European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 5, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10letters the stars and stripes Friday october 1990 53 desert opinions of desert shield coverage e i have always been a Loyal Reader of the stars and stripes. Lately in be lost interest because All the articles on operation desert shield Are showing life in the fast Lane. In a in the 24th inf div out Here in the desert where the Only people i see every Day Are my co workers. We can t play football like the air Force because Etc not allowed to bring any civilian clothes. We done to get cases of soda or have air conditioned Barracks. We have to Cool our water with a wet rag or drink it hot. We got our first meal that was hot to rations on sept. 13. Before that it was mrs. Everyone who in t Over Here thinks we Are living it up. It would be Nice to actually see some print about How we Battle the heat and Sand every Day and do not have Access to a Shower Point but have to use a water cooler of a Shower. It would boost the morale of a lot of us just to hear a Little about the ones close to the real action. In a a Mechanic in the 724 support in 24th inf div that repairs 2/4 Cav equipment. In a going to keep Reading to see if you can give us some Type of motivation. We will keep our Heads up and keep doing our Job that a what we get paid for. Keep the presses rolling. A sgt. Lloyd Kennedyjr. Operation desert shield i would like to Challenge your reporters to visit us and cat sleep and live with the various elements of the military such As army aviation Armor infantry and special forces etc., instead of staying at corps Headquarters where there is air conditioning hot and cold water and Beds with sheets. Come on out and enjoy fun in the Sun like a line unit faces every Day Here. A Michael St. John operation desert shield being in saudi Arabia is at Best a trying experience. Of a practically the Only news we arc Able to receive is from your newspaper which is passed from person to person. The newspaper is usually three to four Days old when we receive it but it is Worth the wait. I have noticed one shortcoming with your paper. It seems the 82nd airborne is the Only unit worthy of front age coverage. I have read numerous stories of their Croick Maneu vers and their a a deluxe accommodations personally i d give anything to have a building to sleep in let alone an air conditioned hallway. There Are other units in saudi Arabia the 24th inf div has been Here a Little while but i have yet to Sec the Type or amount of coverage for them that their Light Brothers have received. Perhaps in the future you can rectify this situation. Keep up the Good work. Your paper is the Only link we have to the outside world. A spec. Scan Hagerty operation desert shield thanks for your honest and Complete coverage of events Here in the mid East. A capt. Dan Rogers operation desert shield 1 have been Reading your publication and for the past three to four weeks have noticed that it has been saturated with stories about the 82nd airborne div and its recent deployment to saudi Arabia As part of operation desert shield. Have you totally forgotten about us if you have let me remind you. We Are a the screaming eagles of the 101st airborne div air assault from fort Campbell by. We have been Here almost if not just As Long As the 82nd airborne div. The conditions under which we live arc a far cry from those of the All american 82nd. For example we live in Cotton tents that can barely withstand the howling 35-Mph wind and sandstorms that arc a daily occurrence. Our eyes have yet to see an air conditioning unit. Ice is another luxury that has Long since been forgotten by the screaming eagles of the 101st. B As far As entertainment goes the Only entertainment we have Are the daily races which consist of soldiers chasing feverishly after their tents As they blow aimlessly through the desert. You can also put any idea of Fine american food for a a taste of Home completely out of your mind. We live totally off of a diet of res some fruit and 1-Inch Pound cakes compliments of his majesty King fahd which we Are very thankful for. We also drink Large amounts of bottled water a usually at temperatures of 85 to 90 degrees. Although it May All sound pretty bad we Are starting to adjust. I believe it was Edison who said necessity is the Mother of invention. Well its True and we have been inventing building and otherwise developing a great Many things to make life in the desert just a bit More bearable. For instance we have Learned that desert shield 101st airborne trooper looking for news of his unit in the stars and stripes. Wrapping a wet sock around our water bottles helps Cool the water to about 60 degrees. As you can see we do not have it easy around Here and All we Are asking for is a Little recognition by your newspaper which we believe would help to increase morale. A spec Steven Walden operation desert shield i am a Corporal in the . Marine corps currently deployed with the peace keeping forces in saudi Arabia. I am writing to comment on your almost total Lack of news coverage of the marines Here in saudi Arabia. My time Here has been spent almost entirely in the Field so i have not been Able to read the stars and stripes on a daily basis however the issues i have been fortunate to read have been dominated by pictures and articles dealing with the army. I realize that these stars and stripes issues originate from Germany and that most . Forces in Germany belong to the army. Maybe you Are trying to entertain that Large portion of paying customers to increase sales and make a Quick Buck. I am sure there is at least one person out there who is at least remotely interested in knowing that the 265th quartermaster det of the South Carolina National guard is preparing for duty in the Gulf. What about the marines of the 7th Marine expeditionary brigade Meb who have already been Here for a month or the . Navy who has been Here since the very beginning please keep in mind that you Are the Premier and in some cases the Only news source for troops in the Field and we need to know what other branches of the armed forces Are doing. Please end this total one sided coverage of the . Army and give a Little time and attention to the other services presently deployed in and around saudi Arabia. A Cpl. Vance Jones operation desert shield being out Here in the saudi desert i have become quite an avid Reader of your newspaper. We get about one per company. The Only problem i find with your paper is the fact that you seem to have a preoccupation with the 82nd airborne. If one were to take your paper at face value you would assume that the Only units Over Here Are the 82nd, the marines Navy and air Force. Though i like Many others am fascinated by the exploits of a High Speed Low drag unit like the 82nd there Are other units Over Here. I am referring to the 24th inf div. Unlike our 82nd Brothers in arms we have no base Camp. We live out of our tracks. We endure the same heat Lack of supplies and Battles with the creatures of the desert. In a not blowing my own Horn. I feel that we should be granted the same press but then the regular a do it it face Hasni to had that since Ernie Pyle. A a pfc. Sean re Cham operation desert shield we re All proud of the 101st and the 82nd airborne but they Are not the Only units out Here you know. A we be been sitting out Here in this Godforsaken desert and dealing with it while Reading about other units playing football and enjoying air conditioning and drinking sodas. It Lowers our morale because we done to even hear any Good rumours. Tell your reporters to line up and come on out Here and enjoy the Sand and flies but  have to bring their own soda. We done to have any not even a cold drink of water. A sgt. Mark Henderson operation desert shield i would like to thank you and your staff for the excellent coverage and distribution of the stars and stripes to All the men and women deployed to operation desert shield. Without your circulation news would be a Rumor. Would you please print a map of the Middle East in your next edition a Dennis Sherrill operation desert shield we the men of 1st brigade 24th inf div Are concerned with your biased coverage of the troops and units assigned to operation desert shield. When an edition of the stars and stripes finally makes its Way out to the Middle of the desert where we live it has nothing about us or our living conditions. All we hear about is the air conditioned tents and buildings three Kitchen cooked meals a Day Flushing toilets and showers and Exchange privileges that the 82nd and the air Force personnel enjoy. The Only Protection we have from the 100 degree plus temperature is the Shade from our ponchos and the sunscreen that acts As glue for the Sand. For the first three weeks we ate Only res and drank our sock wrapped bottled water. Now we eat one to ration and two res a Day. We utilize self dug latrines and Wash As often As possible with leftover drinking water. We must ration our personal items. All we Are asking for is equal coverage so our families Back Home realize that we Arentt living As Well As some of the other units you continually write about and will Stop writing us about How a Good Quot we have it Over Here. Although its Tough we Are Volunteer infantrymen and can continue to Deal with our present situation As Long As our country needs us to. A spec. Giordano the infantrymen of 1st brigade 24th inf div operation desert shield editors note a staff writer Ron Jensen recently returned after four weeks covering operation desert shield in saudi Arabia. Some of the letters printed Here were written before or just after Jensen and fellow stripes reporter Vince Crawley arrived in saudi Arabia on sept. 2. Since then coverage has been More evenly spread among outfits in the desert we want to cover As Many units As possible but we need your help. Jensen tells Here How units can find their Way onto the pages of the stars and stripes Are you sure we missed you folks it seems like Vince Crawley and i talked to every Soldier Marine and airman in the desert during the past four weeks. Well if we missed you we re sorry. And Here show to Contact the stars and stripes in saudi Arabia. Have your Public affairs office Contact the joint information Bureau. Its location is classified but your Pao no doubt knows where it is. He can leave a message there for any stripes reporters. If he has a Telephone number have him leave it with the Jib. Or the Pao can Contact the stars and stripes staff at the Park hotel in Dhahran. The Telephone number is 3895-0005. Leave a message with the hotel desk. Once visits Are arranged the Pao must then provide an escort to the reporters who will come out to your unit or ship. That a the Rule of the desert. Done to hesitate to Call. Any stripes reporters in the desert would love to visit your unit a any unit. You people Are our readers after All. Good Luck to All of you. Another note a if you write a letter to the editor you must sign your name and give your Complete address we will withhold your name if you request it but we must have a signature before the letter will be read. Printing your name under your signature helps us too