European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday june 24, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3hours were Long for Midway wives by Hal Drake Pacific stars and stripes Yokosuka naval base Japan a Christie Mcmahan a 19-year-old Navy wife stood at a Cliffside Dock and held a single cellophane wrapped Rose. It was a gift for her husband a present she wanted grasped away by his hands a her Assurance that the nightmarish news she heard 24 hours earlier had not taken the life of the Man she married hardly a year ago. It had been a tense and terrible time she said a that late aft Moon Knock on the door of her apartment in Yokosuka City. A japanese neighbor had dashed nver to relate what she saw on television. A your husband Midway a  Quot Midway exploded a her hand on her heart Mcmahan barely kept her feet. A i just Felt like id lost my  she would share hours of sleepless worry with other Midway wives who told themselves a no it  be  the Navy would have told them if their men were among the two missing and 16 injured after two explosions Tore the in cards of the 44-year-old aircraft Carrier. Still to see and touch was to believe. At the base Library Evangeline Urubio efficiently went through the motions of her work and sought Comfort from strangers. One of them patted her hand. A look he Sall right. If anything had happened to him you a know by  a i know i  she blinked and her Chin puckered a bit. A but i just want to be sure hold him feel  she was out on the Dock As the prow and Hull of the Midway loomed pulling closer As hawsers tightened and the Carrier moved broadside toward the Dock. Two massive cranes lowered gangplank on cables and they were fastened Between ship and Dock. At the Edge of the flight deck and along lower railings were seen Blue dungarees and the Green and red shirts of deck crewmen. A signalman pumped out semaphore with both hands. Tvs or that Sailor or officer was alive and uninjured. A i see my husband a Mcmahan said running Down the Dock and brandishing the Rose like a Baton. Petty officer 2nd class Chris Mcmahan saw it and waved Back. It was close to 4 of clock a whole Days time since Cindy Carscallen had left her Job at the naval electronics engineering activity and walked to her on base Home close to the helicopter sad. She heard motor drone and Rotor utter and saw five of them lift or land a ambulance helicopters. Stirred by fear she ran Home and sought out her ombudsman a housewife who helps and counsels others during Long cruise absences of their men. Told of the blasts Carscallen went numb. A i was in Shock. I  believe  now after hours of self Assurance she would be certain that husband Dan a warrant officer was still with her. A i just want to see him walk off. That a Why in a  As it was she would walk onto the Midway before her husband got off. A crusty master at arms walked before the wives and motioned to the walkways. A fall right you can go aboard. Now lets take it slow keep some  he was talking to a riptide. The women were up both ramps in a single Rush carrying children or pulling them along. Marie Larson would not be denied nor would 3-year-old Sarah. She had already seen her daddy Ensign John Lar son and the toddlers worried tears stopped As she waved and squealed. A she knew a Larson said. A she sensed something bad May have happened. This was the first time head been out on the  in the cavernous hangar deck Laurie Mcconnell hugged her husband Daren and spoke two words again and again a thank  Urubio found Petty officer 2nd class Mario Urubio and let her tears Loose in grateful flow. Around them there were unbroken embraces. Julie Gardner aboard with 2-year-old daughter Megan in hand had been up All night sharing worry and Comfort with other Midway wives. She did not learn until five hours after the explosions that Petty officer 2nd class Ray Gardner had not been Hurt. A a that a the most aggravating part the waiting a said Gardner who is three months pregnant. Now she saw him for Only a minute before he went Back to a downstairs work station to finish a Long shift on watch. A and hell be right Back at work tomorrow a she sighed a was though nothing  offers help with growing German air traffic by Rosemary Sawyer staff writer the Federal aviation administration has offered German authorities its help As the opening of East German airspace threatens increasing air traffic congestion the Agency a Leader said. A a we la provide whatever technical expertise and advice we can As German authorities require a Faa administrator James b. Busey said Friday. A that May entail the provision of More Faa specialists. We just done to know the answer to that at this  specifically the Faa has offered technical advice on Airport capacity and Airport construction and expansion As Well As handling increasing air congestion Busey said. The retired Admiral who commanded . Navy Europe from 1987 to 1989, was overseas visiting Faa employees Airport operators and local authorities in Bonn and Frankfurt West Germany Berlin Brussels Belgium and Tel Aviv Israel. It was his first european tour since assuming his Post As chief of the 50,000-employee Federal Agency nearly one year ago. While in Berlin Busey took part in a belated 40th anniversary Celebration of the Berlin air safety Center. During his time there he discussed possible ways of coping with increasing air traffic around Berlin. The Allied air control unit which is headed by an Faa specialist controls traffic through the Allied air corridors in and out of Berlin. However Busey a interest in overseas air traffic has not been at the expense of Domestic issues he said. The Faa chief pointed to federally funded expansion programs at . Airports and the jointly funded construction of a new Airport in Denver As illustrations of the multimillion Dollar Effort to handle greater Domestic air traffic. A we believe and i think on a Good factual basis that we Are leaders of the world in providing air traffic separation and the ability to handle vast quantities of aircraft a Busey said. Busey also said Congress would Likely authorize the Faass use of billions of dollars previously held captive in an aviation Trust fund. Money has been collected since 1971 through user taxes such As Airport and Gas taxes. A we will clearly begin to spend out the balance in the aviation Trust fund a Busey said. A was we do then the need will become even More obvious for an increase in user tax. The Bottom line is that nothing is free in our  critics have charged that More Federal funds should be used to improve the aviation infrastructure although the Bush administration has proposed a shift to More state and local spending. Busey said a there has to be As is the Norm in our system of government. A mix of Federal state and local Money As Well As private funding going into these improvements if we re going to reap the benefits of an Ever expanding commercial air  the City of Denver and the state of Colorado Are sharing the Cost of constructing the Airport there. It is the first major International Airport to be built since Dallas fort Worth in 1974. Air Security was discussed during Busey a we Klong overseas visit he said noting that awareness had been heightened by the bombing of pan am flight 103 Over Scotland and a May 15 report by a presidential commission investigating the crash. In efforts to improve air safety the government plans to forge ahead with the installation of High tech explosives detectors in major airports he said. So far the government has purchased six of the million Dollar machines that Are capable of detecting plastic explosives. Busey said the Faa also would continue to encourage other countries to adopt Many or All of the Security procedures used to protect . Airlines. People a should be very comfortable flying . Airlines a Busey said a because in my judgment our system provides the traveler some of the Best Security procedures known which Are designed to Deal with the threats that we  orbits new satellite Cape canaveral Fla. Apr a company embarrassed Over the stranding of a communications satellite launched a Titan rocket Early saturday carrying a replacement satellite. The Titan Iii blasted off on schedule at 7 19 . From the air Force station at Cape canaveral. A everything went just flawlessly a said Edward m. Browne president of the Denver based Martin mar Letta commercial Titan inc. The uninsured Intelsat i satellite valued at $ 150 million is to replace an older Intelsat satellite 22,300 Miles above the Atlantic. That satellite was to have been replaced by the stranded Craft which failed to separate properly from its Booster March 14. Browne said a wiring problem that led to the failure has been corrected in the rocket that went up saturday. Usa eur teams soldiers take honors in grueling cavalry cup Competition by John Millar Wurzburg Bureau Wil Flecken West Germany a a cavalry scout team that went Home with sixth place in last years Usa eur cavalry cup Competition returned to take the top honors this year. Ten soldiers assigned to the 3rd inf dives 4th in 7th inf were awarded first place in the Cav cup Competition during a ceremony at Wil Flecken training Center on saturday. A we wanted it a said winning team member pfc. Scott Becker. A we wanted it  second place for Best Overall scout team went the 3rd inf dives 3rd so 4th Cav. The 1st so 2nd army Cav regt took third place. Eighteen Usa eur teams representing units throughout Germany competed in the event. Competition pitted teams against each other in two separate reconnaissance missions a physical fitness event marksmanship nighttime land navigation and a mystery event. The lat Ter turned out to be a 2 a mile obstacle course with stations for Rifle marksmanship and grenade throwing. The 3rd inf dives 4th in 7th inf captured first place in the competitions night land navigation and mystery events. First in physical fitness was 4th in 70th Armor 1st army div. The divisions 1st in 6th inf took top honors in marksmanship while two 3rd army div teams walked away As Best in the reconnaissance events. The 4th in 67th Armor was tops in screen reconnaissance and 3rd so 5th Cav placed first in zone reconnaissance. A this was about the Best run Cav cup in be seen a said staff sgt. Kevin Nelson of 3rd so 5th Cav. He said All soldiers regardless of Job specially would Benefit by going through the we Klong event and wished More from his platoon could have competed. A we handpicked these Guys a he said about his team. A a it a examples like these Guys that others Start picking things up  the 3rd inf dives winning team Leader 1st it. Todd Miller said his scouts had to pull together to make it through the grueling seven Dav event. A you can come in Here and know your Job and be Able to do everything a said Cpl. Sherwood Gatts. A but it was a hard Competition and you can twin any event with just one individual a you Nave to work As a  individual awards were presented to soldiers in the physical fitness and marksmanship categories. First place winners were most push  1st it. Todd Miller 4th in 7th inf 3rd inf div. Most sit  spec. Phil Parks 4th in 8th inf 8th inf div. Fastest two mile run pfc. Arlo Thayer 2nd so 11th army Cav regt. Best Overall army physical readiness test score 1st it. Scott Kendrick 4th in 67th Armor 3rd army div. Top m-16 Rifle qualification staff sgt. Gibbs Brantly 3rd in 8th inf 8th inf div. Top m-60 machine gun qualification spec. Lynn Ferguson 3rd in 34th Armor 1 St inf div fwd. Top m-203 grenade launcher qualification pfc. Wayne Kelderhouse 1st in 6th inf just army div. Top pistol qualification spec in 8th inf 8th inf div. Michael Rosiere 3rd top hand grenade qualification spec. Darby Grey 4th in 7th Cav 3rd army div