SCHWETZINGEN, Germany — They’ve heard all the complaints: The commissary isn’t open long enough; the dining hall isn’t open on weekends; I want Internet access in my barracks room.
In many ways, the leaders of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program are like college class presidents coming off a big election. They have immersed themselves with “the people” — single soldiers in their communities — to learn the top gripes. And at this early stage in their positions, they are feeling confident they can change things for the better.
The 60 soldiers and airmen, who met this week in Schwetzingen, represent 23 Army communities throughout Europe. Their job is to address concerns of their peers to commanding officers and work to build a sense of community among young soldiers.
Each unit in the Army has a BOSS representative who meets regularly with other unit leaders and their community’s BOSS president. The president, who is usually elected by the other representatives, has direct contact with the community’s command sergeant major.
Some Air Force bases have also begun participating in the program.
After a week learning about what BOSS leaders in other communities have accomplished, Spc. Tatiana Rieloff from Giebelstadt said she was feeling confident.
Like troops at other small bases in Europe, soldiers in Giebelstadt complain of restrictive hours at the commissary, Rieloff said. They complain that the dining facility is closed on weekends and about out-of-date barracks, where soldiers on each hall share a kitchen.
Other complaints included commissary and exchange store hours varying by base and generally being more restrictive in smaller communities.
Rieloff said representatives for the Defense Commissary Agency and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service who spoke at the conference gave her hope that managers might listen to single soldiers’ requests.
Rieloff now plans to start a designated driver program similar to the one organized by the BOSS program in Heidelberg, in which soldiers offer rides to anyone who calls between midnight and 3 a.m. on the weekends. The fee: if a soldier uses the service three times, he is asked to volunteer a weekend.
Spc. Ryan Haraschak, from Livorno, Italy, said he plans to address security concerns with his commander after hearing that BOSS leaders in Vicenza convinced their commander to put better locks on barracks doors after a series of break-ins last year. Haraschak said the windows to barracks rooms in Livorno do not lock, leading to thefts.
Haraschak has hope, he said, that base commanders will also address concerns about restrictive commissary and post exchange hours and a lack of variety in food options.
Reed Leader, store director for three commissary locations in and around Baumholder said he hoped he did not get BOSS leaders too hopeful about extending store hours when he spoke at the conference. Hours are based on the number of customers, he said, so it is unrealistic to expect long hours from a store that does little business.
Other BOSS leaders said they are pushing to get renovated barracks so that soldiers on each floor do not have to share just two bathrooms. Many barracks offer one bathroom for every two rooms.
Popular complaints
Baumholder
Reducing DUI casesSoldiers’ involvment in community eventsDarmstadt
Extending hours of AAFES barber and weekend hours of fitness center at Babenhausen CasernGetting a building for single soldiers to useHeidelberg
Reducing DUI cases with new designated-driving programHanau
Extending PX and commissary hoursGetting telephone and Internet access in barracks roomsKaiserslautern
Building cohesion between soldiers in Kaiserslautern and airmen at Ramstein Air BaseHohenfels
Getting single-person barracks roomsChanging dining facility rules and hours to allow more flexibilityStuttgart
Reducing medical appointment wait times for servicemembers preparing to deployCreating ride-share program for servicemembers without carsVicenza
