European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday september 30, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 crisis in the Gulf Patton s ghost stalks saudi desert by Vince Crawley Sta f . Army Headquarters saudi Arabia a they might not know it but nearly All the american soldiers in operation desert shield belong to Patton a 3rd army. As the threat of tank warfare continues famed world War ii armoured units Are rolling out of the history books and into the saudi arabian Sand. The . 3rd army never fought in the desert but it set Battle records for tank advances across Europe when it led the american drive against nazi Germany. Now its the top army component of the . Central come. That Means All american soldiers both Active duty and called up reservists in saudi Arabia fall under the umbrella of the 3rd. The Only exceptions Are special operations forces. If War starts Over Here most experts Are predicting fierce tank Battles. A the 3rd army has a tradition of knowing How to do this kind of business a said it. Gen. John j. Yeosock the top ranking Man wearing the shoulder Patch that shows a lightly shaded capital a inside a dark Circle. The 3rd army was retired after world War ii then reactivated in 1982 and put in charge of . Ground forces in an area the military Calls Southwest Asia. Except for infrequent training exercises there were never actually Many ground forces to speak of until now. The area includes Egypt the Horn of Africa and the Region of the Middle East that lies South and cast of Syria and Israel. Saudi Arabia happens to be about dead Center on a map of the area. Unlike the 7th army in Europe which controls Well Over 100,000 soldiers Yeosock normally has no combat troops and Only a partial staff at his Home Headquarters in fort Mcpherson a. Right now the bulk of the 3rd army is made up of the lightly armed but fast moving xviii airborne corps out of fort Bragg . But this will continue evolving into a heavier Force As the 1st Cav div and 2nd army div arrive from fort Hood Texas. There will be a reunion of sorts when the 2nd army div Rolls into the saudi desert. Parts of the division fought in the North african desert in the Early part of world War ii. Then after the Normandy landings the 2nd army div linked up with Gen. George s. Patton a 3rd army for the drive into Germany. Patton died following a car Accident in Germany in 1945. The divisions triangular uniform Patch says that its motto is a hell on unlike most soldiers who Wear unit patches on their sleeves the people of the 2nd army div still sew theirs above their left breast pockets. Tradition says this is because the 2nd was the division a closest to Patton a and Yeosock has a Little bit of the bravado of someone who a inherited Patton a Job. As the Man in charge he was in saudi Arabia the Day before the troops officially arrived. On the first Day lie was a commander without an army or even much of a staff. When it was pointed out that he must have been outnumbered by quite a bit Back on that first Day Yeosock suddenly Stool up in his office. He assumed the combat Crouch of a Soldier drawing his pistol. Only instead he pulled a tiny Penknife from his pocket and unfolded it. The Blade was perhaps an Inch and a half Long. A this a he said a was the first line of the 3rd army has been bolster by a Little More firepower in the weeks since. Army general lauds troops initiative Byro Jensen staff writer in saudi Arabia . Army it. Gen. John j. Yeosock has a simple definition for discipline a trait he says is his services greatest strength. A you do what you know is right when no one is looking he said. Yeosock who Heads the Central Comdr a army contingent in saudi Arabia clearly wants to make sure the iraqis Arentt looking. Asked for an assessment of iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein a army he Saia a the does no to know what i know about my Force. And in a not going to Tell you what i know about his asked if the mid november timetable for having the entire . Force in place is accurate he said a there Are thousands of things that Are changing or have the capability of but ask about the soldiers themselves and Yeosock a Vietnam Veteran and Bronze Star Holder lights a Cigar and becomes an eloquent lobbyist for men and women in uniform. A generals Arentt supposed to love things a he said a but i love my the general who also serves As commander of the 3rd army credits his a solution oriented troops with keeping glitches in the persian Gulf deployment to a minimum. A they done to Lack initiative a said Yeosock 53. A a in a talking about sergeants lieutenants and captains. These Are the people who fight. These Are the people who make things happen. All of the rest of us Are excess myself included. They Are the heart of the so far the deployment has resulted in nine times fewer injuries and disease related casualties than was expected according to the general. A that not Only talks about the health of the command but the discipline of the command. That san outward sign that the Force knows How to do its business a he said. A a in la Tell you what you can Tell the soldiers on my behalf i am confident that even if i screw it up fix Yeosock brushes aside concern that his soldiers who have relatively Little combat experience might have to face an army that has been at War most of the past decade. A the . Army probably conducts the most realistic training conducted anywhere in the world a he said. A that is paying dividends in my Mission to deter and i m confident that it will Manifest itself in my Mission to defend if deterrence getting the go ahead a launch officer gives the Takeoff signal to the Crew of an s-3 Viking anti submarine Hunter Friday on the deck of the pc dance and its 75 aircraft Are Sta aircraft Carrier Independence. The inc Tio cd in the persian Gulf from from . If by Luke Britt staff writer people travelling to the United states with items made in Iraq or Kuwait must have proof these goods were purchased before aug. 2 or risk having them confiscated by customs agents. As an Extension of . Sanctions against Iraq president Bush has banned the importation of All items made there and in Kuwait if the items were purchased after the iraqi invasion said Don tag senior customs adviser for the . European come. A these Are the mechanics of president Bush a policy of Complete economic isolation for Iraq a tag said Friday. A the intends to see that policy carried tag said very few americans Are Likely to have purchased goods in either Iraq or Kuwait after the invasion. The ban he added should serve More As a warning Iraq Kuwait banned bought after invasion that customs agents will require proof of the Date of Purchase on items bought in either country. Without such proof tag said a they May have a problem getting that item into the United a people can make verbal declarations of the dates of Purchase a he said. A and whether or not an item is allowed in will be subject to decisions by customs agents. For example if something looks used agents Are authorized to determine that it was purchased before aug. 2.�?� Neucom customs agents Are not authorized however to confiscate personal property said Robert Szostek another customs Agency spokesman. A if a person uses commercial travel their property will not be inspected until arrival in the states a Szostek said. A those using military transportation will have their goods checked for banned items and if something comes into question it will be noted on the customs declaration. Once that person arrives in the United states agents there will decide whether to confiscate the tag said confiscated items will be held by the government until the office of foreign assets control decides what to do with them. The items cannot be exported sold or destroyed without an order from that office. A a it a quite possible that confiscated property will be held until this crisis is Over and then returned to the owners a tag said. A but that will Only happen when the president lifts the tag also said there is no guarantee that confiscated property will Ever be returned to its owner. If people have items covered by the embargo he suggested they leave the items with friends when they return to the states and have the goods sent to them when and if the embargo ends
