European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16letters to the editor Friday october 14,1994 european edition col. Stevens Hoffman Usan a commander publisher Bernard a. Zovistoski a a a editor a. A a a a a a news and editorial Deborah a thar news editor Bill Walker european editor Bob Wicker sport editor George Man Chy editor to write us unit 29480 Apoate 09211 or Postrach 11 14 3764278 Darmstadt Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension. Or Dan 348-8 plus Extension As follows news ext. 237, 255, 282, 226,326. Sports ext 225,269,263,332, 321, 221. Features ext. 230, 245,341. Letters to editor ext. 208, 400. Education Jimi Jones ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. News bureaus Heidelberg Germany Effo Bathen room t17, Rimo sir 104, 69126 Heidelberg Telephone on 3707010 or civilian 06221-23421 Tel fax 06221-10654. Kaiserslautern Germany Kevin Dougherty John Bohaner and Doyle Tillman. 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The More the better there Are several ways in which you can utilize arty Law enforcement Agency. One of these is a proactive Mode in which you look to deter crime before it is committed Rath of than responding to a crime scene. If in Vilseck you can find a Young my every time Quot of turn a Corner with a radar gun in his land you should feel Safe instead of harassed. Common sense tells us that the More police officers who Are visible the More second thoughts a criminal will have before committing a crime. There Are Many army regulations that a lot of us May not like but As Good american soldiers we follow them and enforce them. Why it is so hard for some people to follow a simple Law to obey Speed limits there Are reasons for Speed limits. I Hope you never have to stand trial because you were in a hurry and sped through a housing area and a child got injured As a consequence. Jose a. Mercado Baum older Germany safety in arms it is not at All surprising that Many americans Are willing to give up their hard earned constitutional rights for i service people Long have complained that Congress does no to understand the Rigours of military life. Increasingly the complainers Are Correct if we can assume understanding flows from experience. Over the last decade the number of lawmakers with military experience has declined steadily to the Point where less than half of the current Congress a 44 percent a Ever served on Active duty or in the reserves. The contingent of veterans on Capitol Hill is expected to drop again following next months elections which will determine membership in the 104th Congress. During the 98th Congress the last half of president Reagan a first term 76 percent of the Senate and 57 percent of the House were service veterans. In the current Congress just 59 percent of senators and 41 percent of House members have military backgrounds. Why Are veterans fading away a a it a the baby Boom generation Corning of age a a says Mark j. Eitelberg a professor of policy analysis at the . Naval Post graduate school Monterey Calif. The elite of that generation he says avoided military service. Eitelberg and Roger d. Little an economist at the . Naval Academy in Annapolis md., studied the Issue and released their findings last month in a paper entitled a influential elites and the american military after the cold  As the title suggests the study focuses not Only on the shrinking presence of veterans in Congress but at the White House in the Media and in Academia. President Clinton they contend is leading a generations a Rise in the ranks of americans most influential  but its a generation with a relatively few Quot leaders who have a direct some imagined Security but a few words from Benjamin Frinklin Are instructive a they that give up essential Liberty to obtain a Little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor  and i would add will get neither Liberty nor safety. Repealing the second amendment will not take guns out of the hands of criminals no gun control Law yet enacted has resulted in a reduction in criminality. No not even the most recent gun control Law that Quot will result use of firearms. But it has made All americans less free than they used to be. Whether using a Flintlock Musket Bolt action Rifle or Semi Auto Rifle free americans have always had the right to a keep and bears military or military styled Small arms. James Madison spoke of the a a advantage of being armed which americans possess Over the people of Al of Banning a assault style weapons result in a reduction in criminal mis ousted from Power three years ago stated a we had the people but they the army had the  a the second amendment a a ainu to about Duck  its about preventing the usurpation of Power. Its about the people having the ultimate Check in our system of checks and balances. Staff sgt. Thomas w. Whitfield Hohenfels Germany l to our readers most every other nation. Where the governments Are afraid to Trust the people with  William Shirer in the Rise and fall of the third Reich writes that a a i t was evident to the few germans who opposed Hitler that Only the army had the physical strength to overthrow him the German people. Had no Means of doing it. They had no organization. And they were of course unarmed. Can Bertrand Aristide when he was let us know what you think we encourage our readers a especially those who have never submitted a letter a to write to us. Letters expressing readers viewpoints or opinions Are published Dally on this Page. All letters must be signed and include address and Telephone number. Send to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 294b0, Apo a 09211. Or fax country code 49 06155601-395, Dan 348-8395. We Reserve the right to edit Fetters for clarity length and taste. Military update old soldiers Are out in Congress Tom Philpott hands on experience with the  the professors say this a a unfamiliarity with the military will expand As a More baby Boomers take charge and As the Al Volunteer military a yith an Active duty Force that is the. Smallest since the period just prior to world War ii a produces fewer Ana fewer veterans who will Rise to positions of influence. Eitelberg and Little say its difficult to predict the effect fewer veterans of influence will have on military readiness but the signs Are not comforting. They examined 50 key defense votes in Congress from 1983 through 1992 and concluded that lawmakers with military experience Are More Likely than non veterans to be a  defense a in 1993, they said a  defense votes provided the margin needed to pass six of 21 successful defense Bills in the Senate. Still the pair concede vote analysis is a at Best a Tricky business a Given the variety of reasons a lawmaker might vote for or against a particular Bill. In act the data also show lawmakers with military experience Are More Independent minded and willing to take unpredictable stands on defense issues. Non veterans Are More willing to be led by others either in support or opposition to defense Bills. Eitelberg and Little say their biggest concern about the decline of veterans in Congress is the Impact on future defense debates. Increasingly legislators will a have less general understanding of defense is sues and engage in deliberations that Lack the Levels of nuance and perspective brought by their  polls still show the military to be the most respected of american institutions. But Eitelberg says the decline of veterans in positions of influence combined with shrinking Force Structure and base closures Are causing a strands of the fabric that ties the military to society to  health care Cost shares As defense Secretary William Perry nears a final decision on a Cost sharing formula for Tricase the military a new health maintenance organization the joint chiefs of staff have weighed in with their own recommendation. Uniformed leaders told Perry this month they favor a Khmo option a a a formula that stings retirees harder than would other Cost sharing options. Under option a no Active duty family would pay to enrol As individuals $460 for fam Fly coverage. _ for visits to participating civilian providers Junior enlisted families would lace $6 co payments. Other Active duty dependents and retirees would pay $12. Outpatient. Visits to military treatment facilities would remain free for All beneficiaries under the pcs recommendation. The daily charge for civilian inpatient care would be set at $10.80 for All enrolled dependent and retirees. Defense officials say whatever option Perry adopts medicare eligible retirees those age 62 and older will not be offered Tricase enrolment. They would continue to receive space available care in military facilities. But such care they concede will become increasingly scarce. Readers comments and suggestions Are welcomed. Write to military update co editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apoate 09211 really r you knew Michael Royp Mem Early Cau Fornola years 5ure01e6o Allt Hwy Back id 1092\ 50 after i cashed out of dads company i Hap. To do something Soi bought a House a California j wont actually move in the tax situation has too perfect in Texas but my Moemen touted establish a beachhead then at the last mute i joined her and bought a concessional seat Loolu you sound like a Man with a Ream / More Uno a scheme lire my can port its my wife a pea