent should have encouraged the letter writer to Call Back and see if there had been any cancellations. Arc Chi Emsee starts a waiting list seven Days in Advance for each requested Day. I can Only apologize for this inaccuracy and oversight. While the majority of the available hotel rooms May have been reserved for August farce also offers Beautiful campgrounds in Chi Emsee and Garmisch that offer some of the most wonderful scenery and modern camping conveniences in Europe. Reservations for All farce recreational programs and facilities May be made up to 180 Days in Advance of arrival. And As i noted earlier we do receive cancellations so it is entirely possible that there would be no rooms available one minute and then several be available the next. Again i apologize for the misinformation the letter writer was provided. To write us readers action line is the readers1 court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers Page 16 a the stars and stripes wednesday july 31. 1991