The Fort Hood Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1979 Page: 1 of 32
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VOL 38 NO. 28
By ART PHELPS
If you feel like you've been "given the
business" by a local firm there's an
office here that you can turn to for help.
5-CITY or 685-2489 is the number to
call to reach Capt. Sargent B. Means
consumer affairs officer for III Corps
and Fort Hood. Means can either direct-
ly help or advise the harried consumer
on virtually any consumer complaint
that might arise between the civilian
and military communities.
THE 5-CITY OFFICE Bldg. 133 re-
ceives calls and visits regarding either
complaints by civilians against
businesses servicemembers or more
commonly by servicemeSKUCainst
local firms says Means.
Common complaints lodged against
servicemembers include cases where a
business has received a check backed
by insufficient funds or where a soldier
may have vacated a home without
14 clearing up the rent and other charges
he says. Servicemembers frequently re-
gister complaints about automobile
sales and service difficulties reposses-
sions contractual problems and lug-
gage lost by airlines notes Means.
What can the consumer affairs officer
do to help?
"IF A PERSON has reached an im-
passe with a business I will call that
business and act as a mediator until
PAY GRADE
05
04
03
**02
01
CITY
WASHINGTON (ARNEWS) DoD has released anew pay table for military pay
and allowances based on the president's new seven percent ceiling on this year's
federal pay raise.
Unless rejected by Congress the new table will take effect on Oct. 1.
Base pay amounts rounded to the nearest dollar are shown in the following tables:
PAY GRADE
03
02
01
WO 3
WO 2
WO 1
E7
E6
E5
E4
E3
E2
El
some kind of understanding is worked
out" says Means. "Often a'difficult
situation requires a calm voice in the
middle of the storm.
"A lot of what I tell people is strictly
common sense sometimes what they
already know" he says. "But when
people get frustrated they may not
know where to turn."
Means is quick to point out that many
consumer problems need not become
from the start. He suggests that to avoid
potential problems or when difficulties
with a product or service arise the indi-
vidual should:
Always be polite and avoid profanity
in dealing with businesses. Lack of
courtesy may only make matters worse.
When signing a contract lease or
other legal document know what you
are getting into. Frequently problems
exist simply because people fail to
understand the obligations they have
incurred by signing on the dotted line.
Consult with the legal assistance office
(at 685-LAWS) if you have questions be-
fore signing.
WHEN PURCHASING A product
particularly motor vehicles know what
the warranty covers. Remember that
older less expensive vehicles may have
limited repair guaranties.
Get in touch with the top man of a
business if you are getting no satisfac-
tion from the salesman repairman or
clerk. Oftentimes a brief chat with a
business manager or owner can work
wonders.
UNDER 2 2 3 4 6
1093 1222 1306 1446 1515
953 1041 1251 1293 1320
827 861 1041 1041 1112
1012 1098 1098 1112 1125
887 959 959 987 1041
739 847 847 918 959
859 888
698 727 758 786
562 612 641 669 713
540 571 604 651 677
520 548 570 593
500
449
8 10 12 14
1570 1654 1736 1779
*1806
1362 1432 1487 1528
1153 1195 1237 *1293
1334 1390 1487 1556
STANDING GUARD As the sun sets a
WWII 90 mm anti-aircraft gun sits poised for
action outside the 2nd Armd. Div. Museum.
Located on Battalion Ave. the museum is
Search the sky
"People should feel free to call with
any consumer-related problem" says
Means. "You may be asked to come into
the 5-CITY office with any paperwork
connected to the problem and to re-
member any dates receipts and con-
versations that might be important.
Frequently Means will encounter
people in the military who have made a
commitment like a loan or time pay-
ment and then find that they cannot
keep up with their obligations. They
may receive late notices or warnings
that they ignore. In his view this is the
best way to cause irreparable damage to
one's credit rating.
"MANY TIMES IF you have a prob-
lem meeting your bills you can work
something out with the firm involved"
he says. "But if you delay or ignore a
problem you may get a notice to pay
the account in full or end up on nation-
al credit lists as a bad risk.
"Once you get on one of those credit
rolls wit's hard to get off and at some-
time you may need a good credit rat-
ing" he says.
"One thing that's hard for some peo-
ple to understand is that in business
there is a difference between the legal
right and the moral right" notes Means.
"Just because you may feel you're
being treated unfairly doesn't mean
that the business is wrong and there
might be little that we could do."
If consumer affairs cannot directly
help one of the main functions of the
A.
open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon. through Fri.
and from noon-4:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun.
FT. HOOD SENTINEL
'PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE PERSONNEL OF FT. HOOD
FT. HOOD TEXAS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13 1979
New military pay table released by DoD
WO 4 1207 1278 1320
WO 3 1098 1140 1181
WO 2 1000 1041 1084
WO 1 1265 1294
E9 1062 1091 1120
E8 916 946 975
E7 815 845 888
E6 742 772 800
PAY GRADE 16 18 20
010 *3958
09 3794 3794 *3958
08 3502 3654 3794
07 3211 *3431
06 2446 2572 2627
05 2182 2307 2377
04 2001 *2057
WO 4 1611 1654 1708
WO 3 1402 1446 1501
WO 2 1265 1306 1348
WO 1 1167 1207 *1251
E9 1354 1384 1411
E8 1180 1207 1237
E7 1048 1978 1091
E6 946 *960
(Photo by Kenneth E. Clauson)
•indicates highest pay for grade ^indicates officers with over four enlisted service.
office is to refer the individual to other
agencies that can.
IN PARTICULAR PROBLEMS that
servicemembers have with landlords
and other housing overseers are fre-
quently referred to the Housing Refer-
ral Service Bldg. 121 which may be
contacted at 685-4905.
If a problem is too big to handle or
one or both of the parties fails to cooper-
ate enough to resolve the situation ac-
tion in civil courts or through the staff
judge advocate's office could result.
In addition if enough complaints of a
serious nature are levied by ser-
vicemembers against a particular busi-
ness the Armed Forces Disciplinary
Control Board here could take action to
place that business off-limits or on
probation.
"THERE IS NO 'Better Business
Bureau' in Killeen and the Chamber of
Commerce refers people here" he says.
"Also the Federal Trade Commission is
located down in Austin and I'd be glad
to help people get in touch with them if
they want to check out a business."
With the day by day diversity of
challenges he faces Means finds that
his job has given him insight into the
complex world of trade laws.
"When a problem comes up I don't
promise miracles but normally we can
do something to help" he says.
The 5-CITY office is located at the
corner of Hood Rd. and Battalion Ave.
1362
1222
1125
1324
1150
1019
916
*815
22
By DEBBIE FEDEN
'Published by Bell Publishing Company a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by writers herein are their own and are not to be considered an official
expression of the Department of the Army. The appearance of advertisements and advertising inserts does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of the products or services advertised."
26
*3946
2780 3015
*2460
1765
1556
=1902
1611
*1402
1486
1309
1165
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT of Hu-
man Resources (DHR) sponsors volun-
teer programs designed to prevent
abuse and neglect before they begin.
Family Focus and Volunteers in Action
(VIA) are two programs through which
concerned volunteers may actively
work to help families who have been
identified as "high risk" families.
06
05
04
03
02
01
WO 4
WO 3
WO 2
WO 1
E9
E8
E7
E6
E5
E4
E3
E2
El
1630
*1456
*1309
Child abuse is everybody's problem.
An abusive or potentially abusive pa-
rent needs help as desperately as an
abused or neglected child. Recognizing
the potential for abuse before any dam-
age takes place can save the child and
parent from a tragic situation.
A volunteer with the Family Focus
program is called a parent aide and is
the primary contact with the client
family. Anyone can apply to be a parent
aide there are no educational require-
ments although once accepted for the
program the volunteer will receive 25
hours of specialized training. Since the
parent aide is primarily concerned with
counseling part of the training involves
counseling techniques and listening
skills. Also covered in training is an in-
troduction to the dynamics of child
abuse and neglect child management
utilization of community resources
and clarification of the helping role.
Once the training is completed the
parent aide is assigned a case by a Fami-
ly Focus social worker (all parent aides
work under the guidance of asocial
worker with whom they meet as often
as necessary). The aide may be assigned
up to three cases he will meet with each
Volunteers sought for DHR
4m
O
of his families at least once a week or
more if necessary.
CWO 2 RICHARD Flowers a phyisi-
can's assistant assigned to HHT 2/lst
Cav. 2nd Armd. Div. has been a parent
aide in the Family Focus program since
last December. He feels his contact with
families in the progr$m has been very
productive.
"People seem to feel more relaxed
with a volunteer than with for example
asocial worker" he said. "Families
have kept in touch with me after they've
moved away."
The families are also in the Family
Focus program voluntarily. Although
they are identified by hospital medical
personnel or social service agencies as
"problematic" or "high risk" families
they participate in the program only if
they so desire.
Once a family comes into the program
and is assigned a parent aide the aide
then gets acquainted with the family.
The family may freely discuss its prob-
lems with the aide who will respect
their confidentiality and go over possi-
ble solutions with them.
"IN EACH MEETING we set some
goals for the next meeting" explained
Flowers. "It may involve getting a fami-
ly into budget counseling. Or perhaps a
family with little extra money will have
a free recreational event to attend
together. That in itself can be a weekly
goal."
Parent aides attend monthly staff
meetings and training classes which are
scheduled monthly or as needed.
Although a parent aide works on his
own he can contact asocial worker at
The new monthly basic allowance for quarters rates are as follows:
PAY GRADE SINGLE MARRIED
07-010 383.10 479.10
343.80 419.40
316.80 381.60
282.30 340.50
248.10 306.30
215.40 272.70
168.00 219.00
271.80 328.20
242.40 298.80
210.90 268.20
190.50 246.60
205.20 288.60
189.00 266.70
160.80 248.10
146.10 228.30
140.40 209.70
123.90 184.50
110.70 160.80
97.80 160.80
92.40 160.80
Basic allowance for subsistence will be $67.21 per month for officers warrant
officers and $3.21 per day for enlisted personnel. When rations in kind are not
available the enlisted rate will be $3.62 per day.
THIRTY-TWO PAGES
any time. A commitment of at least six
months is required in order to be a pa-
rent aide.
While volunteers in the Family Focus
program deal directly with counseling
families volunteers in the VIA program
cover a wider category of services. They
may handle telephone intake in a DHR
office or babysit for children of a high
risk family so that the parents can
attend parenting classes. A VIA volun-
teer with a special talent or interest may
teach a class (in sewing or cooking for
example).
"Although Family Focus volunteers
have a more direct involvement with
the families the two programs overlap a
lot" said Linda Mann who coordinates
the programs. "Sometimes a Family
Focus volunteer may need a VIA volun-
teer to provide transportation or some
other service forthe client family. The
Big Brother Big Sister program also
comes under VIA. That requires a lot of
personal involvement."
MARTHA CULLE Y A VIA volunteer
who began by doing intake reports in
one of the offices now works directly
with two client families. She sees each
family one day a week.
"I've just gotten into the counseling
aspect of the program" said Culley.
"I've found a lot of personal satisfaction
in it."
VIA requires a commitment of three
months with at least three hours volun-
teer time each week as well as three to
six hours of formal volunteer training
priqr to receiving an assignment. Prop-
er insurance is required of any volun-
teers who transport clients in their cars.
(Continued on Pg. 3A)
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The Fort Hood Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1979, newspaper, September 13, 1979; Temple, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth309416/m1/1/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Casey Memorial Library.