European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday september 6, 1990 the stars and Stripe crisis in the gull82nd airborne gis tired of the waiting game sgt. 1st class Karl dunes amps Vince Crawley by Ron Jensen staff writer in the Central arabian desert a when sgt. 1st class Karl Dune donned his first . Military uniform Many of the soldiers now deployed in the desert with him were barely out of diapers. A a in a just 39, but that sold to these Guys a Dune said. A these Guys Are the 2nd platoon of the 82nd airborne dives cob 1st in 505th Parachute inf regt. Dune is their platoon sergeant. They have been in saudi Arabia nearly a month spending several nights tramping about under the desert Moon. Together they be already Learned much about survival in the Sand but Dune has worries other than just avoiding heatstroke. It was the 82nd that jumped into Panama last december and it was at the front end of the invasion of Grenada in 1983. A the 82nd is used As an assault Force a Quick strike a Dune said noting that his battalion came to saudi Arabia thinking that it again would be at the tip of an assault. A everybody was instead the soldiers have been swatting flies and killing Sand vipers and Dune has begun to worry that the troops enthusiasm May Wilt in the heat. A i Tell most of them just plan on having thanksgiving dinner with me. If that does no to work Well have Christmas dinner a he said. But the troops a trained to drop from the sky and raise havoc for a few violent Days a Are growing impatient. A we done to make decisions a said sgt. John Ruth 23, a squad Leader. A but we think the 82nd has lost its he too was ready when the 82nd left fort Bragg . A a lot of us when we came thought we were going right into it a Ruth said. A of course its a Good thing we did no to go right into it. We just done to like sitting others share Ruth a feelings but done to want to be misunderstood. A a we re not saying wed Bug out a said sgt. Ted Minkevich. A a we la do what we re Dune has an added perspective on the problem. He joined the army in 1969 and spent 12 months in Vietnam. He got out of the service in 1971, but returned to uniform three years later. He understands the impatience of his younger companions. A a they re the classic Pepsi generation a he said. A a they re used to having things happen real Quick. They re still kind of upset that we re not doing anything but at least now they understand Why we Dune tells them to worry Only about those things they can control such As having full canteens and healthy feet. Just by being Here he said they Are accomplishing their Mission. A a it a a Good feeling knowing that our presence is making that Jerk wad up North think twice about what he a going to do or not a Dune said referring to iraqi president Saddam Hussein whose army captured the tiny desert country of Kuwait last month. Dune Isnit the Only one who knows what happens when fighting men Are forced to sit and wait. A if we done to stay Busy we re going to have morale problems a acknowledged maj. Gen. James h. Johnson jr., the division commander. But he said the men Are staying Busy. They train Day and night in what the general Calls a a tremendous training plus they receive mail and newspapers with some regularity. When not in the desert they have Access to a Post Exchange and a meal of higher Quality than combat rations. A a we re trying to make life a Little better every Day a Johnson said. Still he does no to try to fool anybody. A this is going to get old after a while a Johnson said. A no one wants to be away from Home for extended periods sitting on their butt with nothing to do. A especially a military equipment taking kuwaitis exiled a dusting from saudi desert by raq invasion 1 will get stipend Eagle Forward base Camp saudi Arabia apr the harsh conditions of the saudi desert Are taking a toll on . Military equipment affecting simple mechanical gears As Well As sensitive High tech equipment from m-16 rifles to weapons guidance systems. The warships patrolling the Waters around the arabian Peninsula Are also having problems officers and maintenance Crews said. A when you buy a stereo what do the instructions say a Marine gunnery sgt. Tate Ingles of Miami asked during a recent interview. A they say you should keep it away from heat dust and vibration. You put the same electrical gear in the saudi desert and Well there you have because of the heat and Sand weapons systems that rely on sensitive electronics and computers could be troublesome to operate if extended hostilities broke out technicians say. At Eagle Forward a base Camp for Apache gunships and other helicopters of the 101st airborne div the soft saudi Sand blown by the desert wind is the big headache. A a it a unbelievable. It gets everywhere a a maintenance Crew member said. Crews Are Flushing out the Apache engines with water every Day to rid them of the Sand. The powdery Sand also finds its Way into transmissions and gears that turn the rotors forcing More frequent maintenance on those systems As Well. A hovering around in the desert is going to be very hard on the engines a said maj. Greg Maisel of Laredo Texas the executive officer of a Marine attack Squadron. Helicopters Are being fitted with Radiator filters much like the Black wraps often seen on the front of sports cars. A we were having a lot of overheating problems because of Sand clogging the radiators a Squadron Leader it. Col. Don Cody said. A we think the filters have fixed the Sand scours the paint from Rotor Blades exposing Metal that glints in the Sun making the helicopters easier to spot. Sand is the reason the air Force is cutting the time Between its routine maintenance. Tests and routine adjustments made every 100 hours Are now being done every 60 to 75 hours an air Force official said. One persistent problem is Sand clogging Jet engine air intake valves. Much like the apaches the engines of air Force and Navy planes on the ground and aboard carriers Are being flushed with water daily. A Marine sergeant cleaning his automatic Rifle noted a sometimes in a not sure it would fire if i needed it to. We train in the desert but in be never seen anything like tanks need More frequent filter cleanings and track Flushing and higher viscosity Oil. Radiators need to be checked constantly to prevent overheating. The Sand cakes on headlights and windshields and can get into the fuel Supply if proper care is not taken. Weapons systems protected from the Sand can to escape the scorching Sun. Within Days of arriving Here 82nd airborne units were reporting dead radios because wires were burned out or fused by the heat. One officer in the division said monday that parts for the radios and other equipment being damaged Are getting hard to come by. A a we re Short quite a few things a said the officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. A a in a sure Well get them meantime ingenuity is helping. On tuesday two 82nd soldiers were at a Safeway supermarket in a saudi town cleaning it out of sponges and cloth. A vehicle containing several Tow anti tank missiles and other weapons exploded at a motor Pool monday and the men suspect heat was a Factor. The equipment problems Are frustrating but the maintenance Crews try to keep a sense of humor. A some officer says a hey my radio done to work a a Ingles said. A i Tell him a sir if you a been sitting out Here under a magnifying Glass in 130-degree temperatures All Day you work a Manama Bahrain apr the deposed kuwaiti government tuesday promised to pay compensation to More than 150,000 of its citizens living in exile As a result of the iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Before the invasion on aug. 2, kuwaitis enjoyed one of the worlds highest per capita incomes estimated at about $20,000 a year. Despite the reported looting of Kuwait a financial institutions by Iraq the Oil Rich government that was led by Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah still has an estimated $100 billion in assets available to it outside the occupied nation. There Are an estimated 150,000 kuwaitis living in saudi Arabia and the government in ext let a official radio station reported tuesday that kuwaiti Heads of families there will receive a monthly allowance of $320. Separate monthly payments of $160 will be provided to other family members above the age of 21, with half of that amount going to those younger. In addition families of five or less will get monthly housing allowances of $400, while those of More than five will get $530. Family Heads will also receive a one time Cash payment of $ 1,330, said the radio announcement broadcast from somewhere in saudi Arabia. Kuwaiti exiles in other Gulf countries will be paid according to the Cost of living there. No mention was made of kuwaitis living outside the Middle East. The Emir and his government have based exiled government in the saudi arabian Mountain resort town of taif. They decided on the living subsidies at a Cabinet meeting on monday the radio said. Prior to the invasion 1.8 million people lived in Kuwait but Only 800,000 were citizens. The remainder came from More than 100 other nations to bolster the labor Force. Most did menial jobs or worked in the construction Industry. Foreigners also served with the military and police
