European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 22, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 crisis in the Gulf what by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington a amps a . Service members in saudi Arabia will soon be breaking bread that bears More of a resemblance to the Flat unleavened loaves eaten in the Middle East. The military bread which comes in Inch thick loaves measuring 2 h by 4 /2 inches is the latest ration item from the army a food research labs in Natick mass. Shipments of Field meals containing the loaves left the United states about three weeks ago and soon should be gracing the mess tents of operation desert shield. Called a shelf stable bread a the loaves come in pouches and Are not dehydrated like most products in the rations which the Pentagon Calls meals ready to eat or res. The bread is designed to stay fresh inside its Pouch for at least three years if stored at 80 degrees officials said adding that they done to expect to find those conditions in the Sands of saudi Arabia. Hotter the environment the Shorter the shelf life a said Gerald a. Darsch chief of Natick a food technology division. A but As a minimum requirement All our items must last six months at temperatures of 100 degrees and the loaves will last much longer than conventional bread even in hot  a blameless ration Heater is another development included in res now being shipped to saudi Arabia Darsch said. The Heaters which weigh in at about an ounce Are chemically treated plastic sleeves that heat up when water is poured in. In 10 to 12 minutes the sleeve will heat an Are entree to 100 degrees he said. Troops have been munching res since 1983, when the dehydrated meals replaced canned a rations. Res have gone through repeated changes since then based on soldiers comments Darsch said. A there Are about 700,000 folks in the army a he said a and All of them Are our  the first change was to increase the entree size from 5 /2 to 8 ounces because soldiers complained the meals weren to big enough. Other changes have provided More variety in the 12 menus and added hot sauce a beverage base Candy and towelettes As Staple items. In 1988, two breakfast res one with corned beef hash and one with an egg Melet were introduced. When soldiers make suggestions about res the changes take about 18 months to reach the Field Darsch said. The Natick labs Are continuing to work on the rations and have some ideas for the future. A a we re looking at adding More popular foods to the Are menus a Darsch said. A items such As hamburgers hot dogs and mexican italian and chinese entrees Are being  worried but Reody for  a Stock by Ron Jensen staff writer in the Central arabian desert a soldiers of the 24th inf div Mech have seen pictures of the victims of Saddam Hussein a chemical weapons attacks in his War with Iran. The women and the children blistered in death Are Strong images of that eight year War. A chemical weapons Are an evil vicious illegal weapon a said 1st it. Michael Yuschak of the 1st in 41st Field arty of the divisions 1st brigade. A but we re trained for  the training has lessened but not erased the worry that Iraq might actually use a weapon so horrible it has been outlawed for use in wartime. A a we re concerned about it a said col. Walt Mather brigade commander. A a there a nobody in the . Army who has fought against chemical  defense against the insidious  is limited to a full body suit and mask that become stifling in the desert heat. A if its 50 degrees outside they re hot a Mather said. A if its 110 degrees its  sgt. Brian c. Holden can testify to that. He was suited up recently As the i a a a a a ,. A amps Ron Jensen spec. Michael Robinson practices decontaminating a vehicle during training. Battalion practice decontaminating its howitzers and support vehicles. A it gets Damn hot in Here a he said As he pulled his mask off revealing a head of soaking wet hair and sweat dripping from his nose and Chin. Yuschak said a a they be instructed us to strip Down to Only underwear and put the suits on. When the heat gets up to 120 or 130 degrees the Soldier will have to drink a lot of  a a we re probably the Best prepared army in the world to Deal with a chemical environment a said capt. Jeff Hammond. A in the event we have to fight in a chemical environment i think it will have minimal effect on our division. A this is part of our regular  capt. Steve Bullimore said a the Guys do not fear chemical weapons. You teach them to Wear those masks like gunslingers a whip them out and put them on in less than 10  yet the sense of Security created by the training does no to make the worry vanish Mather said. A any Soldier will Tell you that chemical weapons is something they done to like a he said. A the rest of the world does no to like it. We like it even  troops in Mideast learning deserts lessons act cd Cazimr an Imi inn a m. Eastern saudi Arabia up a american troops Are learning the Laws of the saudi arabian desert As they try to keep their military machine functioning in an environment of debilitating heat and penetrating grime. Many soldiers mastered the basics of desert warfare at the National training Center in californians Mojave desert but saudi Arabia has its own natural edicts that must be followed if personnel wish to succeed and survive in the rigorous theater. The most formidable enemy so far has been grit which if left unchecked can bring multimillion Dollar weapons systems grinding to a halt. . Personnel have found during More than one month in the Sands that defeating dirt is vital. A i keep thinking a what if a a said sgt. William Brad Berry a resident of Chino calif., now leading a platoon of marines in the wastes of northeastern saudi Arabia on guard against iraqi adventurism. A what if i did no to clean my weapon properly what if i did no to do enough training what if they come tonight a soldiers scour their weapons daily and use minimal lubricant which catches Sand. Bullet belts for heavy machine guns Are kept Pristine because grit infested ammunition jams firing mechanisms. Aircraft suck in particles when moving through the dust Laden air and engines demand More maintenance. Desert War requires great mobility and vehicles must keep rolling. Formidable tanks May splutter and Stop if Crews do not clean air filters a task that is done every two Days but was a monthly chore at fort Stewart ga., the base of the 24th inf div Mech. The procedure involves parking two mis together and connecting a Hose to an air exhaust nozzle on the engine of one of the 60-ton behemoths. The tube is then linked to the adjacent tanks air filters and hot air is blasted through the filter which is an improved Model installed after earlier equipment failed to prevent Sand from entering during tests in the Mojave. Tank treads become worn especially the 80 connecting Teeth that bite onto the massive driving sprocket wheel in a constant frictional meeting that grinds Down the robust steel. A everything is holding up Good but the Sand is going to Start taking its toll a predicted sgt. Harold h. Helms 32, a tank commander from Concord . A a it a just like  High tech weaponry and aiming devices Are Well sealed from dust inside the mis and the Bradley fighting vehicles and random interviews yielded Little evidence of any major breakdowns. Override manual facilities would be used in an emergency if sophisticated electronic components ceased soldiers said. A if it gets dirty we clean it and fire it a was the can to reply of Bradley gunner John Posey of Springfield ore., when asked about caring for his 25mm Cannon. A there is so much grease in this gun that it just does not matter a he said scooping a glob of heavy Grade goo that lubricates the guns vertical movement and assists the Turret to swivel. Col. Walt Mather commander of the 24th�?Ts 1st brigade said the saudi desert had looser Sand than the Mojave and that soldiers had taken advice from Arab allies and lowered the tire pressure of wheeled vehicles to make travel easier. He said the absence of a vertical terrain had made navigation harder. Communications have become vital in the theater of minimal landmarks. Paratroopers of the 82nd airborne div wrap Damp cloth around radio batteries to Stop overheating and give the Power source a longer life. Scouts of the 24th said they had been issued a navigation device called the global positioning system that costs $88,000. The item is slightly larger than a car radio and tracks three satellites to give a scout a 10-digit Grid that reveals his position on the planet to within 10 Yards. Another device tells the user of any course deviations Between a starting Point and a declared destination and the direction to an objective. A it helps out Here where you can to really Tell where you Are a said it. Kirk Allen 26, of Moorestown . The american forces have Superior night vision capabilities than the Irakis but they Are now paying More attention to spotting skills because of the great array of military Materiel arriving in saudi Arabia. Troops have been issued cards with pictures of various vehicles used by Friend and foe in the increasingly Complex theater in which syrian forces Are expected to deploy t-72 tanks soviet made Armor also used of Iraq. Beyond weapons desert wars Are won or lost by logistics with a solid Supply of food munitions fuel and water vital for Victory. Guzzling warm fluid is hardly a satisfying experience and troops wrap Damp sacking around plastic bottles causing the stored water to Cool when the exterior fluid evaporates