European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday september 14, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here is get used to living on fhe Edge eyes and ears keep tabs on East Germany by John Millar a Dryburg Bureau Rasdorf. West Germany the wind makes an eerie moan Asil blows through the observation lower s roof. A floor below two soldiers look through telescopes and binoculars at a sunny East German Countryside. Only a Tew cars creep along a Road that leads into a town called Geisa. Large farm machines in nearby Fields slowly reap a late summer Harvest. Just in front of the Tower beyond a Fence and a series of markers is what 11 the armed Cav regt troopers Call Freedom s Frontier the Border separating East Germany and West Germany. The troopers watch Over about isor Niles of the More than 830 Miles of the Intra German Border while serving As the so called eyes and cars of the army s v corps. The thaw in the cold War aside it s a delicate Mission. The requirement up Here because of political sensitivity is that you can t afford to make a mistake said capt. William Harper the regimental Border officer. It s also a Mission that the i Ith amid Cav Rygl is unable to perform every Day of the year. Army training requirements being what they Are. At some Point on the Calendar most members of the unit leave the Border behind to qualify with their tanks and other weapons at the Grafin Wuhr training Center. Other times the unit gets the Call to Lake part in nato exercises. That Means a substitute unit must move in when the 11 the army Cav regt moves out. For More than 30 Days recently it was 250 3rd army div soldiers from Kirch go is who watched the Border from the i Ith s Normal positions. That includes observation Post Alpha where the wind moans through the Tower roof. The Gravity of the Job is Clear to the 3rd army div soldiers guarding the 11 the s stamping grounds. They be ensured we have no doubts in our minds about what we re up against said sgt. I St class Otho Webb of cob 5th in 5th Cav. The 3rd army div sergeant said the threat is there and it s real. This is not your average Little dog and Pony  part of the i Ith s Section of the East West Border lies in the strategic Fulda Gap which Harper called the most direct route into the nato rear area from East  soldiers watch Over the Border from four permanently manned observation Points and roving patrols. From the observation posts soldiers Monitor any movement of East German Border guards and other activity on the far Side of the Fence during their 12-hour shifts. All maybe quiet for hours. At other times. East German patrol cars Supply trucks and even soviet helicopters pass by. Harper said those on watch record As much information As possible on such activities including the Type of vehicle seen direction travelling and the number of people inside and their ranks. Patrols of eight soldiers walk the Western Side of the Border both Day and night while mounted patrols of 10 cover similar ground in hummers the army s replacements for the venerable jeeps. Although the rifles and machine guns they carry Aren t loaded the fact that they carry live ammunition with them indicates that the patrols can if necessary mean business. Some patrols do their utmost to remain unseen others Are intentionally conspicuous to remind the East of their presence Harper said. At times the Border duty was a Welcome break from life on the Rock the nickname for the unit s Cavern in Kirch go is 30 Miles North of Frankfurt according to 1st it. Christopher Cadogan of the division s 2nd in 32nd Armor. Cadogan said that when his soldiers Aren t in the Field their Days arc often spent not so much in training but cutting grass and getting caught up in details at the Rock. Is John Bihar i pc. Bryan i lanes cleans his weapon after a Drill hilt11 pc. Matthew san Ford monitors an East German patrol. I be been in the army for 15 years and this is really the first time i be had the Opportunity to do something like this said sgt. 1st class Melvin Newman. A mortar Section sergeant Back at Kirch go is Newman found himself in charge of patrols while at the Border. It feels like More of a real life Mission than going to Graf or Hohenfels or something like that where you re up against your own soldiers the requirement up Here because of political sensitivity is that you can t afford to make a  capt. William Harper Newman said. Even though it s peacetime surveillance up Here it s still  Newman who brought along his video camera on some patrols said his soldiers were amazed that the East germans patrol so close. But after you be been on a couple of patrols and you Sec them Here and you see them there it s just like when you go downtown and see a Guy walking across the Street you Don t really get that excited Over it Newman said. Spec. Richard Windle a cavalry scout for 2nd in. 32nd Armor said his patrol spotted what appeared to be a civilian plane heading toward it from the East. We thought they were going to defect he said a note of excitement rising in his voice. But the plane veered away at the last minute and the patrol trudged on. Soldiers who seemed to get excited the most on the Border were those who pulled duty on the Border reaction Force. With hummers and Bradley fighting vehicles lined up and ready Lead and backup reaction forces Are on Call around the clock at each observation Post to respond to trouble. Harper said the forces can be called in when Radi Contact with foot patrols is lost or when support is needed. They Are also called at All hours of the Day and night to practice fortifying the observation posts he said. Staff sgt. Juan Cortez. Who was in charge of one of the react squads. Said his men definitely got excited when the Alert buzzers went off at observation Post Alpha. To his 10 soldiers the buzzers meant they had to be up and on their Way to a potential trouble spot in five minutes. But while the Job has its exciting moments it comes with drawbacks some of the soldiers said. Reaction Force vehicles had to be thoroughly checked after each Alert to make sure they were ready for the next one. Complete equipment checks including the ritual of cleaning weapons that weren t fired were also the Norm. Additionally the substitute Border soldiers usually could t leave the observation posts about two Square blocks in size. Most of the division troops ate. Slept worked and played within the confines of the observation posts. Aside from being called put of the confines of the Opas part of the reaction Force Windle said he had been to Fulda just twice during his tour at the Border. And others he said left less frequently. Outside of mail runs and occasional trips to the Exchange in Fulda. The average 3rd army div Soldier stayed on the Border for the entire Lour of duty. Harper said. I be been Here for 35 Days said Cpl. Felix Carr who worked in observation Post Alpha s operations Center. The observation posts have the Standard army dining facilities. While on the Border some of the soldiers slept in Barracks while others made do with what Harper called improved tent systems tents set up on a Concrete floor with some siding to keep the wind  spec. Walter my acc who was on the Border for the first time called the duty  there s no females no clubs none of those activities at All Mcgee said. An avid runner he bemoaned the limited jogging space at observation Post Alpha. Spec. Rob Chavez said the duty was interesting but it s not something he d want to do regularly. After a while in gets kind of old Chavez said