European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday april 1, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 3april blooms for military children by Walter Jahncke staff writer if the words of a fourth grader at Nas Simonella Sicily Are any indication the military lifestyle is not always easy on a child. A i think being a military child is very hard because you have to travel so much a the student wrote. Quot i mean you make a big sacrifice leaving All your his words echoed the sentiments of Many fourth graders at the Stephen Decatur school who were asked to write about life in Simonella and life As a military child. The assignment was partly in recognition of the month of the military child honoured by the department of defense in april. In 1986, then defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger selected april As a month to recognize children of military families. His decision coincided with the National association for the education of Young children organizations annual week of the Young child. This year the week of the Young child is slated for april 19-25. In his memorandum to the military departments Weinberger wrote that the month was a in recognition of the essential role that military child care services and youth activities play in the life of military the idea was for each service to develop promotional materials and events emphasizing Quality services for children and issues that concern them. Bonnie storm chief of . Army Europe a children and youth Branch said that a wide Range of activities is planned throughout the command. Family advocacy outreach workers at Pitburg a Germany decided they would grab the Community a attention by distributing Blue ribbons As a Symbol of the months theme. They Hope people will see others wearing the ribbons and ask questions. The Heilbronn youth Center in Germany has planned activities for nearly every Day of the month ranging from a Boss for a Day pro Gram to an easter egg Hunt. A i think its a Good time a said Malcolm Thompson youth Center director a a Good time for everybody to look at the military child a growth and Thompson said the Boss for a Day program helps children understand How the Community a military and on base civilian offices Are run. Youth Center staff will select children to be a a Bossy at the military police station housing office and other offices on base. But the months activities Are not All fun and games. Karen seals a publicity specialist with childhood is vory hard if you re in the military it because sometimes your parents go array or you move away from your grandparents family friends or pets a a Simonella fourth grader morale welfare and recreation at Raf Edzell Scotland said children there will get a free checkup performed by the local dental clinic which will also treat any minor dental problems on the spot. Child psychiatrist j. Rivas will speak to parents on child behavioural problems during a luncheon at bit Burgos officers club the same Day the Community a teen youth Center sponsors a teen rap session on sex education. An International children a Book Day at Alfred t. Mahan elementary school at Nas Kef la Vik Iceland will introduce children to stories from All Over the world. A my opinion is we re the Luckiest Bunch in the world a Jan d. Long elementary school principal said of the opportunities a career of travelling with the military affords. He said he Hopes the Book Day will help a focus on the International aspects of kids overseas and the opportunities that Are available to doctors nurses Sno plow operators optometrists lawyers air plane mechanics and others will read or Tell stories of korean egyptian English scottish american Indian and icelandic origin. Despite its adventure the constant relocating involved with military travel can be unsettling to a child. Another Simonella fourth grader wrote a childhood is very hard if you re in the military because sometimes your parents go away or you move away from your grandparents family friends or the student continued a when i moved from the states i missed my family and friends and pets but i always keep a picture nearby and when i cry i look at them. It makes me Happy after a Long a i think its a great idea to celebrate and give recognition to the military child a said Vicki Turner chief of Community services at is Gonella a family service Center. A because they do go through so much they Are and some children have the Burden of their parents anger and abuse to Bear As Well. April is also child abuse prevention month. Quot its logical to celebrate child abuse prevention month during the month of the military child a according to Janalee Sponberg who works at the Pentagon a office of family policy support and services. Because we re celebrating children it makes Good sense to talk about protecting the month is not based Only on Community activities. A the important thing is to be with children Quot said storm of the . Army Europe a children and youth Branch. A spend time with them. Read them a Book. Go on a walk. Listen to their viewpoint. It does no to have to be a Community sorts mail under Canvas and camouflage three soldiers with the 115th postal co unload Apo bound boxes during a training exercise in Kaiserslautern Germany. By Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany never mind that the room had Canvas Walls. Never mind that the clerks wore full chemical protective gear. The mail got through. Those who sorted the letters and packages in the makeshift surroundings belonged to the 115 h postal co As part of a training exercise at Rhine ordnance Barracks on Friday. The soldiers represented platoons in Baum older Pir Masens bad Kreuz Nacov Mainz and Kaiserslautern said capt. Kim Mondonedo commander of the company. Although the company normally processes mail for All the units in the area represented by the soldiers Only mail addressed to soldiers offices and agencies in 41 units in Kaiserslautern was sorted and distributed from the exercise site Mondonedo said. After the mail arrived at the site at 7 30 . A about a half hour later than expected a soldiers quickly dug in and began the tedious process of sorting the 2,500 pounds of mail by Apo number. In the midst of sorting three blasts of a truck Horn signalled a simulated chemical attack and the soldiers dropped the mail to Don their Gas masks. Soldiers who were outside unloading the truck found cover in nearby vehicles and tents. Soldiers breaking Down the boxes and bags of mail inside a Large tent went Back to their tasks. The Only problem the soldiers discovered was a not having a whole lot of vision a said pfc. Jason Colberg from the Kaiserslautern platoon. Pitching the mail into the specific Apo slots was easy he said but Reading the addresses through the often scratched eyepieces of a Gas mask was not. Unit mail clerks arrived Early for the 9 .-to-noon mail Call some waiting up to 30 minutes for their mail to be sorted. Spec. Jeff Richards mail room clerk for 21st theater army area come Headquarters said the process was a bit slow because the entry guards allowed Only a few trucks into the area at a time. Richards said people in his unit noticed no difference in their mail delivery. A contingency of 47 soldiers from various platoons arrived at the site on thursday by 12 30 . They immediately began setting up tents and camouflage netting and arranging perimeter guards a process that took More than three hours. Faces were liberally smeared with camouflage make up and perimeter guards diligently stopped vehicles at the Sites entry Road. At Dawn Friday soldiers in the two Large tents folded sleeping bags and cots to make Way for the mail room tables and bags. Each of the two tents housed about a dozen soldiers in the near freezing weather. Small heating stoves attracted the soldiers to warm up chilled fingers and toes Coffee and hot chocolate and res meals ready to eat. Mondonedo said that she sets High standards for her soldiers and hoped that the exercise would a phone their wartime the two Day exercise tested a primarily the postal Mission and defensive operations a she said a to see How Well they be been
