European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes May am ardent ground 85 features big guns by Don Tate staff writer under a smoke Gray sky seemingly made for the guns All along the roaring belgian and portuguese howitzers jarred the Shook the rain out of the it might seem to be a recipe for for said an exercise can you imagine any six with All their dropping Down big guns in the Middle of a limited area and commence firing shells All Over the lot for More than two weeks in late april and Early about mostly elements of probably the worlds most unusual military blasted away on Portugal Santa Margarida training grounds in rugged Countryside North of with 36 105mm howitzers and 36 mortar tubes one misdirected one errant Shell could have blighted the Effort of natos crack Allied command Europe Mobile Force known As the guns and gun Helix lifted from place to at times in the dark in terrible would quickly set up and commence aiming to hit targets and not each sunny Portugal cooperated in contributing to the realism of the called ardent ground instead of Bon chilling rain beat Down for eight Fields of Cork Trees turned into tents trucks and other vehicles bogged Down 40 in one canno neers slogged through planted their boots in and kept their powder dry in order to keep and the guns hammered when the Sun finally the soggy Earth men there had been no weird they had hit coordination and firing discipline had in a larger the deterrent role of the am As a conventional multinational Force ready for rapid deployment of air and infantry elements to threatened especially along natos weaker flanks opposite Warsaw pact was reinforced in terms Only the deaf could not the message if an aggressor nation attacks the it attacks every country in the though not formally a part of the participated in the the Force artillery is commanded by Ian Forward of land components of the am Are commanded by Andrew Christie of a British helicopter lifts an american 105mm howitzer to the training f t army photo one of most unnatural things photo by Don tale Luis Bispo most fun with eyes open by Don Tate staff writer to enter the americans stepped to the leaned heard the engines Felt the air and jumped into the the club is a rather exclusive not everybody could or would want perhaps 98 percent of the rest of the human the men of Delta 4th 325th airborne combat Are part of that minuscule Why would anyone want to jump out of an air plane heres Why two of them first Chuck 25 its probably one of the most unnatural things anyone can the adrenaline flow dangerous that first people in front of people behind youre hooked the door opens and the look on Guys faces whole never done it its like his eyes Roll there not sure they should be doing but at the same were yeah pumping each other and the people in front of you Are and the people behind you Are and you know that youre going and you get to the and you Knees to the saying one two three thousand and you look the chutes and you this is Luis originally from now of the airborne it was my dream to jump Over my old i used to fear certain Heights and the Only Way i get Over Heights is to jump out of the i figure if you jump out of the it makes you something you know i a Guy in not Gonna jump out of the its Gonna kill the Only Way you can do it is Stop being afraid of just jump out of the i Tell that will get you away from being afraid of nothing or it scares you no you know not just forget go for its a Good mind lot of lot of this airborne is in the airborne you learn to Trust you Trust the people who pack your you dont know whats inside that you might have a Bunch of paper packed up in a Bunch of soda cans or what scares me on the first jump is when the jump master opens the i could never have thought the sound of the engines is so but going out the door is the most fun is when you always have your eyes you some Guys keep them we Call that a night jump in the youve got to have Strong because when you hit that ground that but its Worth you that s you never now in not afraid of i feel like a i feel More free jumping out of an i mean i feel i can do i can see More than the Guy walking around on the i feel awful i feel i feel like i dont have nothing wrong with nobody to bother it feels it comes from the you it feels this airborne is something