volume 3, no. 17 friday, april 25, 1997 operation joint...

Insid

e BACK TO NATURE . . 2WHAT’S GOING ON? . . 3TAKING CARE . . . 4MOUNT VIS . . . . 5FIRE . . . . . . . . 6-7MEASURE UP . . . . . 8NAME OF PEACE . . 10

Talonthe

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

Volume 3, No. 17 Friday, April 25, 1997

Nothing but

By Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

See FOOTPRINTS page 12

footprints

Observation Post Nine --

OBSERVATION POST NINE -- For16 months it provided an indeli-ble presence right in the heart ofthe Zone of Separation. Its drabstructure of clumpy pickets,slinky concertina wire and fadedsandbags provided a sharp con-trast to the war-torn town ofOmerbegovaca that surrounded it.All gone now � torn down and lev-eled by the very people who onceinhabited it.

Despite its rather utilitarianname, Observation Post Nine was

a symbol of IFOR and SFOR�s mis-sion of peace-enforcement. Nowit�s only a memory -- and, ironical-ly, a new symbol of the success ofthe peace-enforcement mission.

�All we�re going to leave hereare footprints,� said 1st Lt. Will-iam G. Jacobs II, executive offic-er of Company C, 2nd Battalion,2nd Infantry. The �Ramrods� werethe last tenants of OP-9, occupy-ing the checkpoint for less thantwo months before the word camefor its removal. Jacobs, 26, was putin charge of the mission. The

Spc. Roy M. Johnson, ateam leader withCompany C, 2ndBattalion, 2nd Infantry,looks over the remains ofwhat used to beObservation Post Nine.

Photo by Spc. David Boe

The Talon Friday, April 25, 1997

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 the officialviews of, nor endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense,Department of the Army or Task Force Eagle. THE TALON is published weeklyby the 1st Infantry Division (Task Force Eagle) Public Affairs Office, Eagle Base,Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina APO AE 09789, Telephone MSE 551-5230. E-mail:[email protected]. Printed by PrintComTuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Circulation: 6,500.

The Talon

1st Infantry Division Commander . . . Maj. Gen. Montgomery C. MeigsEditor in Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. William L. DuPont364th MPAD Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. Frank PartykaOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1st Lt. Robert M. InouyeNCOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. 1st Class Daniel M. WareEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. William L. Geddes1st Infantry Division PA NCOIC . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. Gregory W. BinfordTranslator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arijana Salihbasic

Read and pass along-- a Talon is a terrible thing to waste

In recent days accidental discharges of weapons have occurredat several base camps in the area of responsibility. This is an indi-cation that soldiers are not properly clearing their weapons andleaders are not paying attention to details. Many of our soldiershave duties that require them to frequently travel on and off campsand perform guard duty or Quick Reaction Force. As they com-plete the mission, leaders, as well as soldiers, must ensure thatmagazines are taken out of the weapons and the weapons are prop-erly cleared. Follow these safety tips:

····· Take time when clearing your weapons.····· Point muzzle of the weapon into the barrel.····· Stay focused on what you are doing.····· When in line to clear your weapon, stay alert -- stop any

unsafe act immediately.····· Drop everything that you are carrying and proceed to clear

your weapon properly.····· Be personally responsible for weapons safety.····· Follow the proper procedure for clearing weapons. Make

sure the magazine is out of the weapon and visually checkthe chamber for a round.

····· Stop and correct any unsafe act -- especially those, regard-less of rank, who are not clearing their weapons properly.

Accidental discharge

Now that the majority offolks are in place and thesmoke is beginning to clear,it is time to get in step. I feelit is most appropriate to re-view some of the 1st Infan-try Division�s uniform stan-dards.

Jungle boots; everyone is askingwhen they can be worn. The divisionstandard is, they are authorized forwear from the 3rd Monday in Aprilthrough the 3rd Monday in October.With that, there is a 30-day cautionzone, which allows commanders toauthorize jungle boots for wear 30days prior to or 30 days after the of-ficial wear date. The official weardate this year is April 21. I cannotemphasize enough to the chain ofcommand how important it is to ex-ercise good, sound judgement whendeciding to wear jungle boots. As youcan see already, the weather attimes can be very kaleidoscopic. Sol-diers must understand that keeping

feet warm and dry is the ul-timate goal. Never, ever risknot being prepared. Therearen�t too many things worsethan wet, cold feet.

Next, the Physical FitnessUniform. The PFU can beworn to and from your PT lo-

cation. Commercially purchasedgray or black biking shorts or theequivalent can be worn under thePFU shorts. The length of the bik-ing shorts must end above the kneeor higher. Civilian type shorts (withinner liner) and tops (which bare nomidriff) can also be worn providingthey are in good taste and kept inserviceable condition. The wearing ofthis gear is also acceptable in theevening or during non-duty hours inyour living and shower areas. PFUs,whether Army grays or civilian, arenot to be worn in the PX or Morale,Welfare and Recreation facilities.

This list is circulating among For-est Service employees. These are ac-tual comments left last year on For-est Service registration sheets andcomment cards by backpackers com-pleting wilderness camping trips:

�A small deer came into my campand stole my bag of pickles. Is therea way I can get reimbursed?�

�Escalators would help on steepuphill sections.�

�Instead of a permit system or reg-ulations, the Forest Service needs toreduce worldwide population growth

to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.�

�Trails need to be wider so people can walkwhile holding hands.�

�Found a smouldering cigarette left by ahorse.�

�Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoidbuilding trails that go uphill.�

�Too many bugs and leeches and spiders andspider webs. Please spray the wilderness to ridthe area of these pests.�

�Please pave the trails so they can be plowedof snow in the winter.�

�Chairlifts need to be in some places so thatwe can get to wonderful views without having tohike to them.�

�The coyotes made too much noise last nightand kept me awake. Please eradicate these an-noying animals.�

�Reflectors need to be placed on trees every50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.�

�Need more signs to keep area pristine.�

�A McDonald�s would be nice at the trailhead.�

�The places where trails do not exist are notwell marked.�

�Too many rocks in the mountains.�

Back

to

natu

re

Command Sgt. Maj. S.L. Kaminski1st Infantry Division (Forward)

By the Task Force Eagle Safety Office

UP FRONT -- GETTING IN STEP, STANDARDS REVIEW I

The TalonFriday, April 25, 1997

News briefs

CAMP SAVA NORTH -- Muslims, Serbi-ans, Croats. Kosovo, Slovenia, Montenegro.Milosevic, Itzebegovic, Tudjman. Racialhatred, nationalistic radicals, ethniccleansing. These words and many morehave been tossed about with reckless aban-don. Many soldiers have no idea what theymean, who they are, or why they�re here.What are the various factions? Why do theyhate each other? Who fought in the war andwhy? There is hope. Enlightenment is pos-sible. A seminar offered by the Universityof Maryland explained much to soldiers atSlavonski-Brod April 12-13.

The class, taught by Maj. Glenn Sch-weitzer, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion, was�The Fall of Yugoslavia.� It examined howYugoslavia collapsed, how war broke outand how peace was established.

�The class gives students who are serv-ing with the American forces an idea as towhat they�re doing here,� Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer said that it is important thatsoldiers understand peacekeeping mis-sions, because the military will be increas-ingly involved in these kinds of missions.

�Major Ralph Peters wrote an article inwhich he said he envisions the world of thefuture having small criminal organizationswith high technology, and the question be-comes what kind of Army do we need todeal with that threat,� he said.

Students learned both the reasons forthe Yugoslav war and how some smallgroups affected it. In learning that, the stu-dents also gained an understanding of howthese groups work.

�You can see that kind of thing happenedin Yugoslavia. There were small paramili-taristic groups which often financed their

By Spc. Gary Bailey129th MPAD

activities with black marketing and crimi-nal activities,� he said.

The course explained how the six repub-lics of the former Yugoslavia erupted intobloodshed, and how three ethnic groups(Croatians, Serbians and Muslims) wereinvolved.

In addition to the lecture and videos theclass had special guest speakers. BrigadierGeneral Zeljko Kukec, from the Croatianarmy (HVO) spoke of the war and currentaffairs in Croatia.

Kukec spoke on the day that Croatia washolding its municipal elections. It was alsothe day that Vukovar and the rest ofSlavonija (Serb-held territory in Croatia)was to be returned to Croatian control.

Kukec, a representative of the UnitedNations Military Defense Office for Croat-ia, fielded questions from students after hislecture.

Another guest speaker was LidijaStjepanovic, an interpreter for Civil Affairsat Camp Sava North. She shared some ofher personal experiences during the war.

Schweitzer covered the StabilizationForce mission and the process of the Day-ton Peace Accord implementation as wellas the differences between U.N. methodsand NATO methods.

�The U.N. Protective Force (UNPRO-FOR) provides deterrence once a cease-firehas been established. They didn�t have amandate to protect or defend,� he said.

He explained that NATO Forces haveequipment and rules of engagement whichdiffer from UNPROFOR.

Schweitzer has a BA from West Point,an MBA from Golden State University andis seeking a doctorate from the FletcherSchool of Law and Diplomacy in Interna-tional Affairs.

What�s going on here?

Spc. David Ayers, 27th TransportationBattalion takes the final exam for "TheFall of Yugoslavia." Photo by Spc. Gary Bailey

Risk assessmentCommanders are reminded that

prior to each mission, risk assess-ments should be conducted. At aminimum, risk assessment will in-clude the following: tasks to be per-formed, hazards/risks identification,risk rating, control options andcountermeasures, and the residualrisk associated with the mission.

Tunnel safety tipLeaders should ensure that when

convoy commanders give their safe-ty briefing prior to movement, theyinclude the hazards and counter-measures of entering unlit tunnelsin the area of responsibility. Thehazards include lack of lighting, nocenter line markings, dirty head-lights, oncoming traffic and exces-sive speeds. Countermeasures in-clude a vehicle commander alert toany type of hazard, staying to thefar right of the road, ensuring head-lights are on and clean, staying alertfor passing vehicles and reducingspeed by at least 5 mph/8kph.

SnakesAs the weather warms up, the

activity of snakes in the area willincrease too. Remember, leavesnakes alone -- do not try to scare,or kill them. You can avoid snakesby looking before you lift. Snakeslike to hide under objects where itis damp and cool.

If bitten by a snake, contact med-ical personnel immediately. Do nottry to suck the venom out of thewound or cut the wound to bleed thevenom out. Do apply a constrictingband (not a tourniquet) and ice thearea of the bite.

Heat casualtiesThe warming weather will also

increase the risk that soldiers willbecome heat casualties. On warm-er days soldiers should drink dou-ble amounts of water. If it becomestoo hot outside units should use thework/rest schedule. Soldiers shouldwear loose clothing. Keeping ingood physical condition helps toclimatize and keep heat sicknessaway. As the temperature soars theheat categories will be implement-ed. Soldiers should be aware whatcategory the temperature is in andact accordingly. The use of ampleamounts of sunblock will also help.


MCGOVERN BASE -- When Spc. Von-netta J. Mora found out she was beingdeployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina, she wasinitially scared: scared of the mines,scared of the turmoil, scared of the un-known.

Fear, however, gave way to concern.As a personnel management specialistwith the 678th Personnel Support Bat-talion, a Reserve Unit out of Nashville,Tenn., what did she have to do to be mis-sion ready? As it turned out, there was alot to do. Mora, 22, had to drop classesat college, give her job notice, arrangeher finances, and, most importantly, saygood-bye to her 2-year-old twins.

�I am a single parent, so I had themstay with my parents,� she said. Withthat, she was on her way to Bosnia-Herzegovina for a few months of activeduty with the U.S. Army.

Mora is no stranger to being on active duty or the Army. Priorto going into the Reserves a year ago, she served over three yearson active duty in Frieburg, Germany, following in the footsteps ofher father, a career soldier who served in Operation Desert Storm.Now it was the daughter�s turn.

Concern gave way to relief. Mora arrived at McGovern Basewith a team from her unit and liked what she saw.

�I was really impressed with the setup here,� said Mora. �We�regetting the necessities as well as the luxuries.�

Mora said the only bad thing about her deployment is missingher family and children, but added that life at McGovern Basegives her peace of mind.

�Of course you�re away from home, but at least you have thingshere to keep your mind off of it and keep the time going,� she said.�They�re making it as comfortable as possible.�

It�s ironic that the comfort and peace of mind that Mora findsat McGovern is due in no small part to her and her co-workers�own efforts. The 678th PSB�s mission at McGovern is to makesure that all personnel actions for soldiers are taken care of --everything from ID cards and tags, to promotions, to records. It�sa mission that eases the load on the line units, said 678th PSBteam leader, Staff Sgt. Garland L. Dease.

�The line units, they have tough jobs,� said Dease, 31, a nativeof Nashville, Tenn. �They�re out there doing the best they can,and we�re here to augment and support them -- that�s our job.�

What they are doing in Bosnia-Herzegovina is no different fromtheir Reserve mission back home, with the possible exception oftheir more austere surroundings, said Dease.

�I would be upset if we were here just cleaning up the toilets inheadquarters and stuff like that,� said Dease. �But we�re doingexactly what we�re supposed to be doing -- you can�t ask for any-

thing better than that.�Dease, a 10-year Reservist who is a law enforcement officer in

civilian life, said he was excited about being deployed. He said hemissed out on the unit�s last deployment to Operations DesertShield/Storm because of school.

�When they said we were going, I said, �OK, good, let�s go --let�s do it!�� said Dease. �I mean, that�s why I put this uniform on.�

It�s the interaction with people and taking care of the soldier,said Dease, that appeals to him. It�s why he�s worked in person-nel services his whole military career.

�When a soldier comes with a problem or wants to update some-thing, I can give him or her the answers, and that�s the most grat-ifying thing about this job,� he said. �It�s all about taking care ofsoldiers -- that�s what we�re here for.�

Spc. John T. Roberts, 21, the team�s records specialist, saidtheir mission to the soldiers is just as essential as having a PX orcommissary.

�Soldiers would not like being here if they knew their wholemilitary career had to be put on hold while they were deployed,�said Roberts, a college student from Louisville, Ky. �This way,even though they�re still down here in Bosnia-Herzegovina, theycan still get promoted or whatever they need done. It�s not muchdifferent than being back in the rear.�

For now it�s business as usual in the personnel services office.It�s a mission, said Mora, that is no different than their active-duty predecessors.

�The people we replaced were active duty and we�re doing theexact same thing they did,� said Mora. �We�re here like everybodyelse -- we�re eating the same, sleeping the same, showering thesame, and we�re doing the same job, so we�re contributing just asmuch.�

By Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

Takingcare ofsoldiers

Staff Sgt. Garland L. Dease and Spc. Vonetta J. Mora, both of the 678th PersonnelSupport Battalion, review records.

Photo by Spc. David Boe


MOUNT VIS, Bosnia-Herzegovina --From the heights of Mount Vis, the entirecountryside unfolds into a clear, panoram-ic view. Strategically, the expansive scopeis ideal because nothing goes unnoticed,not troop movement, the Tuzla airfield, ortraffic.

The Serbs held control of the mountainthroughout the entire war, according to Sgt.Elliot Dwelley, squad leader with MortarPlatoon, Headquarters Company, TaskForce 1-41. Lining the buckling road up tothe summit are tall wooden frames, likeclotheslines. During the war, the Serbsdraped tarps and blankets to conceal theirmovement up and down the mountain.Four times the Muslims tried to capturethe key position. Four times they wereturned back -- but not for the absence oftrying.

During one attack, the Muslims movedan artillery battery onto a nearby mountain-top and began an assault, Dwelley said. Theattack progressed, nearly forcing the Serbsoff the mountain. The Serbian commander,from his bunker which is still standing,called artillery onto his own position hopingto repel the Muslims off the hill. Unfortu-nately, his brother-in-law, who was in a bun-ker 75 meters away, received a direct hitfrom an artillery round. The commanderended up losing his brother-in-law, but drovethe Muslim invasion back down the hill.

According to Dwelley, when the UnitedNations took control of Mount Vis from theSerbians, their commander said he wouldbe back in a year to reclaim the mountain.

�But we are still here and he�s not com-ing back anytime soon,� said Dwelley.

Dwelley, from Portsmouth, N.H., hasbeen in Bosnia-Herzegovina for two weeks.The Gulf War veteran said, �We provide

fire support to Camp Dobol and the sur-rounding area of responsibility. We stay onalert basically 24 hours a day. I have nocomplaints because I work with a great pla-toon. We just do what we are trained to do,everyday.�

Sgt. Tom Pavone, Company A, 1st Bat-talion, 13th Infantry, is a fire support teamsergeant stationed at Camp Dobol. He ispart of a forward observation team thatwould roll out with the tanks to an area inneed of fire support.

�We call the mortars and give them thelocation of the target so they can fire,�Pavone said. �I ensure the rounds impactwhere they are needed. If not, I call backwith adjustments to the target.�

Illumination rounds are usedduring peacekeeping missions.The rounds come out of the tubeand burst above the ground,lighting up the area. This canhelp control riots or dispersecrowds.

�We can see everything in theilluminated radius. It showsthat we have control of the situ-ation, and that we can reachanybody we want,� Pavone said.

In addition to security for themountaintop, 1st Lt. Joe Cieslo,Mortar Platoon leader on MountVis, explains the operation of theMortar Platoon. �We need to beready in a minute�s notice. Hope-fully we will never be used, butwe rehearse everyday,� Cieslosaid. �This is excellent trainingfor us while still taking part in areal-world mission.�

The soldiers conduct crewdrills and squad training daily,plus everyone pulls guard duty.There is also one section of the

platoon based at Camp Demi.�Bosnia-Herzegovina has been through

a lot, but from our mountain, it�s beauti-ful. As far as what happens after we leave,that is up to the people that live here. Wewill have accomplished our mission,� Cies-lo said.

�I think we (the United States) did theright thing by coming here,� Dwelley said,looking towards the bullet-ridden farmslining the long road up to the mountain.�This country was being destroyed and thesmall children had to grow up with that. Itwould have been a lot worse for them ifnobody stepped in. Some of the childrenmight not even be here at all. In that as-

Kings of the hillBy Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

Pvt. Mark Rose, runs tohis station during amortar rehearsal.

Sgt. Elliot Dwelley, base gunner forSection A, Mortar Platoon, Headquartersand Headquarters Company, TF 1-41,calling out fire directions during arehearsal on Mount Vis.

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley



From top left, clockwise, Threloading the heavy water hosewater hose as it is loaded ontSpc. Brian Wooten use teamwBackground, Members from tthat it is operational at all tim


Story and photos by Spc. Janel R. George129th MPAD

EAGLE BASE -- As the flickering flame grows into a bustling array of orange-yellow billows, everythingin the tent is covered with ever-changing shadows. The soldiers, on all fours, staying close to the floor,make their way to the exits located at either end of the general purpose medium tent.

Minutes seem like hours as the engulfing flames destroy everything in their wake. The occupantsconduct a head count safely away from the inferno that has fed on their home and personal belongings. Ina mere seven minutes, photos of loved ones, deployment memorabilia and duty equipment sizzle andsnap as their remains drift toward the heavens in a thick black cloud.

It is the job of the 264th Engineer Detachment (Fire Fighting), a National Guard unit from Allendale,S.C., to prevent this situation from occurring, and contain the fire if it does.

�We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and always on guard to provide fire support throughoutBosnia-Herzegovina,� said Spc. Brian Wooten, a firefighter. �Even when we are asleep we know that wecould be awakened at anytime.�

The 264th Eng. Det. is responsible for fire control for Army aircraft and post structures.�If an aircraft crashes we ensure the safety of the personnel on the aircraft and extinguish the fire with

minimal loss of life and property,� said Staff Sgt. Jeff Harter, fire chief.�We can be anywhere on Tuzla Main in less than five minutes,� said Harter, who is on his third

deployment in six years.�We would have to be careful with all of the diesel, aircraft and heater fuel, but we would respond just

like a fire back home,� said Harter.Responding to hazardous material fires can also be

difficult.�We have to know how to respond to each type of

hazardous material. It could be anything from usingwater to clearing a half-mile radius,� said Harter.�Our job is to prevent fires as well as put them out.�

The detachment coordinates a fire preventionprogram and conducts fire inspections. Monthly fireinspections are conducted as part of the BaseCamp Coordinating Agency to assess the condi-tion of the fire protection policy.

�Fire protection policy was established byTask Force Eagle to provide guidelines for whatcan and cannot be done,� said Harter.

�We are making soldiers aware of fire poli-cy rules,� said Harter. �The biggest part ofour job is fire prevention education.�

The guidelines are being followed by thesoldiers, said Harter. �When minor deficien-cies are found they are corrected on the spotby the units. As long as everyone doesn�tbecome complacent and stays aware ofwhat they are doing and where they aredoing it, we can greatly reduce the chanceof a fire.�

Fire control

top left, clockwise, Three members of the fire fighting detachment assistg the heavy water hose onto the fire truck... Spc. Brian Wooten holds thehose as it is loaded onto the fire truck... Spc. John J. Belusz (close) andrian Wooten use teamwork to load the attack hose onto the fire truck...round, Members from the detachment inspect the fire truck to ensureis operational at all times.


CAMP DOBOL -- The Multilingual Inter-view System (MIS) is a voice recognitioncomputer system which, after taught theuser�s voice pattern, will audibly translateEnglish into Serbo-Croatian. The compactinstrument is currently being tested bymembers of Task Force 1-41 PsychologicalOperation Team at Camp Dobol.

�We take it out on missions and intro-duce it to some of the local people we knowwell. We are very fortunate to have beenasked to test it,� said Spc. William Kara-belas, psychological operations specialist.Karabelas is a member of the 312th PSY-OP Company, 11th PSYOP Battalion, aReserve unit out of Washington, D.C.

The machine can be used two ways. Thefirst is to speak directly into the microphoneconnected to a headset. The computer rec-ognizes the user�s voice and translates itquickly into Serbo-Croatian.

The second way the machine can be used

is by choosing what to say from a pre-setmenu of phrases displayed on the screen.The computer will repeat the translatedphrase through a minispeaker that isclipped to the user�s uniform.

The computer has been used in the vil-lages of Osmasi and Zvornik. �People seemto really enjoy it and the kids get a kickout of it. It builds a sense of trust. It alsogathers a crowd which allows us to do ourmission, which is talking to people.� Al-though there are a few glitches in the sys-tem, �hopefully the designers will perfectthis. There might not be a need for inter-preters,� Karabelas, 26, said.

The Fairfax, Va. resident recently spenttwo days training in Germany with theMIS. The machine is run on a Windows 95operating system. It is essentially a minilaptop. It uses a hand held screen, a 133-megahertz processor and two 340 megabytehard drives. It can be plugged into a largedesktop computer as well.

�Most people I have tested this with re-

ally enjoy it,� Karabelas said. �They areamazed the technology exists. Some of thelocal people have never seen a computer,and here we come into a village with thismachine, speak English into it and outcomes Serbo-Croatian.�

The computer is in the infancy stageand the Army has not yet purchased it. Theone drawback is that the machine does nottranslate two ways, so a villager cannotspeak Serbo-Croatian into the machine andhave it translated back into English. How-ever, the phrases in the module are directquestions that can be answered yes or no,or with simple instructions.

Currently the languages available areArabic, Russian, French and Serbo-Croat-ian.

�The future is bright for this technolo-gy. Soldiers in contact with civilians willnot have to rely on interpreters,� Karabelassaid. �It�s nice to know that the Army hasentrusted me to test this equipment in apractical, field environment.�

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

Speaking the language

Spc. William Karabelas, 312thPsycological Operations Company,11th PSYOP Battalion, Task Force 1-41, uses the Multilingual InterviewSystem to converse with villagers.



EAGLE BASE -- When is an inch an inch? When is avolt a volt? When is a pound a pound? These are ques-tions answered, with some degree of accuracy, by thesoldiers of the 95th Maintenance Company (Test Mea-surement and Diagnostic Equipment), a small unitwith a big mission.

�We�re responsible for calibrating equipment for allmilitary and civilian agencies in (Multinational Divi-sion - North),� said Staff Sgt. Nate South, one of only300 calibration specialists in the Army. �We do stufffor the Air Force, for Raytheon, for Brown and Root.Everyone brings equipment here for us to check.�

The Army has a list of 58,000 different types ofequipment needing regular calibration. It is the mis-sion of the 95th Maint. Co. to verify the measurementsof any piece of equipment that measures. Using com-plex electronics and computer equipment, South, andhis partner Sgt. Michael Shawn, can verify the accu-racy of tools, such as torque wrenches, scales, voltme-ters, radiacmeters and other important equipmentused everyday by soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

�We check everything, from postal scales to the piec-es that test Apache helicopters,� said Shawn, a cali-bration sergeant from Fort Drum, N.Y. �We check any-thing that measures force, tension, volts, time, frequen-cy, waves, torque -- anything.�

The standards for measuring measurements comesfrom the National Institute of Standards and Tech-nology (NIST), an agency in the U.S. Department ofCommerce. At laboratories in Boulder, Colo., scientistsdetermine measurements with the greatest degree ofaccuracy. The measurements from NIST are the stan-dards worldwide, for both the military, governmentagencies and private industry.

�When they say it�s a volt, then it�s a volt. If theysay it�s an inch, then it�s an inch. NIST even has atom-ic-powered clocks that give the exact time. The clocks only lose asecond every million years or something like that,� said Shawn.

The accuracy of the tools used by the 95th Maint. Co. can betraced back to NIST through a complex system of checks. NISTtransfers the known standards to the main Army laboratory atRedstone Arsenal in Alabama. From there, the standards arepassed to a series of laboratories throughout Europe and the U.S.The standard is then transferred to cal-ibration teams.

�We can trace the standards all theway back to Boulder. That way we knowthat the standards we use here are asaccurate as possible,� said South, a cali-bration sergeant from Manhattan, Kan.

The average soldier may questionwhy it is important to be so precise. Butaccuracy is very important to the calibration teams, since accura-cy may mean the difference between life and death. For example,the team calibrates torque wrenches used to fix helicopters. If thewrench is not calibrated correctly, a flight mechanic cannot beassured his job is being done correctly.

�I wouldn�t want to fly in a helicopter fixed with tools thatweren�t calibrated correctly,� said Shawn. �What if a mechanictightens the rotors with an improperly calibrated wrench? Thoserotors could come off in midair.�

�It is a big responsibility, because we do more than just stick a

label on a piece of equipment and say OK,� Shawn said. �We testthe equipment knowing that people rely on our test.�

�We have the responsibility to decide whether a particular toolor piece of equipment is returned to the unit. If so, we put a label onthe tool with the calibration date and the date it is due to be checkedagain. If it cannot be calibrated correctly, we must tell the unit thatthe tool needs to be replaced,� said South.

South laughs when heremembers all the thingscalibration specialistsonce were called to test. �Iheard stories that theyused to have calibrationspecialists check the shotdispensers in the NCOclub. Sometimes, I guess,

the best test was to pour a shot and drink it.�The calibration specialists rely on volumes of technical manu-

als and on computer testing equipment. As the equipment getsmore complex, the Army is becoming more reliant on civilian con-tractors. The number of military calibration specialists has de-creased dramatically in the past few years and will only decreasemore as the switch to civilian expertise increases, said Shawn.

�The move is away from soldiers, but you will always needsoldiers, especially in deployments like this,� said South. �Sol-diers can go where civilians can�t.�

By Sgt. Steven Collins129th MPAD

Measuring up

�Sometimes, I guess, the best testwas to pour a shot and drink it.�---- Staff Sgt. Nate South

Staff Sgt. Nate South, acalibration sergeant withthe 95th MaintenanceCompany (TMDE), uses atorque meter to check theaccuracy of a torquewrench.

Photo by Sgt. Steven Collins


CAMP COLT -- New commands taking overcamps across the U.S. sector of Bosnia-Herzegovina find that there is a fine linebetween establishing a good working rela-tionship with the former warring factions,and being tough with the factions whenthey have not followed the rules laid outfor them in the Dayton Peace Accord andthe General Framework Agreement forPeace.

Tensions between Stabilization Forcesoldiers and factions can run high, espe-cially during weapon storage site inspec-tions. Discrepancies are found; weapons areconfiscated.

Weapon storage sites continue to be aproblem for the factions. Many times fac-tions don�t follow proper storage and ac-counting procedures. After the war stopped,they just piled large quantities of mines,rounds and rockets into dark storagerooms. Many rooms are so tightly packedthat during inspections, SFOR soldiers canbarely turn around in them.

Company B, 1st Battalion 18th Infan-try, has been operating out of Camp Coltas part of Task Force 1-77 for approximate-ly two weeks now, and have already doneseveral confiscations from the more than40

sites inspected each month.The latest confiscation took place at a

Serbian storage site where anti-tank mineswere seized along with some hand grenadesand small munitions. During an inspectiontwo days before the confiscation, soldiersspent 14 hours counting every piece of mu-nitions in the site. Using records from pre-vious inspections, it was found that therewas an excess of anti-tank mines and notenough of some hand grenades and smallcaliber rounds.

The soldiers confiscated the anti-tankmines that were over the amount listed

from previous inspections and also con-fiscated the number of small munitions

that were below what was listed pre-viously.

�They were sort of mystified asto where the numbers came

from. I�m not sure if they hada really good idea of whatthey had in their site,� said2nd Lt. Kent Lindner, aplatoon leader for 1st Bn.,18th Inf. �They don�t havethe same types of stan-dards we have as far asarms room inventory andproper accountability.�

�As a new unit conduct-ing our initial inspectionswe have been extremelythorough in making thosecounts with the vast collec-tions of munitions and am-munition,� said Capt. JohnLange, commander of Co. B.�We�ve discovered some dis-crepancies that may havebeen additions since the lastinspection or may havebeen overlooked in the past.

We went ahead and worked it out with thefaction and decided on the confiscation.�

Many things are happening in Bosnia-Herzegovina such as the recent visit by thePope. Checkpoints are being removed, theweather is warming up and people are mov-ing around more freely. This can also add tothe tension in the area. The soldiers don�twant to increase the tension and want tohave a good working relationship with thefaction, yet they have a job to do and mustfollow the rules.

�I think the warring factions understandthat we are here to do a job and I think thepicture has been painted for them,� saidSgt. 1st Class Daniel Beecham. �I heardone of the faction leaders say that eventhough he was upset we took some weap-ons, he said out loud, �in the name of peace.�Everybody so far has been cooperating withus in the name of peace.�

�We set out before them the things weplanned to confiscate and we asked for theirassistance,� said Lange. �We said that inthe best interest of good relations betweenboth units their assistance would be great-ly appreciated, and as we saw, their sol-diers came out and helped us a great dealin making this an efficient, safe operation.�

�Despite the fact that they were losingquite a bit of equipment, we had numer-ous compliments from them on our profes-sionalism and how we went through andjust did our job like we were trained with-out any partiality,� said Lindner.

�It was hard to do an inventory in asmall room like they had, we had to doublecheck to make sure we didn�t make a mis-take ourselves,� said Pvt. John Davis, aBradley driver for Co. B. �We had 30 daysof training before we came here where theycovered all the what ifs. We are very pre-pared to handle this.�

In the name of peaceBy Spc. Paul Hougdahl129th MPAD

Capt. John Lange, commander ofCompany B, 1st Battalion, 18thInfantry, Task Force 1-77, goes overinventory lists of a weapon storagesite with the Serbian millitary officerin charge.

S e r b i a nsoldiers lend ahand during aweapon storagesite inspectionwhere morethan 400 anti-tank mines wereconfiscated.

Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl



Turtles in the box featuring Muddy and Dusty By Capt. Peter J. Buotte

Muddy, since I�vebeen in Bosnia, mymorals have been

low.

I�m not sleeping well, Ican�t leave the base, mylaundry is lost, there�s nomilk in the dining facility,I haven�t received mail ina month and my pass was

disapproved.

I think you meanmorale.

Turkish Brigade aids blindThe Turkish Brigade continued its efforts to help the local people and organizations in its area of responsibilitythis March when it donated four tons of dry food stuffs, 75 speaking watches, 25 canes and seven cassette playersto the Association for the Blind in Kakanj. These kind of humanitarian missions, the primary aim of which is to helpthe handicapped people establish healthy relationships within society, are one of the main goals of the TurkishBrigade�s effort at establishing a special fund.

Photo and cutline by Turkish Brigade LNO


orders were simple: tear everythingdown and leave it the way it was found.At Jacob�s disposal was one platoon fromhis company, as well as elements fromTask Force 1-77 and engineers from the642nd Engineer Company, Camp Bed-rock.

�They�ve been working really hard,�said Jacobs. �They�ve done an outstand-ing job. They have worked harder thananyone could expect; worked harder thanthey thought they were going to in thefirst place. It�s been rough, but they�vestayed motivated.�

Jacobs said that after five days ofwork his soldiers had pulled down morethan a kilometer of triple-strand concer-tina wire, and loaded approximately 30truck loads of wood and sandbags.

�Some of the pickets were sunk sodeep in places that we had to use Brad-leys to pull them out,� said Jacobs.

Observation Post Nine is the first of

several checkpoints to be torn down toallow more freedom of movement in thesector, said Capt. Paul J. Finken, Co.C commander.

�It will also allow SFOR troops themobility to use its forces in a mobilerole as opposed to affixing them atcheckpoints,� said Finken. OP-9 wasinitially a deterrent against acts ofterrorism in the area. However, hesaid, the situation has improved towhere the observation point is nolonger needed.

�The RS (Republic of Srbska) policeare now actively patrolling the area withthe supervision of the IPTF. The fixedcheckpoint has lost its usefulness,� saidFinken.

There will still be an SFOR presencein the area, said Finken. By removingthe observation point and using morepatrols the SFOR soldiers will be ableto cover more area and provide a moreflexible presence.

�It�s definitely a step in the right di-rection,� said Finken.

CAMP COLT -- The only thing that appearsto be constant in Bosnia-Herzegovina ischange, hopefully change for the better.Things are gradually getting back to normal,and a large part of that is due to the workStabilization Force troops are doing.

As spring continues to grab hold of thecountryside, farmers are working their fieldsfor the first time in several years. Cattle andsheep are grazing on new green grass andrestaurants are again serving lamb and porkcooked over an open fire.

This change is also evident for the soldiersat Camp Colt, where 1st Battalion, 77th Ar-mor --�Steel Tigers� -- have assumed com-mand. Task Force 1-77 commands both Coltand McGovern Base.

During the month-long training atGrafenwoehr and Hohenfels, Germany, thesoldiers who are part of TF 1-77 trained in asituation that simulated conditions in Bos-nia-Herzegovina. Special emphasis wasplaced on training to understand the role ofpeacekeeping and the unique rules of en-gagement which accompany the role.

�Soldiers conduct face-to-face contact withthe residents of local villages, and it�s a greatthing for the villagers to see, but the train-ing in that respect is something that we�vehad to learn during our validation exercisein Germany and through our transition train-ing here on the ground with our predecessorunit,� said Lt. Col. James Heverin, III.�That�s why our transition training was morelengthy and more involved than it would bein a normal battle handover mission.�

�The training got us into the frame of mindthat it�s peacekeeping and not war,� said Pvt.David Phipps, a Bradley driver. �Here at timesthe stress levels are high, because of misun-derstandings between people and because ofthings like language differences. We are deal-ing with people�s lives and whole families,where in war you have a defined enemy andare dealing with other combat units.�

To ensure the safety of the troops at CampColt, aging gates, perimeter walls and sand-bag bunkers are being rebuilt.

�Our primary goal is force protection: tonot seriously injure or lose any Americansoldier. Number two is to continue with thesuccessful execution of the peace enforcementmission and to continue to provide the op-portunity for the factions to take advantageof the 500 plus days so that they can buildtoward a lasting peace,� said Heverin.

With all the changes in Bosnia-Herzegov-ina occurring at this time, one constant isTF 1-77 soldiers doing their job to the high-est standards.

FOOTPRINTSfrom page 1

By Spc. Paul Hougdahl129th MPAD

Change

Pvt. Lucas Pool, Company A,2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry,removes concertina wire fromcheckpoint A1.


volume 3, no. 17 friday, april 25, 1997 operation joint...

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