European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Crisis in the Gulf untried patriots have missile Crews fired up by Ron Jensen and Vince Crawley staff writers with a Patriot missile unit saudi Arabia a the Patriot missile is nearing its 20th birthday but it May receive its first real test Here in the arabian desert. A this is the first time its Ever been deployed on contingency a said it. Col. Lee Neel the commander of the 2nd in 7th air defense arty from fort Bliss Texas. However the effectiveness of the surface to air guided missile weapon system is no mystery to Neel who said it has been tested Many times in training exercises in the United states. A a we be had nothing but super results a he said. A everything we be shot at we be  during training adjust before deploying to saudi Arabia the battalion fired at two targets and scored two direct hits with its missiles which have High explosive fragmentation warheads. The Mobile missiles use multiple guidance systems for accurate interceptions. Neel was not surprised when the Call came in Early August for his troops and missiles to become part of operation desert shield the International defense of saudi Arabia. A this is purely a defensive weapon Quot said Neel a Houston native. A i knew the president was trying to show that he was sending in a purely defensive  there Are several detachments of patriots a their location and exact number Are classified a scattered throughout this area. However Neel said the area which contains a Large number of troops is Well protected by the missiles. One possible target for Neel is the soviet scud missile used by the iraqis. The scud is a surface to surface artillery missile that both Iraq and Iran used with conventional warheads in their eight year War. A a it a dangerous. I m not sure of its accuracy a Neel said. A a we re prepared to take care of it. We have an idea where they  in charge of the battalions Btry d is capt. Lei an troops to begin receiving lighter desert uniforms soon by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a troops involved in operation desert shield should begin receiving new desert Battle dress uniforms next month that Are 12 percent lighter than the old models. The army recently approved a design change to remove padding from the shirt Collar Knees elbows and seat. That reduces the weight of the uniform by 6 a i ounces. The first shipments of redesigned uniforms left the defense personnel support Center in Philadelphia sept. 10 and should begin arriving in the Persi. N Gulf Region in october army officials said. The army pushed through the change late last month after Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf commander of . Forces in the Middle East sent messages criticizing the uniform to Washington. The original uniform weighing in at 3 i pounds was tested in desert environments in the United states. But it proved to be too heavy for troops deployed in saudi Arabia where searing temperatures can top 120 degrees. Schwarzkopf voiced his views on the problem in a report that aired on lbs news sept. 12. A see they be got this extra panel Here on the front a Schwarzkopf said displaying the trouser padding for television cameras. A a that a for durability. And 1 said you know a that s wonderful. But we done to spend that much time on our  a sometimes the bureaucracy gets hold of a simple thing like a uniform and throws it together with everybody putting his 2 cents in Quot Schwarzkopf said. A and the Guy that we. Done task is the  the uniforms fabric a 50-50 mix of Nylon and Cotton twill will stay the same until further tests can be done by the army s research development and engineering Center in Natick mass. The army had planned to test four lighter fabric combinations starting next summer but in Light of Schwarzkopf comments a consideration is Given to accelerating this evaluation a said an army official. Humphrey of new Yorkus Bronx. A i believe in this system a he said. A a it a been tested. In a not  he believes also in his Battery which has won a battalion wide Competition Between Patriot batteries. A we hold damned near All the records a he said. A this is a Good Battery. A if its there to be shot Down a Humphrey said a a we la get it. That a for  one of his soldiers however has More than just missiles on his mind spec. Victor Valenzuela a honeymoon lasted just one night. A a today a my one month anniversary a the 19-year-old combat signal Man from truth or consequences n.m., said last week. The Long planned wedding to his Bride Michelle took place on a tuesday and by wednesday night he was locked up at his unit ready to ship out to saudi Arabia. His wife lives in Elpaso. Honeymoon aside Valenzuela said he would have volunteered to come to saudi Arabia. A if they said a do you want to go a id go. Nobody likes the fact of being away from Home but there a certain things that you be got to  pfc. Trent Parks a 21-year-old missile crewman from Atlanta said his unit was told it was going to Panama during the recent invasion. A but we did no to go a Parks said. A so when they said we might be going to saudi Arab Awe just brushed this aside. Then All of a sudden Boom a a in be seen three camels a he added. Parks has 18 months left in the army and plans to go to dental school afterwards. Among other things being a dentist will allow him to open his own recording studio Parks said. He sings and he a found a sergeant in the unit who a improvised a set of Drums in the desert. Together they make their own version of Uso shows. A we get 10 or 15 people in our room entertaining away a Parks said. A whenever i see somebody with his head hanging Down i say a Why done to you come by the room tonight we re Gonna have a  a is amps Vince Crawley spec. Victor Valenzuela beside a Patriot launcher. . Accuses Iraq of waging War of words against go a decadence a Washington apr a . Analysis of pro iraqi Media has found an a extremely Active disinformation Campaign against the United states and . Forces in saudi Arabia since iraqis aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. The pro iraqi reports from Baghdad and elsewhere contend that american soldiers sent to saudi Arabia Are afflicted with aids alcohol and drug problems and a yearning for prostitutes said the analysis by the . Information Agency. It said the iraqi people also Are being told that Israel far from being a peripheral player in the persian Gulf crisis has sent planes tanks and soldiers to saudi Arabia All elaborately disguised As part of the american Arsenal. A although Many iraqi disinformation claims Are crude and patently false a the analysis said a past experience with disinformation campaigns indicates that even the most outrageous claims can be widely  _ the Usia listed these examples of claims found in the iraqi Media or news outlets elsewhere a the defense department has arranged to Send two groups of 5,000 egyptian women each to provide for the a sexual satisfaction of . Servicemen in saudi Arabia. A . Troops 40 percent of whom Are suffering from aids Are occupying and defiling moslem holy places in saudi Arabia. A some military planes in saudi Arabia Are actually israeli planes disguised As . Aircraft. The israeli pilots have been provided with . Identity cards and american sounding names. A saudis resent the . Military presence in their country and have sabotaged . Military equipment. In response . Forces have killed some saudis. A . Forces Are dumping nuclear waste in the saudi desert. A even if Iraq had not invaded Kuwait the United states and other countries would have sent forces into Kuwait. A the United states and other countries Are covertly trading with Iraq in violation of the . Embargo. A station identifying itself As a holy Mecca radio has been broadcasting propaganda against the american presence to listeners in saudi Arabia purportedly from saudi territory the analysis said. A the american foreigner is on our land a a recent broadcast said. A the . Soldier. Has his customs and traditions which include drinking alcohol eating pork and practising prostitution. The american Soldier has come with All the manifestations of decadence dominating . Society a drugs prostitution and  Iraq meanwhile has claimed for weeks that the Bush administration has been operating its own disinformation Campaign by contending that . Forces in saudi Arabia Are on a defensive Mission. Iraqi spokesmen have noted that the . Military Arsenal in saudi Arabia in addition to defensive arms includes offensive weaponry such As the stealth fighter bomber for use in a possible attack on Iraq. All of the disinformation claims Over the past six weeks have appeared in the iraqi Media except the one involving egyptian prostitutes toe Usia study said. That Story appeared in the times of India on aug. 13, a few Days after Bush committed . Forces to saudi Arabia and May have been planted by Iraq toe analysis said. The account predicted that toe number of prostitutes sent to saudi Arabia eventually would Rise to 100,000. Its alleged source was an unidentified a sort of opposition arabic newspaper published in London a the Usia report said. The article was reprinted in Bangladesh and a similar Story appeared in  claim about israelis masquerading As americans was made by the iraqi news Agency and appeared in a number of Arab countries