European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Don t be Tacky by Enid Nemy the new York times the world is full of Tacky people. We All know some Rich and poor biggies and nobodies. But there is a difference Between Tacky people and isolated Tacky actions. The difference is that Tacky actions frequently emanate from the nicest people. When this happens we Are usually surprised and sometimes shocked although goodness knows Why. Most of us consider ourselves  people and yet being perfectly honest most of us Aren t above occasional Tacky actions. We know As we Are doing them that they Are in poor taste that they Lack elegance but we do them silencing the inner voice that says a Don to Quot with ridiculous rationales. The people who  big weddings go to the reception but skip the religious ceremony Are Well aware that they Are doing something that in t done. But especially if the two Are at different locations it is easier not to have to search out two parking places or find a taxi after the service. And with 300 people around no one will actually know who is in the Church and who is not. They probably wont but an action does t need to be noticed to be Tacky. As for weddings what about those that done to take place when the engagement is broken before the ceremony and what about the weddings that do take place and should t have a the couple separate in a matter of months. Neither of these occurrences is anyone s business unless fairly costly engagement Shower or wedding gifts have been sent. It is Tacky to ask for anything Back a it May even be unheard of a and the giver May not want a returned Silver tray or place setting of China. But on the other hand in t it pretty Tacky to keep thousands of dollars Worth of gifts for a six or  month marriage. Still what else can be done. Ass Sharon ohday a few fed up wedding guests have after much thought developed an answer for that Quot what else Quot they Tell or write the Happy couple that they Are looking for exactly the right gift and that it will be along eventually. And somehow nothing suitable is found until about a year after the wedding. If there is a first anniversary there is a wedding gift. There is something particularly inelegant spelled Tacky about pulling out a calculator to Divide the Cost of a meal in a restaurant. Unless there is an extraordinary imbalance of  and food consumption on the part of the individuals or couples splitting the Check by providing separate credit cards seems the simplest Way to go and usually evens itself out eventually. If there is a real imbalance and if mental computation is out of the question somehow a pen or Pencil seems less serious and More discreet. And even As the Check is being requested there is Likely to be at least one woman who takes the White Linen Napkin and firmly wipes off All her smeared lipstick on it. Not just a dab of red Here and there but the whole works. A disposable tissue a l As the lipstick wielder is Apt to say what a a Napkin for an argument could be made that cutting off the jacket Price of a Book to be Given As a gift is of no greater consequence than taking the Price tag off any gift item. Still however supportable the premise its just a smidge too genteel to actually take out scissors and snip away a Price that is easily guessed at. Books lending of there s no question that anyone who borrows a Book and does no to return it in even an unreasonable length of  thereby putting the owner in the position of having to ask for its return has a singular Lack of class. Watch women and men for that matter walk out of a store fitting room. Most of them look perfectly  but the Odds Are that a Good percentage Don t leave that impression with the sales assistants the assistants have to retrieve the clothes left hanging there but More often than not the clothes Aren t hanging a they Are Flung on whatever is Handy chairs benches floor. Tacky. There s probably not an airline in the world or a restaurant a Barber shop or a Beauty Salon that Hasni trailed and ranted about no shows the men and women who make reservations and appointments and for valid or invalid reasons Don t show up but also Don t bother to cancel. A a putting aside the financial losses this often Enfa list it also disco modes others who Are unable to get requested reservations because theoretically the restaurant or flight is booked. It is apparently too much trouble to make a simple Telephone Call ask these same people How they would feel if they were giving a dinner party and a guest who had accepted without explanation simply did t appear. They might reason that the situations Are somewhat different one is personal and the other is business. True but Tacky is Tacky with no such distinctions. Readers action Lin extra  off for Superior work of according to the Quot weekly Federal employees news digest Quot of May 20, new rules issued by pm office of personnel management allow agencies to  employees extra  off for Superior Job performance. Does this mean that the commander in chief of Europe May now recognize civilians by stretching three Day weekends into four Day weekends or  Days around the fourth of july As he does for military members . Smith Kaiserslautern Germany a a Barbara s. Jackson personnel management specialist civilian personnel division he Usa eur replies since the recent issuance of new regulations by the office of personnel management authorizing agencies to  employees Quot  off Quot As an incentive for Quot Superior Quot Job performance the writer wants to know whether the cinc May use this authority to  civilian personnel  Oil without a charge of leave or loss of pay for the period around the fourth of july. During the week of june 17, staff members of the directorate of civilian personnel he Usa eur discussed this very Issue with personnel in Aqda department of the army. Washington b c .i.e, implementation of this new regulation we were informed that final regulations and policy guidance would not be formulated in  Lor this years fourth of july Holiday however Aqda is working on it and As soon As Aqda finalizes its draft it will be staffed with its Field activities Mac oms major commands or comments. Unfortunately implementation is at least several months away. The civilian personnel offices will be Given the guidance As soon As it is  allowance and child support q in Lama divorced sergeant first class renting an apartment on the German Economy i have the appropriate statement of non availability stating that neither Barracks nor be bachelors enlisted quarters space is available. The question i have concerns additional compensation to defray my costs of residing on the Economy. The finance office stated that even though my Basic allowance for quarters bad and More is court ordered to pay child support i can receive Only Oha overseas housing allowance to defray the Cost of renting and this is at the single Rale. This Quot compensation Quot comes to a grand total of $4.16 per month to pay a $300 obligation. A single never married e-7 would receive bad at the without dependent rate and a married e-7, separated from his family would receive family separation Type ii which is the same amount. Why does a divorced e-7 Only receive Oha at the single rate is this a losing Battle or can something be done sgt. 1st class Kenneth a. Parrett Bamberg Germany ate sgt. 1 St class Micheel Donohue staff finance no office of the Deputy chief of staff resource management he Usa eur replies the amount of overseas housing allowance Oha a Soldier receives is determined by his her pay Grade duty station actual rent paid and Type of tour with dependents or All others served. Since you have no command sponsored dependents you receive Oha at the without dependent rate. This is the same rate paid to single and unaccompanied soldiers. The difference Between you and other divorced soldiers and single unaccompanied soldiers is other compensation. You Are Correct. Single soldiers receive Basic allowance for quarters bad and Oha without dependents. Married soldiers serving All other Tours receive bad with dependents to House their dependent Soha without dependents and family separation allowance Type i which equals bad without dependents. These married soldiers Are separated from their families by military orders while you Are separated from yours by court order. When the military does the separating extra allowances Are paid. Is it a losing Battle it May be legislation is now pending before Congress to reduce the amount of bad paid to soldiers paying child support. As More information becomes available we will pass it to you through command information channels. To write us readers action  is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about  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  co the stars a rads 0921 Al letters must be Sraj deference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 the stars and stripes saturday August 10, 1991