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Show 6 September 16,1999 by Linda D. Kozaryn American Forces Press Service Want to WASHINGTON (AFPN) tell the Pentagon brass what you think of military life? You may just get the chance to speak your mind. Defense officials started mailing surveys Monday to nearly 100,000 people throughout the military. About 60,000 service members and 36,000 spouses will get to voice their opinion on everything from personnel tempo to child care. Defense Manpower Data Center officials are mailing questionnaires to individuals' home qual-ity-of-li- fe addresses. The voluntary survey gives troops and family members a chance to make ; o tfl? P? in aweon esday i $f"ZZs& r a difference, according to Gail McGinn, the Pentagon's principal director for personnel support, families and education. "We want to know what their concerns are and what things we need to work on so that we can communicate that to the military leadership and to the Congress," she said. Compensation, education and spouse employment are areas DoD officials here have been trying to address with policy and program changes, McGinn said. "We'd like to know what people now think about those things and what we might be able to do that would make them even better," she said. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, Deputy Secretary John J. Hamre, ser- vice chiefs, commanders, state rep even the resentatives and senators will in hearbe interested president and the what troops spouses have ing to say, McGinn emphasized. Preliminary results will be available by spring, and all of the survey data is slated to be posted by summer on a DoD Internet Web site. Overall, she said, survey results will affect military life for years to come. Defense officials will use the data to construct quality of life policies, programs and services. They'll cite the results when seeking congressional support for such initiatives as higher pay and better benefits. Service member and family concerns will be reflected in decisions affecting the way the milj v itary does business, fill "We'd like people to out the suras as soon she said. it," they get vey "We think it will take about 30 minutes. That's a long period of time for people to take out of their day, but this is a very important survey this is a big deal,; This is the definitive DoD survey of all service members from all services and families." DoD officials randomly selected people from all ranks and services to prod vide a sample, McGinn noted. Those asked to complete the survey represent themselves and their peers. "We know that when people speak, we can assume they're speaking for other people who are in similar cir- reviewing programs for savings during downsizing, for example, officials were able to shield the military commissary system in part because of survey data showing the stores to be the most-used and benefit by both married and single members, she said. offi- Because of 1992 survey responses, DoD officials also focused on the need for more and better physical fitness facilities, she said. The results even affected military community libraries. "We had heard that some installations had started closing libraries," she continued. "As we looked into the survey data, we saw libraries always among the top three most popular morale, welfare and recreation programs. This information got the Congress' attention, and they asked us to in what service members and their spouses have to say. "This is their voice," Burke said. "They don't have to worry. This is their chance to speak." The 1999 survey will be DoD's first look at the thinking of a new generation, McGinn noted. DoD community." WmM. most-value- d Since quality of life plays a major role in recruiting and retaining personnel, DoD officials are extremely interested time to complete the survey "will be a great service to everybody in the put a moratorium on the closure of libraries." McGinn calls the quality-of-lif- e sur"a vey very powerful instrument for being able to say what's important to people and for being able to focus your money, resources and efforts in those areas." Having trouble choosing just the right paint 16,170 601HP. U I Pro 175SE 40 HP. 27 Party Barge 115 The 1992 quality of life survey resulted in DoD-wid- e initiatives, according to McGinn. When the department was cials are wrestling with, Burke said. "We need to know the repercussions and how we can (improve) personnel tempo for people," she said. "Financial management Is also a very big: issue. Our people are put under extraordinary circumstances when they're young and they have to move to a new place. Moving is expensive. We're looking into that, too. cumstances," she said. Taking the " IU.UOU m $ HP.. SS MARINE ' BOAT SALES 117 & SERVICE 1W "You hear about Generation X and Generation Y, and those generations are now coming into the military family," she said. "Their expectations and desires are sometimes different. It's important for us to know what the younger people coming into the military see as important, because they are the force of the future." . Personnel tempo is an issue DoD 19 ' tionnaire. "We never use any identifying information on individuals," McGinn said. DoD conducts a quality-of-lif- e surwill seven This be vey every years. the first since the drawdown reduced the size and makeup of the armed forces. "We've got a whole new military out there that we need to look at," said Jane Burke, director of the Pentagon's Quality of Life Office. "Today's issues are probably very different from those seven years ago when we were coming out of Desert Storm and Desert Shield." well-rounde- BEGMHERS WELCOME! i 'i i i yy ,y y uto mry ifffek Individual troop and spouse responses to the questions remain confidential. Names are not required on the ques- ; GYMNASTICS & DANCE o 20,403 colon P. llson's tJtoor quality iiiint GRAND OPENING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 8th ft announces: Pay $2 and take home a quart of any color from Pratt & Lambert's decorative color system. Meet Barbie, 1 0.00-- 4 4.00 'T; Test the color on the surface you are planning to paint. 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