European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 24, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 marines show allies new capability in rapid deployment b Jok Mapother Fri intr Lutil Bureau Irhn Shuette. Germany american marines unveiled a recent de clop enl in  rapid deployment capability Lunato allies in conjunction with the hold guard in Cher disc the concept first tested on i Large scale in March involves pre position ing enough equipment on tour ships to sustain operations by 16,500 marines for 30 Days. Marines of the 6th Marine amphibious brigade from Camp a june nx"., can he flown to wherever the equipment is unloaded. Planning Calls for the unit to be combat ready within 10 Days a Marine spokesman said. The nth was activated in july 19s3 As the first air ground task Force committed to the maritime pc positioning concept. The ships were first loaded in 198-. Equipment on Board the ships is pre configured to the needs of the 6th much like Pom us equipment Siles scattered across Europe for use by state Side units of the . Army. But the analogy of the pre positioned ships a floating f of mods preposition ing of Materiel configured to unit sets Siles overlooks several Basic differences. Each of the four ships Carrier 10 bar Ges four of which Are powered that can he hooked together to form a floating causeway to Iran Spon equipment ashore. Two lems Landing Craft also Are aboard. More than 1.5 million Gallons of fuel and lubricants including Jet fuel can be cured in tanks on the Bottom decks of the ships. The fuel can he pumped to Shore through hoses from to Miles off Shore which gives the ships an Over the Hori in capability said Marine stiff sgt Hugh Hawthorne. Supporting aircraft including a i Darner jets and helicopters would Fly or he air ii d to the Landing Sile. The . Navy con races for the ships from Hie Waterman steamship co and inc american overseas corp., said Navy . James Richardson. They Are crewed by merchant seamen. One of the ships carries a Small Navy complement largely for communication purposes he said. These ships arc in no Way a replace ment for amphibious assault ships said Marine Cape. Mark Hughes at the Elbe River Dock where the maj. Stephen a 1 less was lied up. A secure staging area is indispensable to forming up the brigade. Hughes said. In Bruns Bueltel Mare than 200 tracked and wheeled vehicles were unloaded and a Dock to Shore demonstration of the fuel pumping was conducted Hughes said. Spread among the four ships is enough equipment for one infantry regiment a tank battalion two artillery battalions an amphibious assault battalion and one combat Engineer battalion. Tractors bulldozers and bridging elements arc among the equipment included for Var ious combat support units. Helicopter pads on each ship Are used to Fly in 100-Man Marine teams whose Job is to prepare Lite equipment for land ing within 96 hours Hughes said. The Bruns Bucold demonstration gave off Load preparation party members a Chance to do maintenance work on he equipment. Soldiers flown in from Camp Lejeune said the equipment aboard ship was in better shape than what they nor Mally Deal with. A Phalon t y Jon a Pat fief Lance t i Handy Price from Camp be Junr n.c., cleans Elii Inu no for loading. Cause of Nimitz based fighter s crash still unknown byjoe Mapother Brenu a Hatch Hurmuz Wilheilm Slaven. Germany mystery still surrounds the circumstances leading 10 the  crash in Early september of a Carrier based a-7 Corsair ii fighter bomber said the commander of the aircraft Carrier Nimitz. We always suspect that Ilie weather has something to do with it but we never know for sure said Navy Cape. Eugene l. Conner Nihil commanding officer an extensive Ica search failed to uncover clues to the Erash Conner said. The Pilot from the Nihil was flying alone in poor weather when the crash occurred he said. The a-7 crash was he second in two Sears involving a plane assigned to the Simili. Conner said. The Navy has identified the missing Pilot Asli. Donald Malson ii 2, of York. A. He was one of nine american fatalities in Northern wedding k6 exercises conducted in the North Atlantic Norway and the bal tic sea eight american servicemen died in August in the crash on Takeoff of a Navy ch-4h helicopter As signed to the amphibious assault ship Saipan. Northern wedding Wilh 35.doo nato country troop participants and 25 1 ships was the initial phase of autumn purge exercises in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. Presently 65,000 nato troops Wilh accompanying air support arc taking part in bold guard k6 exercises in the northernmost German state of Schleswig Holstein and Southern Denmark. Bold guard exercises Are held in the Region every four years. The multinational exercise is to conclude Friday. . Units directly participating in bold guard in clude the 4th Marine assault brigade with Headquarters in Norfolk a and one company from the 2nd army div fwd stationed in Carlstedt Germany. The. 4th brigade numbers 8.300 men drawn from Marine bases along the East coast said a Marine spokes Man at the bold guard press Center a Headquarters element from the army 9th inf div port Lewis Wash is providing a computerized Battle is Priolo by jq9 map Chur the aircraft Carrier in mlle anchors it Wilhel unshaven Germany after taking part in Northern wedding "86. Center a division spokesman said. . Naval vessels including the battleship Iowa Are conducting hospitality visits at various european ports. The Iowa is scheduled to arrive in Bremerhaven Germany late saturday for a four Day slay. Northern wedding Marks the first nato exercise for the Nimitz in several years Conner said. The car Rier will be reassigned from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet next year he said. The Nihil conducted operations for part of North Ern wedding from inside a norwegian Pord the Sec Ond Lime the ship has done so. Conner said. The. Carrier commissioned in l 75 is the largest operated by the . Navy. It carries a full complement of 6.uuo sailors and fliers. The flight deck is longer than three football Fields at 1.092 feet