European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 16 letters to the editor Friday november 11,1994 european edition col Steven s. Hoffman Usan t commander publisher Bernard Zovistoski editor. News and editorial Deborah Aba her news editor Bill Walker european editor Bob Wicker sports editor cloy editor to write us unit 29480 apoae09211 orppstfach111437 64278 Darmstadt Germany news Tel fax 06t 5501 418 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 34 8-8 plus extensions follows news ext. 237, 255, 282, 226.328, 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. New bureaus Hei Oelberg Germany Effia Bathan room 117. Rome str. 104, 69115 Heidelberg Telephone on 370 7010 or civilian 06221-23481 Tel fax 06221-10554. Kaiserslautern Germany Kevin Dougherty and Doyle Tillman. 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Room 636, 201 Varick st., new York 10014 Telephone 212420-3333 Tel fax " Washington. . Chuck Vlinch Cindy Orion Oast a the Pentagon room 2e756 . Box 46099, Washington . 200504095 Telephone 703497 6695 Tel fax 703493-6366. Business departments maj Richard pc major Usa Deputy commander Isle Estes newspaper operations director Jamea Wytock circulation manager Jeff Ray n. Kingdom comptroller circulation toll free customer service for Home or office delivery inquiries or delivery problems Call 24 hours Germany 0130-840048 Belgium 07811-8775 Italy 1678-7-3456 � United kingdom 0-800-89&54 Netherlands Spain Tel fax 06-022-7629 900-99-4955 06155-601438 Germany Augsburg Chian 0821-644529. Tel fax 0821444565.berlin civilian 030-8331846, Dan 332-3548, Kaiserslautern civilian 083147070 or 67079, Dan 489-7100. Tel fax 063140896. Nurn8erg do Allan 0911-712558, Dan 460-7001. Stud baht 0130440048. Italy. Naples civilian 003941-724480. On 825-4880, Tele fax 003941-7244489. Vicenza civilian 0444-515358, Dan 634-7545, Tel fax 0444-300-641, Spain Madrid Dan 665-5807, civilian and tet fax 00341 6561465. Turkey Istanbul civilian 0090-212-272 48 43, Tel fax 0090 212-2743209. United kingdom Cirencester civilian 0285-713437, Dan 247-4445. Advertising display Germany 06155-601247 or 601309, Dan 348-8247, classified Germany 06155-601349, Dan 3484349. Advertising Tel fax 0655-60112 please Recycle this newspaper it an authorized unofficial publication Lor members of the military or Etc a Ove Saat. Content of the Start and St net do not new panty reflect to off Ciai View of or endorsement by the . Gov amment. The a part ant of Delenta or tha 0.8. European command. The appear inc of advert Tina in a . Bidd Trig in it or supp Jemenia Doea not Montt Tzumi Andorra ment by tha department of Deena or tha Stara and step a Oltha Prouda or car Viola Advar tread. Lock Downs not the worst the writer of Bias in lock Down nov. 2 overlooked obvious military realities. The intent of the lock Down was not to punish rather it was an attempt to recover the weapon or failing recovery to allow investigation of the fact while still at the location of the loss. The Soldier who put the weapon in Footlocker overnight May Well have been irresponsible but so too was the sol Dier s who took it out. Probability would seem to dictate that the Thier was member of the same unit. The conclusion drawn is that if no lock Down occurs the thief and the weapon return to Home Sta Tion and the weapon disappears. The soldiers have now gone Home Buta sensitive item is still missing and undoubtedly the investigation is the Soldier regardless of rank be punished before assessing All the facts it was sad that soldiers and families had to endure the separation. True but less sad and less Long than the separation of desert storm or the permanent Sepa ration of those who gave their lives therein the service of their country. Lock Downs happen when weapon disappear and for very Good reasons. Taken in perspective worse things can happen to Soldier. -. ,. 1st. Sgt. William h. Brow Mannheim Germany to our readers let us know what you think we encourage our readers especially those who have never submitted a letter to write to us. Letters expressing readers View Points 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 29480, Apo a 09211. Or fax country code 49 06155 601-395, Dan 348-8395. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Reservists omitted the article army trains and saves millions oct. 19 mentioned the participation of Reserve forces from the United states in exercise Atlantic resolve 94, but it failed to mention the participation of almost 10qeurope-based army reservists from 7th army Reserve come a com units located throughout Germany. These Are reservists who work and live in Europe year round and habitually vide support to . Army Europe exercises. They Are As a Cost effective Force based in Europe also an important part of the Cost savings to the . Govern ment highlighted in the article. The 310th theater army area come from fort belvoir.va., mentioned in the article has a Forward element the 310th Talcom fwd which works year round in providing support to usar eur and is also actively participating in the exercise. The next time an article is written on exercises please do not omit the participation of 7th a com citizen soldiers. We Are involved in every major usar eur and v corps exercise. For the record the 7th a com units participating in Atlantic resolve 94 in clude members of Headquarters he co 7th a com Heidelberg 166th aviation regt Hillesheim 454th replace ment regulating pet Rhein main six support centers located throughout Ger Many and members of the 310th Taa com fwd based in Kaiserslautern. Also members of the 7th a com s military intelligence group participated in a related exercise just prior to Atlantic resolve. " ,. V Burton l. Master Heidelberg Germany military update service members will get a Spe Cial increase in housing allowances of More than 8 percent Over the next six years if Congress approves a package of Quality Osife initiatives unveiled thurs Day by defense Secretary William Perry. The entire package would Cost $2.7 Bil lion through budget year 2001, with $1 billion of that earmarked to boost tax free housing allowances for 705,000 serv ice members who live off has directed the services to pay for the package not by raising budget tar gets but by cutting other programs. That s expected to mean a slowdown income weapons purchases and modernization officials said. Other items in Perry package would pay a special Cost of living allowance to 30,000 service members assigned to High Cost areas in the continent United states including new York City Newhaven Conn. Oakland Calif. And san Francisco. Average conus col would be about $40 a month officials said. The cola would be authorized i areas where the Cost of living exceeds the National average by at least 109 percent. Pump $300 million extra into family housing in fiscal 1996, for upgrades and improvements. Of the total 100 million would be used to refurbish army housing that otherwise would be torn Down. Add $100 million to Community sup port programs on military bases to in clude improvements in child care. Perry promised last summer to take special Steps in future defense budgets to improve the Quality of service life. The Linton administration which a knowl on Quality of life promises edges the Strain on . Forces caused by recent deployments to Bosnia Somalia Haiti and the persian Gulf wants to be keep morale and readiness High. Besides the. Strain of deployments Perry must have been concerned by a rash of negative press reports last sum Mer. They discussed trouble head in serv ice recruiting a growing military pay Gap with the private sector and increases in food stamp usage among the Young service recent weeks those concern shave eased. Officials nearly november released 1994 recruiting figures that were the third Best since the Start of theall Volunteer Force 20 years ago. Reenlistment rates today remain a record Levels. Reports of a Sharp increase in Foo stamp usage last june have been dismissed As largely inaccurate. That Perry still thought it necessary to support a Quality of life package shows his genuine commitment to the troops and to readiness said one service official. That $2.7 billion is a big chunk of change this officer said. But Perry said Quality of life is important and he putting words into the Centrepiece of Perry s pack age is a series of increases in Basic a Tom Philpott Lowance for quarters Over the next six years. The goal is to restore bad to the value it had in relation to housing costs in january 1985. At that time bad and variable housing allowances were adjusted so that when combined they Cov ered 85 percent of National medium rent Al costs at every Grade level. Service people new expected to absorb the remaining 15 percent. Since then increases in bad have not kept Pace with growth in rental costs. Out of pocket costs to service member Snow equal about 21.5 percent of National median rents. Perry wants special a raises starting in january of 1996, to push the absorption rate Back Down to15 percent by budget year 2001. One major item missing from Perry s Quality of life package is the size of the 1996 pay raise. A. Thanks to Congress service people will get a 2.6 percent raise next january. That s 1 percent higher than recommended by the administration. But in 1996, at Perry s urging the Whitehouse is expected to abandon its Effort to Cap military raises 1.5 percent below private sector wage growth. Perry is said to favor a january 1996pay raise of 2.4 percent. That would be one percentage Point above the old Clin ton target but .5 percent below private sector wage growth. A 2.4 percent raise also would be the maximum allowed under the current deficit reduction Law. Are welcomed. Str pm " zonk i gotta 60 into town. Tubb Back in / a hour. Of ri6ht. Who do to Vav for hmm. Pratt Jtj ghz Okay. Pin tvr6�t7 Cav my
