Army Community - Army Discussions - Army Times

Letters

SMOKING: personal choice

I wanted to add my thoughts on the recommended smoking ban [“Just quit,” July 13]. Defense Department regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice hold service members to a different standard than the rest of America.

Motorcycling provides a useful parallel in this matter. In some states, Americans have the right to wear no protective equipment while biking. Service members are also afforded this right, but if a Line of Duty determination, as covered in AR 600-8-4, finds misconduct or willful negligence on their part by not wearing personal protection equipment, they could be held liable for medical bills. In addition, they are still subject to local laws and the UCMJ on top of that.

I propose a similar system that would authorize investigating officers and Veterans Affairs Department case review officers to deem any service members’ or retirees’ smoking-related illnesses or diseases to be the result of willful negligence and deny benefits.

2nd Lt. Nick Cosmas

Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

In response to your editorial, “Smoking is troops’ right,” [July 27]: As a first lieutenant assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) during the Tet Campaign in Vietnam in 1968, it was my responsibility to supply the Special Forces combat base at Khe Sanh, primarily from our main base in Da Nang. Land supply routes had been cut off, so everything had to be airdropped in. Space for luxuries was rare as every airdrop consisted entirely of combat-essential material.

A week or so into Tet, my commander ordered me to find cigarettes for the soldiers at Khe Sanh (as well as for the patients in the underground infirmary there). What I initially thought to be a simple task turned extremely difficult, as all my routine sources of supply were either closed or already exhausted.

I eventually did find and airdrop cigarettes into Khe Sanh, but I found them after my stop at the Red Cross recreation center at Red Beach in Da Nang. When I asked the director if she had any cigarettes I could have, she abruptly told me they had none as “smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health.” As I walked out I thought, “As opposed to the hostile fire which constantly harassed my compatriots at Khe Sanh?”

Although dangerous, cigarettes seemed then to be the lesser of all the hazards they faced. Today, that still appears to be true.

Col. John E. Ryan (ret.)

Beaverton, Ore.

I feel it necessary to comment on the recent proposal to ban cigarettes from the military.

I find that idea ludicrous. Last time I checked, smoking was legal. If these men and women are putting their lives at risk to protect my personal freedom, they can damn well smoke all the Marlboros they want to.

Please don’t allow the “nanny” government into the military. Keep your integrity intact.

Maxine Gomez

New York

COST ISN’T EVERYTHING

I read with interest your article and editorial in the July 13 issue of Army Times [“A real bargain,” “Make use of commissary.”].

I have been a commissary user for almost 50 years around the U.S. and Europe. While some things have changed, many have not. Some make one pause and ask whether making use of the commissary is really worth it.

The writers have done their homework and the cost savings are substantial, especially here in the Washington, D.C., area. And, if I am unable to find something I want at the commissary I usually use, I can often find it at another one in the area, thereby lessening the need for me to use civilian stores.

But cost is not everything. Some of the employees in the commissaries are among the rudest people I have ever run across in a retail environment. In fact, many of them would not last a month in the retail industry due to poor people skills and appearance.

At one commissary I use frequently, I use the self checkout system. Due to some reason known only to the store management, most of the produce items are not coded and, even after looking the item up, the computer states help is needed to process the item. And I’m not talking about obscure items, but items such as tomatoes, potatoes or cucumbers.

On the subject of produce, I was surprised that one of your shoppers commented on the quality of the produce. In the D.C.-area commissaries, such things as brown lettuce, bruised tomatoes, wilted and dirty green onions, soft potatoes in the bags and other signs of old produce are almost standard. On one occasion, I asked a produce worker why she was putting lettuce with brown at the bottom as well as up the sides and on top in the bins. She said that when the produce is delivered they had to accept it, so she was putting it out for sale.

I could go on. In short, the Defense Commissary Agency needs to do something about the quality of the items in the stores, the insensitive and rude help, the age of many of the stores and the overall appearance of the people and the store. Sometimes saving a dollar or two isn’t worth the anxiety caused in the process.

Sgt. Maj. Larry G. Hall (ret.)

Upper Marlboro, Md.

MORE EDUCATION OPTIONS

In the article titled “Variety of options to fulfill ILE requirements” [July 6] you reported only a few of the methods officers in the rank of major can fulfill their required Intermediate Level Education. You failed to report on two very important alternatives. The following should be added to the list of the methods available to fulfill the ILE Common Core Course of Instruction:

1. The nonresident program taught by the 104th Division (Leader Training) in three phases is a primary source of education for reserve-component officers. The students attend two-week Active Duty Training (phase 1), followed by eight months of Inactive Duty Training (phase 2) and another two-week ADT (phase 3).

Phases 1 and 3 are conducted at Fort Dix, N.J., and Fort McCoy, Wis., in training with the intent to move into a center of excellence at Fort McCoy beginning in 2011. Phase 2 is conducted regionally during most soldiers’ Battle Training Assembly weekends, as close to their unit duty location as possible. Upon completion of ILE Common Core, students may take the Advanced Operations and War-fighting Course.

2. The Distance Learning method is a three-phase course with attendance selection controlled by the Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Department of Distance Education. It is similar to the nonresident modality mentioned above. This course is no longer the “box of books” that is stereotypically associated with distance education — it is a time- and requirement-intensive method of instruction. Upon completion of ILE Common Core via distance learning, students may take AOWC.

The 104th Division (LT) is accredited by the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth to teach ILE in the non-resident program mentioned above. This modality successfully graduated 3,517 soldiers (all three phases combined) in fiscal 2008 and is on track to graduate approximately 4,000 in fiscal 2009.

Additionally, we provide guest instructors to teach ILE courses in Pristina, Kosovo; Honolulu; and Grafenwoehr, Germany. We also send instructors to teach at the Canadian ILE in the Canadian Exchange Program.

Lt. Col. Judy L. Fromherz

Chief, Professional Development Branch

104th Division (Leader Training)

Vancouver, Wash.