European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes sunday May 22,1994 rules eased for army workers to by Joseph Owen Heidelberg Bureau Heidelberg Germany the . Army Europe has loosened eligibility rules for civilian workers separation incentive  but a new Law tightens restrictions for those who later return to civil service. The command announced its voluntary separation incentive  program last october to entice permanent full time and part time appropriated fund civilian employees in 67 overstaffed Job classifications to retire. Interested employees must apply for it at a local civil Lan personnel office by july 31 and be off the payroll by oct. 3 this year. The command expanded the program recently to include employees in a special salary rates and a direct hire Quot positions within the 67 classifications. Only those eligible for regular retirement in these positions Are eligible. A special salary rate workers occupy jobs for which the qualifications made recruitment especially difficult according to maj. Donna h. Barthle a command spokeswoman. Examples include mathematicians and architects she said. A direct hire positions arc those that the command was authorized to fill with to out seeking approval from the . Of-1 fice of personnel management in Washington Barthle said. About 500 of the commands 2,700 appropriated fund workers Are eligible for regular or Early retirement. So far 73 have applied for the separation incentive the command said. The separation incentive program has changed As a result of the Federal work Force restructuring act of 1994. As of March 31, the Law increased to five years the time that a retired government employee who accepted a separation incentive offer must wait before accepting a Federal government Job again. The previous waiting period was one year. Anyone who accepts a Federal Job before the five years elapses must repay the full amount of the separation  before taxes and other deductions were taken out. The Law also adds work under personal services contracts to the five year restriction. = to be eligible for the separation incan Tive program a . Army Europe employee must be an american citizen serving an appointment without time limitations must have worked for the defense department for at least the last 12 months and must be in an occupational series and  Grade that the command considers surplus. The worker also must be eligible for regular or voluntary Early retirement. Do you qualify Here is the list of  grades considered by . Army Europe to be surplus within the Job series title. Grades 11 to 14 5 to 8 11 to 12 12 to 13 8 to 9 9 to 14 11 to 14 8 Only 9 to 14 13 to 15 9 to 10 7 to 9 12 to 13 13 to 14. 11 to 15 9 to 12 9 to 13 8 to 15 12 to 13 11 to 13 1110 14 11 Only 111012 9 to 11 10 to 14 13 to 15 9 to 12 9 to 11 9 to 13 9 to 15 13 to 15 11 to 12 11 to. 13 11 to 12 1210 14 11 to 15 11 to 14 12 to 15 1110 12 9 to 12 12 to 15 9 to 13 9 to 12 7 to 15 6 Only 5 Only 111015 11 to 13 11 to 13 121015 11 to 12 11 to 12 11 to 15 9 to 12 111014 7 to 9 8 to 13 7 Only 9 to 13 11 to 12 7 to 11 1110 14 11 to 12 11 to 12 11 to 12 5 to 8 9 to 11 Job series title accounting accounting technician administrative officer aircraft operation Art specialist. Assurance Quot auditing automotive Mechanic budget analysis civil engineering clerk stenographer and reporter closed microphone reporting. Communications management. Computer specialist a contracting distribution facilities and storage management education services educational and vocational training employee development employee relations equal employment Opportunity equipment maintenance equipment specialist facility management financial administration and program financial management funeral directing general arts and information general business and Industry general education and training general engineering general facilities and equipment general Supply health system specialist history housing management intelligence International relations inventory management librarian logistics management management analysis military personnel management miscellaneous administration and program motor vehicle operator Packer preserver personnel management personnel staffing position classification. Program management psychology Public affairs series realty recreation specialist safety and health occupational management Secretary Security administration sewing machine operator social science social work sports specialist Supply program management training instruction transportation operation transportation specialist warehouse worker writing and editing source . Army Europe to be eligible for Early retirement an employee must have 25 or More years of service or if the employee is it least 50 years old 20 or More years of service. Incentive  is the lesser of $25,000 or the amount of Severance  a usually based on the length of time employed a the government would have paid the worker in a Layoff. It is not a right officials said. The command s civilian personnel director Grants it based on projected work Force needs. Fears outweigh crime risk report says a new York apr the statistics Are staggering a person murdered an average of every 22 minutes a rape every four minutes and a robbery every 26 seconds. You re right to be afraid. Or Are you Money Magazine says in its june Issue that you re safer from violent crime than you think. In fact the article said Federal statistics suggest that More than 90 percent of americans arc safer today than they have been during the past two decades. The most recent Fri figures reflect a 1 percent drop in violent crime in 1993, still a Money poll found that nearly nine in 10 americans 88 percent believed that violent crime was at an All time High and 77 percent said they worried about becoming victims. According to the National crime victimization Survey of the Bureau of Justice statistics the Overall violent crime rate the Chance of becoming a victim is How 32.1 per 1,000 a Down about 9 percent from its 1981 Peak of 35.3 per 1,000 people a year. The Telephone poll of a 1,002 adults nationwide was conducted in March by ice Survey research group of Media pa., and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage Points. Network to offer Aid when soldiers deploy by Effie Bathen staff writer bad Kissinger Germany a army family support groups Are Here to stay in Europe. The information support networks that Carne to the fore during the persian Gulf War Are now required by the army in Europe. Membership is automatic said Rickord Gibbons one of the program developers. Everyone in the  army Europe belongs. The groups Are to assist and update family members when soldiers deploy the network can also be activated in emergencies. Women attending the annual conference of the american women a activities Germany held in bad Kissinger last week offered solutions on How to make the groups work a the spouse of the commander need not Lead the support group any Quot top notch person can do it Quot Gibbons said. A Cindy Stover the wife of an enlisted Soldier in Berlin said that she and her friends gathered people together since some commanders weren to married and snared the work in getting information out and pulling people together in a network. A support groups do not have to be social clubs. A it is critical to have updated Telephone rosters or a communications system so that everyone can be reached in  includes spouses who May not have a Telephone May be unable to drive or present other special concerns. A the family support group Leader need not be the sole prob Lem solver. Training for others is available through army Community  during the persian Gulf crisis Many family members were left in the cold when the tactical commander left. Now units must always have a trained family support Liaison. Auto repairs disciplining children boredom financial problems and separation blues Are among the typical problems that occur when soldiers leave spouse and family according to army statistics. A recent army Survey of one unit that deployed to Zagreb Croatia indicated that almost 60 percent of the family members participated in a family support group. Most received a newsletter. A third had prior Militar service. Eleven percent visited their spouses in Croatia. Eight percent moved to the states. Affair from Page 1 groups and this was the first year that family support group delegates officially attended the gathering of 400 women Active m Community programs. The support groups Are not social clubs but More like information networks that would be activated during such times As troop deployments. The instruction to form unit support groups was put into of feet to eliminate inconsistencies and to give the program a some Teeth a Gibbons said. Battalion and some company commanders will be required to appoint a person from the military unit to be a family support Liaison. The Job might go to an executive officer a noncommissioned officer an adjutant or a chaplain for example. The Liaison will be responsible for coordinating logistic and administrative support for the group of wives husbands and other family members such As teen agers. The liaisons performance with the group will be rated along with their other official military duties. A we Hope this will become a career enhancing assignment a Gibbons said. The army has Learned through researching previous deployments that soldiers readiness and effectiveness depend upon How Well prepared their families Are while the soldiers Are away. A unit readiness Soldier readiness and family readiness a All three Are legs to one Stool. Without one leg it s a precarious Perch a Gibbons said. Also among the provisions commanders must provide for family assistance centers when troops Are deployed. The centers May have representatives from a variety of services such As housing Legal assistance transportation or the chaplaincy. These family assistance centers sometimes shared with other facilities Are to be activated annually to test their opera i tons. A it will be More than a fire Drill a Gibbons said a if the balloon goes Gibbons up it a Center can be quickly converted a from an inactive to an Active status. Family support group members May receive training through army Community services in such areas  skills conflict Resolution and time management. The objective is to keep people informed and promote their self Reliance Gibbons said. Gibbons said family support briefings should be a mandatory part of preparation for overseas movement the army a checklist for deploying soldiers. The list includes everything from getting shots to making out a will. The Navy and the air Force have had similar programs for years. Until now the army has Only issued guidelines for family support groups