European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes monday september 17,1990 hic Isis in the null troops now getting news via radio by Ron Jensen stuff writer Dhahran saudi Arabia a troops deployed for operation desert shield Are now receiving news sports and information from american forces radio. The service began thursday when a 300-Watt transmitter was erected near Dhahran said it. Col. Ray Shepherd of the armed forces radio and television service. Quot this is one of Many that we re going to put up a he said. Quot providing them with As much information from the states As we can is what we re trying to  the transmitter sends a signal about 30 Miles in the daytime and about 40 Miles during the cooler nighttime hours on 107 pm Shepherd said. The other transmitters will be placed in a pattern to Blanket As much As possible the area occupied by the More than 100,000 troops now in saudi Arabia. Some of them will broadcast on 99.9 pm. The arts voice line includes news information and sports. A local station received by Many troops broadcasts almost continuous music. Quot on weekends there is always going to be a sporting event at least two a Shepherd said. Arts is now using a satellite above the Atlantic Ocean to carry its signal but will soon switch to one above the Indian Ocean. That will improve the signal which is a Little rough Shepherd said. For troops too far from any of the transmitters arts is supplying tiny satellite dishes that weigh less than 100 pounds and Are equipped with speakers. These dishes can receive the broadcast signal directly from the satellite and can be assembled in a Short time. Arts also has distributed 1,200 Small pocket radios and will soon receive 5,000 More for distribution. A obviously not everybody is going to be Able to get a radio a Shepherd said. The radios will be passed to commanders to decide How they Best can be utilized in the Field. The service is intended to boost morale for troops who often complain of being in an information void. Mail and newspapers have not yet begun to arrive in a timely fashion especially to locations far into the desert. A a that a one of the reasons we re Here and trying to put these transmitters up As soon As we can a he said. I i i h special deliver Carrier duty goes better with a can of Coke sailors Sav amp Norfolk a. Up a the aircraft Carrier Kennedy does no to allow its sailors to have canned soft drinks on Board and sailors Are hollering discrimination because cases of coca cola were recently delivered to ground troops in saudi Arabia. A scans of Coke Are like Gold a said the wife of a Kennedy Sailor after talking on the phone to her husband in Egypt. The Kennedy is currently steaming toward duty in the persian Gulf and wives told the Norfolk virginian Pilot that the can ban is the biggest complaint they hear in letters and Calls. The can ban was instituted to keep Roaches off the ship to minimize trash problems and to make sure no Metal cans got sucked into air plane engines. Wives of Kennedy sailors say it is unfair and they have written letters to everyone from first lady Barbara Bush to sen. John Warnerr a. A the ranking gop member on the Senate armed services committee a to complain. Apparently what irked the sailors the most was a recent Story in the stars and stripes. A they read that the Guys stationed in saudi Arabia were sent 500,000 cans of Coke yet they can to get a single one a a wife told the virginian Pilot. A spokesman for the Atlantic Fleet naval air Force it. Cmdr. Steve Honda said any Sailor who has a cup with a lid on it can go to the mess deck and get a free soda from one of 10 dispenser machines which mix the syrup and carbonated water like old time soda fountains. But sailors done to consider it the real thing. A coca cola vice president in Atlanta Carlton Curtis said in saturdays paper a fall the other ships allow it. We will Contact the military Over the weekend and find out what we can do to get some canned coca cola on that  one wife said she was calling because a i want this known to the Public so something can be done to get some soda. This is an american thing. They re out there doing something for America. I done to think that is fair. I think its Kina of  air Force staff sgt. Jerry l. Hicks from Hampton the military is running a round the clock mail service va., carries a package saturday for a fellow airman at for troops serving with operation desert shield in the air Force Post office in Dhahran saudi Arabia. Saudi  in Gulf heat boredom with College courses Washington up a when sailors Arentt working to stave off iraqi aggression in the persian Gulf they re looking for ways to head off the boredom of shipboard life. But stranded on aircraft carriers submarines and other ships they have a limited Choice in recreational activities. So when they re not hitting the decks some 100 to 200 sailors and officers in the Gulf Are hitting the books to earn College credits. Quot we think its terrific. Even though they re on War Alert there still is free time and time to grow intellectually and time to actually proceed with their education while technically Cut off from campuses a said Mara mayor director of the Annen Berg cab project a joint Effort of the Annenberg foundation and the corporation for Public broadcasting. The Annenberg cab program the most widely used program of its Type provides off Campus Independent study College courses through videos textbooks study guides and computers. The computers Are used for Homework assignments to receive feedback from professors and for quizzes. Several different Tel course programs Are used by service members in All military branches around the world. But currently in the Gulf Only the Navy is offering Tel courses a in this Case Annenberg cab courses a with the Navy picking up the tuition Tab. But the defense department is exploring the logistics of providing Tel courses to ground troops in saudi Arabia. A american men can to take out saudi arabian women and american women can to go out on their own Quot said Roger Goldberg of the defense activity for non traditional education support program in Pensacola Fla. A so there Are a lot of folks interested in pursuing their  military personnel can earn College credits from the particular University sponsoring the course. The universities include George Washington University the University of Oklahoma and coastline College in Fountain Valley Calif. Course offerings include psychology economics computer science English physics and the environment. A student can take longer than the usual semester to Complete a course if military activities interrupt study time. A this will Only work if the student is really committed. Students who Complete the course have to be pretty motivated a said Michael Bradley associate professor of economics at George Washington University. The Annenberg cab program has been offered to Navy personnel since 1987, and completion rates Are running about 80 percent a rate that a comparable to on Campus figures. Three years ago however completion rates were much lower because it had been Navy policy to encourage anyone with a High school diploma or ged equivalency certificate to take the courses. A now with the screening we do tests similar to Scholastic achievement test completion is about 80 percent a said Bruce Wilbum of Middlesex research Center in Bethesda md., a defense contractor acting As the Liaison Between the defense department and the participating  said the Success rate varies from ship to ship but he has observed that the brighter More motivated students Are aboard submarines. A i would compare them very favor by with the go pus a he said. Ably with the students on Cam