European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday september 1, 1991 the stars and stripes c Page 3gisnurn Berg uses soldiers during relocation crisis by Effie Bathen Niernberg Bureau a Furth Germany a six months ago artillerymen John Nacey was loading live rounds in the iraqi desert. Now he a loading floppy disks into an office computer As one of a growing number of gis filling civilian manpower shortages. Those soldiers part of the Niernberg military Community Are part of what a called a borrowed military manpower a a Way in which the army assigns soldiers to fill local civilian Job shortages. Like Many other military communities Niernberg is faced with the relocation Stampede caused by troop cuts base closures and regular rotations. Its complicated even More by a hiring freeze and the loss of regular employees who often Are family members of outgoing gis. The Niernberg Community which normally has about is such borrowed soldiers now has about 200. Their performance is evaluated by military and civilian raters. No Slack is Given for physical fitness and training such As weapons qualifications. Those tests continue. The soldiers Are working in such places As transportation offices logistics offices and motor pools. They Are especially needed to work in organizations trying to meet the relocation crisis. A the Only Way to do it is to bring in the military people a said sgt. Maj. John heritage who manages the soldiers at the Niernberg housing office. He started out with four soldiers last Spring. A one Soldier teaches three soldiers. That show it works in the army anyway a he said. Now heritage has artillery canno neers mechanics Cooks chemical specialists and a special forces member on loan to fill civilian jobs a amps Effle Bathen sgt. 1st class Harry Lowery is temporarily working in the Niernberg housing office. At right is Sabine Ponton a German who works As a housing Counselor. Turning out for formations each morn ing. Instead of wearing Battle dress uniforms they re wearing ties or Tennis shoes depending upon their jobs. A i never thought id be Here a said Nacey whose clerical Job involves much filing and typing. He was one of 60 soldiers added to the housing offices staff of 65 civilians. He beat the Rush of volunteers from his 2nd in 1st Field arty unit which is deactivating he said. But there Are also delicate aspects to the Job that Are far different from what was required of Nacey in the Field. A we get to handle our manners out Here Courtesy and things like that. There a no women at All in the Field artillery. Now we work with  most of the soldiers Are also not used to working with German employees. But they found themselves warmly welcomed by Many German staff members who were swamped by the housing switches and the incessant ringing of telephones. A a it a quite a transition. There a nothing even similar a said sgt. 1st class Harry Lowery. He used to be a food service manager or Cook for the 16th engr in at Johnson Barracks. The regular staff made him a makeshift office out of bookcases and cabinets. One of the things Lowery likes about being a housing inspector is wearing civilian clothes. Dressed in a Crisp pinstriped shirt and a neatly anchored tie he said a when you go into Peoples Homes they expect you to look  pfc. Davey m. Johnson said its not the first time he a been asked to do More than what he was trained for. He spent two weeks As an acting motor sergeant in the iraqi desert. Ordinarily a Light vehicle repairman with the 2nd in 1st Field arty he now helps coordinate rental payments with German landlords. His new Job has. Given him a different Outlook on the relationship Between soldiers and Community office workers Johnson said. A a lot of service members do create problems and get belligerent a he said. A but As soon As they find out we re in the military they Calm right  also from the same unit spec. Eric Cowgill found himself Manning the housing office front desk. He said he tries to be Low key about the fact that he a a Soldier. A a in a Here doing a civilian Job and i should be treated in that capacity a said the former Mechanic. A i done to want to Sec people pull rank on  so far a lieutenant colonel was the highest ranking customer he a had. The plainclothes i showed the officer some houses and did no to even think about his rank he said. If he met the Man on a Battlefield it a be different Cowgill said. A in that capacity id be working for him. Instead Here in a working with  the soldiers will be Lent to the housing office no longer than about a year said department chief Joe Dunn. It might Hurt soldiers to work much longer than that out of their Field of training he said. A but by the time they re e-6s staff sergeants and platoon sergeants they re going to know How to solve a soldiers housing problems better than  housing officials also said that augmenting their staff with soldiers has increased productivity at least two and a half times. And another proposal being considered in the Community is to use soldiers As packers to Speed up moving household goods. The thing about soldiers said heritage a you Tell them to do something they do  tactical controllers to test for the bests amps Ken Clauson airman 1st class Robert Collinsjr. Of the 4th air support operations groups det 1 in Schweinfurt Germany crawls through an obstacle course at Clay Cavern in Caristedt. By Ken Clauson Bremer Haven Bureau Karlstedt Germany a if the army is embroiled in combat the air Force is nearby. A if you find a combat battalion you la find the air Force in there somewhere a said air Force staff sgt. Kris Engel. A we advise the army on How to use close air support assist them in using it and then control that aircraft a bombs on  Engel is with det 1,4th air support operations group in Caristedt the unit that played Host to last weeks Competition for air Force tactical air command and control specialists from throughout Germany. The Competition took place at Clay Cavern. Tactical controllers work with army combat arms units to plan and coordinate close air support missions such As calling in a los to take out enemy Art pored columns. The enlisted controllers Are typically assigned two per battalion said Engel whose unit works with the 2nd army div. Sgt. Juan Hernandez of the 4th air support operations groups det 1 in Schweinfurt took top honors in the 15-Man Competition its eight events were both mental and physical including Mission planning communications land navigation a two mile run in Field gear with weapon and an obstacle course. The controllers were also Given a 100-question test that covered subjects As diverse As aircraft weapons capabilities first Aid Eastern bloc weapons identification communications equipment specifications and acronyms. A most people Call it a trivial Pursuit Type test a Engel said. A we look in the deepest darkest Corners of the regulations to find the toughest questions we can. The idea is to make them look carefully in the  during another written test the controllers were Given maps and Battlefield scenarios and asked to devise a Mission plan. A Only two events arc really physical the run and the obstacle course. The rest is really a matter of experience a said master sgt. Steven Buhrow a controller from the 4th air support operations group in Frankfurt. A a lot of the stuff is an annual requirement to train on. We study it All the  studying and experience paid off for Buhrow As he took second place in the Competition. He expects the air Force wide Competition at Hurlburt Field in fort Walton Beach fla., to be much stiffer. There hell face More than 100 other tactical controllers. The other . Air forces in Europe controllers who made the Cut for the top level Competition arc in order of placement tech. Sgt. Dale Spiller det 1, 4th air support operations Center group bad Kreuz Nach staff sgt. Max Porras 17th air Force graft Wohr airman 1st class Robert Collins jr., det 1, Schweinfurt staff sgt. John Crouse 4th air support operations Center so Redelheim