Volume 2, No 13 Friday, April 12, 1996...

the TalonVolume 2, No 13 Friday, April 12, 1996

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

Insid

e COMMENTARY...........2R&R POLICY............4ENFORCING PEACE.......5RUSSIAN BRIGADE.......6ARMY ROBOTS...........8PERSONALITY PAGE....11MAIL SURVEY...........12

ZONE OF SEPARA-TION � The soldiersof 1st Platoon, C Troopof the 1st ArmoredDivision�s 1st Cavalry,constantly patrol thezone of separation toensure the former war-ring factions upholdthe requirements ofthe Peace Agreement.

The agreement wassigned in Paris on Dec.14, 1995.

First Platoon pa-trols in Bradley Fight-ing Vehicles once a dayto monitor the ZOS as

a show of force innortheastern Bosnia-Herzegovina.

�Today, our missionwas to go out and putup signs in front of thezone of separation,�said 2nd Lt. BrianHittner, 1st platoonleader.

�The signs are writ-ten in Serbo-Croatian,and say, �You are en-tering the zone of sepa-ration � no weaponsor military personnelal lowed,� Hittnersaid.

Occasionally, theinfantrymen in 1st pla-toon run into violationsof the Peace Agree-ment.

�While we were outon patrol, we spottedsome military vehiclesin front of a building,�Hittner said.

�We went down tosee what they had, and

Cavalry rolls throughZOS in show of force

Pfc. Jody Johnston

Second Lt. Brian Hittner (standing) consults a map with Bradleygunner Spc. Lacy V. Locklear before rolling out on a mission. Thesoldiers are members of 1st Platoon, C Troop, 1st Cavalry.

By Pfc. JODYJOHNSTON358th MPAD

it turned out that itwas an undeclaredweapons storage site.�

The 1-1 Cavalrykeeps inventories of allof the former warringfactions� weapon sites� where they are, andwhat weapons arestored in each site.

�We did a full inven-tory of their weapons,�Hittner said. �Thatway, if they movethem, we will know,and we can keep trackof all of their weapons,and where they are.�

As the days go on,the patrols have be-come less eventful.

The 1-1 Cavalrytroops have helped en-sure the former warringfactions are complyingwith the Peace Agree-ment. The Cav soldiers,therefore, are helpingto keep peace in theformer Yugoslavia.

1st Platoon, CTroop, 1-1Cavalry troopsperform dailypatrols for peace

Brown speaks of�hardship, sacrifice�Commerce Secretary�s visit toBosnia ends in tragedyBy Staff Sgt. AMYGUNNERSON203rd MPAD

GUARDIAN BASE� On the day of hisuntimely death,Commerce Secre-tary Ron Brown vis-ited soldiers of the709th Military PoliceBattalion, 18th MPBrigade, here onApril 3 to thank themfor their�hardshipand sacri-fice.�

T h evisit tookplace onthe firstday of ap l a n n e dthree-day trip to theBalkans.

An Air Force T43Aand a delegation ofAmerican businessexecutives crashedlater that day afterveering off courseon the approach tothe Dubrovnik,Croatia airport. Thegroup planned tomeet with officials in

Dubrovnik. All 35people on board, in-cluding six crewmembers, werekilled.

Earlier that day,Brown joined 709thtroops and the com-mander of the 18thMP Brigade, Col.Stephen J. Curry, forbreakfast in theirdining hall, a reno-vated metal ware-

h o u s e .Several ofthe busi-n e s s m e nand wom-en werem a t c h e dup withs o l d i e r sfrom their

home state for achance to swapnews from home fornews from Bosnia.

After a hot break-fast, Brown ad-dressed the troopsand told them theyshould be proud oftheir �lead role in

Ron Brown

See BROWN,page 12

Friday, April 12, 1996 The Talon

THE TALON is produced in the interest of the servicemembers of TaskForce Eagle, headquartered at Eagle Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. THETALON is an Army-funded, field expedient newspaper authorized for mem-bers of the U.S. Army overseas, under the provision of AR 360-81. Contents ofTHE TALON are not necessarily the official views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or Task Force Eagle,commanded by Maj. Gen. William L. Nash. THE TALON is published weekly forthe 1st Armored Division (Task Force Eagle) Public Affairs Office, Eagle Base,Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina APO AE 09789, Telephone MSE 551-3351. E-mail:[email protected]. Printed Circulation: 6,000.

Bradley Gunner ...................................................... Spc. David R. MacGregorPublic Affairs Officer...........................................................Maj. John E. SuttleProduction Staff ................................29th Mobile Public Affairs DetachmentCommander......................................................................Maj. Robert L. GouldOfficer in Charge ...............................................................Capt. John GoheenNCO in Charge..................................................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

From the top

Taking time to remember the basics

Command Sgt.Maj. Jack L. Tilley

1st ArmoredDivision

I was approachedlast week by my ser-geant major and heasked me if I wouldlike to go to the com-bat life saver course,to be taught here inBosnia. I shruggedmy shoulders, nod-ded and said, �Sure,why not? It will lookgood on my NCOevaluation report.�

But, after March 31, my at-titude changed after a convoytrip to the zone of separationin the Nordic sector. The con-voy came to a halt just east ofDoboj, when we came across alocal farmer carrying his youngson who had just stepped on

an anti-personnelmine, destroying hisleft foot.

Luckily, our con-voy included fourcombat life saversfrom Headquartersand HeadquartersBattery, 1st Ar-mored Division Ar-tillery.

The soldiers roseto the occasion � without amoment�s hesitation.

My hat is definitely off tothese fine soldiers: Sgt. JosephJ. Sclama, Sgt. Brian Findley,Sgt. Patrick J. Grawcock, Sgt.Robert A. Henderson Jr. andthe other soldiers � Ameri-can and Swedish � who assist-

ed in the emergency at Check-point Alpha 2-2.

With their training and ob-vious dedication to duty, thesenoncommissioned officerssaved the young boy�s life byperforming immediate life-sav-ing acts until further medicalhelp arrived.

They protected the wound,controlled the bleeding, workedto prevent shock and calmedthe wounded child. The soldiersacted professionally, althoughthey were under great stress.Other soldiers in the convoy im-mediately called for an evacu-ation via helicopter that tookjust 11 minutes to arrive.

The four combat lifesavers,I�m proud to say, were given

impact Army AchievementMedals for their brave actions.

Brig. Gen. Stanley F. Cher-rie, assistant division com-mander for maneuver, visitedthe youth as he recuperated ina Nordic hospital. Cherrie losta foot and suffered other inju-ries when he was injured by amine blast in Vietnam.

Now I have a more positiveview on volunteering for thecombat life saver course, andany other course that mayhelp in an emergency situa-tion. I now realize this train-ing may one day help mecome to the aid of my fellowsoldiers and civilians whilestationed in Bosnia, andthroughout life.

During a deploy-ment such as Oper-ation JOINT EN-DEAVOR, it�s impor-tant for us in thenoncommissioned of-ficer corps to remem-ber some basic re-sponsibilities.

First of all, weneed to observe ourtroops.

While some of us may hesi-tate to pry into our soldiers�personal lives, ask your troopsif they have written a letterhome lately. Sometimes, theymay be dragging because theyhave not communicated withtheir families by writing lettersand, consequently, may nothave received much correspon-dence lately.

Although telephoning is ex-pensive, it�s another way fortroops to keep in touch. We areall working long hours, but we

need to rememberthat � in a fewshort months � wewill be reunitedwith our families.Let�s not take forgranted those won-derful people whoare supporting usat home.

Another thing toremember is to

monitor the stress levels ofyour troops. Do you have a sol-dier who seems depressed or�out of it?� If so, ask him howmuch sleep he has been get-ting, if he has been eating prop-erly and if he is keeping up hispersonal hygiene.

These may seem like basicconcerns, but some soldiers �letthemselves go� on long deploy-ments. If they don�t get enoughrest or proper nutrition � orslack off on their hygiene �they may become haggard.

Make sure you give your-selves and your troops sometime off each week. If you arehaving a particularly busyweek, at least set aside a fewhours where you can catch upon your sleep.

Of course, it�s best to sched-ule yourself and your soldiersone day off per week. It helpsthem recharge their batteriesand be able to face anotherwork week.

�Sergeants make it happen.�It�s an old saying, but it�s true.When it comes to accidental dis-charges (we�ve had several late-ly), it�s up to NCOs to train theirsoldiers on how to properly cleartheir weapons and avoid thesedangerous occurances.

We are fortunate we havenot lost a soldier because ofthese discharges. Recently, asoldier�s M16A2 discharged ina Humvee and the round rippedthrough the soft top. If that

weapon had been pointed inanother direction, it could haveseriously injured or killed ayoung soldier.

I personally hold every NCOresponsible for taking care ofour troops. Their lives are inyour hands. Constantly think,�safety, safety, safety.�

A new quarter has begun forreenlistments. Several MOSshave been added to the bonuslist. And options can be pro-cessed nine months before asoldier is scheduled to ETS.

The BEAR (Bonus Exten-sion and Retraining) programallows a soldier to reclassifyinto a new, critical MOS andthen draw a bonus after grad-uating from Advanced Individ-ual Training. See your reten-tion NCO for details.

It�s not just up to retentionNCOs to locate the best sol-diers to retain. Retention iseverybody�s business.

A newfound respect for combat life saver trainingViewpoint

Staff Sgt.Joseph Garrison

29th MPAD

Checkmate!


News briefsCHAPLAIN�S CORNER

Friendships in the Army familySince being assigned to the

1st Armored Division, I haveexperienced many rich and re-warding friendships. A day hasnot gone by that I have notgained a new friend. The samething is true since being de-ployed to Bosnia.

As a matter of fact, I havereceived many cards and lettersfrom old friends I had almostforgotten and had long since losttouch with through the years.Oh, how good it is to catch upwith friends you have not seen for years,but care about very much.

I regret that I had not kept up with allof these old friends, but obviously thatdidn�t seem to matter to most of these finepeople. Many of whom I had not seen sincecoming on active duty in 1979, but theytalked like we had never been apart.

One old friend named Jim Critchlowcame by Task Force Eagle Headquartersrecently on temporary duty from the Pen-tagon. Jim and I had been assigned to-gether in 1980 at Fort Ord, Calif. What asurprise to walk in the office and find himvisiting with another chaplain. We imme-diately picked up exactly where we hadleft off some 16 years ago. What a rich timeof reminiscing and renewing close ties, andseeing an old friend again in the middle of

Bosnia-Herzegovina.Many of us have been en-

riched with these friendships foryears in the Army family andhave great difficulty keeping intouch with everyone. But then,that�s a really nice problem tohave. Thanks be to God for theimportant people in our lives.The gift of friendship is indeedone of the finest and most last-ing gifts in life.

God has modeled this kind offriendship for us through many

Biblical accounts. Many of us have lookedto God for help through this deployment,and what a peace to know that He answersour prayers and provides true friends thatlook out for us through thick and thin.

That is what we lovingly call the�buddy system� in Army deploymentterms. Thank God that we have a Heav-enly Father that always watches over usand cares for us even in our worst mo-ments. �What a friend we have in Jesus,��as the old hymn goes.

Join us in one of many chapel servicesthis coming Sunday around the ZOS andincrease your friendship factor. May Godbless you richly. He is the friend �whosticks closer than a brother.�

He is a friend indeed � dear Task ForceEagle soldiers.

Holocaust week at TFETask Force Eagle Commander

Maj. Gen. William L. Nash has pro-claimed April 14-21 as Days of Re-membrance for Victims of the Ho-locaust.

The dates are meant as a timefor soldiers to remember the 6million Jews, as well as milionsmore Gypsies, Slavs and otherswho �were systematically mur-dered by Nazi Germany and theircollaborators from 1933 to 1945.�

April 19 marks the anniversaryof the major armed uprising byyoung Jewish men and women inthe Warsaw ghetto against Nazi sol-diers, followed later by revolts inTreblinka and Sobidor.

Lukavac will host special pro-grams scheduled for 8-9:30 a.m.and 10-11:30 a.m. April 15-20 at the1st Armored Division Support Com-mand headquarters tent.

The lives of actual Holocaustvictims will be discussed at eachsession, according to Sgt. 1stClass Reginald Watkins, DISCOMequal opportunity adviser.

A movie profiling Holocaust vic-tims also will be shown at each ses-sion.

For more information, call Wat-kins at MSE 558-5727.

Nash said in his proclamationthat the week is a time for reflec-tion and �hope that we will strivealways to overcome prejudice andinhumanity through education, vig-ilance, appreciation and committ-ment to equal justice for all.�

1st ID flags fly to GermanyFort Riley said goodbye to one

unit and welcomed another March29 as part of the transition to makea smaller army.

The 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Di-vision, was renamed the 3rd Bri-gade, 1st Armored Division at FortRiley, Kan.

The soldiers there will remain atFort Riley. The 2nd Brigade colorswill move to Germany and remainpart of the 1st Infantry Division,which moved its headquarters toGermany last month.

The 1st Infantry Division hadbeen assigned to Fort Riley since1955. Fort Riley has 11,500 sol-diers, down from 15,000 in June1995.

The post retains two combat bri-gades, one each belonging to the1st Infantry Division and the 1st Ar-mored Division.

Chap. (Maj.)Kenneth

KolenbranderDeputy Division

Chaplain

While waiting for 23rd Engineer Battalion soldiers to blow up a damagedportion of the Brcko bridge with C-4 explosives in Gunja, Croatia, StaffSgt. Jim Nicholson, a 432nd Civil Affairs sergeant, and Spc. MatthewStormoen (left), a communications specialist with HHC 1st AD Eng. Bde.,take advantage of the downtime to play a game of chess in their Humvee.

Capt. Rhonda Reasoner


R&R policy officially begins April 15

The Rest and Recupera-tion Program for Opera-tion JOINT EN-

DEAVOR is scheduled to offi-cially begin Monday.

Troops will be offered airtransportation from EagleBase, Tuzla, to Frankfurt,Germany. They may thentake an additional free flightto Philadelphia. Additionaltravel will be at the soldier�sexpense or on a space-avail-able basis.

The R&R program is de-signed to provide soldiers de-ployed to Operation JOINTENDEAVOR a break fromthe intensity of the peace en-forcement mission and achance to spend time withtheir family and friends.

Active duty service mem-bers, reserve component per-sonnel and DoD civilians ontours exceeding 180 days areeligible for the program,which will continue throughmid-November.

�Everybody may not beable to go on the date theywant to go, but everybodyshould have an opportunity togo,� said Sgt. 1st Class LouisaW. Scott, G1 Division Mainnoncommissioned officer-in-charge.

The Central Region (Ger-many) R&R program startsApril 15 with the Continen-tal United States programstarting on April 23.

Weekly passenger flowfor Germany will be about405 seats from Tuzla.Flights to Tuzla will origi-nate from Rhein Main AirBase in Frankfurt on Mon-days, Wednesdays andThursdays.

Weekly passenger flow forCONUS is about 185 fromTuzla.

Flights originating fromRhein Main will be used totake soldiers to Germany forfollow-on travel to Philadel-phia. Flights for Tuzla willdepart Rhein Main on Tues-days.

Soldiers are instructed totravel to and from the areaof operations in Battle DressUniform. Soldiers travelingto CONUS are authorized towear BDUs to their ultimateleave destination.

Personnel are allowed onecarry-on bag and one check-in bag not to exceed 66pounds.

Personnel departing EagleBase or Rhein Main will reportthree hours prior to flight timefor personnel accounting pro-cessing and with an approvedDA Form 31 or its equivalentfor non-Army personnel.

Carlson Wagonlit TravelCo. is one company that willbe offering discounts to sol-diers on airline tickets, includ-ing connecting flights fromPhiladelphia, rail tickets andcar rentals. The company isscheduled to set up a tent April23 on the flightline at EagleBase.

Most of us have beenwaiting anxiously for R&R.Task Force Eagle soldiershave worked hard, weath-ered the cold, walkedthrough the muck and haveearned a well-deserved rest.Our success has largelybeen a result of sound mili-tary discipline includingstrict rules of engagement,four-vehicle convoys, wear-ing battle rattle, living inbase camps and not drink-ing alcohol.

Boarding the plane fortwo weeks of travel or home,soldiers will be filled with ex-citement and high expecta-tions. It�s time for fun. It�stime for reunions withfriends, family and lovedones. It is important to blowoff steam and recharge emo-tional batteries. This releaseis important to successfullycomplete our year-long mis-sion. This R&R is well-de-served.

With deployments comechange. You may want totalk about what you�ve seenor done. Others may seemnot to want to listen. Or youmay not want to talk aboutit when others keep asking.You may have changed. Somay have your significantother. Face-to-face commu-

nication may be hard at first.Sexual closeness may alsobe awkward at first. You maybe on a different scheduleof sleeping and eating.

Those soldiers with chil-dren may feel hurt whenyoung children are slow tohug them. Single soldiersmay experience lonelinessas others reunite with theirfamilies.

There are some usefultips to help cope with R&Rexpectations. Go slow. Beprepared to make adjust-ments. Romantic conversa-tion can serve as a preludeto sexual intimacy. Take carewith your budget to avoidover-spending. Go easy onpartying. Avoid schedulingtoo many things.

Be patient with lovedones. Find out what they�vedone during the separation.Listen actively. Make indi-vidual time for each childand your spouse. Single sol-diers may want to sharetheir R&R with a buddy.

Leaders and buddiesshould ask fellow soldiershow their R&R went and of-fer support if needed. Mostof all, have fun and comeback safe.

For further informationon coping with R&R, call Di-vision Mental Health, 558-5667 or 84th Medical De-tachment, 558-5607.

By Sgt. 1st ClassBETTINA E. TILSON29th MPAD

Soldiers who are looking for moremoney in their paychecks becauseof the new Combat Zone Tax Exclu-

sion will see those extra dollars reflectedin their end-of-month pay.

The tax exclusion was signed into lawMarch 20 by President Clinton.

The Defense Finance and Accountingoffice estimated it would take six weeksto make the necessary changes to the paysystem, so the tax breaks will be seen bythe May 1 payday.

Under the law, base pay for enlistedmembers and warrant officers is com-pletely exempt from federal income taxes.For officers, the first $4,158.60 a month

in 1995 and the first $4,254.90 in 1996 isexempt.

Bonus payments, such as reenlistmentbonuses, also are tax exempt.

The law is retroactive to Nov. 21, 1995� the date the Peace Agreement was an-nounced.

Under the law, DFAS is not allowed torefund taxes previously withheld, so sol-diers will need to file for their refundswhen they file their federal income taxreturns.

DFAS will issue corrected 1995 W-2Csfor soldiers by end-of-month April, but onlyfor those soldiers who were deployed to thearea of operations in December. The 266thFinance Command has requested dupli-cate W-2Cs to send to family members inthe rear. The 8th Finance Battalion (For-

ward) will distribute W-2Cs when theyreceive them.

Soldiers who have already filed their1995 income taxes will need to submit anamended return (1040X) for refunds.

Troops will not have to file their fed-eral income taxes until 180 days after theydepart the qualified area. When they dofile, they will not have to pay any penal-ties or interest for that period.

Soldiers must, however, write �Opera-tion JOINT ENDEAVOR� on the top oftheir return.

April�s mid-month pay statement willhave a statement in the remarks block onthe Combat Zone Tax Exclusion.

For more information, contact yourunit tax advisor or 8th Finance Battalion(Forward) at MSE 551-7309 or 558-5630.

By Sgt. 1st Class BETTINA E. TILSON29th MPAD

Tax break to be reflected in April end-of-month pay

By Maj. SIMON PINCUS84th Medical Detachment

R&R a time for fun, caution


COMANCHE BASE � If unauthorizedradio calls are ever a problem, one 7thBattalion, 227th Aviation, 4th Air CavalryBrigade, platoon can offer a �quick fix.�

Flying over designated areas, the crewsof C Company�s Quick Fix Platoon usetheir specially equipped EH-60 BlackHawk helicopters to conduct electronicsurveillance from the air over Bosnia.

Its threefold mission is to locate, moni-tor and, if necessary, jam unauthorizedradio transmissions by former warringfactions.

�Quick fix derives from the fact that wecan fairly quickly locate an enemy andtransmission source and can pinpoint itfairly accurately,� said Chief Warrant Of-ficer Steven Woodfint, 35, an instructorpilot from San Jose, Calif.

The platoon performs airborne eaves-dropping over areas of interest for the501st Military Intelligence Brigade. Pilotsand crews gather signal intelligence thatanalysts combine with human observa-tions and photographs to piece together acomplete picture of what�s happening inthe field.

Spc. Mark A. Biddison, 35, of SiloamSprings, Ark., and Staff Sgt. Eric Shull,30, of Fort Wayne, Ind., are linguists whooperate the helicopter�s signal-collectingand direction-finding equipment.

Both learned Russian at the DefenseLanguage Institute and are in the pro-cess of picking up the finer points ofSerbo-Croatian. They spend four to fivehours a day monitoring radio signals forinformation.

�We�re mostly just making sure they(former warring factions) are keeping withthe (Peace Agreement),� Woodfint said.�Anything we do get, we send back to the501st. They�re the people who analyze it.�

Gathering signal intelligence from theair offers advantages not available fromground sources.

�You�re higher up and you have a bet-ter line of sight to what might be trans-mitting,� said Biddison, a former Arkan-sas National Guard field artilleryman.

�With the helicopter, we can cover a lot

more ground,� Woodfint said. �The groundassets usually drive in place and operatefrom a fixed base. We have the capabilityto sweep all over the area. We can cover apretty big area this way.�

Shull said he gets the most satisfactionfrom being in the air, but he also likes help-ing the crew chiefs perform maintenance.

�When we have a little free time,� hesaid, �we�ll come out and help these guyswork on the aircraft ... because we lovethe aircraft, love flying and it�s a teameffort.�

By Spc. GEORGE ROACHE29th MPAD

Black Hawks provide electronic surveillance

Spc. George Roache

In an effort to curtail illegal checkpoints operated bylocal civilian police, Military Civil Relations soldiers areconducting an information campaign to inform the police of

their rights and responsibilities.Capt. Timothy J. Neely, detachment commander of B Com-

pany, 9th Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group(Military Civil Relations), said IFOR troops have observeda number of illegally operated checkpoints that have pre-vented civilian freedom of movement.

Civilians have complained that police officers at thesecheckpoints were harassing, and even making people pay�tolls� to cross some checkpoints. Though mostly non-vio-lent, Neely describes such checkpoints as �a nuisance.�

�IFOR is working on this situation strictly in a supportiverole,� Neely said. �Our goal is to curb the establishment of ille-gal checkpoints.�

To accomplish this goal, the MCR unit is ensuring postersare distributed to local police stations. These posters informpolice of what they are authorized to do and what they cannotdo. Local police stations must declare all checkpoints to the In-ternational Police Task Force, the U.N. civilian governing bodywhich oversees all local police stations in the former Yugosla-via.

To get the word out about the IPTF and checkpoint require-ments to the local populace, MCR plans to address the issue inan article in its weekly newspaper, �The Herald of Peace.�

In addition, IFOR soldiers have also been given copies of thehandbill to distribute to local police should they come across anillegal checkpoint while on routine convoys.

�We�re here to support IPTF ... but IFOR may be called uponto shut down any illegal checkpoint,� Neely said. The handbills� which are printed in Serbo-Croatian in the Latin and Cyrillicalphabets to emphasize impartiality � state that all factionleaders have agreed �that full freedom of movement is a funda-mental right (of civilians).�

In addition to reporting to IPTF, civilian police who work atcheckpoints may have no military involvement, cannot be dis-criminatory (stopping only vehicles with certain license plates),cannot be located within the zone of separation and cannot beused to search vehicles.

MCR soldiers curtail illegal police checkpoints

By Spc. CESAR G. SORIANO29th MPAD

Civilians complain of harassment bylocal police hindering freedom ofmovement in former Yugoslavia

Staff Sgt. Eric Shull (left) and Spc. Mark A. Biddison, operating the BlackHawk�s signal-collecting and direction-finding equipment, prepare for a mission.


At the Russian Brigade, head-quartered in Ugljevik, there aremore than 1,500 soldiersmanning 12 checkpoints inthe zone of separation,northeast of Tuzla.

The brigade,known as the �Air-borne Brigade,� ismade up of the 1stBattalion, located inPriboi, and the 2ndBattalion located inSimin Han.

Organized inside thebrigade are infantry, ar-mor, engineer, artillery, mili-tary police, chemical and supply el-

Russian Airborne BrigadeBy Spc. BRYAN DRIVER1st Armored Division PAO

ements, supporting operations in 75kilometers of the ZOS.

The brigade conductscheckpoint operations,

weapons site inspec-tions and combinedpatrolling in itssector with ele-ments of the 1stArmored Divi-sion�s 1st and 2ndBrigade Combat

Teams.The unit was or-

ganized less than ayear ago to support

peacekeeping operations inBosnia.

Warrant Officer Dobrev Nicolai balances aflower on his nose.

Spc. Teresa Hawkins

Russian soldiers wash up before going todinner outside their checkpoint.

Spc. Bryan Driver

Spc. Teresa Hawkins

A Russian cook plays billiards in his spare time at the brigadeheadquarters in Ugljevik, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Spc. Teresa Hawkins

Russian and American band members prepare to perform for the troops.


A Russian soldier stands at his post, keeping a watch on the sleepy town below in the zone of separation.Spc. Bryan Driver

Lt. Col. Sergey Muhamorav and alocal teen-ager walk down a smallvillage road during a convoy break.

Spc. Bryan Driver

Spc. Bryan Driver

Maj. John Bushyhead, HHC, 1st Armored Division, translates for Lt. Col. SergeyMuhamorav during a trip to a village in the zone of separation.


CAMP BEDROCK � Tensoldiers from three 1st Ar-mored Division engineer bat-talions recently completedtraining on the Panther, a 40-ton remote-controlled tank andmine roller. Although the Pan-ther was used in Germany dur-ing the fall of 1995, this wasthe first time it had been usedin Bosnia.

Companies of the 16th,23rd and 40th engineer bat-talions, headquartered inBamberg, Friedberg andBaumholder, Germany,trained last month on thePanthers. B Company, 16thEngineer Battalion, will re-ceive one Panther; and com-panies A, B, and C of the 23rdand 40th will each receiveone. A total of seven Pantherswill be issued to the threebattalions.

Soldiers at Camp Bedrockhave been trained on the Pan-ther, as well as the miniflail,a small mine sweeper, andthe combat engineer vehicle,a bulldozer-like vehicle witha sweeper that removes largeobstacles, such as bunkers.

�The Panther can be drivenby remote control or by adriver,� said Sgt. John C.Hutton Jr., one of the traineesfrom B Company, 16th Engi-

neer Battalion. �The remotecan control the suspension,brakes, steering and transmis-sion. It rolls over a mine,which explodes and is de-stroyed.

�It offers an advantage to itsdrivers,� Hutton added. �Thedriver can operate the Pantherin a minefield, jump out, allowthe Panther to sweep and de-stroy the mines by remote,then jump inside and drive thevehicle away.�

Rick Law, a civilian trainerfor the Panther, further ex-plained: �The Panther hasbeen operating for severalyears,� he said.

�Initially, it was designedfor testing weapons, but werealized it could save man-power. We�re training the en-gineers to use it and calibrateit. It is as simple as runninga remote-controlled car,� Lawsaid.

The Panther mine roller,

40-ton Panther tank prowls for land minesBy Sgt. CHRISTINA STEINER203rd MPAD


A Panther with mine rollers makes its way down a muddy hill at Camp Bedrock.

USING ROBOTS IN THE ARMY

CAMP BEDROCK � Spc. Juan Carrasco,A Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, ofBamberg, Germany, is one of the few Armyexperts on the miniflail � a robotic anti-per-sonnel mine-clearing vehicle, operated solelyby remote control.

There are only two miniflails in the world,and A Company has both.

Carrasco was chosen to train on the miniflailbased upon his performance and interest in ro-botics, said his company commander, Capt.Frederic Drummond.

�It�s fun and I like robotics,� Carrasco said.�I trained for a few weeks in Germany for this.�

�This (miniflail) is brand new to the Army,�Drummond said. �It�s used on low-intensityconflicts and for roads, shoulders and trails.We�ve worked on it for five months in Ger-many. It is the first unmanned vehicle issuedto soldiers in a war-like situation.�

16th Engineer Battalion trains on mini mine-sweeping robotBy Sgt. CHRISTINA STEINER203rd MPAD

which weighs about 8,000pounds in the front portiononly, detects anti-personneland anti-tank mines. Themines are destroyed before thePanther rolls over it.

Capt. Anthony Reed, com-mander of B Company, 16thEngineer Battalion, said thetraining went well.

�Everyone was enthusiasticand interested in learning,� hesaid. �I wish training couldhave lasted longer.�


Multi-national soldiers watch a demonstration of the miniflail. Thereare only two such robotic mine-sweeping vehicles in the world.


KIME BASE � During thefirst months of deployment,soldiers in full combat geargot a workout filling lots ofsandbags.

But until the free weightsand stairmasters arrived atsome base camps, therewasn�t much opportunity fortraditional exercise. Thanksto the unfailing initiative ofthe NCO Corps, soldiers atHeadquarters and Headquar-ters Company, 1st Brigadenow have an aerobics class toattend as well.

After going a good twomonths without much physi-cal training, Sgt. David D.Wilson, 26, liaison officerdriver, HHC, 1st Brigade,decided to pursue a plan toorganize an aerobics class.The Rocky Mountain, N.C.,resident has two years of ex-perience teaching aerobics athis previous duty station atCamp Covey, Korea.

�A lot of people don�t liketo do physical activities bythemselves,� Wilson said.

and enlisted, brings soldiersback because it is an excel-lent workout. Wilson�s exer-cises work a range of musclesfrom the neck down, empha-sizing the abdominals andcalves. Wilson�s philosophy is�if you sweat and if you makethat muscle burn, then you�regoing to get something out ofit.�

Wilson bounces andstretches to a mix of record-ed soulful rhythms that en-courage reciprocated energyfrom the class. The soldierstake the opportunity to put alittle grove into their moves.They work hard, but they ob-viously have fun.

�Aerobics and dancing gohand-in-hand because ittakes some rhythm � just alittle bit,� Wilson said. �It�sall about how you feel. If youfeel the music, then you cando the exercises.�

�I love this class,� said Sgt.Frieda D. Varvaro, HHC, 1stBrigade from Columbia, S.C.�It gives people a chance torelease some stress and builda little bit more camarade-rie.�

�So, I thought if we do it col-lectively, a lot more peoplewould come out to exercise.�

�If he hadn�t started it, Iwouldn�t have exercised onmy own, that�s for sure,� saidPfc. Labrandi T. Covey, sup-ply clerk for HHC, 1st Bri-gade. �It�s a little hard, but Ican deal with it.�

The challenging workout isattracting more and more sol-diers. The class has grownfrom an initial four partici-pants to 13. Each class bringsrepeat visits and new faces.�The more people, the morefun,� Wilson said.

The class, which is a mixof male and female, officer

Sgt. Kelly C. Fischer

Soldiers pick up the beat at Kime Base�s aerobics class.

By Sgt. KELLY C. FISCHER358th MPAD

NCO pumps up troops with aerobics classKEEPING FIT

By Spc. MELISSA GARCIA361st PCH

TASZAR, Hungary � The morn-ing air is crisp and the frost coversthe grass surrounding the flightline.As the sun breaks, it casts an eerieshadow across several antennas ofthe highly sophisticated equipmentlocated on an air strip that houses�guardrail� aircraft.

The plane, an improved guardrailcommon sensor, is one of severalmilitary aircraft flying missions insupport of Operation JOINT EN-DEAVOR. The plane�s crew mem-bers gather intelligence through ra-dio transmissions from varioussources on the ground during theirflights over the Balkans.

�Unlike most intelligence systemswhere you have to go through na-tional agencies to access sensitive in-formation or imagery, the guardrailcommander can send out the aircraftat a moment�s notice for timely intelgathering,� said Capt. Scott R. Westof Atlanta, who is the S1 of the 205thMilitary Intelligence Brigade.

�This information is vital,� saidStaff Sgt. John Tooley, an electronictechnician with the battalion�s BravoCompany. �The information gath-ered at the Intelligence ProcessingFacility, is forwarded to an Intelli-gence Processing Facility, where thecaptured information in the air isdisseminated by linguists and coun-terintelligence specialists, andserves to forewarn them of anytrouble on the way.

�Any threat to the peace enforce-ment operation is reported immedi-ately to headquarters,� Tooleyadded.

Tooley, a native of Warrenton,Va., describes the guardrail as�pretty much a flying receiver or ra-dio � just like driving around inyour car and tuning in different fre-quencies.�

Tooley said he was not at liberty todiscuss the specific details of his job.

As silent partners in force protec-tion, the MI soldiers will continue tosoar above Task Force Eagle, enforc-ing the provisions of the Peace Agree-ment.

Guardrail aircraft in Hungary keep watch on Bosnia

Spc. Melissa Garcia

Staff Sgt. John Tooley, an electronictechnician, says information gatheredserves to forewarn officials of any trouble.


RELIGION

Unable to celebratePassover with theirfamilies this year,

Jewish Task Force Eagle sol-diers found fellowship witheach other at a traditional Sed-er meal April 3, commemorat-ing the exodus of Israelitesfrom Egypt 3,400 years ago.The Seder at Eagle Base wasattended by Jewish soldiersand others.

As the Seder began, Chap.(Col.) David Zalais noted, �Forthe last few years, there hasbeen a lot of blood shed here(in Bosnia).We have a Jewishexpression: He who saves onelife has just saved an entireworld. We have brought a de-gree of tranquillity to this land.Jewish soldiers can be proud oftheir contribution.�

�This is a milestone � be-ing part of an IFOR mission inBosnia,� said Spc. Bill Pum-mill, 30, of San Diego. �I�m notin the States with my family,but at least I�m here with fel-low Jews, having a good din-ner and good conversation.

�Passover is a time ofthankfulness for our familyvalues, a family holiday whenwe can get together and havea good meal with our lovedones,� said the helicopter fuel-er for 1st Squadron, 1st Cav-alry from Budingen, Germany.

Like Pummill, many of the

soldiers who attended the Sed-er wore black or camo-coloredyarmulkes on their heads.Plates of motzah, green pep-pers, onions, tomato wedgesand horseradish were set infront of them. Candles, blessedby a Jewish female soldier in aprayer shawl, burned on thehead table before the chaplainconducting the millennia-oldceremony.

�This is a celebration of Jew-ish people,� said retired Chap.(Col.) David Lapp, �the holidayin which we celebrate freedomand deliverance from the tyr-anny of pharaoh.�

Lapp, head of the New YorkCity-based Jewish WelfareBoard, was 1st Armored Divi-sion chaplain from 1973 to1976. At the U.S. Army Eu-rope�s invitation, he came toBosnia to conduct the Seder.

Zalis, who lives in Jerusa-lem, brought many of the Sed-er�s kosher dishes from Israel,and assisted Lapp in prepar-ing the feast in accordancewith Jewish dietary laws. Themeal included gefilte fish,motzah ball soup and beef andchicken stews and other cours-es served.

Lapp and Zalis took turnsleading the more than 60 cele-brants, nearly half of whomwere non-Jewish, throughreading the Haggadah � thestory of the Exodus. It consistsof psalms, prayers and otherbiblical readings.

�It�s a religious service thatyou celebrate with your family,�

said Spc. Lisa Silberstein. �I�m usually with my fami-

ly every year. �This year I�mnot, but when I�m in a roomfilled with Jewish soldiers, italmost feels like I am,� saidthe 21-year-old native of Ham-den, Conn. She is a member ofHeadquarters and Headquar-ters Company, 1st Armored Di-vision Support Command fromBad Krueznach, Germany.

Many soldiers traveledsome distance to attend theSeder. Pummill is based atCamp Snead in Gradacac, andSilberstein lives at Lukavac.

Spc. Daniel Cass, 21, of Am-arillo, Texas, came from CampBedrock, where he is basedwith A Company, 16th Engi-neer Battalion, 130th Brigadeout of Bamburg, Germany.

�This is quite an experiencebeing in a land where peopleare repressed for their beliefs,�

he said. �I�m glad I�m here to-night celebrating this as a me-morial to our fathers whofought and struggled to get outof Egypt.�

Pfc. Eric Nazario, 21, ofQueens, New York was bap-tized Catholic and raised Prot-estant until age 11, when hisfather married a Jewish wom-an. He said he attended out ofrespect for his stepmother�sfamily, and his father�s conver-sion to Judaism.

�When you participate inany religious service, yours ornot, it�s special,� said Nazar-io, of C Company, 4th Battal-ion, 12th Infantry, based atLodgment Area Demi, twohours south of Tuzla. �It�s hon-orable and reverent, to sitthere and understand and re-spect. I feel good insofar as Itook part in a sacred religiousceremony.�

Jewish soldiers celebrate Passover seasonBy Spc. GEORGE ROACHE,29th MPAD andStaff Sgt. EUGENE P.DeFORREST, 203rd MPAD

COMANCHE BASE � In more thantwo decades as a chaplain, Col. JamesBarry Lonergan, 57, as seen the BerlinWall crumble, newly freed Iranian hos-tages celebrate Thanksgiving and anAmerican president worship in the Koreandemilitarized zone.

A diocesan Catholic priest from Al-bany, N.Y., Lonergan did three tours inKorea and two in Germany.

Now the V Corps command chaplainstationed in Heidelburg, Germany, hemade his final swing through the fieldbringing the message of peace to thepeacemakers of Operation JOINT EN-DEAVOR before he retires in May.

Lonergan performed one of his last ser-vices on Easter Sunday at Comanche Base.

�This is my second trip to the Balkans... This year I�ve come to Bosnia to bringthe message of Easter to the soldiers de-ployed here.

�Also, it�s my swan song -- an opportu-nity to say goodbye to the soldiers I�ve beenable to serve for the last 24 years,� saidthe native of Ticonderoga, N.Y.

Lonergan visited several camps in Hun-gary and Bosnia-Herzegovina during hisfinal trip through the field. He said hehoped to bring a word of cheer to soldiers,and found them to have a �hooah attitudethat is phenomenal.�

�They have endured an awful lot for thelast four months (and) it has not brokentheir spirits,� he said.

Retiring V Corps chaplain performs Easter serviceBy Spc. GEORGE ROACHE29th MPAD

Chaplain (Col.) James B. LonerganSpc. George Roache

Jewish soldiers read from a prayer book during thetraditional Seder meal at Eagle Base April 3.

Spc. George Roache


Staff Sgt. David A.Hughes has found inhis Scottish heritage a

way to literally blow off thestress of deployment � play-ing the bagpipes.

Hughes is a supply sergeantfor Headquarters and Head-quarters Company, 2nd Bat-

taking a breath, you�resqueezing the bag to keep asteady airflow to the reeds.When blowing, you�re inflat-ing the bag, which lifts yourarm off it. It takes four goodbreaths for me to pump it upbefore playing.�

Hughes learned to playbecause the family neededpipes, and one of the membersoffered free lessons to anyonewho would come to his homeevery Thursday.

He still uses the musicbook he received in 1972, a300-page collection of march-es, folk tunes and dancesknown as �strathspreys, reelsand jigs.� He has found hisunique talent popular withGermans in Hailer, where helives with his wife Kim; hisson Zachary Raymond Will-iam, 5; and daughter AlexElizabeth, 3.

Hughes said, �I get invitedto play at German music fes-tivals, weddings and parties.They don�t mind me playingit during quiet hours.�

He always takes his pipes tothe field, and at Comanche Basehe performed in two change ofcommand ceremonies.

For Hughes, playing thebagpipes is a way of living hisheritage.

�It gives me a serenity thata lot of people don�t have andfew find,� he said.

�It makes me feel goodabout myself and doing a partin my son or daughter�s up-bringing. It�s something theycan either build on or forget. Ifthey want to play the pipes, I�mwilling to teach them.�

PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK

Soldier celebrates heritage with bagpipes

By Spc. GEORGE ROACHE29th MPAD

Spc. Robert W. Bishop

Staff Sgt. David A. Hughes performs at a recent changeof command ceremony at Comanche Base.

talion, 227th Aviation at Co-manche Base. He accounts forthe unit property and equip-ment spread over three coun-tries: in garrison in Hanau,Germany, in Hungary andhere in Bosnia.

He must account for allunit equipment each time thebattalion moves. Deploy-ments change the tempo of hisjob tremendously, as did his

battalion�s recent change ofcommand.

Blowing the bagpipes, hesaid, helps him relieve thestress.

�It gives me a break,� the 34-year-old Prather, Calif., nativesaid. �I love hearing the musicand the tranquillity. It remindsme of the good time I had grow-ing up and going to the clan (fam-ily) meetings. It makes me thinkof home and lifts my spirits.�

Hughes began playing the in-strument after his first real ex-posure to his heritage at age 12.

�In the mid-1960s, my grand-father, Frank Fraser, joined theClan Fraser Association,� hesaid. �That�s a Scottish Highlandclan affiliated with the UnitedScottish Society of California. Mygrandfather said it was good tolearn about history, so he tookme and my brother to clan gath-erings up in the Cleveland Na-tional Forest,� in central Cali-fornia.

There, Hughes saw men andwomen dressed in traditionalScottish garb of the 18th cen-tury: kilts in the mostly redHunting Fraser clan tartan;pouches called sporrans wornin the front; and the 18-inchhalf-swords known as dirks.

While the children had freerun of the mountains, theadults played traditional High-land games like caber (or pole)tossing and the ax throw.

The bagpipes, a centuries-old instrument, allows pipers toplay even while taking a breath,Hughes said.

�The technique is known asliterally �blowing your arm offthe bag,�� he said. �As you�re

Soldiers have several choices whenpicking up the telephone to call home.

AT&T has set up phone centers at sev-eral camps in Task Force Eagle. Thecheapest way to call home through AT&Tis using the Military Saver Plus (MSP)Program.

With the plan, a call to the United Statesis $1.14 per minute, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. onweekdays and 99 cents a minute from mid-night Friday to midnight Sunday. MSP callsto Germany are $1.64 per minute weekdays,and $1.49 weekends.

To join the MSP service, dial �88� onUSADirect phones, wait for an operatorand ask for Military Customer Service.Operators can help switch an old AT&Tcard to an MSP card, or apply for a newMSP card on the spot. There is a monthlycharge of $8.50 for MSP customers, whichis waived if no calls are placed in a month.

Regular per minute AT&T calling cardrates to the United States are $1.75 the firstminute, $1.50 each additional minute, plusa $2.50 initial service charge for each call.Collect calls are the same, but with a $5initial service charge for each call.

AT&T prepaid calling cards also areavailable at post exchanges in $20, $40

and $60 denominations. Calling card costsare $1.30 per minute to the United Statesand $2.50 per minute to Germany.

Soldiers who have an MCI or Sprint call-ing card can also use those carriers throughan MSE telephone, according to Sgt. Maj.David Mulholland, G-6 sergeant major.

For soldiers based in Germany, call theDSN number at your home unit and ask tobe transferred to the 0130 toll-free accessnumber for MCI or Sprint, Mulholland said.Calls will be billed as originating from thehome unit city to the destination city. Forsoldiers based in the United States, theprocedure is the same, using the 1-800 toll-free number for MCI or Sprint.

Soldiers have various options when phoning homeBy Spc. CESAR G. SORIANO29th MPAD


bringing peace and stability. You have doneyour job. I have special empathy for you all.I served in the Army for five years, and Iknow the hardship and sacrifice it takes.�

He said he had coordinated the trip forchief executive officers of a dozen U.S. com-panies to incorporate economic peace withthe military peace.

�As peace comes, the people of this areaexpect their living conditions to change forthe better. We can do that. We�re strongeconomically and militarily and we under-stand how the two fit together.� Brownsaid the contribution U.S. businesses andthe military would make together �not onlygets the country back on its feet but en-sures it can stay there.�

Brown was briefed on key operationsby Brig. Gen. Stanley F. Cherrie, assistantdivision commander for maneuver, TaskForce Eagle. Cherrie said military opera-tions have gone exceedingly well, high-lighting the recent success of the repairand opening of the Brcko bridge to trafficand repairing roads.

Cherrie said IFOR has been successfulin garnering Bosnian air defense artilleryweapons at designated sites, and the nextstep is to put all of their soldiers in can-tonment areas. Demobilization of theirforces has already begun, he said, andformer soldiers will need civilian work.�This is where the economic opportunitycomes in,� Cherrie said. �They want towork. I can tell you from first-hand expe-rience these people are hard workers.�

Brown and the delegation boardedbuses and traveled to Tuzla�s Thermo Elec-tric Power Plant, where they took a short

Brown, from page 1

tour of the plant and control room.�This is the man with the real power,

right?� he said, smiling, as he shook thehand of a local worker in the plant�s con-trol room. The group then participated ina round-table discussion with power plantofficials and local officials through an in-terpreter. They discussed efforts to bringthe plant back up to its full capacity andclean coal technologies.

Brown told the group, �It is our desireto have American companies fully engagedin the reconstruction effort. I think ourpresence here today represents that we areanxious, willing and able to work with you

on this project and others like it.�The death of Brown and the U.S. busi-

ness executives aboard the plane cut shortthe group�s efforts to promote U.S. private-sector involvement in the Balkan recon-struction process.

The trip was the launching of U.S. busi-ness commercial opportunities in theBalkans with an estimated $5.1 billion re-construction assistance program by theU.S. European Union and internationalfinance institutions.

Brown, 54, had served as Secretary ofCommerce in the Clinton Administrationsince 1993.

Staff Sgt. Amy Gunnerson

Brown eats breakfast with Col. Stephen J. Curry, 18th MP Brigade commander(left), Brig. Gen. Stanley F. Cherrie (to Brown�s left) and soldiers of the 709thMP Battalion at Guardian Base on the morning of April 3.

EAGLE BASE � Mail is asoldier�s life line to home andfamily, and plays a large rolein the morale of troops on anydeployment.

To gauge the success of itsservice, the 90th PersonnelServices Battalion sent outsurveys to 16,000 U.S. troopsrequesting input on how themail is flowing in Task ForceEagle.

The survey was conductedbetween Jan. 1 and Feb. 15,said Lt. Col. Jamiel S. Saliba,commander of the 90th PSB.

A total of 16,000 surveyswere mailed out, and 5,000were returned. �That is a 31percent response,� Saliba said.

Many responses received bythe PSB shared common

themes about the mail service.�Soldiers said that it takes

up to five days to receive mailfrom Germany, and an aver-age of 10 to 11 days to receiveit from the States,� Salibasaid.

One-fourth of Task ForceEagle�s population had someconcerns about the time ittakes for mail to come in andout of theater, Saliba said.

There are a number of fac-tors that can affect mail time-liness:

� Unreliable weather inthe United States. If anairport closes for one dayin the States, it delaysmail 8 to 14 days.� Incorrect addresses.� Insufficient and unre-liable transportation as-sets to move mail to thesoldiers.

�The good news is, the badweather is about over,� Salibasaid. �The force is more stable,and addresses are more accu-rate.

�We also have dedicatedtransportation in the form ofa contract with Brown & RootInc. to move the mail to thebrigades.�

The contract began Feb. 26.�As a result of the contract, wehave seen great improve-ments,� he said.

Currently, mail coming fromthe APO in Germany takesthree to four days to reach theAPO in Tuzla. It takes six toeight days for mail to reachTuzla from the States, headded.

It should take no longerthan five days for mail to reachsoldiers from Germany and nomore than nine days to reach

them from the States. �That is,if it�s sent first class,� he said.If mail takes longer, soldiersshould go through their chainof command to find out why.

�I think that we would befooling ourselves to think thatthere will be no mistakes withthe mail,� Saliba said.

�The bottom line is, mailis a success story for Opera-tion JOINT ENDEAVOR.There has not been an opera-tion in recent history wherethe mail has been handledbetter than in this operation,�he added.

MILITARY POSTAL SERVICE

Soldiers critique mail service in Task Force EagleBy Pfc. JODY JOHNSTON358th MPAD

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Volume 2, No 13 Friday, April 12, 1996...

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