The White Falcon - 30.01.1976, Page 1

White Falcon
Volume XXXII. Number 4
Kottavk, Iceland
January 30. 1976
Price hike planned
Commissaries threatened
Pentagon officials are marching back
to capitol hill with a plan that would
eliminate three hundred million dollars
in annual subsidies for military com-
missaries. This eventually would raise
prices for commissary customers.
Congress recoiled from the Pentagon's
original proposal last year after a tor-
rent of mail from servicemen, their
wives and retired military people who
buy from the commissary at reduced
prices.
Subsidy phase out
The Armed Services operate 419 com-'
IBTE accredits
Defense Force
The Defense Force recently has re-
ved, for the first time, accrediting
by the Icelandic Board of Trade and Edu-
cation to enter into apprenticeship
agreements, according to Mr. Gudni
Jonsson, Civilian Personnel Office.
For the first time, persons working
for the Defense Force can enter into an
apprenticeship and earn their journey-
man's license.
The first apprentice is Mr. Magnus E.
Halldorsson who works in the transporta-
tion division and has apprenticed for
his Automotive Mechanic Journeyman li-
cense.
The apprenticeship period is four
years. Approximately eight months of
each year is spent on actual on-the-job
training under the supervision of li-
censed Master Journeyman Johann Balduns,
General Foreman of the Transportation
Maintanance Division. The remaining
four months is spent in formal training
^^rses in an Icelandic trade school.
the end of the four year training
<^Kod, the apprentice receives his Ice-
landic government certificate upon
passing his final examinations.
As a Journeyman Automotive Mechanic,
Mr. Halldorsson's future job opportuni-
ties will increase, stated Jonsson.
He will receive a trade license which is
valid in Iceland and honored throughout
Scandinavia and other foreign countries.
Jonsson added that the Defense Force
may later enter into apprenticeship a-
greements in other trades, as mutually
agreed upon with the Icelandic author-
ities concerned.
missaries in the United States and ab-
road. They do about 2.5 billion dollars
a year in business, selling groceries
and other necessities at cut rates.
Under the commissary system^ the Pen-
tagon helps keep down prices by paying
the salaries of the 25 thousand civil-
ians and 25 hundred military personnel
who work in the commissaries.
It is this subsidy the Pentagon wants
to end. Its new proposal would phase
out the subsidy over three years, in-
stead ofi the two-year transition recom-
mended in 1975.
Thirteen percent savings
Pentagon Comptroller Terence McClar>
says there1-has never been any intention
to shut down the commissaries. And, he
notes, that even after eliminating the
subsidies, the commissary patron still
would be saving 12 or 13 percent over
supermarket prices. He said that cur-
rently the differential is about 23 per-
cent.
Officials say the price break, after
the end of the subsidy, would come prin-
cipally from mass wholesale buying of
foodstuffs and other goods to be sold in
commissariesi
Commissaries criticized
The military commissary-system dates
back to 1825. It has come under in-
creasing criticism since military pay
scales have been raised in recent years
to levels comparable to salaries in the
civilian sector.
Defenders of the system say it is
needed by enlisted families who have
trouble making ends meet in the high**
cost areas and by military retirees liv-
ing on pensions.
However, senior and middle grade of-
ficers earning salaries in the 20 thou-
sand dollar-and-up range are also entit-
led to buy cut-rate groceries and other
items in the commissaries.
Metro commissaries to close
The General Accounting Office took
the position last May that Acommissary
stores are not justified at military in-
stallations in metropolitan areas of the
United States. This decision was on the
basis that enough commercial food stores
sell food at reasonable prices.
Pentagon officials say they now are
studying the list of commissaries to de-
termine which can be closed.
Auto inspections scheduled
The Icelandic State Automobile In-
spection Service, in coordination with
the Naval Station Security Department,
will be conducting the annual safety in-
spection of all JO- licensed vehicles,
required by Icelandic Law, from Feb. 2
through Mar. 19.
The annual military re-registration
of these vehicles will be accomplished
by Security Department personnel at the
same time as the inspection in a one
stop operation in building //T-550 near
the Navy Exchange Gas Station.
All JO-licensed vehicles except those
displaying a white 1976 Icelandic in-
spection decal must' complete this in-
spection and re-registration on the
dates scheduled.
FEB. JO
2--------1-1806
4 ----2616-3048
6-----3398-3732
10 --4062-4368
12----4585-4803
16 --5002-5188
18 ---5369-5521
20----5649-5755
24----5841-5928
26----6012-6091
MAR.
1—-—6163-6240
3-----6308-6370
5 ----6432-6489
9-----6561-6623
11 --6685-6744
15----6851-6901
17 --6955-7009
19 -------7085-7098 and
reinspections.
FEB. JO
3 ----1842-2601
5-----3059-3396
9 ----3734-4061
11 ---4371-4583
13----4806-5001
17 ---5189-5365
19----5522-5647
23----5756-5839
25----5929-6011
27----6093-6162
MAR.
2-----6244-6301
4 ----6371-6431
8-----6490-6559
10 ---6624-6684
12 ---6745-6850
16----6903-6954
18 ---7010-7084-
stragglers and
Between 3:15 and 4:30 p.m. on the
scheduled day, the owner will present
his automobile and the necessary docu-
ments to the State Automobile Inspection
representatives at building //T-550.
Necessary documents include a 1975
Icelandic Registration Certificate,
proof of 1976 paid-up Icelandic Liabili-
ty Insurance for those cars inspected on
or after March 1, and a valid driver's
license with Icelandic stamp. Personnel
having cars inspected prior to March 1
are encouraged to have their 1976 insur-
ance policies but this is not required.
If documents are in order, the State
Automobile Inspection Representatives
will inspect the vehicle. The Security
Department has translated copies of the
Icelandic Vehicle Inspection Code avail-
able at building //T-790.
Upon successful completion of the in-
spection, the inspection officials will
issue a white decal to indicate the auto
has passed the inspection. A green de-
cal indicates that the inspection has
uncovered some minor discrepancies which
must be corrected before the vehicle can
pass inspection. A discrepancy list,
date for completion of repairs and a re-
scheduled inspection date will be provi^
ded. A red decal will be issued if the
inspection uncovers major discrepancies.
This decal allows the owner of the ve-
hicle to move it to a repair facility
where repairs can be accomplished. The
vehicle cannot be driven again until re-
quired repairs are completed and the ve-
hicle is reinspected.
After the Icelandic inspection, the
vehicles will proceed next for military
registration. Documents necessary for
this registration include the valid
driver's license with Icelandic Stamp
and the 1976 Icelandic Registration Cer-
tificate.
If documents are in order, including
the white 1976 inspection decal, the ve-
hicle will be given a numbered station
decal. Those vehicles receiving a green
or red inspection decal will not be re-
registered until discrepancies have been
corrected.
All JO-licensed vehicles except those
displaying a white 1976 Icelandic In-
spection decal must complete this in-
spection and re-registration at building
//T-550 on the dates scheduled. The Ice-
landic Traffic Act requires that owners
unable to meet the scheduled inspection
date, notify the Icelandic Chief of Poi-
lice in writing, and cite ample reason
for the delay. Owners failing to bring
their vehicles for inspection are sub-
ject to a fine up to 2,000 Kronur and
vehicles may be impounded.
Vehicles which have been recently in-
spected and issued a white 1976 Iceland-
ic inspection decal need not report for
inspection. These vehicles need only be
presented at the Security Department in
building //T-790 for military re-regis-
tration between 9 a.m. and noon.
E4/E5 info error
The "For Your Information" fact sheet,
and other recently published government
materials, erroneously grouped the E-4
/E-5 military leadership examinations
with advancement eligibility require-
ments which do not have to be met three
months prior to the February 1976 ad-
vancement exams.
Time-in-service and service-in-pay
grade are the only exceptions to the
three-month deadline. Individuals have
until May 1, 1976, to satisfy these re-
quirements for the February 1976, ad-
vancement cycle.
THE YEAR OF THE DRAGONS draws to a close. Commander A.C. Gross, the "Mad Fox"
skipper of VP-5, met here with Commander James McNulla, the "Dragon" skipper of
VP-56, during a recent indoctrination tour which signals the beginning of the
PATRON changeover. The VP-5 will soon relieve VP-56 as the Keflavik PATRON.
Both squadrons are based in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by PHAN Bob Grier)