the talonfriday, september 6, 1996 · refugees are trying to resettle in ar- ... perry speaks out...

the

Serving the soldiers of Task Force EagleOperation Joint Endeavor, Bosnia-HerzegovinaTalonVolume 2, No 34 Friday, September 6, 1996

Insid

e COMMENTARY . . . . . 2MINE SAFETY . . . . . 3OPEN MARKET . . . 5MARINES . . . . . 6-7MASH . . . . . . . 8NORDPOL . . . . . 9PERSONALITY . . . . . 11

See PERRY, page 12

Recent reports of suspicious surveil-lance and turbulent pre-election activitieshave heightened the threat level in Bosnia,according to Defense Secretary WilliamPerry.

Even though Implementation Forcetroops have remained at a high state ofreadiness since the mission began lastDecember, commanders are taking add-ed precautions, Perry said during a recentinterview.

The threat of terrorist actions was con-sidered high from the very beginning, andforces were positioned accordingly, Per-ry said.

DoD officials imposed stringent rulesand security procedures reflecting theirconcern, he said. “What we’ve had in thelast week is a surveillance of a few IFORinstallations, which just puts a sharperfocus on that concern,” he said.

Aside from the reported surveillance,Perry said, defense officials were alreadypreparing for increased turmoil prior tothe Sept. 14 elections.

People are being allowed to vote in theplaces where they used to live, which maynow be part of a different political entity.

Refugees are trying to resettle in ar-eas where others are already living, andpeople are registering to vote where oth-ers don’t want them to vote, he said.

“Trying to get stable, secure govern-ments installed in a country that has nothad any stability or any security for almost

EAGLE BASE —The first group of 1,200elections supervisors representing theOrganization for Security and Cooper-ation in Europe arrived Aug. 28 to be-gin an orientation program designed toprepare them for their duties inBosnia-Herzegovina.

The group was welcomed with a

brief speech by Brig. Gen. George W.Casey Jr., assistant division command-er, maneuver, before it was ushered intoclasses on mine awareness, unexplod-ed ordnance, communication, and med-ical hygiene and first aid.

Lesley L. Israel, senior elections of-ficer for the Tuzla region, said the 1,200supervisors will be assigned to polling

By LINDA D. KOZARYNAmerican Forces Press Service

Perry speaks out onBosnia-Herzegovina

By Cpl. LEN BUTLER100th MPAD

See OSCE, page 12

Soldiers prepare OSCE teamsfor Sept. 14 national elections

Sgt. 1st Class Brian L. Kappmeyer

Military policemen from the 720th MP Battalion arrive at CampLisa as Staff Sgt. Michael Crawford, 29, from Company A, 4thBattalion, 12th Infantry, over watches from his M2 Bradley InfantryFighting Vehicle.

The Talon

From the top

Focus, preparation key during elections

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.

The Talon

Capt.Todd D. LyleSafety Office

Viewpoint

Unit clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pfc. Justin McCulloughEditor in Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. John E. Suttle100th MPAD Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. Victoria D. WoodOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capt. Terry L. ConderNCOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. Patrick SummersEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spc. Aaron R. ReedDesign Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. 1st Class Stephen M. LumPhoto Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spc. Daniel PaschallTechnical Advisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spc. Bryan DriverStaff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ariajana SabanovicContributors . . . . . . .100th, 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachments

CommandSgt. Maj.

Jack L. Tilley1st Armored

Division

Wake up Task Force Eaglesoldiers. Death is waiting foryou every time you leave yourbase.

So far we have been fortu-nate. Except for two deaths, we,the personnel of Task Force Ea-gle, have avoided serious acci-dents.

We have driven our vehiclesmillions of miles and have flownour aircraft for thousands ofhours. We have totaled vehicles,rolled tanks and bruised heli-copters and walked away on allbut two occasions. As we ap-proach elections and redeploy-ment, let’s keep the two acciden-tal deaths and one very recentincident in mind.

The Army can mandate,

write end-less poli-cies, andi m p l e -ment infi-nite coun-t e r m e a -sures to‘ p r o t e c t ’its person-nel, but

until each and every one of ustakes responsibility for our ac-tions and the actions of thosearound us every time we performa task, mission or operation, wewill continue to experienceavoidable accidents.

We must both individuallyand collectively learn fromeach other’s mistakes.

Last week, a unit in the 1stBrigade sector was performinga “routine” mission when one ofthe vehicles left the paved roadand struck an antitank mine.

The area in which this minestrike occurred is just metersfrom a former frontline. Theroute on which the soldiers weretraveling bisects a trenchline. Itfollows that this road wouldhave been heavily mined duringthe war.

Although the area had beencleared and proofed, a mine stilllaid in wait.

This mine strike was com-pletely avoidable. The individ-uals involved in this incidentwere victims of a “routine mis-sion mind set” that lead them

to become too comfortable withtheir surroundings. This comfortlevel could have cost them theirlives. There is no doubt thatthose involved will think aboutthis possibility the rest of theirlives.

Furthermore, the occupantsof the blown-up vehicle will cer-tainly be thinking of how theKevlar blanket (which received aless-than-stellar reception fromunits) saved them from furtherinjury. The Kevlar blanket is anexcellent example of an Army-developed reactive countermea-sure — a countermeasure thatwould not have had to be testedif the soldiers remembered tostay on the paved surface. Stayalert, stay alive!

A single individualcan make all the differ-ence. When terroristsdetonated a 5,000pound bomb in a fueltruck outside KhobarTowers, Saudi Arabia,19 Americans werekilled and hundredswere injured.

But because one AirForce security policeofficer was alert to thethreat of a civilian vehicle parked too closeto the perimeter, evacuation of the build-ing had already begun before the blast, andcountless servicemembers were saved.

The stakes are just as high here inBosnia. The Sept. 14 elections are approach-ing and tensions already are rising in somesections of Task Force Eagle’s area of re-sponsibility. The terrorist threat I talkedabout several weeks ago continues.

Task force commanders do all they canto ensure the troops here are well protect-

ed, but the final responsibility rests on theshoulders of each individual soldier whoguards a gate, checkpoint or perimeter.

NCOs, whether section chiefs or ser-geants of the guard, must make sure theirsoldiers are well prepared for guard duty.

Sergeants must ensure their soldiersare in proper uniform for guard duty, andthat they are thoroughly briefed on theirmission and current threat levels.

Guards should be familiar with the rulesof engagement, know what action to take inthe face of suspicious activity, and practicethe battle drills for their guard posts.

Communication from guards back totheir NCOs, and from NCOs to higher, isthe lifeline upon which everyone’s safetymay depend.

Sergeants of the guard should ensureradios have fresh batteries and are opera-ble at the beginning of each shift, and en-force radio discipline at all times.

Guards must report any incidents orperceived threats in a timely, accurate andcomplete manner.

Guard duty is rarely fun or easy, but thesoldiers who stand between Task ForceEagle and those who might wish to harmus are the first and most important line ofdefense we have.

Don’t cut corners for the sake of comfortor convenience.

No matter if it’s your first time pullingguard duty, or your 100th shift since thebeginning of this deployment; you must notbecome complacent.

Lose your focus for just half a minute, goout on patrol just once without a map orcompass, and the price could be your lifeand the lives of your buddies.

I’ll say it again, because it bears repeat-ing: during election time, more than ever,you must stay focused. This is perhaps themost important two weeks of our wholedeployment.

Guard duty is a heavy responsibility;lives depend on NCOs and their soldierstaking that responsibility seriously.

Remember, Iron Soldiers take care ofeach other.

Mine awareness a terrible thing to waste

Friday, September 6, 1996

The Talon

News briefs

Weekly weather forecast HIGH/LOW CHANCE RAINToday 68/54 HighSat 63/47 HighSun 63/47 ModerateMon 54/46 ModerateTue 54/45 ModerateWed 54/45 ModerateThur 53/47 ModerateProvided Sept. 4 by Internet Access Weather

Kevlarblankets

save lives

Spc. Corey L. Deshazo will neveragain complain about how uncom-fortable sitting on a Kevlar blan-

ket is. It’s the one thing that probablysaved him from serious injury — or evenpossibly losing his life — when theHMMWV he was driving ran over ananti-tank mine recently.

Deshazo, assigned to the mortar pla-toon with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Cavalry,was the driver of one of four vehicles in aconvoy patrolling a route near DubraviceGornje.

The group’s mission was to check theInter-Entity Boundary Line markings inthe zone of separation. It was the kind oftask Deshazo and his fellow soldiers hadbeen doing for almost nine months.

Ironically, Deshazo hit the mine just six

By Master Sgt. KATHY D. WRIGHT350th MPAD

days before he was to redeploy to Germany.“The first thing I thought after the

smoke cleared and I could see the craterthe mine left in the road was that I wastoo short for this to happen,” the 25-year-old soldier said. “Then I thought about howblessed and lucky I was.”

Deshazo was very lucky. He and threeother soldiers in the convoy suffered onlyminor injuries, while his vehicle, includ-ing the Kevlar blanket, sustained majordamage.

“Six weeks ago, when the blankets camein, I didn’t want to install them,” the fa-ther of one said.

“Everyone knew how uncomfortablethey were going to be. We had already beenout here more than six months, and I surewasn’t looking to run over a mine now, es-pecially on a route that had just been trav-eled the day before.”

In fact, Deshazo’s first thought after hit-ting the mine was that his newly-installedengine had blown. Other soldiers in thegroup thought they were under attack.

“One of the first things we did was se-cure the area and get everyone clear of theimpact site,” Deshazo said. “At that pointwe were just glad to see each other andrealize we were OK.”

Within four minutes of reporting the in-cident, Task Force Eagle medics, engineersand scouts were on their way to assist.Once they arrived, a second mine was dis-covered within a meter of the first.

“About that time I was pretty anxiousto move out,” Deshazo said. “Of course Iwanted to call my family and let themknow what happened. I told my wife thatif she saw the story on the news about aland mine exploding, don’t worry becauseI was all right.”

The 5-year veteran has some advice tothose who remain in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“I won’t feel totally safe until I leavethis country, and I think that no matterwhen you’re scheduled to redeploy youshould always be cautious. Something likethis could happen to anyone.”

Sgt. Brian Thompson

A military safety team inspects a HMMWV damaged by a land mine.

Get every issue of The Talon everpublished on the World Wide Web.Our URL is: http://www.dtic.mil/bos-nia/talon/index.html.

The Talon is also linked to De-fense Link at: http://www.dtic.mil./de-fenselink/

Correction: In the Aug. 9 issue ofThe Talon, the M3 Bradley CavalryFighting Vehicle crew from TroopB, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry wasmisidentified. Thanks for the letter,Staff Sgt. Mark A. Klein. We appre-ciate letters and e-mail messages.We will respond to every letter.

Send e-mail to:[email protected]

Mail:Staff Sgt. Summers100th MPAD/JIBOperation JOINT ENDEAVORAPO AE 09789

Talon on World Wide Web

Sergeant sets us straight

The 1st Armor Division is on line!Read The Talon without having todownload. Find maps, news releas-es, biographies and facts about1AD.

http://www.tfeagle.1ad.army.mil

Tuzla Basketball League(as of Sept. 7)

Team Won Lost PCT GB5/ADA 8 2 .800 -

141 SIG BN NC72 6 2 .750 1

D 440 SIG CO 7 3 .700 1

77 MAINT 6 4 .600 2

94 ENG BN 6 4 .600 2

HHC 22 SIG BDE 3 5 .375 4

362 CSE 3 5 .375 4

1 AD 1 8 .111 6.5

90 POST BN 1 8 .111 6.5

1AD Home Page rolling

Sgt. Brian Thompson


The Talon Friday, September 6, 1996

TUZLA — Every Wednesday aTactical Psychological Opera-tions team from the 346th Psy-chological Operations Compa-ny leisurely strolls through Tu-zla’s market square distribut-ing information. They shakehands with the local people andplay with the children. But withtensions rising due to the up-coming elections, these strollsmay not remain a walk in thepark.

Along with his troops, Sgt.Anthony D. Church, teamchief, hits the pavement in fullbattle rattle carrying stacksof newspapers.

“The Herald of Peace is ouractual link between the civil-ian populous and the mili-tary,” Church said. “It isstuffed with brochures con-taining topics ranging fromthe elections to IFOR drivingsafety tips.”

“The paper is not limitedto IFOR information, it con-sists of a mixture of militaryand local news. There’s even asports section,” Spc. Jim E.Stephenson said.

As the papers are beingdistributed, Cpl. Joseph R.Lizer, an assistant team lead-er, is heard over the airwavesas he broadcasts on FM Ra-dio Tuzla, the largest radiostation in the area.

“I read the articles from theHerald of Peace in English and

then I’m followed by an inter-preter who reads them in Bos-nian,” Lizer said. “We do theradio broadcast for the peoplewho we can’t reach with ourprinted version of the paper.”

In addition to putting upelection posters and handingout the Herald of Peace, theteam conducts voter electionsurveys. “We try to get an idea

By Spc. CHERYL A. KRANING100th MPAD

‘Herald of Peace ’ offers unbiased news

of what the local populousknows about the elections, andwe want to know what theythink IFOR’s role is in the elec-tions,” Stephenson said.

Soldiers use survey resultsto determine the content forfuture newspaper articles.

“We try to gear the paperto the needs of locals. There’sno point in writing about

things everyone al-ready knows,”Stephenson said.

“Sometimes the lo-cal papers have majorslants to them; there-fore, keeping thesepeople informed isvery important. Themain mission behindPsychological Opera-tions is the dissemi-nation of truthful in-formation,” Spc. AnneM. Csipke said.

The team has notreceived word to in-crease force protec-tion, but with the elec-tions right around thecorner, Church hastaken a few extra pre-cautions. His teamdoes not carry any per-

sonal effects such as addressbooks or phone numbers.“Things that are not combat ormission essential, they don’tneed,” Church, a deputy sheriffin Cleveland said.

“In addition to their specif-ic task of the day, each personis assigned a certain area towatch such as windows or door-ways,” Church said.

Other than an occasionaldisgruntled look or someonetearing up a paper, the teamis welcomed in the local area.Church’s team has come to theconclusion the majority of thepeople are glad IFOR is here.Most people feel IFOR hasbrought peace and has endedthe horrifying war.

According to Church, the pa-per not only benefits the peopleby giving them important infor-mation such as how and whereto vote and what IFOR is doing,it also aids in the finding offriends and families throughmissing persons notices.

“Four years of war has dis-placed people. This paper giveslocals hope that their lovedones might someday see theirown names in print and findtheir way home,” said Church.

Spc. Cheryl A. Kraning

Spc. Jim E. Stephenson, from the 346th Psychological Operations Company, distributesthe Herald of Peace pamphlets to a man and his daughter.


Sgt. Anthony D. Church, Tactical Psychological Operations Teamchief, passes out the Herald of Peace in front of the Monument for25th of May Youth.


The 23rd Engineer Battalion went tothe market recently and found abargain.

The Arizona Free Market is a thrivingopen-air emporium where citizens can buyand sell everything from cigarettes to live-stock. Members of all three former war-ring parties — Bosnia Muslims, BosnianCroat and Bosnian Serb — come togetherdaily to trade from dawn to dark.

The market is on Route Arizona, lessthan 100 meters from IFOR CheckpointA2. The market had become so popularthat it snarled traffic around the 1stSquadron, 1st Cavalry checkpoint.

Adjacent minefields prevented civiliantraffic from pulling off Arizona. Daily traf-fic jams backed up cars, trucks and mili-tary convoys.

“This is a critical main supply route,and the market was so successful thattrucks were clogging the road,” Lt. Col.Todd T. Semonite said, commander of the23rd Engineer Battalion.

“It continues to be a chokepoint and wehave to keep the way clear to ensure IFORand civilian freedom of movement. But, themarket is one of the most successful eco-nomic endeavors in the Posavina Corridor.All three entities are trading in one place,in the middle of the zone of separation,”Semonite said.

Battalion engineers put together a blue-print to expand the existing market and addaccess roads to help organize the sprawlingmarket. The goal was to clear the roads ofparked cars and crawling traffic.

After presenting their idea to civilianofficials, they found enthusiastic support

and a local willingness to make modifica-tions and upgrades to the basic idea.

The American project was based on athree-part plan. First, the engineers wouldclear and proof the area for mines, thenbuild a drainage system and access roadsto Arizona. Finally, they would constructan internal road network for the new addi-tion to the market.

Mine clearing for the task force meantbringing in a Panther.

“The Panther is actually a Class 60 tankthat’s got robotics,” said Sgt. 1st ClassTodd M. Burnett, platoon sergeant of 2ndPlatoon, Company A, 23rd Engineer Bn.

“It’s run by remote control and it dragsor pushes rollers. If there’s a mine, we wantto hit it with the rollers. Before we start,we go through mine maps with people fromthe factions. The factions haven’t foundany mines so our Panther does a finalproofing,” Burnett said.

After making three passes over thesame piece of ground with the turretless

Panther, military police from Headquar-ters and Headquarters Company, 18th MPBrigade, proofed the area with speciallytrained mine-detection dogs. Using theirsense of smell, the dogs respond to explo-sives, metal and mine components.

After the Panther and the dogs deemedthe area safe, engineers from Company C,16th Engineer Bn., moved in with mine de-tectors and probes for a third and final phaseof mine proofing.

With step one completed, soldiers of the535th Combat Support Equipment Compa-ny used dozers, graders and rollers to cutdrainage ditches, and roads.

Then engineers put down a base of grav-el for the newly constructed roads and rolledthem smooth.

When finished, the task force had clearedand mine proofed over 60,000 squaremeters. They constructed 875 meters of roadand laid 1,000 cubic meters of gravel.

Local officials were out surveying the landbefore the engineers were even finished and,working through the brigade’s civil affairschannels, have secured funding for contin-ued improvements for the market. They in-tend to add more gravel for parking and in-stall toilet facilities.

After American engineers completed thejob, a local mayor organized a ceremony tothank IFOR.

“Besides the clearing of traffic conges-tion, two other significant accomplishmentsoccurred,” Semonite said. “First, the projectprovided a place for local vendors to sharein commerce and increase the economic via-bility of the area.

“Second, because it is in the ZOS, younow have members of each of the differententities coming together, working together,sharing their wares together and as a re-

sult, having a peaceful cooper-ation as well as social interac-tion through an economic mar-ket.”

Speaking to the soldiers in-volved in the project, Col. Gre-gory R. Fontenot, 1st Brigadecommander, complimentedthem on their success.

“The things that you havedone allows Serbian, Croatian,and Muslim people to meet inthe zone of separation and tobuy and sell and interact in anormal, peaceful way. It’s animportant step toward recon-ciliation for these people,” Fon-tenot said. “It’s a statementyou’ve made about the validityof a great European tradition— one of coming together in themarketplace, buying and sell-ing, talking, getting to know oneanother and restoring oldfriendships, making newfriends and working together.”

Engineers clear minefield, go to marketBy Sgt. JACK SIEMIENIEC350th MPAD

Sgt. Jack Siemieniec

Spc. Eric J. Lange, Company C, 16th Engineer Battalion, uses a mine detector as aPanther sits in a field near the Arizona Free Market.

“The market is oneof the most success-ful economic endea-vors in the PosavinaCorridor.”

Lt. Col. Todd T. SemoniteCommander23rd Engineer Battalion


BOYINGTON AIRFIELD, Bosnia-Herzegovina — As the world watches theevents leading up to this country’s his-toric elections, a Marine unit here is pro-viding Task Force Eagle with anothermeans of monitoring the peace.

Marine Unmanned Aerial VehicleSquadron One (VMU-1) from MarineCorps Air-Ground Combat Center,Twenty-nine Palms, Calif., is providingreal-time video imagery to Task ForceEagle commanders for reconnaissanceand surveillance.

Maj. John M. Pioli, 34, the unit’s ex-ecutive officer from Pensacola, Fla., said

the unmanned aircraft provide “anoth-er asset, another way of ensuring thatthe Dayton Peace Accord agreement isbeing followed.”

The 450-pound, 17-by-14-foot air-craft are equipped with a zoom-capablecamera affixed to a ball-mount whichallows the plane to “see” 360-degreesaround and almost straight down.

It’s a bird’s-eye view that 27-year-oldSgt. Matthew Trani, an external pilotfrom Sacramento, Calif., said gives ajump start on some of the situationsthat arise. “We’re not the first eyeballson the situation a lot of the time,” saidTrani. “But information gets passeddown to us, we get the plane out to seewhat’s going on and if something does

evolve, we’re there firsthand to find outif it is going to get worse or better.”

The squadron’s nearly 200 Marines areoperating from an airfield they affection-ately named after Pappy Boyington, thefamous World War II Marine fighter ace.They use the 850-foot airstrip to land thevehicle but launch it using one of two op-tions — a pneumatic launcher truck or arocket-assisted takeoff.

While working long hours to conductmissions, Marines are also pullingguard duty, filling sandbags, and rein-forcing guard towers and perimeters toensure the security of their airfield.

Cpl. Gregory Grow, 23, an external pi-lot from Bakersfield, Calif., said hethinks all the hard work is worth it.

Marines keep watch through Pio nasyoinan

haJOciatiothMba

tioanArits

Staff Sgt. Dennis L. Royster, 31, from Oxford, N.C., and Cpl. Ricardo Maldonado, 22, fromLubbock, Texas, both external pilots with VMU-1, take a plane through a low-altitude passduring a recent mission.

By Cpl. JEFF HAWKUSMC

Eye in the Sky

The Talon Page 7Friday, September 6, 1996

neer eyes“Seeing all the destruction and dev-

astation and seeing a child’s face whenyou drive into town — seeing them smil-ing and waving— makes it satisfyingand rewarding.”

Although many Marine squadronshave flown in support of OperationJOINT ENDEAVOR from Italy, and spe-cial operations capable Marine Expedi-tionary Units have supported them fromthe Adriatic Sea, VMU-1 is the first fullMarine Corps unit to operate from abase in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Marines from Marine Corps Air Sta-tion El Toro and Camp Pendleton, Calif.,and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma,Ariz., augmented the unit in support ofits mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Cpl. Jeff Hawk

A rocket thrusts a Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle into the sky during a recentVMU-1 mission at Boyington Airfield.

1

2

Photos by Cpl. Jeff Hawk

1) Cpl. Gregory Gerow and Staff Sgt. Dennis Roysterlook skyward as they pilot an unmanned aircraft atBoyington Airfield. 2) Lance Cpl. Kevin Meyer workson the engine of a Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle.

1

SAPNA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — In a tiny room packed with theextremely old and very young, a barefooted girl in a frayed whitedress crouches on the floor next to her mother’s feet.

Her big blue eyes fill with tears as she watches her little broth-er squirm and cry while their mother holds his hands to preventhim from scratching the lesions on his face.

Men dressed in camouflaged uniforms speaking in a foreigntongue weave in and out of the crowd. The tiny blonde girl be-comes uneasy as one approaches.

She scurries to her feet and clutches her mother’s arm. Theman, who must look like a giant to her, kneels down and holdsout a few pieces of candy for her and her brother — the ice isbroken.

The good old days of doctors making house calls seem to belong gone. However, the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital isreintroducing this fading tradition in Sapna, an isolated villagein the zone of separation.

“Originally we were seeing civilians at the MASH at CampBedrock as they came to the gate.

“However, our military mission always takes precedence andunless it’s an emergency of life, limb or eyesight, we have stoppedseeing the locals on a walk-in basis,” said Sgt. Joseph J. Day, alicensed practical nurse attached to the 212th MASH.

The MASH may have closed its doors to walk-ins, but it hasnot turned its back on people in need.

A U.S. Army team consisting of a doctor, four nurses and amedic drove to this isolated town in the zone of separation towork at a temporary health clinic.

By Spc. CHERYL A. KRANING100th MPAD

Lt. Col. Virgil J. Patterson, civil affairs officer for the 30thMedical Brigade, is the military link behind the humanitarianassistance program.

“Ideally we will be here once a week, but how often this eventwill happen depends on the contingency missions that we face atthe MASH. Our first priority is to provide medical care to themultinational forces of Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR,” Patter-son said.

Because American forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina have been sohealthy, many medical personnel have not had the opportunityto practice their skills.

“That’s how this mission evolved. We began looking at wayswe could mutually help the local national government in provid-

ing medical care and at thesame time increase the medi-cal proficiency of our soldiers,”Patterson said.

The World Health Organi-zation donated medical sup-plies to support the mission.

With the lapse of medicalservice over the past fouryears, medical care in Sapnahas focused on trauma. Manysecondary problems have beenessentially ignored.

Maj. Thomas H. ChapmanJr., assistant chief nurse of the212th MASH, ran the triageat the clinic.

“I think we did some realgood here today. The languagebarrier hasn’t been a problemat all.

“You know when someonelikes what you’re doing, and areappreciative — you can see itin their eyes.

“When a child wants to holdyour hand or a patient pats youon the knee, nods and smiles,you realize that they know youhave taken care of them.

That’s when it’s obviousyou’re communicating withsomeone, even though you don’tspeak the same language.”


Sgt. Joseph J. Day, a licensed practical nurse attached tothe 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, breaks the icewith patients waiting in the Sapna health clinic.


Sgt. Joseph J. Day, a licensed practical nurse attached to the 212th Mobile Army SurgicalHospital, examines a Bosnian boy suffering from chicken pox.

Medical team worksin zone of separation


The TalonFriday, September 6, 1996

By Capt. TERRY L. CONDER100th MPAD

Swedish, Danish, Polish andAmerican armor vehicles conduct-ed joint patrols in and around Doboj,Republika Srpska this week todemonstrate IFOR unity and pres-ence.

Tanks and infantry fighting vehi-cles rolled through villages and citystreets in a show of force less thantwo weeks before Bosnia-Herze-govina’s national elections.

“They patrolled for about fourhours each day,” said Sgt. Maj.Benoit Roosen, a Belgian with theCoalition Press Information Corpsin Tuzla. “They moved pretty fastand covered a lot of ground.”

The patrols were a precursor tothe types of missions IFOR will con-duct Sept. 14.

On election day IFOR will:Provide military security.Patrol, observe and respond to

threats that require major force.Monitor major highways, inter-

sections and bridges.Help deliver ballots and transport

them to counting houses.IFOR will not:Post at individual polling places.Escort voters.Engage in crowd control.

U.S. joins NordPolpatrols in RepublikaSrpska

Photos by Sgt. Maj. Benoit Roosen


Customers of the 26thQuartermaster Sup-ply Support Activity at

Camp Dallas were surprisedrecently to find empty roomswhere desks, computers andsupplies used to be.

But not to worry, the quar-termasters had merely movedto Camp Angela as part of TaskForce Eagle’s reshaping of forc-es in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Itwas back to “business as usu-al” the following week for thequartermaster soldiers.

The quartermaster unit fromHanau, Germany, offers soldiersof Operation JOINT ENDEAV-OR everything from stick-on notepads to HMMWVs. Servingmore than 280 units, the quar-termasters offer “one-stopshopping” to their customers.

“We provide soldiers withbattle dress uniforms, motor oil and brake fluid, building sup-plies and even vehicles and weapons,” Chief Warrant Officer CarlG. Singleton, supply technician said. “Instead of going to severaldifferent places for each class of item they need, our customerscan come here and get everything they want.”

Unit supply officers set up an account with the 26th and re-quest items using DA Form 2765-1. The quartermaster unit thenissues the items from stock or orders from depots in Europe andthe United States. They can also direct exchange equipment anduniforms.

“On a normal morning we have a line of 15 to 20 customers,Singleton said. “Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but it gives us agreat feeling of accomplishment to support the soldiers.”

Spc. Marla A. Willis of Ann Arbor, Mich. works in the issuingtent where bulk items are stored. When orders are delivered toher tent, Willis separates and marks the items, stockpiling themin designated areas.

“I’ve been driving a forklift for two years now and it’s fun,” saidthe 26-year-old soldier. “I like my job because I keep busy andmeet a lot of people. I feel like I’m helping them out.”

Physical fitness levels drop rapidlywhen regular physical trainingstops. Changes in strength and en-

durance occur within two to four weeks ofreduced physical activity. At a minimum,soldiers should conduct PT three days perweek for a minimum of 60 minutes persession.

The purpose of PT is to enhance com-bat readiness. When the unit is in garri-son, PT must take a high priority in thedaily training schedule. Maintain a prop-er mix between cardiorespiratory, musclestrength and endurance and flexibility.

By Sgt. JANET S. PETERS350th MPAD

Quartermasters know how to move

In addition to supply, the 26th Quartermaster serves soldiersin other capacities as well. Their petroleum platoon runs a fuelsite at Camp Rumbaugh which distributes fuel to 5,000-gallontankers. The water platoon at Camp Bedrock purifies water tak-en from area lakes and streams to be used at IFOR facilities. The240th QM Water Platoon of Bamberg, Germany is attached tothe 26th and works at Camp Angela.

“Our mission here has been tremendous and the soldiers havedone an excellent job,” Capt. Jennifer Chronis, outgoing command-er of the 26th said. “They’ve done miraculous things.

“For example, our supply platoon alone has done five times theworkload they’re used to doing in Germany, in addition to guardduty every day. It’s been a constant mission and the whole compa-ny has really worked hard.”

Taking command Aug. 31, Capt. Joseph E. Gadea was on handfor the transition to the new facilities.

“I’m looking forward to commanding this company,” the 31-year-old commander said. “It’s a great unit with great soldiersand an outstanding mission. I feel blessed by God to be here, andI feel good about helping this country.”

Sgt. Janet S. Peters

Spc. Marla A. Willis, 26, of Ann Arbor, Mich. moves a pallet of items for a customer inthe issuing tent of 26th Quartermaster Supply Support Activity at Camp Dallas.

Some deconditioning will occur duringextended operations. The primary pur-pose for PT during operations such asJOINT ENDEAVOR is to maintain fit-ness levels as much as security and avail-able resources permit.

During deployment, physical trainingshould be conducted in accordance withMETT-T (Mission, Enemy, Troops, Ter-rain, Time). Curtail PT to maintain forceprotection.

Leaders should establish personalgoals for self-improvement, both mentaland physical, and encourage their subor-dinates to do the same.

Units often find themselves in less thandesirable physical condition after a de-

ployment. Because unit fitness levels nor-mally drop during deployment, it is im-possible to resume a PT program at pre-deployment intensity. Fitness trainersmust incorporate:1) The “hard day / easy day” principle2) Low-intensity circuits3) Road marching4) Recovery periods

It is each soldier’s responsibility andduty to ensure proper fitness levels aremaintained.

For answers to fitness questions, sol-diers can contact the U.S. Army PhysicalFitness School at DSN 835-6380, COM(706)545-6380, or e-mail JAMESE @BEN-NING-EMH1.ARMY.MIL.

Army fitness school explains real purpose of PTBy Sgt. DAVID STANLEYU.S. Army Physical Fitness School

The TalonFriday, September 6, 1996

n PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK

Even in the 24 years Dave Annis worean Army uniform, he never raisedhis hand to salute as many times

as he does now.But now the retired sergeant major is on

the receiving end as both soldiers and localnational workers honor him with the mili-tary gesture as he tours 1st Brigade’s McGov-ern Base. The popular Brown and Root basemanager has made a personal goal of im-proving the quality of life for all who visit,live or work at the site.

Responsible for all non-mission areas onbase, including construction, latrines, snowremoval, laundry, the dining facility andplumbing, Annis and his staff of 71 keephopping.

“Our purpose in being here is to let thesoldiers do their jobs and not worry aboutanything else. It’s certainly not an easy task,especially with all the coordination that hasto be done, but I love it,” the Wetumpka,Ala. native said. “It never gets boring and

every day brings a new challenge.”Annis has handled his fair share of chal-

lenges. Since leaving the military in 1979,he’s traveled to Saudi Arabia, Somalia andHaiti filling crucial positions. But the fa-ther of four grown children doesn’t mind liv-ing on the edge.

“When I got here in February, this placehad gone through two different managers intwo weeks. I think the problem was theyweren’t able to imagine or conceive a planon how this place could take shape. To suc-ceed in this job you definitely have to havevision.”

Actually it took a great deal more thanthat to transform the bombed-out coopera-tive farming complex into one of 1st ArmorDivision’s choice spots in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“One of the benefits I have is that I’mwell familiar with how the Army operates,and I have a good understanding of what’sgenerally required. Being a contractor, I dohave some limitations on what I can dothough,” Annis said. “But I try to never tosay, ‘no,’ when asked to do something. In-

stead I’ll suggest some other way they canget it done.”

That kind of attitude has impressed bothsoldiers and VIPs at McGovern.

“I care about these soldiers; I can relateto them. Maybe that’s why its easy to have alittle more patience under these circumstanc-es,” Annis said. “I know it’s not easy beingaway from home.”

He knows very well how much understand-ing it takes on the part of a servicemember’sfamily. Annis made 28 moves during hismilitary career. The decision to make thislast one in support of Operation JOINT EN-DEAVOR came easy.

“I kept hearing about Bosnia and I want-ed to see what it was like on the other side,”he said. “I wanted to be a part of what wasgoing on. It’s my intention to remain hereuntil the whole thing folds up. I plan on stay-ing until the end.”

No matter when the end comes, those whopass through the front gates of McGovernBase, will appreciate firsthand the hard workand efforts orchestrated by Dave Annis andhis team.

By Master Sgt. KATHY D. WRIGHT350th MPAD

CAMP LISA — An argument 28years ago with a fellow Univer-sity of Alabama student helpedshape the career of Chap. (Capt.)Garet V. Aldridge.

Aldridge’s disagreement witha classmate started when hedefended the Vietnam Waras just. A women told Ald-ridge, “If you believe in itso much, why don’t you jointhe Army?” He did,

and has lovedthe mili-tary eversince.

“Ending

By Sgt. 1st ClassBRIAN L. KAPPMEYER350th MPAD

the draft is probably the smart-est thing we’ve done,” Aldridge,from Orange Beach, Ala., said.

“What we are getting in themilitary today are winners, andI like working with winners. Ev-erybody here has an Olympic at-titude,” he said. “We are cham-pions. I have a Bronze Star andmy greatest fear on earth is be-

ing a civilian.”That attitude isn’t

surprising since Ald-ridge comes from a longlist of family membersin the military. His fa-

ther is a retired navalofficer. At the Uni-

versity of Ala-bama, his daugh-ter, Catherine

Anne, is an Army ROTC cadetand his son, Garet III, is a ca-det in Air Force ROTC. Therehas been someone from hisfamily in the military sinceValley Forge, he said.

Aldridge arrived in Bosniain late January to minister tosoldiers of 4th Battalion, 29thField Artillery. He supportssoldiers from seven artillerybattery sites and estimatesputting 6,000 to 7,000 miles onhis HMMWV visiting troops.

He spends most of his timein the field. “I’m kinda the Ca-thaLuthaMethaBaptaTerianout here,” Aldridge said of hismulti-denominational duties.

“I’ve been around for nearly47 years and I have made most

mistakes aman canm a k e , ”

he said. “Forsome odd rea-son, soldiersseem to likeme, and itbrings joy totheir heartsto see me

a r o u n d ,and we

talk aboutthings that

are bothering them. I’m essen-tially a friend to anyone whoneeds someone to talk to.”

For a long time Aldridgefought the idea of becoming apastor. “I had a great future inthe Navy. But, as I came to un-derstand, when God gives you anorder, the best thing to do is givea salute — a cheery ‘Aye — AyeSir’ — and do what you are told.It was such an overwhelming feel-ing this is the way it had to be;that I resigned my commission,”Aldridge said. “It was my prayerand hope that eventually I wouldget back into the military.

“I didn’t feel complete as acivilian pastor. But here as anArmy chaplain, I feel God’s plea-sure and a feeling of complete-ness,” said the veteran of con-flicts in Vietnam, Lebanon,Grenada, Saudi Arabia, andBosnia-Herzegovina. “I’ve hadenough adventures to last fivelifetimes and I’m not even halfdone yet.”

Aldridge phones his wife,Georgianne, once a week andwrites her almost every day. Thecouple celebrated their 25thwedding anniversary Sept. 2.After his tour in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Aldridge expectsto report to Fort Benning, Ga.

Former GI makes things happen at McGovern

7,000 miles later, chaplain still loves Bosnia-Herzegovina

Sgt. 1st Class Brian Kappmeyer

Chap. (Capt.) Garet V. Aldridge ministers to soldiers at Camp Lisa duringhis final service in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Talon

OSCE from page 1


four years now is very diffi-cult,” Perry said. “We ex-pect our forces are goingto be faced with difficult sit-uations.”

IFOR’s involvement withthe elections will unfold ona week-to-week basis, ac-cording to the defense sec-retary.

The overall responsibili-ty is to maintain freedom ofmovement and provide asecure environment, Perrysaid.

“That requirement aloneis going to have them in-

stations throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“They have the authority tomake changes in the processand give instructions to Bos-nian election officials,” said Is-rael. “They will actively makesure that this process is work-ing correctly.”

Israel said the term elec-tion supervisor comes fromlanguage used in the DaytonPeace Agreement, whichstates OSCE shall supervisethe conduct of the elections.

“We are here to supportthe OSCE in the processingorientation of the election su-pervisors and to prepare themfor success,” Casey said. “Ifyou would have noticed the ex-pressions on the faces of thesupervisors attending themine awareness class, it madethem realize that it’s a prettyunsafe environment. We needto make sure they are readyfor what they are here to do.”

The unexploded ordnanceclass was led by Staff Sgt. Charles C. Lee,28, of the 20th Explosive Ordnance Dis-posal Detachment. Lee said the variousbombs, grenades and rockets could go offat the slightest touch and explained howto avoid them. Lee also stressed the im-portance of recognizing suspicious bagsand luggage.

The mine awareness class, taught by Sgt.John W. Bryant, displayed different mineson a table for the supervisors to see. Bryantshowed the mine fields on maps, to give thesupervisors an idea of how concentrated theminefields are in the Bosnian countryside.

Bryant said, “In this area there are somany mines, and the ones going off are the

Cpl. Rob Glenn

Staff Sgt. Charles C. Lee, 20th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment, explains thedangers of unexploded ordnance and land mines to a group of OSCE election supervisors.

ones that have been sitting for a long time.”Bryant said that the supervisors need

to know what they’re looking at and whatthey could be driving through.

“It’s not a playground,” Bryant said.“They are not back home. This is a very dan-gerous place.”

Communication instruction was an in-troduction to basic radio response and lan-guage. Procedures were explained abouthow to contact medevac sites and what todo in an emergency.

Communications instructor 2nd Lt.Matthew T. Reiten, 27, 141st Signal Bat-talion said the supervisors will use hand-held, two-way radios during the election

mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.Capt. Michael Davoren, Eagle Base of-

ficer in charge of the training, instructedthe supervisors on first aid, how to call fora medical evacuation and the threat oftainted water and food.

“I hope the supervisors will never be in asituation where they have to use these basicskills. Prevention is the key,” Davoren said.

Election supervisor Tina Heino, 30, fromGothenburg, Sweden said she has a mis-sion to complete here.

“I am committed to fulfilling my mis-sion,” Heino said. “With the additionaltraining I have received today, I think it willhelp me to be successful.”

volved in an intimate waywith the success of the elec-tions,” he said.

“Even though a task is notspelled out as related to theelection, the task of provid-ing a secure environmentwill be indirectly related tothe election. It will becomeharder to execute as you getcloser to the elections.”

According to British Lt.Gen. Sir Michael Walker,commander of NATO landforces in Bosnia, conductingelections in Bosnia will takethe combined efforts of theUnited Nations, the Organi-zation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the

Implementation Force.The international organi-

zations will help ensure peo-ple are allowed to go backto where they wish to vote,Walker said.

In addition to providing asecure environment, IFORtroops may help deliver bal-lot boxes, voting lists and oth-er documents to about 4,000polling stations, he said.

What happens during theweeks prior to the electionswill affect NATO’s future rolein Bosnia, Perry said.

NATO ministers arescheduled to meet the thirdweek in September to dis-cuss a number of complex

issues, including NATO’scommand structure, NATOexpansion and what hap-pens to IFOR after Dec. 20.

“The specific questionwe’ l l be discussing is,should NATO take addition-al security responsibilitiesin Bosnia after the IFOR mis-sion concludes,” Perry said.

“How that discussiongoes will be influenced to agreat extent by what hap-pens between now and thetime of that meeting, partic-ularly between now and theelections.”

Bosnia-Herzegovina na-tional elections are sched-uled for Sept. 14.

PERRY from page 1

the talonfriday, september 6, 1996 · refugees are trying to resettle in ar- ... perry speaks out...

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