European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes tuesday september 3,1991tlwslstahpis european de Felon circulation 100,000 col Gene e Townsend Usan commander publisher Bernard a. Zovistoski editor Bill Welker european editor Deborah aether nows editor Bob Weckar sports editor to write us Apo 09211 -4211 or Postrach 11 14 37 d-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or ets 346-6 plus Extension As follows news ext. 237, 255,282, 226,326. Sports ext. 225, 269, 263, 332,321, 221. Features ext. 230,245,341. Letters to editor ext. 208.  Jones ext. 228--- business Randy Mcclain ext. 326. News bureaus Bremerhaven Germany Kan Clauson building 103, Carl Schurz Cavern Apo 09069 Telephone ets 342-8659 or civilian 0471-68762. Kaiserslautern Germany Peggy Davidson. 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Munich Dollian 089-6901503 or 6901504, ets 440-6556, i Miv 069 6mh0o6 Nurnberg civilian 0911-712558. Ets 460-7001. Stuttgart Dollian 0711 -646743, ets 420-7175, Greece Athens civilian 9923390. Italy Vicenza Dollian 0444-515358, ets 634-7545, Tel fax 0444-300-641. Spain Madrid ets 665-5807, civilian and Lelela 003416561465. Turkey Istanbul civilian 664372, Tel fax 0090-1-1664372 United kingdom Newbury civilian 0635-44768, Dan 266-3209. Circulation Tel fax 06155-601417  06155-601298 or ets 348-8298 advert Lang display ext. 247.309. Classified ext 349. Advertising Tel fax 06155-601412policy criticized none of the recent comments about individual awards can top the 3rd army dives pcs permanent change of station award policy As relayed to me in my platoon sergeants meeting today. That policy states that itts inter theater transfers do not qualify for pcs awards and none will be considered. If this practice does not qualify As blatant discrimination then the word Quot discrimination needs to be redefined. This policy in effect allows soldiers making a permanent change of station to the United states to receive an award for which soldiers making a permanent change of station in Germany Are ineligible. The logic May be that a person with an itt has served less than 18 months in his unit. More  an attempt to reduce the workload by eliminating a category of Soldier. I can say this because i am in a unit where almost All of the Moss military occupational specialities Are considered critical and with few exceptions those with itts have completed 18 months of service but regretfully still have 12 months left to Deros Date eligible for return from overseas. May i add that the 12 months remaining is not computed on unit deactivation quote Date but an artificial a be a Date three months prior to the actual Date. Also the itt could result from a prior Extension resulting in some soldiers having completed a a a full tour but still be classified As an itt. The end result is Many soldiers who May Well deserve an award being excluded because they do not have to Board a Jet to change their duty station. This policy is shortsighted selfish and discriminatory. A sgt. 1st class David p. Lager Giessen German assault rifles illegal this is in regard to the article in the stars and stripes in which an Alconbury airman was brought up on court martial charges for having a captured ak-47 assault Rifle in his Possession. In recent months an has been running spots telling anyone who brought these weapons Back from the persian Gulf As souvenirs to bring them in to be checked for possible Booby traps. End of spot. What that spot fails to mention is that it is illegal to have these weapons in the first place and anyone bringing in their ak-47 to have it a checked out will not Only have it confiscated but will very Likely face the same charges As the airman from Alconbury. Sounds like entrapment to me and i think any court would agree. If the military truly wants to get these weapons out of the hands of its soldiers and airmen it must permit a Grace period where people May come Forward and turn them in without fear of prosecution not by trying to trick them. Only this Way will we be Able to get these dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands. If these soldiers and airmen Are smart enough to get them out of the Gulf they can probably get them out of Europe and Back to the states and even one More assault Rifle Back Home is one too Many. A sgt. David t. Giardullo Span Dahlem a Germany this staff sergeant has the wrong impression about women in combat and their personal Hygiene capabilities. I have spent six months in this theater first in saudi Arabia and now in Kuwait. I have spent two months in the desert sleeping in non partitioned tents trucks and even when the situations arose anywhere Quot that would do which meant Sand. We often took a Bird Baths when water was Low or out completely or during Sand storms that would not permit us to find our Way 10 Yards from our tent much less to a wooden Structure called showers. Our personal Hygiene needs Are not too much different than the menus and actually if you Stop and think about it it does no to take much longer if any to take care of them. I have spent hours on the Road fight in the saudi arabian Drivers which believe me is a lot worse than any gun being pointed and fired at you. When you Are hauling 8,500 Gallons of fuel on a two Lane stretch of Black top that the saudis turn into a four or five Lane Road without thinking twice about it i would prefer to be in the Sand with my weapon or in the Many layers of steel of a m1a1 tank. If you honestly think in a going to pass up anything less dangerous than what in be been through . Driving a m1a1 tank firing at4s on the Range i would be a fool. A pfc Nance Kuwait try editor s note a i letters from readers expressing their viewpoints or opinions Are published daily in this space. All letters must be signed. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. Letters should be addressed to letters to the editor the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211. A a a letters requesting information or assistance Are answered in a feature called readers action line which appears on Page 16 every Day except thursday and sunday. Such letters should be addressed to readers action line the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211. Wrong impression i would like to respond to the letter a no place for  it seems tha Busy retirees in Greece my letter refers to a recent letter and answer in the readers action line Section about the commissary in Athens Greece. I was glad As a Young commissary officer when i set up. This commissary in downtown Athens in 1947 during the greek civil War. I was not bothered with such fiscal matters As the surcharge and other annoyances that Over the years have improved our commissaries. I had one Mission a keep our troops fed a which included family members in the Athens area plus about 20 detachments stationed with the greek army in the Western and Northern parts of Greece. These detachments because of the mountainous terrain of Greece were Only accessible by our aircraft the c-47, or Goon Bird As i believe they were called. To Fly them we had a Bunch of daring and Brave Young army air corps pilots who daily defied these threatening mountains and literally flew by the seat of their pants As they came in for a Landing to offload their supplies. Now that is history and a part of the letters to the editor cold War. But missed in both comments is that a Large Community of military retirees shop in this commissary. They do not sit on the sideline and Bitch and groan but serve As volunteers checking ids and ration cards a while others Are refinishing a new Retiree office and Community Library in this commissary building. Still others help out in the army Post office. I must add that these retirees represent an office that was selected by the . Air Force four times in the past 10 years As the a Best in the West and a better than the rest my definition. We retirees Are indebted to . Ambassador to Greece Michael sotirhos and Brig. Gen. Edmond s. Solymosy chief of Ca Greece for their foresight in making excellent use of this .-acquired building. A a a Jay Janota Athens Greece not cowards with guns in response to a recent writer Australia Indonesia the Philippines and South Africa All have one thing in common they Are european influenced former colonies in excess of 3,000 Miles distance from Europe. Therefore i feel that no distance or terrain is capable of stopping a determined aggressor. I done to know exactly How Many armed patriotic americans there Are but it stands to reason that they have the potential to join together to form a huge guerrilla Force. If i were to plan an invasion of the .a. I could not ignore this Factor in the intelligence Annex of the oplan. Secondly the russian peasants who Defeated Napoleon and Hitler the North vietnamese and the afghans All had firearms. They were usually acquired from their enemies at each and every Opportunity As per the Norm of guerrilla warfare. One Slit enemy Throat gets someone a Rifle. That Rifle in the hands of a skilled Marksman might get his Side some More weapons. Then there a Good old larceny and subversion. The afghans were and still Are quite adept at making their own weapons. Finally i shoot my weapons for my own personal enjoyment. Most gun owners fall into the same brackets of either recreation or professional shooters . Bodyguards couriers private detectives Security. The above mentioned types Are not the cowards this writer thinks we Are. A sgt. 1st class Harry m. Braxtonjr. Augsburg Germany pen pals i like to read listen to music and write letters. I am 25 years old. A Riza l Casiano do Criselda Caingin 79 Rose Street Adela subdivision 9000 Bagayan de Oro City Philippines i am 22 years old. My likes Are music of All kinds eating out going to dubs watching to and swimming. I am single and have a 2-year-old daughter. I am halt English and halt West to Nolan. A Helen fret 117a but Longdon Road Cowley. Oxford ox41 1qp England. I am 12 years old. I like volleyball softball and writing pen pals. A Contes Quisel Pajumpa Dan Dumaguet City Negros Oriental Philippines my hobbies Are singing Reading and eating. I am 15 years old and i would like pen pals. A Nerisa quite Pajumpa Dan Dumaguet City Negros Oriental Philippines i would like to have pen pals. I am 21 years old. Tunnetta Vincent Road Side dist. Ewarton ., St. Catherine Jamaica West indies am a 3b-year-old widow who would like pen pals. I like writing letters and Reading. Sherlita Villa a meow 141 san Joss re Zamboanga City 7000, Philippines please list my name in your pen pal column. I am 23 years old. A Lucia Auto on to. Plaridel Saga Negros Occidental Philippines