European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Jim Derti Eim re Forgar team writer Dinkel Bohl. West Germany a when pfc. Jamie Murray a 26th signal in radio operator returns Home to far Rockaway. N.y., he can Tell his family and friends of an experience Only a few have lived. He can Tell them this Story Quot i was in East Berlin the Day before the big protests. That was saturday faces of Centurion shield �?T90 Jamie Murray nov. 4. We were on a sightseeing trip arranged by the chaplain. Quot i could never have imagined what would happen in the City in the next week. But i can understand Why the people wanted change. A i could feel them looking at me and my friends As we ordered expensive dinners and bought Nice gifts to take Back across the Border. Quot i knew they wanted what we had. 1 could feel their resentment in the air. They want our Freedom of Choice. I mean How can these people find their cars in a crowded lot they All look the same. Quot i remember the russian guard on the platform at the Berlin train station. He had this Long coat on and even though 1 know you re not supposed to stick your head out the window or wave to those Guys i did anyway. And the russian made a move under his coat like he was waving. It really pleased me to see that. But one of my friends with me said he was just moving his weapon from a a Safe to  a we had dinner in an East Berlin restaurant. A family of East germans had just left the table where we sat. I found a Beer coaster there w Ith a draw ing of some Flowers on it. 1 know an East German did it. And you know what they had written peace and love peace and  a a by John Millar reformer team writer e1tensheim, West Germany a the largest helicopter in the army a inventory makes spec. Tracy Sharp feel 10 feet tall a even though she stands Only about half that. The 5-fool-1 i Inch tall systems Supply specialist from Chesapeake. Va., does t get such lofty feelings when working with the mountains of supplies in her unit s warehouse in Wiesbaden West Germany but she says she has to Bend Over when hooking up the same cargo to the underside of a giant twin Rotor ch-47 Chinook in the Field. Sharp and other members of the 26th Supply and services co arc responsible for getting food to soldiers operating throughout the Southern Region of the Centurion shield 90 Man Euver area. Since units can be up to 150 Miles away from the ration Point in Erding near Munich the supplies Are Sling loaded under the bellies of the huge choppers when the weather permits. During a Sling Load operation. Sharp stands with supplies that Are strapped to pallets. She then Hooks the Rig to the underside of the aircraft. Quot it s like it s on top of my head Quot she says about the Chinook that hovers above her for the Hook up. A i just love Sling loading being under the helicopter and being in the wind it makes a the 20-year-old  Gary Pomeroy reformer team writer Crail sheim. West Germany a master sgt. Federico a. Jones tried to explain the most difficult aspect of his Job As operations sergeant for Centurion shield s exercise control Center at Mckee Barracks.  said. Quot excuse me. Sergeant Jones can you get someone to clean the men s room Quot asked a lieutenant colonel. Quot i try to. Quot Jones said. Quot sergeant Jones where can i find the operating manual for the copier Quot a Captain asked. Quot i try to  Jones said. Quot How can i Send a message from Here. Sergeant Jones Quot asked a major. Quot i try to anticipate the needs of everybody Quot he said behind a slight Grin. Jones 39, was the operations sergeant for the control Center during reformer in 1988 and said he got the Job this year by default. Called the Etc for Short the exercise control Center is just what it sounds like the heart and brains of re forger �?~90 and Centurion shield. I was the institutional knowledge Quot Jones said. He works for the operations division of the Deputy chief of staff for operations at Usa eur Headquarters in Heidelberg. Jones said his Job was to bring life to the re forger planning group s Etc requirements. That meant converting the Mckee Barracks gymnasium in trails him into an Extension of the Heidelberg Headquarters. It meant meeting and anticipating the needs of staff agencies from operations personnel and safety to Public affairs intelligence and weather overseeing a racquetball court As it was converted into a briefing room for distinguished visitors coordinating temporary construction and communications and ensuring delivery of furniture. It meant setting up a Cottec fund. Jones described his Job As though it was just another Day at the temporary office. A i move Usa eur out Here set pm up and after they re done take it All Back to Usa eur a said the 19-year army Veteran from Panama City Panama. Jones said there a a fair amount of Job satisfaction for him and his six person staff Quot because of the High level of interest in the  the most Gratifying element of the Job is knowing Quot that they the Etc staff arc  no request is regarded As impossible. Well almost none. Federico Jones one Captain left Jones office shaking his head. He was t convinced that his request for a re forger memento could t be met by the Guy w to moved the army s european Headquarters from Heidelberg to trails him. A sergeant Jones How could i get hold of some re forger Coffee cups Quot he asked. Jones his voice void of emotion said Quot i done to  Charles Hunter by Vince Crawley reformer team writer Ochenfeld West Germany a sgt. Charles Hunter put his helmet on the folding chair beside him. Quot its like a 9-to-5 War a he said. He was inside the tent where they served hot soup and cold sandwiches to the Drivers while the officers had a nightly meeting next door. A helicopter Michanic by Trade the weather was too Dicey so Hunter 33, found himself driving an officer around. A i like the whole concept a he said. Quot just Don t have All those tanks anymore. Instead we get humvee with big nerf balls on top. Hell id like to get a nerf Ball myself so we can play with it. A i understand this reformer is supposed to be the one where we show the germans we re ruling care of their land. I just got through rapping with one Farmer and we re taking our edible trash to give to him to feed Nis pigs. It s the first time i be Ever been on a farm. It can be real hairy around those pigs. Hunter comes from Hampton va., is married and claims he has a one Point five  his wife he explained is seven months pregnant with their second child. Another girl. They know because she had an ultrasound. He said he gets Quot per termed by the people who want us to Lake our War games and play them at Home. Because they re missing the Point. The threat s not completely Over. Not  stationed in West Germany since the Early 80s, american shopping hours Are among the things he misses most a every time 1 go on leave first thing i do is go to a 7-eleven at Midnight and grab me a twinkle and a Slurpee and sit on the Steps out front just eating my twinkle and drinking that Slurpee. Its real  Tracy Sharp a a it a cold but i done to mind. I la Sling Load in any weather or at three o clock in the  Sharp says her love for the Windy Hook ups comes partially from the fact that women arc allowed to perform such missions in the army. Quot its something so different. You can t do something like that in the civilian  but she admits that having to Bend her tiny Frame to fit under a hovering helicopter also has something to do with  Ken Clauson reformer team writer Kirchberg West Germany a pvt Alexander Kruger is a 20-year-old infantryman in a 12th Panzer div Security platoon that guards the division commander he a Only been in the West German army for three months so Centurion shield 90 is his first major Man Euver experience. He does no to like it much he says. Unlike american troops he is not a Volunteer career Soldier. Instead he a a conscript from Asch Altenburg. Like privates in any army he bitches about the cold and Lack of sleep but those Arentt his major complaints about the reformer and Centurion shield exercises. They Cost too much trash the environment and Send the wrong political message. Lie says. Quot other Maneu vers can go on but reformer is too big Quot Kruger says. Quot it costs too much Money. We must train like this but perhaps every three or four  maybe that would cause the Warsaw pact forces to also scale Back their military exercises the German private says. He thinks political efforts to unite Europe run counter to military exercises that Are based on cold War attitudes. He admits that despite the rapidly changing situation in Eastern Europe Western nations can to disband their armies overnight. Quot but i think that now we Are soldiers for Freedom and peace not for  Alexander Kriiger Page stars and stripes special edition tuesday january 23,1990