European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 23, 19b6 the stars and stripes Page 9 launcher packs a Wallop and that s no Bull by i.,  Lewis or. Staff writer Alburn Hof Germany 11 was the biggest Bull the form had Ever seen 56,000 pounds filling up ii Large part of the Small courtyard in from of a wooden Burn. The Bull was a huge self propelled launcher loader sell with a Black Bull s Hud painted on in cab from. The Crew docs l like it when i Call ii a cow said 1st it. Jim Pitus the operations officer tar c Btry 3rd in. 6lh Field arty of the 1st inf div much out of tort Riley Kan. The vehicle is a part of the multiple launch rocket system Mars. The launcher is capable of firing up to certain Sentinel 12 rockets simultaneously or singly and can destroy an area of about 1,200 Square Yards per rocket at a Range of about is Milts according 10 the Crew s Irr spec. 4 William Scott n native of Williamsport a. This one has More firepower  a whole battalion of eight Inch guns Scott said proudly m he leaned against the door to the Ihrck person cab. The Crew is my def up of a Driver a Section chief and a gunner ivc said. The chief advantages of the system Are its mobility and firepower. The launcher is lied in with a tac fire fire direction control system in another truck that allows the unit to precisely aim its rockets. The launching bed lists and rotates to aim the to 5,000-Pound Rockol pods. Each of which hold six rockets. We can get in up fired Down and gone in less than two minutes Scott said. The ability to fire and move is a major advantage of the system. Because state of the Art fire control systems can track an incoming round determine the location of the attack or and return fire nos before the attacker s projectile hits the ground according m an army spokesman. The rocket pods on the Battery s munchers arc All empty practice pods. Sum said. A Small control panel in one of the pods allow a Pruiner to set up different Situa 51,5 Onorio by l. Emroll  or. \ self propelled Sun Clur Lxi Der Hull Sells outside a Bam in Alicr Ninf Germany during certain Sentinel. Doing common Lask training Basic Soldier skill and mos proficiency training he said. The Lack  exercise activity hits not been All bad said Sec. Lawrence Scruggs of Huntsville. Ala. Scruggs the platoon sergeant said reformer of is the first such exercise for most of the people in his unit. It s been super Scruggs said. We be Jot a  of these voting Guys Over Here and they get to see Germany. Some of them would like to be stationed Here. It s a Good experience for them tons to help train the gunner. The nine Sells Are the Core of the 95-person Battery from Kansas which has been in a Bernhof since Friday because weather conditions have curtailed certain senti Nel. Pullus said. In Spile of the weather restrictions sonic of the sol Diers arc putting in Long hours in their Normal jobs the Cooks the medic the armorer and the maintenance and Supply people Pitus said. For others training still goes on. With the soldiers Maneu vers bogged Down but troop support goes on by Mike Heron emus staff writer  Ger Many while unseasonably warm weather with rain and Wal Snow has bogged Down most military movement during certain Sentinel 86. Forward sup porn battalions still muss keep the troops fed. Supplied and maintained. Oiler units Are using alternate plans to Salvage the training experience of the exercise but the 1st support in 1st inf div of fort Riley kail., is it would have done had Kan. Doing just what a Field a exc disc been conducted. Training however the support battalion is operating under a new concept this year. In Stead of one battalion providing medical support another providing vehicle maintenance and a third in charge of Supply each support battalion now has one Corn puny for each support task. Pause in the action outer through " will hints for co a 1st support in is handling medical a and dental sick Cal is for the big red one said capt. Ming Wong company commander. We be been seeing about 20 people a Day mostly medical he said. People won t come to Sec the dentist unless their tooth really  most of the treatment has been for colds and athlete s foot or. Capt Robert Laignel said. The outfit has not seen any cold weather injuries so far. And Wong said most soldiers return to duty within 24 hours. We Are evacuating three or four sol Diers a Day to medical facilities in the rear area Wong said. Those Are mostly soldiers who need bed  capt. Demetra Wells commander of co a said. We re totally  she said her soldiers Don t have much spire time and Are Busy handling All Typo of Supply activities including fuel and food. All Hough the battalion set up Basic skills training stations next to a dining area inside an unused Sawmill Only four soldiers were Irv Cre tuesday. While they were studying things Sach As map Reading first Aid or Rifle maintenance everyone else in the 62-Mcm Ber company was working. Food supplies Are being trucked from a main warehouse Boul Sii Miles away to a Forward location which differ each Day. The units Are going to the different Siles to draw their food ration. On tuesday staff sgt. Brian Doc sr., non commissioned officer in charge of food Supply Wai supervising the loading of res meals ready to eat behind a Lead Crystal factory the Only problem encountered so far. Boyc said tin been that some units Don t Send enough trucks for their Issue so hey have to make several  co a has been supplying eight units from company to battalion sue with food Boye said. Wells said the exercise downgrade eventually will mean work Al her fuel distribution Point will slow Down but right now we re pumping a  of fuel because All the vehicles had to be lopped off after the 12-hour Convoy from Germer Shim to last incl  red Man Euver conditions have restricted much of certain Sentinel movement but lurks and tracks still break Down. When they do cob 1st support in is called on Loput them Back on i he Roans. We can do repairs on Jusi about any thing you can break other than aircraft said 1st . Charles learning maintenance Eon Irol officer. The company is set up in the parking  in front of a German schoolhouse and Neil door to the Rathaus City Hall. Being on a hard stand pavement is really  learning said. Repairs Are easier to make if soldiers Don t have to fight the mud he said. Most of the repairs have involved seals and u couple of clutches. We had one engine blow up he said. But we hit Ven l had anything happen we did i expect. We re already starting to fix faults we found of the Pom us repositioning of Materiel configured to unit sets so we can Lum them the vehicles in learning said. Staff sgt. Larry Flores the non commissioned officer in charge of i hat opera Tion said this year has been easier hit his Asl reformer daled Field exercise. This year he was Given a Van with parts already on shelves and in bins. He previously just got Large sets of parts and had to break them Down himself Hie estimates the new system saved him about two weeks of getting ready to Issue and account for parts. Thai s important for he units co b sup ports Flores said because we be got All the parts they need. We re inc first ones to gel Here and the last to go Home