European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse By ton in All Roth Nurnberg Bureau the Mercedes Lour wheel drive was a Rock and Rollin on a Trail sic Larry Short eyes peeled for trouble and ears pricked Lor danger wrestled the wheels through to tuts snort is a graft Wohr Range one of a handful of senior enlisted soldiers selected for their maturity and tact to serve As Range control Saleby cos armed with a Muddy briefcase and a Heap of authority he makes a sure soldiers flinging tons of potential Holl into a 5-Square-Mi e Impact area Don t kill each other. Chaos is held at Bay by the Range riders and iwo men behind the firing desk Back at Iho Grale Wohr training area Headquarters at 9 . The ranges go Wel meaning they re open for business following a three hour dry period used Lor target maintenance. Manning the Multi switched desk with Banks of telephones at is ends Are senior safety cos trying to balance realistic unit training needs with some semblance of Saleby. They re referees in a life and death name and what they say goes there s a sign above Iho door Shal could have come straight Oul of Calch-22 Mission first safety always it reads Short explained that there is a natural tension Between Saleby and raining the unit commanders have a whole lot of training to do. And no much time to do in Short said. To said whenever the Range riders shut Down a unit Force them to go dry Lor Saleby Viola hons or rounds going out of the Impact area commanders do howl. And rounds do go Oul. In february 1984, a 155mm howitzer Shell blew a Hole in a motor Pool a Quarter of a mile from 7th army training come Headquarters and the tale Wohr shopping area just 15 minutes before a formation of soldiers was standing in thai spot preparing for morning physical training More acc culty on a saturday in mid August Short said a tank was going through a firing Check alter coming Olf the Range and a round went sailing Oft Mlo the wild Blue yonder. Ii landed harmlessly enough but in s the kind of incident hat makes Range riders sweat bullets "op-9." observation Point Minn commands a panoramic v col the Impact area. It s a grandstand where soldiers watch the rounds explode far below them where commanders assess accuracy of choir guns. A Butler zone separates the Impact area irom the rest of the training area a round is technically out even in it Hiss this dead zone. When it s Hal close Short said commanders Are supposed to report in some do and some Don the said potentially such a close Call could close Down the ranges. That Short said depends on the Guy in the hot seat the senior no Back at Iho firing desk rather than Chance a costly training delay Short said commanders Ollon Don t report those close Calls Satty violations on the ground Are handled by the iwo Ryan roving patrols armed with tvs Prylon sheets lists of which units Are supposed to be where and Iho Mango Bible the cargo riders look Lor safety problems they chock unil Valety Ollices who Aie supposed to mom Lor and Correct Vio Lions Lor their own units called sop ?8. Law Bible has All the answers in Black and while. If a unit commander is uncooperative the b Blo is quoted ii that does t work the senior Man could shut Down the Range in s in their Besl interests to Short said he said he rarely has trouble dealing Wilh lieutenants but lieutenant colonels who have Boon around awhile Are ass photos by Tracy Baker and Gus Schuettler sometimes argumentative i even had one Guy threaten to up the lips of my lace Short said you need to be Lum bul respectful you pc got to have tact. That s Why you la find Only Mauro senior cos in this position you can t lose your Cool at the same Short said he s got to respect my position i m Only doing my Job i Don t make things up i to got sop 28 Short keeps his copy in the battered Muddy bnufc.ir.0 in Chr Hack of the Mercedes Many of Short s decisions depend on his on Lugo men. This is especially to at the ranges where ammo is handed and when soldiers gather i Don l have tune to inspect every unit Oul said Short i look for the Raggedy urls with amino All Over the Amund and everything in disorder thai s where you la find the problems most of All i Don l want to shut anybody Down Short stopped a i 20-3 where co a. 1sl in 13th Armor irom Hillesheim was firing there was a potential problem a Herd of Deer had moved close to the firing Lane m Kong of the tanks if they would move a few More feel. Short might have to put 204 on dry Lalus whits waiting and watching. He talked to the solely of icon and checked ammo and medical support the executive Allicer. 1st it. Courtney Carr. Was in inc Tower he had a realistic View of Short s Job. Ii we come in Vijh a hell with Range control attitude they la make our lives Carr said. They la Lell us to puck our bags Short found a Lew minor gigs Wilh what the unit was doing not enough to close them Down just enough la Merit a reminder. Carr s response Al first he said the lumber scattered around the ammo was authorized. Short went to sop-28. Carr s response ill take care of Short Rode Oil into the dust patrolling Tho thin Gritty line Between control and chaos soon it would be 6 p.m., dry time. Time to Stop sweating bullets. The stars and stripes Page 15
