European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Crisis in the Gulf Carrier settles Down to business As usual by Ron Jensen staff writer aboard the Carrier Independence a the tension that boarded this ship a month ago when it suddenly headed to a potential War zone has disintegrated. The More than 5,000 sailors have settled into a routine no different than a training cruise. A this is a routine deployment for the Navy except not much Liberty a said rear adm. 1 Jerry Unruh commander of the Independence Battle group. It Wasny to routine on aug. 2 when the ship was sent steaming to the Gulf of Oman from Diego Garcia in the Wake of iraqis invasion of Kuwait. A when we first arrived the tensions were High because nobody knew what the iraqis intentions were a said capt. Robert l. Ellis jr., commander of the Independence. Since then however the United states and other nations have stationed More than 100,000 troops in saudi Arabia along with vast amounts of War equipment to deter any iraqi plans of further Conquest. This has calmed the atmosphere on the Independence considerably. Some of the pilots arrived with mixed emotions said it. Dave Beverly an f-14 Pilot from fort Walton Beach Fla. A there was excitement about the possibility of putting into use what wed been training for a said the Veteran of 220 Carrier landings. A then there was apprehension about the possibility of actual combat which nobody looks Forward  it. De Langford an a-6 bomber Pilot from Tallahassee Fla., recalls the uncertainty of Early August. A it was fairly anxious at the time because we did no to know what we were getting into a he said. A a lot of Guys were nervous but also excited about doing something in the real  there was even some disappointment from Crew members who had been anticipating a tour of the exotic Pacific Region. A we had a great schedule a said Petty officer 2nd class John finn a machinist mate from Spokane Wash. A we were going to hit a lot of great  but Japan Thailand Korea and the Philippines will have to wait while the Independence and its entourage sail around in circles in the Gulf of Oman. Cmdr. Sel laughter of the Black night so of pilots said he and his colleagues Are simply continuing to do what they be done since leaving port in san Diego in late june. A the Only thing we re doing differently since this Mission started is we be moved a Little farther North and we put More missiles and bombs on the ship a he said. A flight deck personnel aboard the aircraft Carrier Independence signal to an a-6 bomber in the Gulf of Oman this week. Laughter said iraqi pilots Fly soviet made aircraft and have been trained by the soviets and the French. American pilots train for combat against soviet aircraft and tactics so a we feel comfortable with the equipment and the techniques they would  he admitted that the iraqi pilots have an advantage in combat experience because of the eight year War with Iran but said it is not a great one. A there weren to Many air Battles in the Iraq Iran War a he said. So far the iraqi pilots have not even shown themselves to the american fliers. A right now they re not even leaving their Borders a said capt. Jay b. Yakeley Iii a Phoenix native who commands the ships 70 aircraft. If there is a diversion from the Norm aboard this vessel it is Down in the Battle command Section where All ships passing through the Gulf Are monitored. Even that has become a predictable task however. When a ship is sighted it is contacted Bridge to Bridge and asked to state its cargo port of origin and destination. A we query an average of 60 ships a Day a said capt. William r. Schmidt the commander of the escort ships. A there has been no hesitation on the part of a single ships master to give us the  it does no Good to lie anyway Unruh said. His staff can verify the information with the International registry of ships at sea. A if he tells us he departed from a port other than the one he departed from he immediately becomes a suspect a the Admiral said. Is it possible to slip through undetected a absolutely not a said Unruh a native of Dodge City Kan. A there Are no secrets out  currently the Independence has nine a contacts of interest on its video screen. Eight Are iraqi ships. One is kuwaiti. All except one Are empty at Anchorage or in the Case of the iraqi flagged Zanobia already turned away. The Zanobia and its cargo of Tea Are on their Way Back to sri Lanka after being ordered to do so by the blockade against Iraq. The exception is the Tarik Ibn Ziyad an iraqi merchant ship still 700 Miles from the persian Gulf but moving in that direction. A we know where he a from. We know what he a supposed to be loaded with. We know what his name is. We know what his Flag is a Unruh said. A a it a not like John Paul Jones Day where you say a hark there a something on the  a since the Independence arrived in the Gulf one month ago the amount of shipping in the area has decreased. A a it a not As Busy As it was when we first got Here a it. Cmdr. Dave Chilson said. A the kuwaitis Are All at Anchorage. The iraqis Are staying Home. That takes two pretty heavy shipping nations out of the  in that sense the Mission of the Independence is a Success. A in my personal opinion a Unruh said a the economic embargo on this Side of the Peninsula is being very  9iupy us Soiu. Sister services joining Navy in Long deployments. O . I .1------for the flight Terk in Neine room 3. H by Ron Jensen staff writer aboard the Carrier Independence a soldiers and airmen deployed to operation desert shield Are unwittingly getting a taste of the Navy Way of service life. At least that a what Crew members aboard this aircraft Carrier say about the Long term deployment the ground and air forces Are serving in the desert. The Independence has been at sea since june 23 when it left its san Diego port. Chances Are Good sailors say that it will remain in the Gulf of Oman Many More weeks if not months. Perhaps it will still be there at the end of 1990. A we do this All the time a it. Dave Beverly an f-14 Pilot said of the Long deployment away from Home. A they the army and air Force usually stay at Home and deploy the Mission at  it is not uncommon for sailors to be away More than 100 Days at a stretch. Someone on Board has figured out that if the ship stays at sea until new years Day its Crew will have spent Only 85 Days at Home in 1990. A this is nothing new to us a said it. De Langford who pilots an a-6, a Carrier based attack bomber. The sailors aboard a Carrier have some comforts not found on the desert. They have better food and More of it. There Are showers and places to escape the Mideast heat. The Carrier after All is built to carry a population the size of a Small town across the Ocean for months at a time. Yet there Are disadvantages and unique ways to measure isolation. It. Wes Koens who catapults jets into the air from the flight deck recalls spending months at sea without even seeing land. Petty officer 2nd class John finn a machinist mate works far below the flight deck in engine room 3. He Hasni to seen the Sun in More than a month. He and his mates often lose track of the Day the Date and even the time. If the mess Hall serves eggs it must be morning. Asked what Day it is finn hesitated and then said a a it a monday. We re sending laundry up  there is almost a smugness among the Crew when asked about the soldiers and airmen now in saudi Arabia. But there is also respect. A i done to envy them at All being where they Are a said Beverly. A we were supposed to be on cruise anyway. They re More away from Home than we  cmdr. Dave Nichols who commands the Squadron of a-6 bombers that can support the ground troops in Battle said the men at the front can count on his squads help. A no doubt about it a he said. A and in a sure we can count on