volume 2, no 23 friday, june 21, 1996 the 2, no 23 friday, june 21, 1996 operation joint endeavor,...

the TalonVolume 2, No 23 Friday, June 21, 1996

Serving the soldiers of Task Force EagleOperation Joint Endeavor, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Insid

e COMMENTARY...........2WEEKLY WEATHER......3NEW HMMWVS.......5PHOTO FEATURE.........6NEW FIRING RANGE......8GERMANY NEWS........10PERSONALITY PAGE ....11

On targetPresidential adviserlauds peace efforts

The following is an excerpt from a speechby Anthony Lake, National Security Adviserto President Clinton, at Georgetown Univer-sity on June 14, the six-month anniversary ofthe Paris signing of the Peace Agreement.

One year ago, war raged in Bosnia —the worst war in Europe since WorldWar II.

Today, there is peace. A very fragile peace,to be sure. But peace.

That change — from war to peace — is thesingle most important fact of life for the peopleof Bosnia. It means that killing fields are onceagain playgrounds. That cafes and market-places are full of life, not death. That runningan errand doesn’t mean running a death raceagainst snipers and shells. That women areno longer prey to systemiccampaigns of rape andterror. That the water andlights are on, and thatthere is shelter from thewind and the cold.

Peace means all thesevery basic things. As wework to make sure peaceendures, we must not losesight of its reality.

Thus far, the peace has held because IFOR,the NATO Implementation Force, has done itscarefully defined job — and done it very well.

In the days after Dayton, when PresidentClinton committed 20,000 American troops tolead a 60,000-strong IFOR force, the skepticspredicted gloom and doom. They warned ofterrorism, renewed fighting, American casu-alties and embarrassing retreat.

The reality has been the opposite. IFOR

AH-64 Apache helicopters of Company C, 7th Battalion, 227thAviation, 4th Aviation Brigade return to Comanche Base aftergunnery qualification in Glamoc.

Spc. George Roache

Lukavac units beginmove north to CroatiaSlovanski Brod newhome for divisionsupply hub, troopsBy Staff Sgt. BRIAN BOWMAN203rd MPAD

LUKAVAC � The process of mov-ing the 2,000-plus soldiers living andworking here to a location across theSava River has officially begun.

Last week, the 92nd Military Po-lice Company packed up and relocated70 miles north to a new camp atSlavonski Brod, Croatia.

Many of the units currently basedhere will soon join the MPs at the sitejust north of the Sava, where a com-mand and control headquarters soonwill be established.

The timing of the moves coincideswith the opening of the newly erected

Slavonski Brod bridge. The span�sopening enables Task Force Eagle�smain supply route to be shifted throughSlavonski Brod. A command and con-trol headquarters at that side will bepositioned to respond to the task force�slogistical needs.

Most of the units currently locatedat Lukavac, including rear elements ofthe 1st Armored Division Headquar-ters, the Division Support Command,and various liaison elements will be-gin their move by July 15.

The balance of the units will beginto move between July 1 and Aug. 1 toother task force base camps.

Task Force Eagle officials cautionthat the move is not the first step inredeployment.

�This is not the start of redeploy-ment,� said Maj. John E. Suttle, 1stArmored Division spokesman. �We are

See MOVE, page 12

Anthony Lake

See Lake , page 12

Friday, June 21, 1996 The Talon

From the topComplacency remains challenge for leaders

Command Sgt.Maj. Jack L. Tilley

1st ArmoredDivision

THE TALON is produced in the interest of the servicemembers of TaskForce Eagle, headquartered at Eagle Base. THE TALON is an Army-fundednewspaper authorized for members of the U.S. Army overseas, under theprovision of AR 360-81. Contents of THE TALON are not necessarily theofficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense,Department of the Army or Task Force Eagle, commanded by Maj. Gen. WilliamL. Nash. THE TALON is published weekly by the 1st Armored Division (TaskForce Eagle) Public Affairs Office, Eagle Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-HerzegovinaAPO AE 09789, Telephone MSE 551-5230. E-mail: [email protected] by Print Com Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Circulation: 8,000.

Mortuary affairs specialist ....................................Pfc. Lawanda D. VinesEditor-in-Chief ....................................................................Maj. John E. SuttleNCOIC............................................................................Master Sgt. Rich GlynnProduction Staff ............................29th Mobile Public Affairs DetachmentCommander ....................................................................Maj. Robert L. GouldManaging Editor .............................................................Capt. John GoheenEditor ..................................................................Sgt. 1st Class Bettina E. TilsonLayout Editor/Journalist .........................................Spc. Cesar G. SorianoPhoto Editor .........................................................................Spc. Bryan DriverJournalists ............................................Sgt. Ed Rollins, Spc. George RoacheSignificant Contributors .......203rd, 358th Mobile Public Affairs Detachments

The Talon

I wore my Con-verse sneakers tosandbag detail theother day. Not justany Converse buthigh tops, Chuck Tay-lor Converse.

Quite a stir wasraised.

First, my runningshoes, if I wear sockswith them, are tootight. So, I switched to my Con-verses for comfort. Filling sand-bags requires everyone to be inthe correct uniform. And I amalready self-conscious: My PTshorts have lost their elasticityand always seem to be in dan-ger of falling down.

While I�m at it, sandbag de-tail is a sociological and psycho-logical study in its self.

At the 6 a.m. formation, sol-diers can barely stand up, let

alone wake up. Themood starts tochange at the sandpit, where the bag filltakes place.

As we form achain and hand offthe full bags to eachother, only an occa-sional grunt can beheard.

Then, a meta-morphosis takes place. It mightstart when the L.T. drops a bag,or when a white sack that�s beenfilled to capacity (and weighs aton) starts down the line.

At first it�s a ripple, thenpeople are actually laughing.�Here comes a whale,� someonewill say, or �Here�s an el-ephant.� I swear � and my righthand is up in the �I�m telling thetruth� pose � there is laughingin sandbag detail. I�m shaking

my head in disbelief. But, I don�t just wear my

Converses to sandbag detail.The shoes are also part of my

school uniform. An Army Re-servist, I �m a sixth-gradeteacher in my other life and Ioften wear my Converses towork.

I actually have three pairs:white, black (my dress-up Con-verses) and the one�s I have here,Navy blue. All high tops, ofcourse.

My students say that theyare pretty funky. �Mr. Lee�swearing Converse!� they yell.

Now it�s �Sgt. Lee is wearingConverse!�

I was in line, handing bags ofsand to another GI when he said,�I haven�t seen high tops in years.

�Yeah, I used to wear �em,paid $13 for a pair, man. Mymom said �$13 for tennis shoes?�

She was hot,� he said.Later, walking to the show-

ers, a lieutenant colonel yelled,�Sgt. Lee, I haven�t seen hightops for years.�

Then, �No, wait a minute, Ijust bought my son a pair.�

I don�t even know who ChuckTaylor is, do you?

I�m told that Converse hightops are making a comeback inthe fashion world.

What�s next � bell bottoms?The tennis shoes themselves

were not what was reflected on,but that period in life when youwore them.

Life was much simpler backthen, wasn�t it? Hangin� withyour homies, not much to worryabout except maybe if so-and-so liked you.

And, in reflection, I�ve notheard of anyone being robbed fora pair of Converse, have you?

Sgt. 1st ClassJack Lee

203rd MPAD

Chuck Taylors create commotion at the sandbag pitViewpoint

Task Force Eaglesoldiers are doing anoutstanding job, butbrace yourselves. Therough part of this oper-ation is still before us.

That�s why it both-ered me, after re-cently returning fromthe Armor Confer-ence at Fort Knox,Ky., to see that someof our soldiers have fallen intothe trap of being complacent.

Yes, we�ve heard that wordnumerous times during thenearly seven months we havespent in the former Yugoslavia.But, I am convinced that withcontinuing peaceful conditionsin the region, our soldiers aretaking for granted things will

remain that wayand that there isvirtually no threat.

But just whenyour guard is down,you may wish it hadbeen up.

What are the ex-amples of compla-cency I have wit-nessed? I�ve seensoldiers sleeping in

convoys and not wearing theirKevlar helmets. This is a suresign of indifference or poor lead-ership.

Everyone thinks nothing willever happen to them, but weneed to remember that just afew short months ago, war wasraging in this country. Untolddangers still threaten our

troops, but they may go unac-knowledged if leaders don�t em-phasize proper procedures totheir soldiers. This is not a risk-free environment.

Sergeants should make suretheir troops traveling in a con-voy are not using personal tapeplayers/radios that could ham-per their hearing. They alsoshould not read a newspaperbecause this can distract themfrom being aware of their sur-roundings. It�s the same old ad-age: �stay alert, stay alive.�

Although we have enjoyed acool period of weather, hot daysare upon us. Noncommissionedofficers must ensure their troopsare in the correct uniform withthe chin straps of their helmetsproperly secured.

I�ve also noticed some of oursoldiers are trying to lightentheir load by not carrying all oftheir ammunition. Every soldierwith an M-16A2 must carry thebasic load of seven, 30-roundmagazines for a total of 210rounds.

Soldiers need to clean theirweapons AND ammunitionregularly. Dirty ammunition ormagazines can easily cause aweapon to jam.

During what may be the half-way point in the operation,leaders must stay focused on ourmission. Continue to improveyour fighting positions and bun-kers. Force protection is an ever-continuing goal.

Sergeants make it happen!Let�s take care of each other.


News briefs

Army Chief of Staff praisesTask Force Eagle soldiers

Task Force Eagle soldiers looklike champions.

That’s one of the messagesArmy Chief of Staff Gen. Dennis J.Reimer shared with military and ci-vilian Department of Defense jour-nalists earlier this month at thespring Joint Army-Air Force News-paper Workshop in Arlington, Va.

“I have just been in Bosnia andvisited our people,” he said.

“I am proud of what those soldiersare doing. ... They represent us so verywell. If you think back on Bosnia, Iwould defy anybody to show me a pic-ture of a soldier who’s out of uniform,who doesn’t look professional.

“That counts,” he said. “Whenyou get over there with the peoplethat have been with the ragtagarmies for a long time and, all of asudden, somebody shows up wear-ing a Chicago Bulls’ uniform properly,and you’ve been playing semi-proball, you say ‘Uh, oh. Something’schanged over here. I don’t want tomess with those people.’

“That’s why we put a lot of em-phasis on chin straps being buck-led, flak vests being on, no beerand other alcohol in the theater, be-cause all of that adds up to pro-fessional soldiers doing their job.”(ARNEWS)

Marines to join task force

The Marine Corps is deploying itsfirst full unit in support of Task ForceEagle.

The deployment will begin thismonth and last about six months.

Consisting of about 180 Marinesfrom the First Marine ExpeditionaryForce, the 1st Unmanned Aerial Ve-hicle Squadron will provide fieldcommanders with real-time imageryfor reconnaissance and surveillanceby flying remote-control aircraft car-rying reconnaissance cameras.

Early June�s sweltering heat in thenorthern Bosnia-Herzegovina wasan aberration.

That�s Maj. Ted T. Vroman�s read ofweather records for the former Yugoslavia.

Vroman, a member of the U.S. AirForce�s 617th Weather Squadron and TaskForce Eagle�s staff weather officer, is usinglocal temperature history to project thissummer�s weather.

�According to climatology records, whichare very limited,� he said, �the averagedaily high temperature during summer isin the upper 70s and the normal daily lowin the 50s � a little warmer in the SavaBasin and little cooler in the higher eleva-tions of the 2nd Brigade�s area of opera-tion.�

Vroman added that July and Augustshould be the rainiest months and to ex-pect humidity to peak in August.

The task force weather team will dis-seminate warnings whenever they forecasttemperatures to break 86 degrees.

�The alert is the base camp�s signal tobegin taking wet bulb temperature readingsto determine the heat condition category;possibly suspending physical training andother strenuous activity,� Vroman said.

Thunderstorms also can have a majorimpact on operations, he said.

�Last month, Tuzla had more than twiceits normal number of thunderstorms,�Vroman said.

�And where there�s thunder, there�s light-ning.�

He said one person � a civilian em-ployee stringing up a volleyball net � hasalready been injured by lightning here.

�Aviators are well aware of the dangersthunderstorms can bring: heavy rains,strong winds, large hail, severe turbulenceand deadly lightning,� he said. �But eachone of these hazards also can significantlyaffect ground operations.�

Vroman�s team also issues thunder-storm warnings for the task force area.

�Again, this is the base campleadership�s signal to act,� Vroman said.�FRAGO 643, signed by the task force G-3,lists all the required resource protectiveactions units a commander must take foreach type of warning issued.�

He said actions may include anchoringstructures, wearing protective gear or mini-mizing outside work.

Warnings are disseminated throughclassified communications systems. How-ever, a short-notice or no-notice warningmay be issued via satellite communica-tions.

�Severe weather can wreak havoc onpeople and equipment,� Vroman said.�Take all weather warnings seriously. It�soften said that weather is not importantuntil it�s important and then it may be toolate.�

Pleasant summer expected

Russian election day

Maj. Oleg Voronin drops his vote into a ballot box Saturday, election dayfor Russian troops in Task Force Eagle. More than 1,800 soldiers visitedone of six polling places to select from 10 candidates vying to becomeRussia’s next president. Results were tabulated at the Russian Embassyin Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and included with the votes of about 106 millionRussians participating Sunday in the first round of the country’spresidential election process. President Boris Yeltsin finished first andwill now face runner-up Gennady Zyuganov in a runoff election July 3.

Forecasters will issuewarnings in the eventof severe heat, storms

Weekly weather forecast HIGH/LOW CHANCE RAINToday 75+/50s ModerateSat 70s/45+ HighSun 70s/45+ HighMon 75/45+ ModerateTue 75/40s ModerateWed 75/45+ ModerateThur 75+/50s Low

Source: 617th Weather Squadron

Maj. Andrei Zatanov


During his 21 years in the U.S. Ma-rine Corps, Al �Uncle Sam� Rohderecalls that mail call often was

more popular than chow call.That�s why the San Antonio business-

man and former city councilman organizeda nationwide pen pal network to boost themorale of thousands serving in OperationJOINT ENDEAVOR.

He has sent hundreds of letters and carepackages to troops in the former Yugoslavia.

�It comes from the heart,� Rohde said ofhis generosity toward U.S. soldiers.

Rohde has served his country � in oneway or another � for nearly 60 years.

At 16, Rohde joined the Marine Corpsduring World War II. He fought in Guam,Saipan and Okinawa. In 1958, he retiredas a senior public information officer withthe rank of captain.

Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR is notthe first time Rohde has organized a large-scale support effort for U.S. soldiers.

In 1990, he organized the DESERTSHIELD/STORM Pen Pals Network thatresulted in more than 30,000 letters andsnack packs being mailed nationwide toU.S. troops.

Later, he directed the Operation RE-STORE HOPE Pen Pals Network, in whichnearly 7,500 letters and snack packs weremailed to troops in Somalia.

But JOINT ENDEAVOR differs fromthose earlier operations,� Rohde said.

�The troops (in Bosnia) went through alot of hardship originally,� he said. �Theconditions were harder, including having toendure freezing weather.�

Until post exchanges opened, Rohdemailed troops a variety of items such as canopeners, nail files and newspaper clippings.

Rohde said he and those who have joinedhis pen pal network are peace correspon-dents.

The network includes U.S. schools, theelderly, church groups and other organiza-tions and individuals.

Of more than 300 letters he has person-ally mailed, he has had about 35 responses.�I�ve had a lot of fun doing it,� he said.

He also sent 50 kites to be distributedto Tuzla children.

He served on the San Antonio City Coun-cil from 1975 to 1977, and become the city�sofficial �Uncle Sam� during the nation�sbicentennial celebration.

Rohde is the chief operating officer ofRohde Realty in San Antonio. In his sparetime, he is a painter.

A newspaper photograph of a Bosnianfuneral so touched him that he turned thescene into an oil painting.

Meanwhile, he has had to fight his ownbattles. He suffered prostate cancer andhas undergone radiation treatments.

But the spry 75-year-old does not let hishealth show him down. �I�m back on my feet� just like a cat,� he said.

Rohde said to tell the troops �Godspeed�in returning home. �I�d like to express mypersonal gratitude ... from the guy whodrives the tank to the commanding general.Job well done.�

Rohde�s address is: Al �Uncle Sam�Rohde, Postmaster General, OperationJOINT ENDEAVOR, �Peace Correspon-dents Pen Pal Network,� 7300 BlancoRoad, Suite 503, San Antonio, Texas78216.

‘Uncle Sam’ salutes soldiers with mailBy Sgt. 1st Class BETTINA E. TILSON29th MPAD

Al “Uncle Sam” Rohde — friend ofdeployed U.S. servicemembers.

Like a doctor making housecalls, roving finance specialistshit the road in Bosnia to makesure soldiers � working wherethere is no pay office � can getcash and other financial services.

Two-person finance teamstravel Mondays, Wednesdaysand Fridays from Gradacac tocheckpoints and outlying basecamps, dodging pot holes andchurning the dust on just aboutevery IFOR route in the 1st Bri-gade area of operation.

Finance Specialist Spc. An-gela C. Brown, 24, from LongIsland, N.Y., attached to De-tachment B, 8th Finance Bat-talion from Kirchgoens, Ger-many sets up her �cashier win-dow� in a spare corner of a tent,broken and stripped-downbuilding or old warehouse �wherever the soldiers are.

Brown finds a seat for her-self and space for the line of sol-diers that soon forms.

Most soldiers cash checks orrequest casual pay in dollars ordeutsche marks.

Spc. Michael F. Carter, 23, aSummerville, S.C., native andmember of Company C, 3rdBattalion, 5th Cavalry wrote acheck for $20.

He�ll use the money to havepatches sewn on a new uniform.He�ll have to send it to a basecamp with a convoy.

�I try to save and I try not touse AT&T too much,� Cartersaid. �My wife really sends meeverything I need.�

Another soldier at Check-point 130 wrote a check for cashbecause he was leaving soon forR&R.

For Sgt. Michael S. Lyons,26, Bradley gunner with Com-pany C, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cav-alry, from Eugene, Ore., casualpay is a convenient way to getcash, because it comes straightout of his paycheck.

Lyons uses the cash to buyAT&T phone cards and magazines.

When another soldier is able

to visit a PX, Lyons and othersoldiers will �place an order� forthe items they want.

The unpredictable access tocash and services means that�at the checkpoints we usuallyend up (distributing) moremoney (than at the basecamps),� Brown said.

�The soldiers are always ro-tating back and forth and wesometimes miss them.�

The soldiers also can use thefinance team�s visit to requestpay inquiries. Answers are usu-ally returned within two daysBrown said.

�The thing I enjoy the mostis working with the soldiers,helping them understand howfinance works, discussing theirpay with them and helping themunderstand why things are hap-pening,� said Brown�s teampartner, Detachment B financespecialist Sgt. Lincoln Wood,27, from Bloomfield, Conn.

This day, the team will visittwo checkpoints and two basecamps.

�It�s interesting. I get to see alot of Bosnia and see how every-one is doing out at the differentcamps,� Wood said. It can alsolead to good photo opportunities.

After finishing their work atCheckpoint A2, Wood photo-graphed Brown atop an M1A1Abrams tank. Then it�s back inthe HMMWV for their next�house call.�

Finance specialists bring bank to soldiers in fieldBy Sgt. KELLY C. FISCHER358th MPAD

Spc. Angela Brown cashesa check for a soldier.

Sgt. Kelly C. Fischer


The Army has fielded a new genera-tion of armored HMMWVs to pro-tect soldiers enforcing the peace dur-

ing Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR.The XM1114 Heavy Up-Armored

HMMWV, weighing in at 9,800 poundswith its steel plating and bulletproof glass,rolled into Guardian Base May 24.

Its destination: battalion scout andquick reaction force platoons, long-rangesurveillance units and brigade combatteams � soldiers who spend long hours onthe road.

Steel plating and a ballistic windshieldprovide increased protection to vehicle oc-cupants. It includes armor-piercing protec-tion around its perimeter, and overhead andunderbelly blast protection from anti-tankand anti-personnel mines.

Intended for scouts under the Army�sForce XXI initiative to design the divisionof the 21st century, its production was ac-celerated to meet the Balkan peace enforce-ment mission�s needs, said Capt. Yee Hang,1st Armored Division�s training and opera-tions� force modernization officer.

�This environment makes it a great prov-ing ground, with all of the minefields thatare out there,� Hang said. �For the amountof time scouts spend on the road, this is theperfect vehicle for them.�

The XM1114 was built by AM General

of Warren, Mich., and armored by O�Gara-Hess of Lima, Ohio.

It comes with a new 190-horsepower,turbo-charged engine, 4-speed electronictransmission and an improved chassis andsuspension system.

The vehicles are experimental modelsjust off the production line. AM General willmake modifications and improvementsbased on soldiers� input and feedback.

Designated units started turning in theirold HMMWVs May 30.

Soldiers with the Quick Reaction ForcePlatoon, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 12thInfantry, received several of the new ve-hicles Tuesday for their scouts back inBaumholder, Germany.

However, the platoon will benefit fromthe 1114s, said 1st Lt. Sihn Gibbon, Com-pany C executive officer.

�This vehicle will help protect our sol-diers,� he said. �The more protection youget, the better it is, especially from smallarms. With greater protection, there�sgreater survivability.�

The QRF secures the area around anydowned aircraft and assists base camps andsmall remote sites resolve security problems.

Usually transported by helicopters, theunit can now travel in bad weather and tocrash sites that have no landing zones.

�We can travel heavier than we did be-fore, stay there longer without being sup-plied,� Gibbon said. �We are now a morevisible show of force, especially when armed

with 50 cals and (M-60 machine guns).That�s very important for any type of actionaround here.�

Spc. Gary Nier, 23, a QRF infantrymanfrom Altmar, N.Y., liked how his vehicle re-sponded when he pressed the accelerator.

The steering wheel�s textured surfaceand thicker rim made it easier to grip. Thesmooth, quiet ride was better than beingbounced around in the Bradley FightingVehicles he drives when in the rear.

But mostly, he liked the extra protection.�In any combat situation where we might

get involved, it�s a good idea to have sometype of armor,� he said. �Over here it�s ideal.When you get called out on a QRF mission,you don�t really know what to expect.

�All of the improvements they have madein them are a plus because we need every-thing we can get over here. During any realdeployment, combat is possible.�

Spc. Linn Hudson, 26, said it almost feltlike driving his own car back home in Bill-ings, Mont.

Other soldiers were similarly happy toget their new vehicles, said Sgt. 1st ClassBarry Coker of the 18th Corps Support Bat-talion, noncommissioned officer in chargeof the fielding.

�It seems to be a pretty lethal piece ofequipment, a lot better than the (fiberglassand canvas),� Coker said. �It moves out withno hesitation at all and it�s solidly built.

�The Army got its money�s worth out ofthis piece of equipment.�

By Spc. GEORGE ROACHE29th MPAD

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Berry (left) and Sgt. William Grant of 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, PMCS an XM1114 HMMWV.Spc. George Roache

Scouts receive new armored vehicle

STRAIGHT FROM THE ASSEMBLY LINE TO THE FRONT LINE


ROUTE UTAH � The 38thEngineer Company (MediumGirder Bridge) from Camp Bed-rock has built bridges, basecamps and even helped cross theSava River with little fanfare.

The 38th deployed fromHanau, Germany, in December.Attached to the 16th EngineerBattalion, they assisted in con-structing the float bridge inZupanja.

�We were one of the first ele-ments in and, at first, had ourlife support area in the Russiansector,� said Capt. Kim Sebenol-

er, 38th commander. �We put inthe first IFOR fixed bridge intheater, in the Russian sector onRoute Georgia.�

The 38th has recently takenon the job of removing BaileyBridge 5, also called the HutzelBridge, off Route Utah. TheBailey bridge will be replacedwith a British-made Compact200 Bridge, which will be builtby the Romanian Engineer Bat-talion. The U.S. engineers alsowere assisted by Swedish engi-neers who donated a crane andhelped dismantle the bridge.

Bailey Bridge 5, which spans330 feet, was installed over adamaged bridge. Local people

Engineers at work: MuBy Spc. WILLIAM R. HALL203rd MPAD

Swedish engineer Sgt. Hauan Miller guides a bridgesection while dismantling Bailey Bridge 5.

Capt. Rhonda Reasoner

Pvt. Jay Friedl (left) and Spc. Chad Ratcliff jack upBailey Bridge 5 in preparation of removing it.

Spc. Richard Cancellieri

Sgt. Joaquin Carrasquillo (right, standing) of 30th Engineer C o

A Romanian soldier hammers a pin into the rollerswhile removing the Bailey bridge.

Spc. Richard Cancellieri


had tried to repair the bridge bypiling sand and rocks on it sothey could pass over the water-way. The Bailey bridge waserected because delivery of theCompact 200 was months away.

The 38th began the monu-mental task of removing theBailey bridge to make way forthe Compact 200. Engineersshared three eight-hour shiftsand lived in a temporary lifesupport area in an abandonedwarehouse about two miles fromthe bridge site.

�The first thing to do is stripthe treadway, decking andstringers, and the jacking plat-forms are built,� Sebenoler said.

�We jack the bridge up at eachpier until the whole bridge isjacked up, then we lift the lastsection of the bridge up to putin rollers.

�Once everything is on roll-ers and we place a launchingnose, we can de-launch thebridge and pull it back toshore. We take it apart as wepull it back,� she said.

Sebenoler estimates it willtake her company about five daysto pull the Bailey bridge out.

�This won�t be a problem,� saidAlan Pearson, a training officerfor Mabey & Johnson Ltd., whichmakes the Compact 200.

Pearson is working with the

ltinational effort removes bridgeRomanians while they con-struct the Compact 200. �It�ssimpler than the Bailey. It�s ex-actly like a big Lego set.

�I�m supervising the con-struction of most of the bridges,this is my 11th bridge. I�ve en-joyed it. It�s been interesting,�he said. Pearson said the Roma-nians have worked well with theU.S. troops. �The Romanians arevery hard-working.�

In fact, both sides agree thatthis joint endeavor has beenquite a success.

�We have had very good co-operation,� said Maj. HoriaCostache, the Romanian com-mander for the bridge project.

Romanian engineer Sgt. Filip Dahiel secures a crane load.Capt. Rhonda Reasoner

ompany supervises soldiers jacking the bridge before removal.Spc. Richard Cancellieri

38th Engineer troops move bridge pieces into place.Spc. Richard Cancellieri

Romanian soldiers guidea crane operator whileunloading bridge rollers.

Capt. Rhonda Reasoner


CAMP RUMBAUGH � Planning hasbegun on the construction of a small armsfiring range inside the rock quarry nearhere.

Brig. Gen. James P. O�Neal, assistant1st Armored Division commander forsupport, has directed the 16th EngineerBattalion to build the facility.

The battalion also will construct ademolition range at the same site, saidsaid Staff Sgt. Tom Toth, battalion as-sistant operations noncommisioned of-ficer.

�The demolition range will be con-structed and able to provide the 16th En-gineers with an area for engineer demo-lition training,� Toth said.

Engineers are required to qualify andtrain annually using Composition-4, orC-4 (a type of plastic explosive), TNT,shape and cratering charges.

In Task Force Eagle, soldiers trainonly on C-4 and TNT.

�The basic job for combat engineers isto be the experts (in the use of) explo-sives,� Toth said.

�We use (explosives) for things like

making road craters, blowing up bridges,creating road blocks and obstacles,� Tothsaid.

Combat engineers have used explo-sives for destroying mines, bunkers andfor clearing mined areas.

Explosive ordnance disposal unitsalso can use the range as a demolitionarea for any unexploded ordnance found.

Soldiers from the 20th Ordnance De-tachment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)from Kaiserslautern, Germany, alreadyhave tested the site to verify it is a safearea for demolition.

�(EOD and the engineers) will workhand-in-hand safely and efficiently tokeep up our training requirements,� Tothsaid.

The 16th Engineer Battalion is cur-rently gathering information for con-struction of the range.

The 16th�s staff operations sectionhas been planning the range through theTask Force Eagle safety office to find outwhat Army regulations it needs to followconcerning its setup.

Once the planning is completed, com-bat engineers from the 16th EngineerBattalion will proceed with its construc-tion.

Engineers to transform quarry into rangeBy Spc. WENDY M. FIRESTONE203rd MPAD

The Comanche Base din-ing facility was amongthe first to receive an

award for outstanding serviceand quality in a new monthly,task force-wide competition.

Soldiers working in theDFAC received an Impact ArmyAchievement Medal for theirwork.

�This award just validateswhat they knew all the time �that they�re the best,� said ChiefWarrant Officer Jeff Moore,DFAC officer in charge and 4thAviation Brigade�s food adviser.

�Getting something like thissays, �Thanks for all your hardwork,� � he said.

Twenty-five dining facilitiescompeted in five categories un-der the newly created Food Ser-vice Incentive Award Program,said Sgt. Maj. Thomas Bell,Task Force Eagle food servicesupervisor.

Judges selected a winner andrunner-up in each category for atotal of 10 awards.

The Comanche Base DFACbeat six other facilities in thelarge temper tent category.

These feed 600 or more soldiers,airmen and authorized civiliansper meal.

The program was designedto boost morale through encour-aging competition, Bell said.

�In turn, the soldiers outthere get a better meal withwhat we have (to work with)out here,� he said. �And sincethese are unannounced in-spections, they have to be

ready at all times.�To be fair, evaluations were

tailored to the kind of structuresin which dining facilities oper-ated, Bell said.

The other four categorieswere modular; building; �seahut,� a small, wood multipur-pose building; and small tem-per tent (600 or fewer personsserved per meal).

Kime Base is home to smalltemper tent run-ner-up, the 23rdEngineer DiningFacility.

�Based on thefeedback from thesoldiers, I know weare doing a goodjob,� said 23rd En-gineer Dining Facil-ity Sgt. Paulett P.Roberts.

In fact, Roberts,a New York native,said Kime Base visi-tors often want tostay longer becauseof the great food.

The ribs at KimeBase are �killer,�said Staff Sgt. Rob-ert Stadeldauer,30, a Columbus,Ga., resident at-

Task Force dining facilities win awards in competitionBy Spc. ROB BISHOP andSpc. GEORGE ROACHE29th MPAD

Staff Sgt. Ron Hartley, an explosiveordnance disposal technician, laysplastic explosive strips on 2.75-inchHigh Explosive rockets to destroy them.

DFAC HONOR ROLL

MODULAR — Winner: LA Demi, 4thBattalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2ndBrigade. Runner-up: LA Lisa, HHC,2nd BDEBUILDING — Winner: Camp Dallas,16th Corps Support Group. Runner-up: Eagle Base, HHC, 1st ADTEMPER TENT (large) — Winner:Comanche Base, HHC, 4th BDE. Run-ner-up: Steel Castle, Division ArtilleryTEMPER TENT (small) — Winner:Lukavac Annex, 77th Maintenance.Runner-up: Kime Base, HHC, 23rd En-gineersSEA HUT —Winner: LA Angela, 47thSupport Group, 2nd BDE. Runner-up:LA Pat, , Company A, 2nd Bn, 68thArmored Regiment, 2nd BDE

Spc. Wendy Firestone

tached to the 23rd Mainte-nance Support Team.

�It is the best (dining facil-ity) I�ve eaten at,� Stadeldauersaid. �And, if you come here tolose weight, the mess hallmakes sure you don�t becausethere is always food.�

No specific characteristicwon Comanche Base or otherfacilities their awards, Mooresaid.

�There are 15 different sub-categories that have point val-ues in a 200-point system,� hesaid. �We did well in all ofthem.�

The Comanche Base DFACscored 190 points in areas rang-ing from personal hygiene tofood storage and ration ac-countability, Moore said. It ex-celled by being the first to offerice and have potable runningwater.

Everyone from the cooks tothe leadership and the Brown& Root Inc., staff was instru-mental, he said.

�With professional soldierswho are highly motivated, it�snot hard to maintain a highstandard,� Moore said.

Sgt. Kelly C. Fischer, 358thMPAD, contributed to this re-port.


Anyone with any time in themilitary knows it�s not un- common to bump into past

military acquaintances.�I remember everything about

his class,� recalled 1st Lt. Todd C.Soucy.

Soucy , the 22nd SignalBrigade�s assistant supply officeris talking about the unit�s deputybrigade commander, Lt. Col. Jef-frey G. Smith Jr., one of his instruc-tors at the U.S. Military Academyat West Point, N.Y.

Smith remembers meet ingSoucy again when he was battal-ion executive officer for the 440thSignal Battalion.

�He walked into my office in1994, four years later as a secondlieutenant in the 440th SignalBattalion,� Smith said.

Even though he�s met about fiveof his previous West Point stu-dents during this deployment,Smith admits it�s something you neverget used to.

�It certainly makes you wonder howgood of a job you did preparing them toaccomplish the basic skills we expect ofa lieutenant,� Smith said.

Responsible for instructing plebes inEnglish composition, Smith, who is third-generation military, taught about 500students at West Point between 1989and 1992.

Smith focused his students on the

West Point graduate, instructor reunitedBy Sgt. RICK ROTH29th MPAD

Troops study local people, culture at lonely checkpoint

CHECKPOINT F1 � A sol-dier peers out from beneath theshade of the gate guard shack.

Looking north, he can clearlysee the view of the ferry thattransports vehicles fromCroatia, over the Sava River,into Bosnia-Herzegovina. On astatistics board that rests onsandbags just below eye level,he keeps count of all vehiclesthat cross the river and drivepast his guard post.

The soldier guards the en-trance to Checkpoint F1. About23 soldiers with HeadquartersCompany, 4th Battalion, 67thArmor operate the checkpoint.They�ve been here for aboutthree weeks.

Pfc. Michael R. Davis said helikes the opportunity to talk tothe people who come through thecheckpoint.

He described a quirky WorldWar II veteran who would comethrough the checkpoint everyday.

�He was funny,� Davis said.�He would salute you a different

way every day, and do a dancewhen he came over to you.�

People are interested in whatit is like in the United States,and what big cities are like,said Davis.

Inside the gates of the check-point, soldiers do randomsearches of vehicles.

�We haven�t seen weapons orcontraband,� said Pfc. ShaneSposito, from Danville, Calif.,who was manning the check-point with Pfc. Chris McMullinfrom Portland, Ore. �But we�veseen people with pigs and live-stock in the trunks of their car.�

Their observations teachthem about the local people andlet them look at themselves, too.

�A lot of people don�t reallyhave anything,� McMullin said.�I realize I took for granted a lotof the things that I had back inthe States.�

Nearby, two soldiers conducta mortar firing drill.

�When we aren�t on guard orthe guys aren�t catching up onsleep, we train by talkingthrough misfire procedures andsafety checks, and doing hands-

on training,� said Squad LeaderSpc. Clyde T. Coats III, 26, fromRose Pine, La.

In a typical day, soldiers pullfour to six hours of duty, trainand do weapons maintenance.

In the front of the smallbuilding they occupy on the sideof the road sits a weight benchand some slightly rusting exer-cise equipment. In their free

time, many of the 4-67 soldierslift to keep in shape.

On this day, soldiers escapethe hot sun to the two dark at-tic rooms where they sleep.Three soldiers gather around atable to play dominoes.

�Sunday is maintenance dayfor boots, M-16s and (playing)dominoes,� Sgt. Charlie E.Bunton said.

study of contemporary literature,forcing them to come to grips withtheir own culture and environment,he said.

�They had to put into words theworld around them,� Smith said.�It forced folks to think indepen-dently.�

�It helped a lot with improvingyour ability to think on your feet,�Soucy said.

While a student, Smith remem-bers Soucy being the informalleader of his class, he said.

�I made a strong recommenda-tion that he join the brigade stafffor this di f f icult (operation) , �Smith said.

Even though Soucy hasn�t con-tinued on with his study of litera-ture, his memory of Smith�s classis ingrained in his head. In particu-lar he remembers memorizing po-etry.

An avid acoustic guitar player,Smith made a tradition of playingfor his students on the last day ofclass.

�The class loved it because it was sountraditional,� said Soucy, admitting atthe time he never saw himself as a fu-ture lieutenant.

�I wish more of my classes at schoolhad been like this.�

By Sgt. KELLY FISCHER358th MPAD

Sgt. Dwayne E. Conley, mortar platoon, HHC, 4/67th armorlifts weights to keep in shape at Checkpoint F1.

Sgt. Kelly Fischer

1st Lt. Todd C. Soucy works for his former WestPoint professor at Eagle Base.

Sgt. Rick Roth


NEWS FROM GERMANY

By Karl WeiselHessen Herald

Family members in the 165th Mili-tary Intelligence Battalion are betterable to keep in touch with their de-ployed soldiers, thanks to a newfamily lounge.

The room in the unit’s headquar-ters on Darmstadt’s Kelley Barracksprovides a relaxing atmospherewhere individuals can call their lovedones in the former Yugoslavia serv-ing as part of Operation JOINT EN-DEAVOR.

It also features a recreation areafor children.

“The commander wanted some-place within the battalion to makefamilies feel more comfortable,”Chief Warrant Officer ElisabettaHalkard, family support liaison. “Wewanted them to be able to come andrelax.

“Because this room already hadtwo military telephone lines, it offerseasy access,” Halkard said, addingthat most of the soldiers in the unitare currently deployed.

“We set up a separate room forspouses to make morale calls andthen took it one step further to givethe families a little privacy,” saidChief Warrant Officer CarlosDeLeon, rear detachment com-mander. “It’s open 24 hours a dayand it provides a place where fami-lies can come and get together.”

While the room and phones areavailable around the clock, Halkardhas advised spouses to use discre-tion when calling — that they’d bemore likely to reach soldiers afternormal duty hours.

At the opening ceremony lastmonth, families had the chance tocommunicate by phone, enjoy cakeand other refreshments and laterstroll over to the Kelley Dining Facil-ity for Family Night. The dining halloffers surcharge-free dinners everyFriday for families of deployed sol-diers.

“It’s a pretty new concept for theArmy,” Halkard said.

She added that family supporthas been a major priority during Op-eration JOINT ENDEAVOR.“USAREUR has made an extra effortto strengthen the family liaisonswithin the units.”

Soldiers returning from OperationJOINT ENDEAVOR should notice amarked improvement in community

facilities, thanks to a U.S. Army Europeinitiative.

The USAREUR Commander-in-Chief�sFacility Improvement Program is aimedat improving living conditions for soldiersand their families.

More than $20 million will be spent inthe 104th Area Support Group alone onprojects ranging from barracks renovationsto upgrading community facilities on sev-eral installations.

A similar effort also is under way in the53rd ASG.

�The Facility Improvement Program isthe CINC�s initiative to improve the qual-ity of life in the kaserne and for the unitsthat had deployed to Bosnia,� said Lt. Col.John Ramey, 104th Area Support Groupdirector of engineering and housing.

�What we�re trying to do is fix and re-pair and replace areas that have a visualand direct affect on the community and thesingle soldiers.

�Most people will see it as a facelift,but it�s actually a lot more than that,�Ramey said.

While soldier and family membersmay not be aware of all the enhance-ments, they should see a marked rise inthe overall quality of life because of theprogram, he said.

Work already has started on the first of143 projects in104th ASG and an-other 144 in the53rd ASG.

� S o m e o f t h econstruc t i on andrepa i r work mayinconvenience peo-p l e t e m p o r a r i l y ,but the end prod-uct will make theirlives much, much better,� he said.

Repairing roads, repairing hangars, re-surfacing parking lots, paving sidewalks,installing street lights and windows andmany more projects are planned.

Many single soldiers coming home fromthe Balkans will discover carpeting, newreflective lights, paint and various otherimprovements in their living quarters.

Many family housing residents will en-joy repaired stairwell doors, intercoms andother enhancements.

Most of the projects will be handled bycivilian contractors, Ramey said.

Community members throughout the104th ASG can stay informed about ongo-ing work through displays in communitycommon areas.

Some of the key projects planned for53rd ASG communities include:

222nd BSBBaumholder, Neubreuke and Strassburg

�Repair playground equipment in allhousing areas: Smith, Wetzel andNeubreuke

�Renovate Smith, Strassburg andHealth Clinic Child Development Centers

�Design for total renovation of the IronClub

�Renovate two dining facilities (SmithBarracks)

�Total renovations of the Youth Center(inside and exterior repair)

�Construct parking lot near Chapel One�Repair panic bolt locks in stairwell

doors�Repair electrical supply lines to Smith

housing area�Install emergency lighting at the

Rheinlander Club�Upgrade transformer station

410th BSBBad Kreuznach and Dexhiem

�Repair/upgrade playground at childdevelopment centers and housing areas

�Install sight screens (around gelbesack/trash containers) in housing areasand kasernes

�Paint and re-pair balconies, re-place doors and in-stal l windowscreens in housingareas

�Replace speedbumps, repair pot-holes and replacefour bus shelters

�Install newstreet lights in the Bad Kreuznach hous-ing area and add new cabling in Dexheimto prevent outages

�Repair fences and gates at two motorpools in Bad Kreuznach

�Repair racquetball court in Dexheim,enhance volleyball court and install newwalkway at the Kuhlberg CommunityPark

�Repair e lectr i ca l systems inDexheim, to include repairs to street-light systems

Funds approved, facilityupgrades await soldiersBy Karl WeiselHessen Herald andDeborah L. Powers53rd ASG Post-Union

Family loungeoffers playarea, phones

“Most people will see it asa facelift but it’s actually alot more than that.”

— Lt. Col. John Ramey Director,

Engineering and Housing


COMANCHE BASE � Spc. RuebenLucero, 22, of Company A, 7th Battalion,227th Aviation, grew up at his grandfather�sranch in Alamogordo, N.M., home of theWhite Sands Missile Range.

From the back yard, he could see mis-siles launched.

He knew when rocket sleds were testedfrom the sonic booms he heard.

His grandfather had been an Army AirCorps gunner on bombers during WorldWar II. Although the range was a �big pileof white sand out in the middle of nowhere,�the weapons tests done there made himcurious about how the military works,Lucero said.

Living near the missile range and hisgrandfather�s influence helped him to de-cide to join the Army, where he began hismilitary career as a Black Hawk helicoptermechanic at Fort Bragg, N.C.

�I at least wanted to see what thingswere like,� said Lucero, who claims Span-ish and Native American bloodlines, andwhose last name means �bright light� inSpanish. �Granted (the Army has) changedsince (World War II), but I wanted to beable to say I�d �been there, done that.� �

His grandfather taught him to be a per-fectionist and to have self-confidence.

He learned to think for himself from his fa-ther, a self-employed rancher who hauled race-horses for the All-American Futurity, one ofthe country�s richest horse races, he said.

The work ethic they instilled in himcaught the attention of his supervisors, whosuggested he become a crew chief.

�Actually the first question they asked mewas could I swim,� Lucero said.

His unit�s primary missionwas over water combat searchand rescue. To be an air crewmember, Lucero had to learnhow to tread water for twominutes, swim 50 meters andescape blindfolded from a sub-merged cockpit using a smalltube to breathe.

He takes his crew chief re-sponsibilities just as seri-ously, treating his assignedaircraft as though it was hisprivately owned vehicle.

�A good crew chief willhave pride in it, keep it cleanand will try to have it betterthan anyone else�s,� he said.

That means long hours ex-amining the airframe, pneu-matics, hydraulics, rotor sys-tem, engines and electricalsystem for problems thatmight not be evident; deter-mining whether any damageis within limits; checking allfluid levels; writing up faultslike cracks in vent tubes,missing panel screws or inop-erative radios; and keepingboth his log book and computer log up-to-date.

When he flies, his job is to help take careof passengers and cargo. He also is an ex-tra set of ears for radio calls and anotherset of eyes for other aircraft in the area.

�Your job is to make sure what�s rightgets done. Safety�s always a big issue in myline of work,� he said.

He likes teaching as much as he likesbeing a crew chief.

�It works hand-in-hand,� he said. �That�s

Soldier flies high as crew chief, instructorPERSONALITY OF THE WEEK

what our leaders do � try to instill goodwork habits in us.�

His knowledge, ability and attitudemade him a rarity: an E-4 instructor, a re-sponsibility usually reserved for sergeants.Not only does he do his own work, but as-sists in training new crew chiefs.

�With a good work ethic, you can helppeople out and make things work better,�he said. �It�s hard for one person to do any-thing. If he�s got others working with him,he can get a lot done with their backing.�

Officer ‘phones home’ with high-tech equipment

LUKAVAC � A friend�scomputer technology and as m a l l i n v e s t m e n t h e l p e done so ld ier here in terac twith his family on a morepersonal level.

Chief Warrant Officer MarkBrown of the Staff Judge Advo-cate�s office is using interactivevideo technology to make amonthly �call� to his wife,Christy, and 5-year-old daugh-ter Katie. Brown, stationed atBad Krueznach, Germany, cansee and hear his wife on hiscomputer screen here and shecan see him there.

�We use a program devel-oped at Cornell University

pability, add-ing the videoand audio di-mension isn�tas expensiveas peoplemight think.Brown said hee s s e n t i a l l yneeded to pur-chase threeitems � acamera to filmhis image, asound card forvoice and the

CU-See Me software. The totalinvestment was less than $400.

�You don�t have to be a hackerto do this,� Brown said.

Brown sets up a time to callhis wife via interactive video

By Spc. GEORGE ROACHE29th MPAD

By Staff Sgt. BRIAN BOWMAN203rd MPAD

called CU-See Me,� Brown said.�My next door neighbor ... hasit, and he explained how wecould set it up.�

Brown said that if a personhad a computer and e-mail ca-

about once a month. During arecent call, Brown visited withhis wife, daughter and mother-in-law.

Brown also has used inter-active video � but not audio �on the Internet, chatting withon-line users from as far awayas Australia, Canada and theUnited States.

�What�s neat about it isyou get to see them whenthey�re talking,� he said. �It�sbetter than using the phoneshere.�

Brown said he thinks theidea of interactive video willcatch on, and that the Army islooking at furthering its use ofthe tool.

�So far ... it�s very simple,�he said.

Spc. Rueben Lucero checks a rotor assembly onhis helicopter before take-off.

Spc. George Roache

CWO Mark Brown writes a video e-mail.Staff Sgt. Brian Bowman


has maintained the cease-fire and compelled theparties to pull back their forces and weapons from athree-mile separation zone — without significantincident. Nearly all heavy weapons have been placedunder IFOR supervision and many will be destroyed aspart of the arms control agreement.

Already, more than 100,000 soldiers not based inbarracks have been demobilized. And hundreds ofsquare miles of territory were transferred from oneentity to another without a shot being fired.

IFOR also has stopped the widespread killing ofcivilians and restored security to Sarajevo, wherepeople now walk the streets in safety. Virtually allprisoners of war have been released and those few stillin custody are being held as war crimes suspects. IFORhas moved aggressively to take down internal check-points and, while far from perfect, freedom of move-ment has improved — between 10 and 15 thousandpeople cross the boundary between the Bosnia-CroatFederation and the Serb Republic every day.

As President Clinton made clear in committing ourtroops to IFOR, the point of this extraordinary interna-tional effort is straightforward: to give the people ofBosnia the breathing room they need to begin rebuild torebuild their lives and their land, and to give peace achance to take on a life and logic of its own.

Lakefrom page 1

merely posturing our logistics infrastruc-ture to allow us to more easily redeploy oncethe order to redeploy has been received. Wehave not been ordered to redeploy.�

The challenge to the move is not merelymoving the soldiers, equipment and sup-port staff some 70 miles, but to continue tobe the main support element for the taskforce during and after the process.

Once moved, the new camps � probablylocated on both sides of the Sava � willstill provide support to the remaining taskforce while processing exiting units through.

�To do that,� said Lt. Col. Gary R.Addison, the assistant DISCOM chief ofstaff for operations, �you�ve got to have atransition point that provides logistic sup-port ... and you�ve got to have a place forpeople to maintain their equipment. Plus,you have to provide individual soldiers (pro-cessing through) with life support for 48 to72 hours.�

To that end, unit leaders here have beenmeeting in planning sessions to sort outthe nuts and bolts of the process.

One such meeting focused on �lessonslearned� from the deployment process �located primarily at the now defunct CampHarmon near Zupanja � to make redeploy-ment as smooth and orderly as possible.

Addison said some of the things rede-ploying units would accomplish while atSlavonski Brod are maintenance on equip-ment for the convoy back through Hungary,

loading tracked vehicles on trucks for theride, giving vehicles a quick wash and iden-tifying equipment that units possess thatis not a part of their normal table of organi-zational equipment.

�This excess (equipment) was for unitsto support specific missions while they werehere and now no longer need,� Addison said.�The idea is to segregate that equipmentat Slavonski Brod so it can easily be turnedin at Hungary.�

In addition to processing U.S. troops andequipment, time must be allotted for othermembers of the multinational effort to usethe bridge erected near Slavonski Brod.

�There�s going to be a lot of traffic flow,�he said.

The 92nd beat the rush. Having movedtwo of its platoons north to Camp McGovernin May, it had only one remaining platoonand a headquarters unit to pack and moveto Slavonski Brod.

First Sgt. Merle Jones said leaving herewas bittersweet.

�We were the first ones here,� Jonessaid. �We came here, found it, secured itand assisted Brown & Root Inc. with theirset-up. I can remember sitting here whenthere wasn�t a bathroom that worked.�

The 92nd secured the camp here in theopening days of January, nearly two weeksbefore most other troops arrived.

Now, the unit is helping guard bridges atBrcko near McGovern and at Slavonski Brod.

The 127th Military Police Companyfrom Guardian Base will pick up the 92nd�snormal patrols along nearby major supplyroutes.

Movefrom page 1 Gym clothes donated

to local war veteransThe 432nd Civil Affairs Detach-

ment recently delivered donated gymclothes to the Sons of Bosnia, a dis-abled veterans organization inLukavac.

Soldiers and their family mem-bers provided $200 – enough to buyT-shirts and shorts for the 12-per-son wheelchair handball team, saidStaff Sgt. Eric Vogt, a member of theGreen Bay, Wis., based unit.

The civil affairs unit also helpedorganize donations and volunteersfor refugee centers in Lukavac.

Families assist refugees Clothing and other goods gatheredby a unit’s family support group hasbeen given to local refugees.

The 181st Transportation Battal-ion families from Mannheim, Ger-many, gathered 6,000 pounds ofitems — including clothes, shoes,toiletries and school supplies – andshipped them to their loves ones,now serving at Base Camp Dallas.

The clothing and other itemswere given to refugees and schoolchildren in a schoolhouse acrossRoute Skoda from Camp Dallas.

The unit plans a similar distribu-tion in a Bosnian Serb area.

This spring, after 3 1/2 years of costly bloodshed, Bosnian children once again have a chance to play in peace.Spc. Cesar G. Soriano

volume 2, no 23 friday, june 21, 1996 the 2, no 23 friday, june 21, 1996 operation joint endeavor,...

Documents