European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 stars and stripes monday april 9 2007 stars stripes Thomas e Kelsch publisher Richard Braun Genera manager Europe it col Stephen Oconnor commander hews and editorial Robb trim staff Doug Cusson executive editor managing editor Europe Sam Amrhein Europe Bureau chief Joseph Gion Teno Mideast Bureau chief Marni Mcentee assistant Bureau chief Washington do assistant managing editors Mary Bender news Sean Moores sports Brian Bowers features Christopher six Patrick Dickson news editor Joe Gromelski web editor addresses us sail unit 2s480 Apo a 09211  mail Postrach 133054345 Griesheim Germany fax Dan 3498416 Civ 0 email news letters Central office 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630900 or Civ 202 7610900 fax 202 7610890 editorial director 529 14th sin suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630945 or Civ 202 7610945 How to Cail us editor Dan 3498264 Civ 0 6155601264 looters Dan 3498237 Civ h49 0 sports Dan 3498225 Civ 0 circulation Dan 3498437 Civ 0 advertising gds Civ 0 news bureaus Germany country bomb Eric Mark so chair 279m bib unit 27535 Box 23541 Apo a 091397535 Tel Dan 4697957 Tel Civ 0 or fax Dan 4698007 or Civ 0 email Baur Holder John Vandiver 222nd bib Apo a 09034 Tel Dan 4896585 or Civ 0 email Darmstadt Kevin Dougherty Geoff Ziezulewicz and Matt Mil Ham unit 29480 Apo a 09211 Tel Dan 34984063498290 and 3498326 or Civ 0 6155601290 and 0 6155601326 email Grafe Wohr Seth Robson Grafe Wohr training area building 531 room 115 Tel Dan 4756087 Tel Civ 09641836087 Nancy Montgomery room 117 Rome str 10469115 Heidelberg Tel Dan 3707010 or cd 0 fax Civ 0 email Scott Schonauer and Steve Mraz Apo a 092273717 Tel Dan 4896585 Tel Civ 0 or 0 fax Civ 0 6313709219 email stutter to Charlie Coon car 423 Box 465 Apo a 091070465 Tel Dan 4212088 Tel cd 07117292088 email Wurzburg Tel Dan 3498237 or Civ 49 0 6155601237 email Italy Kent Harris Tel Dan 314 6327652 or Civ 39 0434 30 7652 second line Dan 314 6324222 or Civ 39 0434304222 email Naples Sandra Jontz 817 Box 56 Fpo a 09622 Tel Dan 6265157 and 6265158 or Civ 081 5685157 and 5685158 fax Dan 6265150 or Civ 081 5685150 email Middle East Bureau chief Joseph Giordono unit 29480 Box 77 Apo a 09211 Tel Dan 314 3498220 commercial email reporters fete Morin Dan 3143498220 email Zeke Minaya Dan 3143498220 cell 1726259446 email Rota pc 819 Box 1 Fpo a 09645 Tel Dan 3498237 or Civ United kingdom Raf Mildenhall Ben Murray Bryan Mitchell and Sean Kimmons building 464 dec Sauk Raf Mildenhall Apo a 09459 Tei Dan 23848682386082 and 2386083 or Civ 0 0 and 0 fax Civ 0 718013 email Washington do Bureau editor Patrick Dickson 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 Tel 202 7610859 email Lisa Burgess Tel cd 703 6921875 Jeff Schogol Tel Civ 703 6921926 and Leo Shane Tel cd 202 7611183 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 fax cd 202 7610890 email printed in Germany by Hurr yet As  Deutsch Larid printed in Italy by Enrice Tel Estampa stars and stripes uses 017252 is published daily except Christmas and new years for 50 cents daily and sunday by the stars and stripes Central office 52914th St new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 periodicals postage paid at Washington do postmaster Send address changes to european stars and stripes unit 29480apo a 09211 ombudsman David Mazzarella the stars and stripes ombudsman protects the free flow of Nevis and information reporting any attempts by the military or other authorities to undermine the newspapers ombudsman also responds to concerns and questions from readers and monitors coverage for fairness accuracy timeliness and balance the ombudsman welcomes comments from readers and can be contacted by email at or by phone at 2027610945 european and Pacific stars and stripes 2007 stars and stripes web site  letters to the editor army health care defended i have had the pleasure and Honor to have worked with Many of the few Good army doctors out there As a recent letter writer offered As his opinion of military Medicine army health care letter april the writer notes his frustration with Mil itary health care without mentioning How the system has failed him or commenting on any Type of recourse that he has Pur sued he however does feel that care would be improved with a shift to civilian providers As the civilians Are better Quali fied because they compete for business and they can be sued if they screw up civilian health care is not a True free competitive Market Model due to the Large influence of managed care and although the feres doctrine limits the ability for ser Vic members to sue military providers for malpractice the insinuation mat this is an excuse to offer substandard care is insult ing this same doctrine places Little restriction on retirees and dependents to bring suit which is an uncommon occurrence having worked in both civilian and Mili tary Medicine i see no difference in the dedication of my Peers in offering the High est Quality care i have Iever been asked by the army to curtail a patients stayin a Hospital limit the testing that i wish to order or choose a different drug with costs in mind the same cannot be said for my experience in the civilian world As a deployed physician i work with fewer resources Man i would typically have while striving to offer the highest level of care i doubt that Many civilian physicians would elect to deploy to work with limited supplies and diagnostic tools or leave the wire on multiple occasions for local medical support army health care be a valuable asset to the Soldier or capt James m Brown hit Iraq he cant buy what he needs i have been in Iraq now for approximately six months and i have to say that the thoughts and impressions i had prior to coming Here Are nothing like actually being boots on ground what strike me the most Are All the Post exchanges on the base it seems we cannot get the equip ment needed for our uniforms i have been to several pcs from Camp Liberty to Camp Victory to Stryker to what i am looking for is a patrol Cap now if i had a head size of 7 or 7v21 would be Good to go but that is not the Case it seems those Are the Only sizes i have been Able to locate i asked when they would have some new Caps come in and a Date was Given but when the Date came the Caps were the same sizes that were put out before it amazes me that i can walk right in and buy a Ubu shirt and a Ball Cap in Sev eral different colors or even a big screen plasma to just to name a few but not a piece of equipment needed for my uni form i dont know who orders for the doonesbury Tell us what you think stars an stripes welcomes your comments on editorials and columns that Are published in the newspaper and values Fetters on topics of importance in the lives of our readers i letters must be signed and must include the writers address or base and Telephone number please limit ail letters to 300 words we Reserve the to edit letters for length taste and clarity Send your letters to us mail stars and stripes unit 29480 Apo a 09211 International mall stars and stripes Postrach 1330 64345 Griesheim via fax country code 449 0 dsn3498395 email army and air Force Exchange service but they need to look at what they Are stocking and try to steer away from All the fashionable items for souvenirs for once i would like to go in and see what i need and buy it and not have to travel every where in theater to get what i need master sgt John p Zappa Camp Victory Iraq get them what they need i have been on Camp adder for More than six months and the army and air Force Exchange service has had the same things Init the whole time but not much of what we need they have had patrol Caps in size 6v4 and 7vs and an 8 hut nothing mat fits anyone in Camp it has one style and Brand of disposable razors and Only the Blades for another i am glad they carried charcoal in Many varieties and even a Grill or two but if they Are going to have that at least have some thing to Cook on them but alas they got meat in about two weeks ago the question of Why they have car audio systems is beyond me especially when i cant even get a 220volt alarm clock that will keep time i will look Cool in my hum Vee with to doors and my cd player it would be great if cafes was Able to manage its inventory and get what we need i sure Hope it is not True that some one behind a desk in Europe or the us is making the decisions of what a deployed Soldier needs or would like sgt Phillip a Sivell Camp adder Iraq damaged vehicles in secure lot As one of the Many soldiers deployed once again to Iraq from fort Bragg no i was surprised to learn that Many single sol Diers would not leave their privately owned vehicles inside the secured lot on base because of the Many vehicles vandalized on the lot and apparently it happens throughout each deployment How could it be that year after year the same acts occur from inside a secure army Post could it be that the Post is Lack ing Security measures could it be that fort Bragg has let Down its guard where Security no longer matters what a grand Welcome to our deployed soldiers it has been three months since my vehicles mishap As a number of others have been broken into and i have yet to receive an update on the status of damages from the rear detachment unit luckily my daughter in Colorado gave me a copy of the family support list Back in Bragg and it has been her Contact who has taken Over the responsibility of my vehicle in the us since the rear detachment unit has done nothing for the soldiers i wonder who will be responsible to pay for damages to the vehicles maj Lillian Cardona Iraq revisit Smuc downsizing i have been a math instructor for the University of Maryland University col lege Europe since 1983 a position arid institution i love and am proud of events and developments within the organization highlighted by tension seen to Mark Smuc downsizing 23 european edition trouble me deeply  it be possible to Combine Neces sary decisions with a sense of common decency and loyalty for individuals who have dedicated their professional lives to this institution Why we rent individuals whose employment was terminated in such an abrupt and uprooting Man Ner Given adequate notice and time to adjust and find new employment i find it hard to understand Why the necessary could hot have been combined with what is right in this sorrowful situation i had the pleasure of having Robert Scott As my immediate supervisor the entire time he was a member of the senior staff and would without qualification rate him As the Best i have encountered in that position in my 23 years at Smuc when one looks at those aspects needed by an individual to be accepted for and function successfully in a senior staff Posi Tion and couples that with Scott being the Only Africa american to hold such a Posi Tion in 47 years it is difficult to fathom Why Smuc cannot find a worthy position for this very talented and proven individual Barry Denison Heidelberg Germany buy ism technology for after Reading ism offers military s45m in translation technology article april i could not help but think of Rocky the 3rd infantry division Mascot who was bought for from Walt Disney maybe the defense department could do a similar transaction with ism that Way it would be As if Dod purchased it from ism ism is truly a great company for this show of support for soldiers serving in this much debated War pc Amie Mcclintic Camp Victory Iraq by Garry Trudeau v8wont Tomps to top to in spa local