European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse \ tuesday March 9, 1993 \ th5-stars and stripes Page 3dispute Over education debts snags a a a my. Jet Lasome army by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a several Hundred Junior army officers who applied last year to leave Active duty Early Are in limbo because of a Legal dispute Over whether the service can waive their education debts As it has the past few years. The most recent figures available show that 206 of the 580 applicants for the fiscal 1993 voluntary Early release and retirement program needed no waivers and have separated. Another 39 who sought waivers have withdrawn their applications one chose to pay his education debt of about $4,000 and separate. That leaves 334 applicants mostly first lieutenants whose separations Are being held up As army and defense department lawyers discuss the situation a dialogue that has continued for months according to army personnel the voluntary retirement program began in the late 1980s, army policy has been to waive a year or More of applicants Active duty obligation. That has had the effect of eliminating concurrent debts for people who owed the government for their educations. Most of the recipients of that largess Are . Military Academy and Roth graduates and to a lesser extent those who completed service funded graduate de Gree programs. The window of Opportunity for the fiscal 1993 voluntary retirement program was open from last aug. 24 to oct. 15, with applicants due to get out by sept. 29 of this year an army personnel official said. Many applicants were lieutenants who faced possible involuntary separation before the next army retention Board the official said. A among other things Verrip allows these officers to Cut up to two years off their Normal Active duty service obligations a the official said. A and the More people who apply for Verrip the fewer have to be forced out by the lieutenant retention the army a waiver policy went without a hitch until the voluntary separation incentive program was launched last year. A basically we took the Verrip rules and applied them to Vii a the official said. A we figured we were paying for these people to get out so if they were getting $20,000 under Vii and owed $8,000 on their educations they a still be $12,000 to the but someone who was due to be considered for involuntary separation took offence to that policy. Because his entire schooling debt would have been waived if he was riffed he contended the total debt also should be waived if he opted for Vii. A subsequent letter writing Campaign caught the attention of officials in the office of the Secretary of defense who halted All waivers for education debts. A your position is yes we entered into contracts with these people but we arc willing to renegotiate those contracts a it official said. A Josd s View is that the Secretary of the army does no to have the authority to do no one knows when a final Legal decision on the practice might come. V a people caught up in this need to be patient and understand that the army is on their Side a the official said. A your position is that we re willing to let them go and not pay Back the money.�?�. But if the decision docs not go the army s Way applicants should not feel cheated. A the Law does no to say they May have to pay any remaining education debts if they leave service Early a it says they will pay a the official said. A a these people have to remember they got a Good education for free. They agreed to and signed a contract and technically the Law says they owe the american taxpayers who sent them to despite the army a waiver policy the statutory requirements for repaying such debts were spelled out in the message to the Field last year announcing the fiscal 1993 Verrip she said. Cameras for Rowdy school buses by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau some pupils May not like this Shell game. The 82 buses that transport american children to school in Kaiserslautern Germany May some Day carry hidden cameras that will Monitor their every mischievous move. Kaiserslautern military officials Are exploring this option As a Way to snare troublemakers of All Ages said air Force it col. Sam Hays the 86th support group Deputy commander. For some students a their whole Mission in life for the next 45 minutes is to destroy the bus Driver.1 a master sgt. George Romero a that was one of the ideas that was it eing kicked around a Hays said of a recent brainstorming session with some parents. A if it is doable Quot he said a and it can help he situation Heck i would want to do a group of parents has asked military officials to do More to Monitor the antics and actions of the 3,300 pupils who ride area school buses each Day. They maintain that is Drivers who often speak Only German ire too Busy driving to spend much time Matching what is occurring directly behind ignorance is Bliss. For some pupils a their whole Mission in Ife for the next 45 minutes is to destroy he bus Driver a said master sgt. George it Omero who handles the school bus con act in the Kaiserslautern area. Although they would be new to Europe Ideo cameras Nave become almost commonplace in the United states. More than 2,000 school districts have i her use video cameras on school uses said Gordon Wells National sales manager for Billingsley parts and equip ment inc. Of Huntsville Texas. His company accounts for about half of the units sold in the United states. The idea is to outfit each bus with a Black Box that would contain All the wires and plugs to accommodate a Small camera. The boxes Are mounted inside the bus above the Windshield in the Bulkhead. A red Light is added to give the illusion that film is rolling Wells recommends using one camera for every 30 buses which equates to about $316 a bus boxes included he said. School officials then rotate the camera from bus to bus at the beginning or end of the Day to keep not Only the children guessing but the bus Drivers As Well. A a Drivers attention does no to have to be distracted any More than two or three seconds for an Accident situation to present itself a said de Garner a former bus Driver who is the transportation director for the Huntsville Independent school District in Texas. A it just makes it Safe for the kids and that a the whole purpose of Garner is sold on the idea saying he uses the film and audio track not Only to catch hellions but also to evaluate the person behind the wheel and to develop training films for new Drivers. The Drivers Are not Only criticized but praised he said. And most significantly he estimates the cameras have helped Cut the number of complaints by half. But not everyone is sold on the idea. Indianapolis Public school system was one of a few in Indiana that took part in a Pilot program for the 1991-92 school year. The school system uses bus monitors. A we found that it did no to work a said Mark a Goff a spokesman for the City school system. A the children would still misbehave by getting out of the line of the the Standard camera that Wells Sells cannot film the Drivers or the two rows of children directly behind them. That can be remedied Wells said by using a wide Angle Lens but then some film clarity is lost. Hays said buses in Kaiserslautern could be equipped As Early As the next school year out cautioned that there Are Many unresolved issues such As Cost German privacy Laws and whether the German bus companies w ill allow them. Cagey antics $1s Michorl Abram shoppers in Darmstadt Germany Are momentarily taken Aback to see King Kong walking through their streets with a human prisoner. The Simian stroll Over the weekend was actually a promotional stunt for a local store. . Consulate sets furniture auction Frankfurt Germany the american consulate will auction off Home and office furniture March 27. Items for auction will be displayed March 26from 2 to 4 . At the auction site at 19 Joachim by Char Strasse. Registration will be from 8 to 9 . March 27, and the auction begins at 9 . The auctions open to the Public. Payment must be made in dollars Cash Only. Call the consulate at 069-7535-3700 for More information
