European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 07, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday november 1994 ads for by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington after a major infusion of Adver Tising Money the military appears to have stemmed the recent decline in its recruitment efforts. Statistics released by the Pentagon indicate the services met 100 percent of their quotas for fiscal 1994. At the same time they notched slight gains in the percentage of High school graduates and recruits who score in the upper men Tal categories on military Entrance tests. The Overall percentage of recruits with High school diplomas Rose from 94 percent in fiscal 1993 to 95 percent in fiscal 1994. In terms of Entrance test scores the Overall percentage of recruits scoring in the upper mental categories Rose from 71 percent last year to 72 percent in Fis Cal 1994 with Many More military jobs opening to women the percentage of female recruits jumped from 14 percent last year to 17 percent in fiscal 1994. Minority accessions also Rose by one percentage Point to 18 percent. Fiscal 1994 was the third Best recruiting year since the inception of the All Volunteer Force More than 20 years ago said Edwin Dorn undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The Navy boosted its percentage of High school graduates from 94 percent a year ago to 95 percent this year while the army and air Force were steady at 95 percent and 99 percent respectively. The Marine corps was the Only service to see its High school graduates decline from 97 percent to 95 percent although that drop did not have much Impact on the Overall defense department numbers because the corps is relatively Small. The services Are still Well Over their own self imposed floors for the two main recruitment yardsticks 90 per cent High school graduates and 60 percent upper level test scorers. But Over the past few years defense department officials have expressed growing concern Over the decline in other recruiting indicators. Dorn said that with the end of the cold War the Over whelming amount of Media attention paid to the draw Down and the recent upswing in the nation s Economy the military As a career option has lost much of its Luste for Young americans. The stars and stripes Page 3 army in Europe far efs cos for forms by Effie Bathen Heidelberg Bureau Heidelberg Germany an estimated 6,500 staff sergeants and 4,500 sergeants first class in Europe would be eligible for Early retirement and Early outs under new army guidelines said a spokeswoman for the . Army Europe. Since oct. 21, the army has broadened the eligibility criteria for its Early out programs to include All but 30 military occupational specialities said usar eur spokeswoman Millie Waters. Staff sergeants with 13 years and sergeants first class with 15 years of service As of june 30/1995, who Are not on a promotion list Are eligible for army programs designed to encourage the draw Down of mid level noncommissioned officers. The army has offered Early retirement voluntary separation incentive and special separation Benefit programs to soldiers in an Effort to avoid an involuntary reduction in Force. Congress granted the de sense department Early retirement authority through fiscal 1995 to help the services achieve draw Down target numbers through Early out programs along with troop withdrawals and unit restructuring the number of soldiers in Europe has decreased by 65 percent since september 1990, according to command Statis tics. At the end of fiscal 1994, u Sarteur had fewer than 75,000 authorized positions for soldiers. The command predicts that troop strength in Europe will drop to 65,424 in fiscal 95. Eligibility for the Early exit programs changes As tha army re evaluates its personnel needs. The army takes applications on a first come first served basis. As target numbers for individual branches or skills Are achieved programs May close according to army personnel managers. Applications under what Are being called phase ii guidelines must be received at the department of the army personnel come by dec. 31. Soldiers selected for Early retirement or Early release will be retired or separated by june 30,1995. Soldiers May Contact their personnel offices for an updated list of eligible grades and specialities water said we Are still hiring he said pointing out that the Mil itary still needs about 200,000 recruits each year. In fact the military expects to increase its enlisted recruitment objectives slightly Over the next three years. The defense department shored up its fiscal 1994 numbers by shifting $40 million into recruitment during the year with most of that Money buying More Advertis ing. Congress has provided an extra $90 million in the Fis Cal 1995 budget to maintain that momentum. While the near term situation has stabilized officials still worry about the future. The military s annual youth attitude tracking study shows that the percentage of Young people who say they Are Likely to enlist has been sliding for four straight years. That s worrisome Dorn said. It s an indication of How much harder our recruiters Are having to  the problem is exacerbated by a general decline in the available Pool of 18 to 22-year-Olds, from which the services draw the bulk of recruits Dorn said the High level of attention the Pentagon is paying to recruitment As Well As steady congressional funding for advertising should help address the problems. But the real key to maintaining our Success is to main Tain readiness and treat our people fairly he said. Go from Page 1 jury probe. He told me he had specialist Tolassi s credit card and that he had used it. He also told me he had the at to calling card  Rendo said he saw Smith in the car when Cruz showed him bags of Merchan Dise allegedly purchased with the stolen credit card a Mastercard. Unlike Smith Cruz will face court Martia charges As a result of the article 32 hearing. Another witness spec. Bill Miller testified that he saw Tolassi s credit card among Smith s personal belongings while Smith was staying at his Home. But Monica Mccloud an employee with the Darmstadt trial defense serv ices testified that she heard Miller say he was not sure if he had actually seen to Lassi s name on the credit card. Tolassi reported More than $980 Worth of illegal charges on his Telephone card last november. He also reported that illegal charges on his stolen Mastercard exceeded $2,840. It in t fair Smith contended that his command wants to kick him out of the army while Rendon who admitted Crimi Nal activities gets to remain in the service. I have submitted pfc. Rendon for a Field Grade article 15, which is not completed capt Donald Singer the com Mander of he co 440th signal in Testi fied at the article 32 hearing for Rendon and Cruz conducted in late september. An article 15 allows commanders to discipline service members without going to  said he recommended an Arti Cle 15 for Rendon As opposed to a court martial because Rendon came clean and wanted to rectify the  he also said Rendon s Job performance and Quality As a Soldier played a part in the , an e-3, could be reduced to Al through the article 15 process. Carton Bong Mannl spec. Woodrow Smith facing an administrative discharge from the army carries his uniform to work in Darmstadt Germany. I find it ironic wrote it. Col. Nelvin Tyler the investigating offi9er in Smith s and Cruz s hearings. Pfc. Rendon has admitted to lying initially hindered the investigation and could just As Likely be charged in any of these crimes yet will Only be offered a Field Grade a Ficle 15." Smith was equally perplexed. Thought it was All Over he said. I thought it was just a matter of paper work but now it just keeps dragging on. Smith said his lawyer capt. Brian Lemoine told him last week that the com Mand was going ahead with a chapter 14 discharge. That refers to the provision in army regulation 635-200 that allows the service to discharge Smith administratively. Under this provision the army needs Only reasonable suspicion of guilt to Dis charge Smith. Smith said his Only recourse is to write a letter of Appeal if the army chapters him. However Smith said his lawyer told him his chances of a successful Appeal Are slim. The Appeal would be decided by the same authority that reviewed Tyler s article 32 recommendation in the first place. In this Case col. James Culbert the commander of the 22nd signal Bri Gade is the approving authority. In Tyler s article 32 report he not Only recommended that All charges be dropped but also wrote no punitive Orno punitive action should be initiated against pc.