European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine pfc Qatar Gates prepare a round fora tiring Mission at Qreiten Wihr. Boom Boom Gates taking the heat at Graf Story and photo Boytim Boivin Wurzburg bureaus Ator Gates likes Power. Ii your military occupational specially 13 13 Bravo. 13 Boom Boom Cannon Cocker artillerymen in you Are pulling inc lanyard on a 155mm Selt propelled heavy duly howitzer that does serious damage up to 18 mites away in s a Good idea to like Power. And Pic. Gales lies Power. Yeah in is a lol of Power driving the vehicle around and firing the round,1 Gator said Wilh a sinister smile but on this Day a Clear autumn Day in Grafe Wohr Wool Germany. Galor is not into Power but nol by Choice he s Inlo the old army game of hurry up and wait move out and dig in. His unil Bury c. 2nd in. 41sl Field any. Is augmenting the o Iun bundle in s35 la  div they hurried up and wailed until 8 . The Clear skies had clouded Over the mandatory  rainstorm had come and gone and a Day of moving out and then Silong around was about to come to an end the squawk Box finally Bellows Oul inc Crinnon Cocker s Call to armr fire mission1 on my command everything in inc artillery is done with Power right Down to Tho commands from the ire direction Canter now it s time to pull Iho plug on the gun Gator tails Gator. As the Call comes in Galor reaches behind him for a High explosive round he rams in into the Ray. Galor. Who played defensive end in High school says there o no room for wimps in the artillery. Not when you have to move 90-Pound rounds there in 1." Gator s brother 15 a the infantry Galor just sri -. His head it s bettor in Iho lir Tilly you Don t h we to i sunday october 18, 1987 anywhere  on Iho feet and these he my  j Lii Midi    " heal is import King when you spend a lot of Lime outside in places like . Deflection 3-1-5-61" deflection to inc toll in Rigil movement of the pin lube sgt. Tim Pearson makes inc  i Hough his site m the mi09 then comes Iho Call for the quadrant pfc Anthony hmm dog mines makes Hose changes quadrant 15 Iho vertical movement of inc gun. What i Pearson or h lines messes up i think Lor every Milf Millim Cler we re off for every Kilometre we re firing it s five motors off Largel so you can end up blowing up the wrong  Pearson nid. Galor prepares the powder called Irie charge 5 Green bag and places it n Tho Iray under Iho round Tho charge propels the round the adrenaline in the m109 is about Al the level of inc Power of Iho charge. Two Safe and ready Slaff sol. Falle Fuiano. Gator s Section chief also known As fun yells Inlo the radio. Standby the voice shouts Back Over the squawk Box hurry up and wait again. The gun is All sol As Gator slides into his Seal to Iho let of the howitzer tray. You can l Sil behind the howitzer when you re firing not with the 36-Inch recoil the big gun dishes out Galor ikes Power but he Ulso has a healthy re specs for it. He has a healthy respect for tradition As we tradition in the artillery mandates that the newest member of Tho team pfc. Cedric Stinky jink Jenkins gets a Good old fashioned Grafe Wohr mud Bath on his first Field exercise. The weather had been too Good the first week of the exercise but now the Range has turned to pea soup slush. A s a Field Grado if you get cough  fun tells his troops. Fun 13 admired by Ono and All bul he s nol admired for letting the troops know they face a court martial if Jenkins takes the dive. Hell they tossed my rear in Iho mud when i first came Here Galor laments. Everybody agrees lulling horror lairs of i hair own Muddy Mitra hons a a they await the firing order but in looks like Slinky jink will slip out of slipping in the mud common come  Gator is gelling  the command to lire has t been Given of Tintor Halo s Tho lanyard the m35 continuous pull firing  Pearson names whal in really is just a cipo Lei s gel hot Lei s Rock this  Gator wants to pull but Iho squawk Box in i squawking no commands Are coming Down meanwhile to talks a oui the first Lime to Woi cd the w35 continuous pull lire mechanism you have to pull it steady. You can t Ork in the Lisl Lime i worked it i snapped the Mother fun Waole 55 than pleased Al Gator 5 first All empt. Fun has been known to wrestle Wilh them Good Nat redly and there Oren l Many of his troops who get the Besl of him in the wrestling matches Galor encouraged Fulo give hmm dog a Hying body skim during a Lull earlier in the Day fun is Tough had to fou to change jobs from a computer operator to artillerymen can you imagine fun As a computer operator 1. Gator asks Pic Barry Taylor in Tho Cal Vonni i ammunition tracked vehicle behind the m care who you Are. You re Only As Good Asaf supervisor they Don t conk tiny   Fri get Heady guns Tho  to Krnc i . A do irn two in thew09  ,.ni j Lur Rhi ., ii i i. To of i  to  i ". R ii  Raj to i1.1, i l a by to it p . ,.i.t. The stars and stripes