Regarding the June 16 article “Americans no longer can register privately owned firearms in Germany”: It is unfortunate but not surprising that Installation Management Command (IMCOM) has once again failed to support American hunters and shooters by moving the only Army-level representative to another installation.

Please don’t tell me IMCOM “supports the troops” when it fails to do the bare minimum and ignores decades of cooperation with Germany. The German government was forced to cease the registration of firearms owned by Americans as a direct result of IMCOM actions. IMCOM has exposed American gun owners in Europe to prosecution under German law.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeff Freelove

Wiesbaden, Germany

Wounds not always visible

The opinion of a reader that a soldier who committed suicide “took the easy way out” (“Legion right to not add name,” letter, June 11) is still, unfortunately, a common misconception of many.

The letter writer mentioned that help is available to soldiers who may be experiencing difficulties. Extensive efforts have also been made to provide information and education on suicide awareness and prevention, but the letter writer’s comments are evidence that more needs to be done to help understand that suicide is not “easy.”

The wounds of war aren’t always visible and many warriors suffer in silence. It’s unfortunate that Spc. Andrew Velez, as a wounded warrior and a veteran, would be dishonored and abandoned at death (“Two brothers die in war zones; only one is memorialized,” article, June 3) and that his family’s grief was compounded by the refusal to memorialize him.

Sonya Brown

Heidelberg, Germany

Best ones lack time to study

Regarding the June 12 (Pacific edition) article “Pair of Navy NCOs will retire in wake of exam cheating”: Sorry, but everybody cheats these days.

The last 30 years I’ve heard about people who are supermen in their jobs, yet can’t make rate. They are so into their job that they don’t have time to study. It’s a 24-hour job for them, and I say to myself, “Why?” They never get promoted, and the person who gets the rate is the one who does nothing and has too much time to study.

What’s the saying about what floats to the top?

Robert Russell

Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan

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