European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday october 17, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3crisis in the Gulf Gulf briefs leave can be held Over by those in saudi Arabia Washington a amps a service members who have not been Able to use their excess leave because of operation desert shield can hold it for later use officials said. A defense department memo Grants special leave accrual privileges to service members deployed to saudi Arabia or in restrictive status awaiting deployment. The policy also applies to those assigned to a special duty staff or Headquarters who in the past were not authorized. Generally Active duty members lose accrued leave Over 60 Days at the end of the fiscal year. Now most operation desert shield service members will be Able to keep up to 90 Days leave. Those whose applications for the special leave Are approved have until sept. 30, 1993, to use the excess leave time. However the services will look at How members have used their leave prior to August before approving individual cases officials said. If a service member has habitually not used leave the request to carry excess leave May be denied. If the service determines that the service member planned to take leave before being deployed to saudi Arabia the surplus leave would be carried Over. Service members must apply for special leave accrual through their military personnel leaves to be sent to Illinois service members Monticello 111. Up a the sons and daughters of Illinois now steaming in the saudi arabian desert soon will get a Sample of fall in the Midwest. Karen Kaufman spokeswoman for the Piatt county 4-h club said envelopes filled with fall streaked leaves will be sent to the 12 to 15 Illinois servicemen and women in the persian Gulf area. The group also Hopes to get enough leaves and postage Money to Send some boxes of leaves although they will have to be sent first class to get to the Middle East for thanksgiving. A we thought it would be great if they could open a Box and just fling handfuls of leaves in the air a Kaufman told the Decatur Herald and review newspaper. Kaufman said club members will press the leaves Between Book pages. She said it takes four to seven Days for the leaves to dry out. Even though the leaves will not be fresh Kaufman said dry leaves retain their . Delegation goes on Middle East Mission Washington not a an american delegation from an International interfaith group the Fellowship of reconciliation plans to leave on a nine Day peace Mission to the Middle East on wednesday and Hopes to meet president Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The 20-member delegation headed by c. Douglas Hostetter executive Secretary of the american chapter is scheduled to Fly to Amman Jordan and then travel on to Iraq. The group will carry 1,000 pounds of antibiotics and vitamins Worth $67,000 for distribution to the red Crescent in Jordan and Iraq. The trip was worked out in talks Between Hostetter and two associates and the iraqi ambassador to the United states Mohammed Mashat. The Fellowship a which has 30,000 members in the United states a includes christians jews muslims and buddhists. It was founded in 1915. A a him Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Tours his desert command in a machine gun equipped attack won t beg stay at least 6 by Jim Gooden special to stars and stripes in saudi Arabia a operation desert shield troops wont get their first real taste of ramp a until they be spent at least she months in the Gulf area according to the army four Star who Heads the operation. However service members can look Forward to Short stints at rear area base Camps and two or three Day trips to areas near saudi Arabia for rest and relaxation Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf said. The rear area rest Camps already in use in some parts of saudi Arabia give the troops a one Day reprieve from Field life and offer such comforts As Beds and movies. A a it a a place where they can just. Kick Back put their feet up just have a great time laying around the Pool doing nothing if they want to a Schwarzkopf said in a recent interview with military Public affairs staffers. Other journalists were not invited. Real ramp a would involve a week to 10 Days outside the Gulf Region perhaps in Germany or other parts of Europe he said. But no decisions on that extended rest time will be made until the command has come up with a policy on How service members will be rotated or sent Home from the area. At the moment Schwarzkopf a staff is trying to come up with a rotation program that is equitable for All the services. A i done to think its right to have one group of people for example rotating at six months and another group rotating at nine months or a year just because they Are wearing different color uniforms a Schwarzkopf said. Presently the average service member has been in the area Only about 30 Days he said. A a we re really a Long Way from a six month Point when we would be thinking about ramp a and that a Why the rotation policy has to come in until troops months in Gulf on other topics Schwarzkopf said a he doubts there will be a desert shield uniform Patch but he is pushing for a medal and ribbon for those who participated in the operation. A he believes the desert camouflage uniform can be made More comfortable. Schwarzkopf said he has received a prototype of an improved uniform that while made from the same material eliminates reinforcement panels in the arms Knees and seat making it lighter. A the . Military does no to have a satisfactory desert combat Boot. A what you All Are wearing right now is a Jungle Boot and it has holes in it. It was designed to let water run out but what it does Over Here is let the Sand run Schwarzkopf said he has been promised a new Black Boot by november that comes without holes and requires Little maintenance. The desert floppy hat appears to be the style of e and will remain available. A i done to Wear them a Choice he said a but i would never take anything away from the troops just because i did no to like Schwarzkopf said desert shield should provide final Firof that women service members Are up to the Chal Enge. A a let a face it a he said a it is tougher to be a service person in saudi Arabia today if you re a woman than if you re a Man because based on cultural sensitivities the women have to be extra Schwarzkopf gave the interview before defense Secretary Dick Cheney a announcement on monday that the United states was ready to stay in the Gulf Region a for years a if necessary. But the general offered a similar sentiment when asked How Long service members could be expected to stay in saudi Arabia a we Are going to be Here until the Job is done and i even begin to speculate How Long that will be a he said. Gooden an army staff sergeant is a reservist assigned to Central come Public show but Steve Martin shows up anyway in saudi Arabia up comedian Steve Martin the a Twila and crazy Guy whose a Well exc Uluse me line entered american Lingo visited . Troops in the desert tuesday but kept it More a social Call than a show. The first entertainer brought to saudi Arabia by the Uso Martin and his wife actress Victoria Tennant signed autographs cracked a few jokes and walked among about 500 members of the 24th inf div an my tank unit based at fort Stewart a. Climbing aboard one of the huge tanks Martin joked a a we re going to put a Condo Here next to the tank bearing a sign Reading a Speed and Power Beach a the Pool is on the other Side a said Martin who starred this year in the movie a my Blue he explained to the troops that rather than putting on a show a a they said they did no to want us to do a show a that he would just talk with the soldiers. A what we re going to do is do what they Call grip and Grin a we grip your hand and Grin at you. Its All we can a Eye also have a few souvenirs for you a said Martin who arrived from an earlier Stop on a Black Hawk helicopter in camouflage clothing sporting a variety of badges and pilots wings from units he has visited. He kept the appearance Low key walking through the ranks and handing out cards and fliers bearing his picture. His wife signed her name to a Large Banner bearing a caricature of Martin with his trademark Arrow through the head. The Banner bore the slogan a Martin for Martin later also signed it. Martin and his wife were the first civilians the troops had seen in some time other than an occasional bedouin passing through. Morale was bolstered by the visit to soldiers who groused about their Chow and the fact that they had just got their sleeping cots. Martin who made five such stops on tuesday will be visiting troops until sunday. One Soldier asked if he could stay and Martin joked a ooh god in be got a although he did not put on a show he bantered with reporters. He said he decided to visit the troops because a i Felt guilty. Everybody coming out Here giving up part of their lives for this Effort. I had some time off and i Felt kind of bad just sitting there so i
