European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Airborne gets taste of seaborne by Chuck Vinch Munich Bureau chief Capo Sardinia by the very nature of its the airborne in Fantry is More at Home in the sky than on the but about 140 paratroopers from the 4th 325th airborne inf regt out of recently got a taste of what its like to hit the beaches during an amphibious assault at the italian train ing area the training took place shortly after the end of nato exercise Distant the paratroopers took part in the exercise along with marines from the 24th Marine amphibious it was a training said Clark Deputy battalion com we agreed to play in the marines exercise As the opposing and in return they agreed to give us the amphibious the troops first received a tour of the amphibious assault ship where the marines Are and were briefed on How the marines prepare for an amphibious i was surprised at How cramped it was on said Robert and those Guys Are out there for As much As six months at a it did seem a Little said Matthew were used to the wide May 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 photo by Chuck Vlinch paratroopers from the 4th 325th airborne inf regt out of Vicenza storm ashore during a practice amphibious open for 4 Gerald who spent four years in the Navy before going air the training was like coming it brought Back a lot of he he didst comment on whether the memories were Good or the paratroopers loaded onto a Landing Craft and headed for and when the boat 140 screaming airborne grunts waded opted to jump across to an adjacent land ing Craft that was moored closer to the in order to avoid getting but they paid the with a great Deal of satisfaction in his told his everyone who didst get get Down and Knock out some while the chances Are slim that they will Ever actually have to make an amphibious most of the troops said the training was its a skill that the airborne is required to said the army made More amphibious assaults in world War ii than the Marine the Point is to get any Way we and now i have a company if the need knows How to get off a ship and get its one More skill we you never said just because we normally make Doest mean we might not have to do this some were even if were not said Darrell army engineers put ouf May for marines by Chuck Vinch Munich Bureau chief Capo Sardinia about 200 paratroopers from the 4th 325th airborne inf regt in were having a Little something like marines were and the engineers of the battalions combat support co were in charge of laying out the Welcome the party was nato exercise Dis Tant held recently at the italian training area on this islands Southern the battalions combat engineers were Given the Job of preparing the beaches for the marines some were mining the others were placing trip wires for grenade simulators in the concertina and barbed wire were being Strung along the it was going to be quite a were going to string the wire so As to Channel them through to where we have the mines said 4 Craig Wil who was preparing grenade Simula the idea of All this is to slow them throw them off and let our Guys covering the beaches get some Good shots at Alan Caudell was setting trip wires in a stagnant Pool of water near the he explained that when the wire was there would be a loud Boom and a Bright Flash of till scare them a but that till let them know were he said with a the engineers said that since this exer Cise didst really have a free play everyone sort of knew what to expect of everyone the marines Are going to know All this is said they have special teams to Deal with this sort of they know what were doing and we know what there going to but Well still have a Little something for we already know were supposed to lose this said Elton Rich weve already been told but the real thing if this was my Beach and we were in real id have triple Rolls of concertina wire set along the length of the Beach and up into the id have Over there there would be mines All Over the not just behind the open ing in the mines and trip wires would be All along the surf and then wed have Guys in the Hills hitting them with machine it would take them most of a Day just to get off the said with the air of a Man who definitely enjoys his photos by Chuck Vlinch from 4 Clifford Alan Caudell and 4 Craig All of the combat support Plant simulated mines and Roll out barbed