European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 6 Over Story the Barracks room at he co 2nd in 68th and regt in Baum older Germany. Is Vine Crown new rules help make Barracks a definitely Home pfc. Ronald Mccrae says the Best part of the army a new Barracks policy in Europe Quot is they re just treating you like a then apologizing that he was in an All a male tank battalion he added Quot or Mccrae from Brunswick ga., is a fuel truck Driver with the 2nd in 68th army regt. The 1st army div unit is in Baum older Germany. Mccrae said he used to have two roommates. But one Quot did no to like my instead of having to live in discord they talked to the first sergeant and a just changed in the old Days conflicts Between mismatched roommates sometimes escalated into pitched Battles and led to big gripes about life in the Barracks. Now soldiers Are urged to select the people they live with. And 1st sgt. Kimball Beard was proud that head just finished segregating his Barracks into smoking and non smoking rooms. Spec. Clyde Williams 29, a fuel truck Driver from Houston was surrounded by half a dozen Large Leafy plants in his Barracks room. He explained that he was waiting for the weather to change so he could report them. Before he had a few Small plants a but nothing like this a said Williams who has been in the army More than five years. Plants he said Are a not Only a Way to beautify the area they bring and they re definitely a an Eye Catcher a he said. Quot even if you re not a Plant in the past he said Barracks dwellers never had Quot a place you actually feel like you re at Home. This makes a lot of difference takes away a lot of a a it a Home Quot he said. A a it a definitely Williams room is also decorated with flags carpets and other Eastern souvenirs of his military travels through Iraq and Turkey. Surveying the room he now Calls Home with its exotic plants and tapestries he said a it does kind of put you in mind of an arabian Down the Hall spec. Richard Chiles was listening to country music while sweeping the Barracks floor not far from his dining room table. A the Little nitpick problems arc gone a Chiles said in a Missouri accent. The 27-Ycar-od army Cook is from Lowry City. A a it a a lot easier living Here. They be got a pretty Good plan a just getting it the rooms Are a cleaner now than they were before a he said. Quot now everybody a trying to show off for the next before Chiles said everything was a dress right dress. About the most extravagant thing you could get was to throw a carpet Down and a couple of posters on the when the new Barracks policy came Down Chiles picked up a table chairs and dish Cabinet from used military furniture sales. The table Cost less then $25, and everything else was quite a bit cheaper he said. Quot gives us something to play cards on a he said of his expensive looking dining room set. A a it a a lot of change a said pfc. Martin Beltran a cavalry scout. A it feels better not to have someone come knocking on your door to Tell you to Wake up. You live with who you want not someone you re assigned before he said his floors were constantly scrubbed and sergeants checked to make sure Beds were made. A it was like having a baby Sitter Quot Beltran said. A now when someone knocks on the door it s Tike your Home. You can say a who is it a and when they Tell you you can Tell them to come in or at the end of the duty Day a you done to have to Vorry about a cd in the hallway telling you to keep a sunday april 26, 1992 your music Down a the Cavalryman said. Quot we re trying to instil that its a Home away from Home. Its our said staff sgt. Douglas Mack who lives in the Barracks because his wife did no to accompany him on his tour to Germany. The Lack of cos however Means the company a off Post Telephone needs to be locked up at night Mack said. And the phone will eventually disappear once the first sergeant finds a new office. Command sgt. Maj. Ernest Chaney said his signal battalion in bad Kreuz Nach Germany was already abiding by most of the new Barracks ideas Long before they became Europe wide policy. Quot the biggest thing going at his unit was the elimination of Quot the booze policy Quot said Chaney 39, who was born and raised in Georgia. Under the old system soldiers were limited to two six packs of Beer per person Quot and no hard liquor Quot Chaney said. Now with drinking rules blown wide open a alcohol related incidents have not gone up a said Chancy who has been in the army 21 years. Quot there has been no the old policy was probably not strictly enforced he admitted. A i think soldiers were probably getting what they wanted to drink All along. Now its just Legal. They be been getting ration cards All along Why they be allowed to drink their full ration a policies limiting alcohol in the Barracks set a double Standard Chaney said. On one hand troops were encouraged to drink safely preferably at Home. On the other hand single gis were forced to venture away from a a Home if they wanted to drink heavily. The toughest Challenge of the Barracks revolution he said is trying to get Only two soldiers per room. He had almost achieved it until the battalion got an unexpected influx of 100 soldiers almost All of them single Over the Christmas holidays. That Quot put a Damper on the two Soldier concept for the time being. Now lie Hopes to get 93 percent of his troops into two Man rooms by the end of summer. Spec. Freddie Pettis 24, a combat signalman in Chaney a battalion found out about the revolution when he returned from duty in Kuwait. His friends told him the Barracks were Quot a lot More relaxed a he said. A usually we were so military around Here it was pretty rough. Now i can relax go to my room a said Pettis who a from Tulsa okla. A a it a More like going to a Home instead of to the Barracks a the unit still has once a week inspections Pettis said but these Are also far More relaxed than the old Days. People in the signal unit told pvt. 2 Anthony Vance that he a came Here at just the right time because everything a changing Over a he noted the 18-year-old from Spencer w.va., said he a was no to expecting anything like that. I was expecting a bed and a bunk. Nothing before said his Roommate pfc. Crsencio Hernandez 19, a you have Nice things in life. You were allowed a bed a Wall locker that a first sgt. June Payton had just arrived to the signal battalions co d a few weeks earlier a wish i had it so Good when i was growing said Payton 34, who has been in the army 16 years. I remember the times i had eight to a room and no space at All a As Long As her soldiers keep the place clean and Don t act a like people in a College dorm on weekends a she says the new system will work. Sgt. Nancy Morales decorated her Barracks space to look like a Fine old european living room thanks to furniture she received from a Friend whose German neighbors were redecorating. Morales 36, says she Isnit allowed to inspect her soldiers rooms every Day. Instead she tells them to a at least keep their stuff she said she knows they probably done to live quite As elegantly As she does. A a they re Guys. They like to rough it a Little Vince Crawley
