European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 14, 1990 the stars and stripes crisis in the Gulf a a a Page 3 Eiiiliij-j101 St airborne settles into a fort camels by Vince Crawley staff writer a port on the persian Gulf a the troops of the 101st airborne div Are still setting up housekeeping in the saudi desert. The soldiers who Call themselves screaming eagles Are Home based at fort Campbell ky., and have started calling their new desert Home a fort  so far the base is Little More than 4,000 rented bedouin tents according to maj. Dan Grigson. A a we re living rough a Grigson said. A conditions Are austere and there a a lot of hard  Grigson a 101st airborne div spokesman said he Wasny to concerned about reports that duty in saudi Arabia is Boring. A War is Boring a he said. A intermingled with periods of hard labor interspersed with hours of sheer terror. There Are probably a few times of sheer ecstasy. That a just kind of the nature of the  Grigson was leading a dockside tour where a ship called the american Eagle had just unloaded Many of the units helicopters and vehicles. All of the 101st cargo ships Grigson said were either in route or had already arrived. The screaming eagles had a longer journey to saudi Arabia than Many units. The 24th inf div had to travel 30 Miles to the port at Savannah ga., Grigson said. Soldiers from the 82nd airborne div went across the Road to Pope fab n.c., to catch their lift to the desert. And the Marine corps units by nature Are stationed near ports of embarkation. A but the 101st had to drive 690 Miles in convoys a Grigson said. A within a week after they were alerted they had All their equipment at the port in Jacksonville  the division has brought about 300 helicopters and Well More than 10,000 soldiers. Desert shield officials done to want More exact numbers published. The 101st is one of the army slightest infantry divisions. It uses helicopters to ferry soldiers Long distances and instead of armoured vehicles it plans to use ah-64 Apache and ah-1 cobra attack helicopters to kill tanks. Originally a world War ii airborne division with parachutists and glider troops the unit since has been changed to a Heli Bome air assault Force. Its soldiers last saw combat in Vietnam. The troops whose shoulder patches show the profile of a screaming eagles head Are Well aware of the image. A when people think of the army they think of the 101st and the 82nd,�?� said pfc. Brian Sipp a fuel Driver. A a it a kind of Good that when something like this did break out i was in the 101st. A lot of units Are staying Back in the  Sipp a 21-year-old from Pittsburgh said his air assault training was a 10-Day course that taught him rappelling Sling loading and helicopter work. Plus a lots of physical  Sling loading is the Art of tying equipment and supplies to the belly of a helicopter. As far As he knows nearly everyone in the division has been through air assault training. A my real Job is to refuel but everyone a Job Down Here is to get the ship offloading done a Sipp said on his bunk dockside. Head driven one Convoy that morning and was getting ready to head out again. The distance to the base Camp is classified but it was a Long haul. A i drive fuel trucks a he said. A a 10-ton fuel truck. Holds 2,500 Gallons. About the size of a  Sipp agreed that driving helicopter fuel could be dangerous work in a desert War but for now his biggest worry is the saudi arabian Drivers. A a they re kind of crazy a he said. The . Drivers Are told that they re possible terrorist targets and Are trained accordingly. But Sipp said a i done to think you can Ever really train to get shot  but he did no to seem worried. A a in a going to live a he said. A a there a no doubt about that. In a not even  his wife Lorelei was assigned to the same unit until july when she got out and they married. She had gone to California to visit her parents when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Now she a staying out West and plans to Start College there at least until the Gulf crisis blows Over. A it shocked her a Sipp said. A it really did. I did no to even really have a Chance to get out there before i left. So in a just working everyday. And just  a ,. S / Quot a  tank patrol a a Sheridan tank takes the Lead while Sert wednesday. The m551, a Light other tanks fall into position during tank used by the 82nd airborne div army tank Maneu vers in the saudi de can be air dropped during a  aids spouses when a Sand land Calls by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau Raf Mildenhall England a spouses left behind by persian Gulf deployments Are getting by with the help of operation Cope named for military spouses who Are a capable of practically  under the program set up by the base family support Center three weeks ago the facility Hopes to help spouses a scope not Only with the situation of being separated but with Normal everyday activities that Many done to even know How to do a said Pat Pope the Mildenhall centers program director. To meet that goal the Center has set up twice weekly meetings to provide information for family members. Pope and Kay Dyer the centers chief of programs have been tracking Down guest speakers from various base agencies. A i myself was going through the same situation that i guess 150-plus other wives or husbands Are going through of being separated a Pope said. A my husband was deployed into saudi  her husband master sgt. Kenneth Pope of the 5th Mobile Aerial port so recently returned from what service members have dubbed a Sand  one big Issue has been military pay a especially when most May not know How to read an Les a said Pat Pope referring to the military Send of the month pay stub the leave and earnings statement. Other concerns include what Power of attorney Means How to Check Oil in a car and How to handle emergency Home repairs. Other deployment related programs coordinated by various base agencies fall under the umbrella of operation Cope. The base Chapel for example is putting together care packages while a maintenance Squadron has started a drive to collect baked goods for Gulf based troops. At nearby Raf Lakenheath spouses received their first packet of information from the base family support Center less than a week after the installations first deployment. The weekly packets Are filled with handouts on coping with the separation and about events for spouses. They also include a newsletter on operation desert shield from the Public affairs office and even an activity Sheet for children. A 48th tac fighter Wing desert shield logo a depicting an Al 11 flying above two Sand dunes a Camel and an Oasis a is stamped on some handouts that specifically address the operation. Handout headlines read a desert dispatch a a the Mission a and a desert shield deployment  compiled every Friday morning the packets will continue to reach the left behind spouses As Long As the deployment lasts said Cece Medford the director of Lakenheath a facility. She  say How Many of the packets were being distributed. Both centers have Ever increasing lists of volunteers who Are offering child care services transportation and other assistance for those left behind. Help phone lines have been established at both centers. Crisis management counselling one of the regular services the centers offer Hasni to been on the Rise the three workers said. But a the longer it goes on the More stress management and crisis counselling will be needed a predicted Dyer a military wife of 22 years. The spouses appear to be coping fairly Well since some have dealt with their military husbands and wives being on temporary duty elsewhere but this deployment has a different Edge to it the three women said. A this one was sort of thrust on the individuals without any notice at All. One Day the deployed spouses Are Here and the next Day they re not a said Pope whose notice that her husband of 17 years was deploying came in a phone Call at work. The numbers for the 24-hour help lines Ere Mildenhall ets 238-3514 or civilian 0638-513514 Lakenheath ets 228-1111 or civilian 0838-521111.