European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday february 8, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 3dodds regions to merge by 96 by Rosemary Sawyer Brussels Bureau Houtalen Belgium a overseas schools in Europe will be consolidated into one Region by 1996, according to department of defense dependents schools system director John Stremple. Stremple told administrators from Atlantic Region schools and District offices at a conference this week that he hoped the consolidation would take place after the children of the last withdrawing scr ice members and civilian workers had left. Currently three regional offices administer the 201 Dodds schools in Europe. They Are the Atlantic Region headquartered in London the Germany Region in Wiesbaden and the Mediterranean Region which is relocating to Livorno Italy from Torrejon a Spain. Joe Blackstead Heads the school Region in Germany the one most affected by the draw Down of forces in Europe. School enrolment has dropped from about 78,000 in August to fewer than 68,000 As of this week. Blackstead said that merging regions is inevitable As the organization shrinks. However a we Welcome a delay of that decision until the draw Down is Complete in Europe a he said. A the closer that we can keep the regional offices and support functions to our schools the better our system will Stremple told the 80 educators at the three Day conference that he believed the system can shrink to one Region without laying off permanent employees called a reduction in Force. Atlantic Region director Georgia Wil Liams Scaife called the decision to Combine into one Region a inevitable in View of peace and what is happening with the a it makes sense that if the Bottom is getting smaller that we have to get smaller at the top a Williams Scaiff said thursday. Consequently starting next week working groups will be formed in the Atlantic Region to develop ways to reconfigure the school system. Thomas Goodman director of the Mediterranean Region said he was not surprised at the decision. Goodman said he expected it a about that time Frame. The draw Down in Europe results in a draw Down in Dodds and we will be supporting or. Strum Plch a in an interview Stremple said that while a not absolutely certain a he thought the school systems personnel turnover could provide enough openings for displaced personnel. He also noted efforts that Are being made by Dodds officials in Washington to identify teaching and administrative opportunities in stateside and International schools. Stremple also said that he expects fewer teachers will be displaced during the 1992-93 school. In his year about 85 temporary teachers in Germany lost their jobs in january. Quot we re going to do a better Job with it this year a Stremple said referring to having had to match staffing Levels with enrolments. Quot there was a Speed up that took place and we did no to know the magnitude of the draw Down Early enough. So we really had far More teachers than we needed to Start the school school officials Are working with Pentagon officials a to get a finite number of teachers that fund next year and leave us alone even if the draw Down compromises that ratio a Stremple said. Education writer Jim Jonos contributed to this report doctors aides join ranks of army officers by Ron Jensen Niernberg Bureau Grafe Wohr Germany a Roger cordial this week exchanged the warrant officer rank he has worn for 10 years and replaced it with the added prestige and responsibility of a captains rank. A a it a a different feeling that a for sure a said cordial a physician assistant with the 547th general dispensary Here. Qualified army physician assistants around the world bade Farewell to their warrant officer rank at the same time As cordial in a move the service made to better represent the status of the physician assistant or Paas it is most often called. A it just reinforces that they really Are professionals a said maj. Elizabeth Neuhalfen commander of the 547th dispensary where cordials ceremony was held tuesday. The air Force Pas became commissioned officers in 1978. The Navy followed suit in 1989. In Europe 49 of usage urn a 89 physician assistants became commissioned officers at ceremonies in several locations tuesday. The ceremonies were held at the same time around the worst with approximately 300 physician assistants receiving commissions said Barbara Slifer a spokeswoman for 7th medical come in Heidelberg Germany. To qualify for the commissioned rank Pas had to have graduated from an accredited school for physician assistants received a baccalaureate degree and passed a certification Board. Depending on their years of a experience the warrant officers in grades one through four were commissioned As lieutenants captains and majors. For cordial the move ends several years of speculation. A a they be talked about it every year at the a conferences a he said. A they just kept finding ways to not do a physician assistant works for a doctor he explained but handles Many of the chores normally done by the physician. For example he said at the dispensary he pulls nighttime duty while a physician is on Call. A amps Ron Jenson Tony Vargas Moreno a former chief warrant officer 3, gets his captains bars from it. Col. Edward Bishop commander of 3rd support in and his wife Maria Vargas. A we see patients just like they do a he said. Any diagnosis made by a physician assistant is later reviewed by the doctor. The presence of the Pas allows the doctors to see More patients in their limited amount of time. A at the staffing Levels we re at a said Neuhalfen a without the Pas the Day to Day care that gets done for the soldiers and the family members a we be Able to do first it. Steve Hale a a with the 2nd in 64th Armor said a i always have a doctor i can go to to discuss a Case or to give me a second however he is called the a a Doc for the battalion caring for soldiers in the Field and family members at the clinic in Schweinfurt Germany Hale said. The Pas can do minor surgery such As removing cysts or performing vasectomies Hale said. During War they might perform limited emergency surgery. In congratulating the new officers col. Glenn Snodgrass commander of the 100th area support group said a Over the years they be become More and More and better and better qualified. They re the Lifeblood of our medical system. Today they have gained another level of the new rank gives the Pas More Money and better control Over their career. Cordial said its possible that in a few years one of his Brethren might attain the rank of colonel. There was a bittersweet tone to the ceremony for Hale a warrant officer for five years. A the longer you Are a warrant officer the fonder you Are of being a warrant a he said. A you remember where you came from. If i could do it and get paid for the responsibility id rather stay a officials fail to inspect some airlines Gao says Washington a the governments aviation safety inspectors consistently fail to target airlines that pose the greatest risk do not inspect some airlines and do not routinely follow up to verify problems Are corrected congressional auditors said thursday. In House testimony Kenneth m. Mead director of transportation issues for the general accounting office said the Federal aviation administration which runs the inspection service does not track what actions if any Are taken to Correct identified problems. Therefore a the possibility exists that serious problems will remain unidentified putting airline passengers at risk a Mead said. But Anthony j. Broderick the Faass associate administrator for regulation said the Gao report a provides Little balance and does not realistically portray. Where we stand in our efforts to improve our airline surveillance and inspection members of the House aviation subcommittee and other witnesses said the Gao report should not unduly disturb air travellers even though improvements can be made in the inspection system. Chairman James l. Oberstar d minn., said that the Faa inspection system has improved greatly Over the last five years and that the travelling Public a should not be concerned that. Safety has taken a nose but Oberstar said vigilance must be maintained a because at five to six to seven Miles in the air there a Little margin for Mead agreed saying �?o1 done to think anyone can fairly contend this system is unsafe a but there Are problems that need greater he said the Faa has failed to address several a fundamental and deeply imbedded problems that prevent the Agency from providing sufficient Assurance of airline safety. Mead said the Faa a a did not perform required inspections of All airlines some of which did not receive any a a does not follow up to determine whether airlines take corrective action on identified problems particularly those that Are the most a a does not target inspection resources on the basis of airline risk a instead focusing inspections primarily on the number of planes in an airlines Fleet
