European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                July 2007 stars and stripes Page 3 old dues causing unpleasant surprises by Matt Millham stars and stripes service members have expressed concern and anger Over the defense depart ments efforts to shake Down its ranks to recoup insurance premiums that in some gone unpaid for nearly six attempts to recover As much As million that the Dod says is owed began earlier this Many troops Are just now learn ing about the insurance program they apparently the pro known As family service members group life provides automatic coverage for troops spouses and defense department and army officials have not responded to stars and stripes questions about the collection but More than soldiers owe Money to the according to a army Europe de spite a four month Campaign to collect the Many soldiers still dont know if or what they if they know about the pro Gram at troops Are just learning about insurance program they were enrolled Back premiums they must pay until Fugli first showed up on his pay statement while he was deployed in i never knew about army staff Jeremy a member of the 501st military police company in wies said in a phone a platoon sergeant with 10 years said he guarantees 99 percent of soldiers who owe unpaid premiums have never heard of he haunt As soon As it showed up on my pay i asked about he what herring found out is that he and his Soldier wife were automatically enrolled for Fugli As soon As they got married in March though neither knew for 26 they each unwittingly racked up in unpaid premi they paid off the but that want the end of herring opted out of Fugli in july and later that year he and his wife for almost a he was out of the program As far As he but when he got his pay statement for june this there it was again a charge for insurance to cover a wife he Doest Hes concerned hell be charged for premiums dating Back to when he opted out because the army policy i have to prove to them that i cancelled it once be herring that requires a year old piece of paper that says he declined the and he cant find if troops have been Haven paid the premiums and cant prove they opted out of they owe the a for unpaid premiums for every month they were eligible for the insure even if they say they we rent aware of the according to the the defense department Hast said How Many members of services other than the army might be but its expected that nearly All those who owe Are reservists or military personnel mar ried to other its not a significant problem for the air according to Corey a spokesman for air forces in its been common prac Tice since when the service realized dual military couples we rent paying Fugli to Brief airmen about the pro Gram and regularly update the records that affect their insurance he this Hast been the Case in the contend soldiers who spoke with or contacted stars and a Navy lieutenant com Mander also wrote in concerned she might trying to collect Back premiums for an insurance servicemen Bers never asked signed up nor wanted is just Plain steal army staff Theodore a 1st cavalry division sol Dier in wrote to hed not heard of Fugli until his sergeant major informed him of the army debt collection efforts in it was never mentioned to him when he deployed or when he changed duty Sta and he was never Given an Opportunity to decline he his enrolment in an other automat in enrolment insurance service members group life in was checked every time he came or he was Given multiple opportunities to accept or decline coverage for one cannot Force a ser Vic member to pay for insurance they do not want nor Are told Divito this comes across As a fraud on the part of the department of de sense against service email Matt Millham at  base stores say there diligent about id checks card holders complain of unauthorized shoppers by Nancy Montgomery stars and stripes in they  let Prince Harry buy an but in they were accused of letting All sorts of unauthorized germans shop in army Europe Post exchanges and commissaries took a hit last week on this newspapers letters to the editor after numerous readers wrote in complain ing about too Many Ger mans in their the readers seemed to were not authorized to be i am tired of seeing the local nationals coming on base and stocking up on certain knowing they will sell it off one woman wrote from when i go into the commissary and not one per son in the aisles Speaks in i cant help but get and i have to admit that in some Small Way it does affect How i feel about the German a civil Ian wrote from both the army and air Force Exchange service and the defense commissary Agency last week denied any widespread saying they follow policies set put by the defense department in checking ids to ensure Only id card holders Are Pur chasing their they also pointed out that thousands of american soldiers and civilians Are married to German who Are equally entitled to commissary and Post Exchange the most important thing is dont As sume they Are illegal Gem deca spokeswoman that a very bad cafes serves those people the com ii the most important thing is dont assume they Are illegal f f Gerri Young deca spokeswoman Mand tells us to said David cafes i Haven seen what the letter writers said was happen i dont want to say its but i know our Cashiers Are asking for identify although the rules can vary under sofa agreements with various for the most Legal customers of the duty free goods at exchanges and commissaries Are military personnel and their families civilian overseas government workers and their families reservists on Active duty nato soldiers and their families retirees living in Germany and retirees from the visiting for More than 30 retirees must first get customs one base in Young allows italian police As in cafes seemed to prove its Prince third in line to the British throne along with a contingent of British made an unannounced visit to the Exchange at Laken Heath air the Prince was reportedly again third in hoping to buy an when his Friend already at the Register was told that without a proper american identification there could be no the brits trooped off without Konop told the press at the Konop went on to say that if they had known the Prince was they could have asked the base commander to Grant an which base commanders can do for Access to commissaries and Post exchanges have broadened considerably since january when a defense department directive lifted a ban on visitors accompanied by an id card the Ben and stripes Vicki a sales representative from gives a presentation on mag cloth works Friday at Germany base concerns have been raised Over unauthorized usage of cafes and deca stores by local idea was to make the facilities More Friend so if your parents were elderly and it was 95degrees they  have to wait in the Young that Means that at most bases throughout id card holders can bring and landlords into the whether ids Are checked at the door or at the the visitors can look and touch but there still not Al Lowed to we Check ids of people paying for the said Gayle Heidel Berg commissary acting if a customer brings in a German were not the we dont say Are you shopping for this German on a German accompanying an american has tried to pay for the Pur Mcgrath and she has told them that its when its so obvious its you must Stop Mcgrath the commissary said it routinely gets complaints about unauthorized even without the presence of i had one lady say the other i know that he lives upstairs from and i know Hes buying for his German Mcgrath according to a military Law web authorized users Are prohibited from buying items for unauthorized users or buying items to those that do Are subject to losing their own according to the web if a military possible prosecution under the uniformed code of military if people have valid Mcgrath they should Call there Are some army Europe bases which still do not allow visitors of id card holders to enter the based on Security concerns and at the base commanders Young one is in which is part of an another is in a visitor to the commissary must first visit the commander and Security for permission to enter and in Only visitors bearing pass ports May email Nancy Montgomery at