European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A a a the stars and stripes tuesday september 18,1990crisis in the Gulf a xxx r Ulf Brief Canada assigns Squadron from w. Germany to Gulf Lahr West Germany a amps a the Canadian forces have assigned the 409th tac fighter so from West Germany to the persian Gulf to support the . Trade embargo against Iraq a forces spokesman said monday the Squadron from Canadian forces base Baden Solingen with an augmented strength of 18 c�?Tf-18 Hornet Jet fighters and 450 people will be responsible for protecting two Canadian destroyers and a support ship enforcing the embargo the Squadron is expected to be in the Gulf when the ships arrive there in about two weeks army maj. Norbert Cyr said. The Canadian forces still done to know what the Squadron will use As an operating base in the Region or even from what nation it will operate because diplomatic negotiations were still in Progress monday. The nations on the gulfs South coast Are Bahrain Oman Qatar saudi Arabia and the United Arab emirates. Forces members began processing for deployment monday and will undergo medical examinations and refresher training tuesday Cyr said. Canada had announced Friday it would deploy a Cf-18 Squadron to support its Gulf operations but did not identify the specific shortage ties up towns display for troops Williamson . Apr the deploy Vieni of . Troops to the Middle East is causing a shortage in this Southern West Virginia town a of ribbon. The Williamson City Council told City clerk june Blevins to decorate City Hall and a flagpole at the town fire station with yellow bows and red White and Blue streamers to show support for Servic members in the Middle East. Buying ribbon in Williamson however proved to be difficult Blevins told the City Council. Dozens of area residents have purchased ribbon for their own displays and hardly any stores in the Williamson area had enough ribbon in Stock she said. Many Homes businesses churches and other buildings throughout the area sport yellow bows or colourful streamers. At least 14 soldiers from the Williamson area have been sent to the Middle East since iraqi troops invaded Kuwait on aug. 2, officials said. Blevins said she made a preliminary display for City Hall but has promised to make a better arrangement once More ribbon becomes denies arms Cache stored in Berlin embassy Berlin apr iraqi diplomats on monday strongly denied reports that a massive Cache of weapons is being stored on embassy grounds in the East German capital. But East German officials said an investigation has begun against the iraqi embassy. A this is slander part of a Campaign against Iraq a said Oman Nuri Secretary to the iraqi ambassador to East Germany Riyadh Al Azzawi. A we Are an embassy not a military Barracks a Nuri told the associated press in an interview at the embassy. Junge Welt an East Berlin newspaper and the West German daily Bild reported Over the weekend that a Large amount of explosives and weapons was being kept in the iraqi embassy in East Berlin. East German criminal authorities have opened an investigation into the possible storage of weapons at the iraqi embassy said Wolfgang Estner a spokesman for the Interior ministry. The iraqi embassy is a Modem building located in a residential neighbourhood in Northern East Berlin. Tf1 a _ a amps Ron Jensen spec. George Mcqueen of the 24th inf div Mech from fort Stewart ga., takes up a firing position in the endless desert Sand near a 155mm self propelled howitzer in Central saudi Arabia. Howitzers training give soldiers Confidence to do a whatever it takes by Ron Jensen staff writer in the Central arabian desert a some soldiers have found a desert with character. It is not the endless Plain that describes much of this land. Rather this piece of desert ungulates with Flat topped Bluffs and Tan humps that hide the horizon. The terrain offers a sense of place to the men of the 1st in 41st Field arty of the 24th inf div Mech. They talk of a beyond the Rise and a behind that it is Here that they hunkered Down two weeks ago to go about their Mission of providing fire support for the attack vehicles of the 1st brigade of the 24th inf div which comes from fort Stewart a. If there is a War their 155mm howitzers will lob High explosive projectiles onto an unseen enemy. A a in a very ready a said spec. Marvin Miller who drives one of the hulking howitzers. The bravado expressed by the 21-year-old native of Moorefield ., seems sincere. It is repeated Many times during interviews with the soldiers. A whatever it takes that a what Well do a said staff sgt. Larry Williams of Savannah a. A we done to have any mercenaries but the Guys Are ready to do the battalion commander it. Col. John Floris becomes almost misty eyed when he talks about his troops in a fatherly tone he refers to them constantly As a a they re great kids a said Floris. A they Cut each others hair. They Wash each others clothes. They take care of their buddy. A some Are cocky. Some Are nervous. I think All of them Are their Confidence is attributable to several things including their familiarity with desert territory which Mey gained in the Mojave desert at the National training Center in fort Irwin calf. A a in be been there for five rotations already a said capt. Bradley Alvada Btry a commander. A it has assured us that we can fight in the still there Are More lessons for these men to learn Here. A a we re desert trained but we re not desert hard Dalvadi said. A when we come out of Here Well be desert but the Etc pales in comparison with saudi Arabia a desert almost the size of the Eastern half of the United states. The Etc is closer to the size of Rhode Island. A a in la laugh at the Etc when we go Back there a said capt. Steve Bullimore of St. Joseph to. These troops believe their enemy just does no to measure up. For one thing the iraqis do not fight Well at night said Floris of Columbus a. A we on the other hand do fight Well at night a he said. A we do the preponderance of our training at the divisions mechanical behemoths a my Abrams Battle tanks Bradley fighting vehicles and the howitzers a Are equipped with night vision apparatus making even the darkest desert night seem like High noon. The iraqis do not have such equipment Floris said. The iraqis also Are not adept at massing fire the americans say. They have older equipment and poor lines of logistics and communications. These troops Trust their guns. The howitzer can launch three rounds a minute 12 to 15 Miles downrange. Bullimore has no worries about iraqi artillery that might come searching for the battalion. A i done to fear it one bit a he said. A it can to acquire find me fast enough. He does no to have the radar meets and direct firing he fears even less the iraqi aircraft. A i know a Bunch of Jet jockeys a he said. A i feel sorry for them. I done to think there a enough iraqi aircraft for them to reach Ace. It takes five. I done to think anybody will have a Chance to get that adding to the Confidence is the brigade commander col. Walt Mather a 45-year-old who led a Rifle platoon in Vietnam for 13 months. He Calls his menus attitude one of a quiet it is a manner that he also possesses. Mather dismisses any talk about rest and recreation for this men anytime soon. The desert fighters in North Africa during world War ii were rotated after one year he said. Today a army is better equipped and better fed which Means a Soldier should easily match his earlier counterparts. A i think six months is easily attainable and 12 months is realistic a he said. A just living Mather said today a Soldier in the professional army is the Best fighting Man America has produced. The improvement Over even 10 years is remarkable. Still he said he would prefer avoiding a War. A those of us who were in Vietnam know the horror of War a he said. A i know its my profession but that does no to mean i have to look Forward to
