European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Top photo sgt. Jack Batten left of Loris s.c., and spec. Don Smith of Hart Texas outside their Bunker at Forward operating base Bastogne. They re infantrymen with the 101st airborne div air assault from fort Campbell by. Arabs watch As soldiers from the 20th engr brigade from fort Bragg n.c., Board a bus for their desert outpost a few a hours after arriving in saudi Arabia. First sergeant hands out letters from Home a addressed to Quot any service member a to men of the 1st tank in 1st Marine div. Anyone accepting a letter is told he has to write Back. Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday october 10,1990 a amps photos by Vince Crawley reporter notebook continued from Page 13 time but she shared it late one night while waiting for a Shower. Quot Cathy works in the emergency room and in a afraid she a going to come and get me and say Keith a in the e.r., a she said. Operation desert shield is another chapter in the family history for airman 1 St class Albert Childress of the 2852nd Security police so at Mcclellan fab Calif. A it s a family tradition. A Childress has been in every War since the civil War a said the Jasper ala., native. And a Grandfather was involved in the Bay of pigs invasion. Childress was named for an Uncle who died in world War ii. Quot every Childress Man has been in the military Quot said the airman who has Brothers in the air Force and marines. Quot we All grew up in the his father who died in 1981, was involved in intelligence during the Vietnam War. He said his Mother never knew what her husband did during two Tours in Vietnam. Quot my dad grew up in the military. He loved the military Quot Childress said. A but he never stressed that we had to go in the military. Quot my Mother was very upset. She did no to want me coming Over Here. But she knew sooner or later one of us would have to get into something like soldiers sent to potential War zones Are usually pawns in a political game. But they get educated fast if they Haven to been paying attention to world events. A few weeks ago Saddam Hussein might As Well have been a japanese car for All spec. Cleveland Carter cared. Quot the first i heard of him was when this stuff came off a said the tank gunner with the 24th inf div Mech. Quot i never heard of the now Carter sits in an empty desert in the Shade of a tank and thinks hell go to War. Faced with that possibility he has been mulling Over the training he a received during his army career. Quot the stuff that you be been taught that you never cared about it comes Back fast Quot he said. Carter and the other desert warriors hear the fancy words about preserving Freedom and the rights of a nation to exist without fear. But time and time again they talk about Why they think they Are in the desert. And most think its a pretty Lousy reason. Quot id rather pay More for gasoline than pay with my life Quot Carter said. In the desert morale deteriorates the farther from civilization one goes and the farther Down the organizational Chart one gets. For example Media Tours to troops in the desert often Stop at the brigade command Post where the brigade commander talks about the High morale and the Busy soldiers Happy to have a Mission. A i done to think it will be a concern because we will be training Quot one commander says. Quot we re not just going to sit Here in the next Stop is often battalion Headquarters where the commander acknowledges that morale is constantly being watched. But the men Are Busy so they re having fun he says. Below him the company level commander acknowledges there a a Chance morale could become a problem. When the tour reaches the soldiers the first words they usually say to a reporter is a this the reasons the heat. The boredom. Separation from Home. Same old food every Day. No decent place to go to the bathroom. Old newspapers. But the troops always add they re ready if it comes to War. Forget about whatever else you be read. That is the True strength of the american serve remember. Staff sgt. Darryl peek of Philadelphia top photo is an a-10 Mechanic with the 76th aircraft malt unit from England fab la. Marines have set up their own special signpost in front of 1st Field service support group tents. The stars and stripes a a a Page 15
