The White Falcon - 27.01.1978, Side 1

Volume 34 Number 4
Keflavik, Iceland
January 27, 1978
Pay, benefits and retirement!
Highlight report to Military Pay Commission
SecNav and CNO speak out for sailors
Secretary of the Navy W. Claytor Jr.
and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral
James L. Holloway III last week pre-
sented their views and recommendations
regarding military pay and benefits to
the President's Commission of Military
Compensation.
Last week's hearing was the last of
the eight public hearings to be con-
ducted by the commission. The commis-
sion now will draft its proposals for
submission to the President March 15.
Both SecNav and CNO stressed the
unique character of military service
as a prime factor in the consideration
of possible changes to the present
system of military compensation.
Secretary Claytor emphasized that
the government has a commitment to
honor the agreements made with service
members currently on active duty.
Secretary Claytor stated that,
"comparisons of military life with
other sectors (such as the federal
Civil Service, private corporations
or state and local government) can be
deceptive without a careful understand-
ing of the unique environment and re-
quirements that we impose on indivi-
duals in the military.
"Our personnel policies and com-
pensation systems should continue to
be designed to meet specific require-
ments of the military and should not
necessarily be directly comparable or
competitive with those in other set-
tings."
Admiral Holloway said, "There are
demands imposed upon our people in
terms of work environment, living con-
ditions, length of work week and
existing or ever-present potential
personal hazard which clearly preclude
the drawing of comparisons between
military and civilian career fields.
"If the institutional characteristics
which distinguish the military profes-
sion from alternative occupational
fields are eliminated, or if we attempt
to precisely equate jobs or specialties
in the military to those in the private
sector, then we are effectively preor-
daining the failure of the volunteer
force concept."
Need to carefully approach issue
Secretary Claytor highlighted the
need for a careful approach to the com-
pensation issue. "In my view," he
said, "changes in the system that we
have today are much needed, but yet
must be made with care and judgment; I
am convinced that 'quick fix' solutions
could be inappropriate or potentially
damaging.
"Some potential compensation changes
could have serious negative effects on
the near-term morale and readiness of
Mandatory
Auto inspectionsstart Wednesday
It's that time of year again, time
for getting your car inspected. Whether
you were in the states last year or in
Iceland chances are that if you had a
vehicle you had to get it inspected.
If your vehicle tag starts with the
letters "j" or "jo" you can have vour
car inspected at the car wash located
behind Public Works.
This inspection is mandatory for all
vehicles and each J or JO number will
only have one day to be inspected.
The schedule for inspections will
be printed in the Plan of the Day and
the White Falcon. The schedule in
each edition of the White Falcon
will list the J and JO numbers to be
inspected during the following week.
Inspections will be held between
Feb. 1 and March 22, from 1:15 to 4:30.
The following is a schedule for the
first week of the inspection period.
Wednesday, February 1
J-110 - JO-2026
Thursday, February 2
JO-2027 - JO-2953
Prayer Breakfast to be held
at the Top of the Rock
The annual observance of the National
Prayer Breakfast will be held Thursday
at 8 a.m. at the Top of the Rock Club.
The scheduled guest speaker for the oc-
casion will be David P.N. Christensen,
the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Amer-
ican Embassy at Reykjavik.
Each year since 1953 a National Pray-
er Breakfast in Washington, D.C. has been
sponsored by prayer group members in the
Senate and the House of Representatives
and attended by officials in every branch
of government, including usually the Pre-
sident.
By this example, government employees
on all levels gather on this day to de-
clare the importance of initial moral and
spiritual values.
Tickets for the National Prayer
Breakfast are now on sale by key persons
in each command and at the Chaplains'
Office. Everyone is invited to attend.
both the Navy and Marine Corps, despite
the possibility of cost savings.
"Compensation plan changes must be
considered on an integrated basis; we
must break the habit of making piece-
meal adjustments in the compensation
system one element at a time."
Secretary Claytor suggested, "That
the major challenge we face together
in considering military compensation
changes is how to balance two funda-
mental considerations: Force effec-
tiveness or manpower stability and
cost efficiency—in a constructive
fashion."
20-year retirement system
Admiral Holloway discussed the ef-
fect of the perceived "erosion of
benefits" on Navy personnel, especial-
ly with respect to possible changes to
the 20-year retirement system.
"As I know you have heard during your
field visits," CNO said, "our people
have seen what they consider to be a
deliberate effort to erode the fringe
benefit components of the compensation
package in recent years.
"They are watching the progress of
this commission with keen interest and
apparent apprehension as news reports
appear indicating certain elements of
the compensation system are being con-
sidered for major overhaul.
"I can assure you that, almost with-
out exception, our people believe the
present retirement system should not be
changed. They are especially sensitive
to the need to protect the 20-year re-
tirement option as an equitable means
of providing deferred compensation for
the extraordinary demands imposed on
our sailors and indirectly on their de-
pendents by a career in the Navy.
Historical acceptance
"American sailors historically have
accepted the rigors of sea duty be-
cause it was the way of life they an-
ticipated when they chose a Navy
career and because they knew there
would be an option to transfer to the
Fleet Reserve and embark upon a less
turbulent life style after 20 years.
More than any other single component,
this one feature of the present re-
tirement system has served to buoy up
the sailor during repeated tours of
sea duty throughout his career.
"I am aware of the strong external
pressures being brought to bear
against the 20-year option for re-
tirement at half pay and I therefore
recognize the possibility that this
option may be altered in the future
from its present provisions."
CNO said, "The Navy has accepted the
desirability of certain modifications in
the retirement system, but we are con-
vinced that these must be evolutionary
in nature and based upon clear recogni-
tion of the unique part played by the
20-year retirement option in military
manpower management.
20-year system vital to some members
"I remain convinced that if the
existing retirement system must be
changed, it is essential that we retain
the 20-year retirement option for those
who are in our sea-intensive ratings
and their counterparts in combat arms
specialties in the other services.
Therefore, service managers should be
permitted to offer that option to
members in sea-intensive and other arms
specialties under certain circum-
stances ."
With regard to people in the service
today, the CNO said, "I must take a
firm stand that no changes be made in
the current 20-year retirement option
for these members. I would include in
such 'grandfathering protection' all
enlisted personnel serving beyond
Benefits Continued on Page 2
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER, Jon E. Gudmudsson, a world-famous Reykjavik pup-
petmaker, applies a finishing touch to a puppet for A. T. Mahan fourth
graders Monday afternoon.
Girl Scouts to sell
famous cookies on base
February is Girl Scout Cookie Month.
Your cookie stations will be located
at the following areas: Navy Exchange
and Commissary, beginning Feb. 7 from 3-5
p.m. and all day on Saturdays. The USO
sales will begin also Feb. 7 from 4:30
to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday and 3 to 9 p.m. Saturdays.
Don't forget—the best opportunity to
buy those fresh cookies is from the Girl
Scout closest to you!
Puppet maker visits school
Jon. E. Gudmudsson, a world famous
Icelandic puppetmaker, is instructing
at the A. T. Mahan Elementary School
as a visiting cultural artist.
The guest artist works as a painter
and art teacher in Reykjavik and has
made puppets for 30 years.
Each Monday for five weeks he
visits the elementary art classes,
taught by Beth Cornell, to share
puppetmaking with all classes.
Each class level is busy designing
faces and bodies for various styles.
During this third week, the fourth
grade students are using paper mache',
sheepskin and fabric to design alli-
gators, seals and birds. The bodies
are made by the students or with the
help of many parents.
On Feb. 6, Jon will give a large
puppet show with his favorite pup-
pets. On the same day, many students
from each class level will present
their own show.
Jon Gudmudsson has many famous
puppets; some of which have appeared
on television.
He presents four major shows yearly
in Iceland and around the world.