European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday August 18,1990 the stars and stripes Page 3 i saudis May frown on women gis american ways could clash with rigid islamic culture by Dana Kennedy associated press the women among the 50,000 . Soldiers in saudi Arabia Are Likely to be a disturbing if not threatening presence in a culture where women cannot drive vote sit in a theater with a Man or even show their face an hair. The saudi kingdom has the most conservative and rigid islamic Way of life of All the Arab countries. Most westerners there Are employed by Western companies and Are kept isolated from the rest of the country. . Women soldiers said wednesday that saudi men react with dismay and occasional hostility when they see them doing such non combat jobs As repairing air planes and driving trucks or in at least one Case giving orders to men. I Don t think they disagree with what we re doing said a Victoria va., sergeant whose name was with held in keeping with the Media ground rules. I think they re More like shocked there s an american woman. She s doing what men Are doing " the . Troops May pose a significant outside influence that could be hard to control. It s a breaking of the hermetic Seal that s sur rounded saudi Arabia since it was founded in the 1920s," said Richard bullitt a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University in new York. What happens to the saudi foot Soldier whose world View of women is quasi human when he sees a woman making an arrest the . Buildup includes women truck Drivers communications specialists technicians and aircraft Crew chiefs. The Pentagon would not give specific numbers. Some experts warned against allowing . Troops retire not when unit s going to Gulf sergeant decides fort Campbell by. A first sgt. Michael Outler was just Days away from retirement when he decided to stick with the army so he could accompany his unit to saudi Arabia. I just could t look at myself in the Mirror and walk away the 37-year-old Vietnam Veteran said wednesday. That does t mean he s unafraid. You be got to be a fool not to be scared he said. Everyone is a his understanding of fear is part of the reason out Ler Felt he had to go. He said he wanted to share his combat experience with younger soldiers in his unit. The biggest thing you can Tell them is just rely on. That expert training they be received he said. It s Back there in their Outler is one of several soldiers in the 101st air borne Day based at fort Campbell who either postponed retirement or re enlisted because they wanted to accompany units of the 15,000-Strong division to saudi Arabia said an army spokesman maj. Dan Grigson. The number of soldiers who made that decision was not available but five of them spoke at a news Confer ence wednesday. Whatever happens Over there we re Here to defend our country said sgt. 1st class Larry Hyatt 40. None of us like asked what his family thought of his decision to re enlist 20-year-old pfc. Michael Ames said it has t gone Over real his army comrades he said probably would have done the same Outler said his wife is worried about him but she also sgt. 1st class Ernest Johnson or. Said he thought it Over for five or 10 minutes before deciding i m you put fear aside said Johnson 42, who has 23 years of service. You can t let fear conquer he said he believed the 101st, the . Military s Only air assault division is Well prepared to defend saudi Arabia from possible Aii ack by iraqi troops along its Border. If we have to go to War i believe America is going to win,1 he said. "1 believe the . Soldier is going to do an outstanding much Access to average saudis who live in a culture where one recent topic of conversation was whether beheading should be televised. So far they have no been it would be a big mistake if our soldiers were Al Lowed to mix too much said Lenore Martin a fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern studies at Harvard University in Cambridge mass. We really have to see our separate because the stability of the government is involved. One of the main reasons the saudis Haven t Given us bases before is the fear of being too closely westernized in order to protect the fundamentalist regime and Way of although saudi men Are forbidden to drink alcohol and must adhere to a rigid dress code among other regulations it is saudi women who live an especially restricted life. When women go outside their clothing must cover almost All of their bodies and faces. Women must use separate beaches and Heaters. They arc allowed an education but can attend Only segregated classes. Saudi wives cannot ask for divorces and Are strictly limited in their right to own property. American troops Are totally incompatible with the Way of life in saudi Arabia Bulliet said. I have no idea who s going to get disgusted first the Ameri cans with saudi behaviour or the saudis with the Amer the Virginia sergeant an f-15 fighter ground Crew chief said saudi men Stop work and stare when she tells crewmen what to do. She said saudi men reacted so strongly when another ground Crew woman peeled off her shirt to work in a to shirt that a . Sergeant told her to put it Back on. They got very emotional about that the sergeant said. They made a lot of physical movements. I think they asked the sergeant to make her put her shirt . Troops were briefed on saudi culture in one of several booklets distributed before shipping out. You will Seldom see women outside the Home reads one. It is considered impolite to inquire about a Man s wife or children. Men should not show any interest in Arab women. Do not photograph or stare at them. Arab women barely touch upon Greet ing a Man and they shake hands using fingertips but the saudis knowledge of the Western Way of life May be less detailed. The information they glean from saudi television where prayers Are broadcast five times daily along with readings from the Koran is not Likely to prepare them. The fact that there Are women in the . Military will be regarded As a very unusual and perhaps disgraceful thing by the clergy in saudi Arabia said Gary sick a Middle Eastern specialist at Columbia and a member of the National Security Council during the Carter administration. But he added people do what they need to do for survival. It would be a mistake to assume that because they re breaking their own rules in a crisis like this the saudis won t revert to old ways once the crisis is indeed some experts on islamic Law and culture said the role of women May appear More restricted than it is. While women Don t have Many of privileges and liberties in the internal dynamics of saudi families women have to be very much the Boss said Roy Mut Thedah a professor at Harvard s Center for mid dle Eastern studies. It leads to a lot of do Facto Matri a silent Send off a sign on a business near fort Campbell ky., gives bound for Florida. Elements of fort Campbell s soldiers a Farewell message As a Convoy Rolls out 101st airborne div have already joined the defense wednesday. Some 400 vehicles from the base were Force in the persian Gulf. Army town knows something s afoot Killeen Texas a folks in this army town can spot the signs fort Hood is gearing up for some thing. Soldiers Are updating wills and stockpiling desert gear. Rumours Are flying. But the Pentagon and the Post refuse to say whether any troops have been or will be deployed to the Middle East. I can t speculate on that. We have no comment said fort Hood spokesman maj. Jesse Seigal on tues Day. The Post is the largest armoured installation in the . And Home of the 1st Cav and 2nd army divisions. An army source in Washington has said fort Hood troops will be deployed. And folks in Killeen Are sure that soldiers and equipment from their neighbouring Post will be involved somehow in the persian Gulf. There s something going on said Margaret Malin do an employee at the German restaurant in Killeen. You Don t see any oils downtown. At lunch we usually have five or six but i Haven t seen a in in two or three weeks almost 70,000 people live in Killeen located at the main Entrance of fort Hood. About 45,000 of them Are military their families or military retirees. A hell county Justice of the peace Robert stubble Field said his office has been inundated with Calls from soldiers who want to update their wills or designate Power of attorney. Others Point to the run by soldiers an desert sup plies at army surplus stores. I he fatigues and Ihm s store was sold out of desert bandanas and , assistant manager Mars Arm arnello said. Canteens and desert goggles also were going last
