European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 06, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday novembers. 1903 the stars and stripes Page 3� water woes have Sardinia bottled up by Marian Hamilto Mediterranean Bureau when americans living near Naples Italy get frustrated about going seven weeks without Safe tap water they should consider the plight of their countrymen tothe West at la Maddalena naval support activity in Sardi Nia bottled water has been a Way of life since 1989. Attempts to improve the water Quality Haven worked said Navy it. Mary Theo Lewis a base " officials tried to put a filtration system in but the water was still contaminated Lewis said. So we just use bottled Lewis said that residents of Navy family housing receive free bottled water. Navy officials also have asked to have the Cost of bottled water added to the computation of the Cost of living allowance cola for the area Lewis said. The cola would reused to pay for the bottled water that off base residents must buy. About 1,800 military personnel Are assigned to la Maddalena. We have two filtration plants Here said it. Greg Zielinski of the base s Public works department. We treat the water constantly but water Quality varies. Sometimes it is potable and sometimes it is not. Be cause of that we advise residents not to drink the s3. Birthday run Sis Dove Oldie runners in the joint analysis Center 5k run at Raf Molesworth England charge up the Side of a three Story empty ammunition Bunker Friday. The approximately three mile run was held in Honor of the Navy s and Marine corps birthdays. It Drew 15 seven person teams made up of army air Force Navy and Marine corps members and civilians. Chief warrant officer 2 Bob Humphrey and senior airman Patrice Everett clocked in at 17 47 and 23 35, making them the Best male and Best female runners. The problems involve both chemical and bacteria contamination Zielinski reservists from the United states visited la Maddalena in August and conducted tests to determine which chemicals were present and in what quantities said it. Cmdr. Marie Senzig a Navy nurse at the base Branch clinic. We still have to Analyse the results and compare them with environmental Protection Agency Stan Dards said preventive Medicine technician Petty offi cer 1st class Allen Gourley. They the reservists tested for metals volatiles pesticides herbicides and so he said the water is Safe for bathing and washing dishes but not for cooking or drinking. The water won t cause problems immediately but after six months or six years it could1 adversely affect people who drink it he said. Turkish census puts americans under curfew incirl1k a turkeys a base officials Are warning americans at in Ciurlik a that they will not be Able to travel off base from 5 . To 7 . Sunday. The reason is a nationwide census to Register turkish citizens who Are eligible to vote said Mehmet Birbari a Community relations adviser at the 39th Wing. All residents of Turkey turks and foreigners must stay at Home that Day for voter registration. Turks arc required to vote or face fines. Local elections Are slated Tor next March. Off base residents will not be allowed to leave their Homes except for Mission essential duty or an emergency during curfew hours Birbari said. Foreigners must Honor the curfew even though the Yare not eligible to vote. Violators will be detained at local police station until the curfew s end and will receive fines. In an emergency Birbari suggested that american who must leave their off base Homes during curfew hours show their Blue Book a form of identification required for All residents to police and use motions or hand gestures if necessary to communicate the problem. On Post the Chapel and the Sultan s inn dining facility will be open Normal hours. The army and air Force Exchange service filling station and shop Pette will be open from 10 . To 5 . Proportion of officers climbs Gao reports by Cindy Killion Washington Bureau Washington the . Military is More experienced and has a greater proportion of officers than in 1980, an the number of service members in the top five enlisted ranks is higher than before. But the defense department and con Gress will have to decide whether experience or Money is More important in deciding future Force Structure the general accounting office told members of the Senate armed services committee in a special report released this month. The Gao said that downsizing has contributed to some of the changes but the trend started before the Force reduction efforts of the late 1980s. And whether the changes Are Good Oread depends on one s Point of View the Gao officials told the report s authors that today s military is More Capa ble and better trained than one of the reasons is increased experience gauged by years of service. This growth is greater in the enlisted ranks than for officers. For example the air Force showed 10.7percent of its enlisted personnel with 15 to 20 years service in 1987. The average was changing military profiles nusted personnel having fewer than 4 years of service having Between 1 5 and 20 years of service having More than 20 years of service Forcer personnel having Between 15 and 20 years of service having More than 20 years of service officer to enlisted ratios average enlisted pay grades average officer pay grades enlisted personnel in top 5 enlisted pay grades 1980 57.6% 7.3% 3.2% ,1980 14.7% 11.1% 1/6.3 4.0 3.2 39.2% 1987 49.7% 8.2% 3.0% 1987 16.6% 11.4% 1/6.0 4.3 3.2 43,0% 1992 42.7% 11.6% 3.4% 1992 17.1% 12,6% 1/5.6 4.4 3.3 46.7% source defense manpower data Center 15.4 percent in 1992. Throughout the military during that time the top five enlisted ranks grew by 3 percent with the air Force having the most pronounced increase a 5 percent climb to 51 percent. The Gao noted that most people Are in the e-6 and e-7 pay grades. Service officials predict this number will decline As More Vietnam Era personnel those who were drafted become eligible is for regular retirement and also As the serv ices open up More Job specialities to Early retirement. Even so the defense department said technology justifies the higher ranks. The complexity of today s weapons systems has increased the need for More senior positions officials said in the report. On this Point the Gao disagreed not ing that senior officer grades show a much smaller jump. But the Gao report did not take into account that enlisted personnel Are the primary hands on technicians while officers generally work at manage ment and command Levels and not with the actual equipment. Even so military officials say they the top enlisted ranks to see whether the numbers Are leveling out or declining. They said their concern is Finan Cial because the senior ranks typically cos More in pay and benefits. The Gao agreed and said the Trade off experience is. Money is a policy that pod and Congress should set when deciding future Force Structure. According to the report the defens department attributes the increasing pro portion of officers in part to additional medical professionals. The 1991 National defense authorization act restricted the service s abilities to trim medical person Nel from the ranks military officials said. Also the officials said they believe the changing ratio is a part of downsizing. They said officer to enlisted ratios typically shrink As the larger enlisted ranks Are reduced. From 1980 through 1992, the ratio of officers to enlisted ranks decreased at twice the rate of the services As a whole. The army ratio went from one officer for every 6.8 enlisted soldiers to one for every 5.4
