European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 2,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 airman 1st class Kurtis Crawford left chows Down amid pumpkins and Graves. Meanwhile Groucho it. Col. Doug Cole stirs up a witches brew of Beans for the  o lantern gives gis Goblin Good time by David Tarrant staff writer saudi Arabia a airman 1st class Kurtis Crawford munched on a Chicken leg As he sat on a makeshift grave marked a Saddam Hussein. I had a  a i wish he was right Here under me a Crawford mumbled Between bites. Crawford was not an extra in a late night Cable television movie but one of about 100 air Force personnel taking an hour off for some trick or treat fun at an air base in saudi Arabia on halloween night. Under a camouflage netting draped with Orange and Black crepe Bunting the airmen enjoyed heaping plateful of barbecued Chicken baked Beans and potato salad. And despite the screech of Jet aircraft streaking overhead every few minutes the men were doing their Best to temporarily transform operation desert shield into operation Jack of lantern. It Wasny to exactly a haunted tent but there were some White sheeted ghosts hanging from tent poles along with a handful of plastic Orange pumpkins. There was even some attempt at Black humor. Next to Saddam a grave Afes hires saudi company to sell fast food to troops by Steve Taylor Munich Bureau Munich Germany a the army and air Force Exchange service has hired a saudi firm to provide authentic american fast food for the troops of operation desert shield. A Dewan food co. Is Selling hamburgers French Fries and other fast food fare in Dhahran saudi Arabia and More outlets Are planned said col. Richard Dillenbeck the Deputy commander at cafes Europe Headquarters in Munich. The beef is flown in from the United states said Dillenbeck who sampled the cuisine during an eight Day visit to the desert. A the taste was excellent a he said. The american beef is cooked by five filipino workers under the watchful Eye of an egyptian manager. That a Normal in saudi Arabia where Many saudis own businesses but hire foreign nationals to run them Dillenbeck said. The Dhahran operation which opened oct. 17, offers cheeseburgers for $1.25, French Fries for $1 and soft drinks for 50 cents. For breakfast the saudi stand Sells doughnuts Coffee and soda. The Exchange service wants to open four or five additional outlets in saudi Arabia according to maj. Gen. Jeffrey d. Kahla the army and air Force Exchange service commander in Dallas. Whether those stands will be run by the Exchange. Sej amp Eor contractors has not been decided he said contributing to this report Janet Howells Lemey in Washington were three similar Tomb markers for notorious figures from the past and present iraqi deejay Baghdad Betty whose epitaph read a my lips Are sealed a former teamsters Leader Jimmy Hoffa whose Marker said a family ties a and Washington mayor Marion Barry whose grave was simply marked a Coke is the real  a few airmen even got into the spirit of things with makeshift costumes of their own. Maj. Wally g. Vaughn of the 438th Airlift control element wore a 10-Inch Nail that appeared to bore right through his Skull. A a in a not one to normally celebrate halloween a said Vaughn 35, from Sumter . A but the first sergeant and the commanders associated with the military Airlift come Here thought it would be a big morale lift for the  some of the airmen said that celebrating halloween was just another Way of marking time. Others said it helped them to stay in touch with the a real world a where their children had a night to transform themselves into princesses or cowboys. But for Many at this air base halloween was not so much an excuse to dress up in a costume and scare one another but a Chance to do just the opposite to release some of the pent up tensions of three months in the desert. A we done to know How Long we re going to be Here and we re trying to build some Bonds Between All of us a said staff sgt. Robert j. Duffy 25, of Pittsburgh. Although he misses the Chance to go trick or treating with his family Duffy said he did no to regret his assignment. A a in a Here for a purpose. Whenever they deployed us they picked the Best to do the Job so. This ainu to too bad. Christmas. Thanksgiving. When they Roll around that la be  it. Col. Doug Cole sporting a Groucho Marx nose ladled out a Strong brew of baked Beans. A a it a my wife a recipe which i got Over the phone and multiplied by about a  the unit wanted to celebrate halloween Cole said because a any Holiday is Tough on everyone because you always associate it with family and being Home. Its More of a Downer Day than a regular Day i think. A so if you can do something special to get Peoples mind off that and be a Little Happy then that helps  general sees few problems with morale of Gulf troops Washington apr american soldiers in saudi Arabia Are suffering Normal morale problems but their spirits will Rise when the Pentagon announces plans in november for replacing them with fresh units a senior army official said. Gen. Gordon r. Sullivan the army a vice chief of staff said the service is taking numerous Steps to improve morale including the possibility of leasing Large cruise liners in the persian Gulf to give soldiers a break from desert training. A a it a Tough. Its not an easy Mission for the More than 100,000 soldiers in saudi Arabia As part of operation desert shield to defend the desert kingdom against a possible iraqi attack Sullivan said. The four Star general said the Bush administration will announce within a couple of weeks its decision on when replacement forces would be sent to begin the rotation process. He said the army had not been instructed to increase its total Force in saudi Arabia but extra troops if needed Likely would come from combat units at . Bases in Germany that Are scheduled to be closed next year. The army also could tap the remaining three armoured divisions based in the United states. On monday defense Secretary Dick Cheney said that As Many As 100,000 More forces a beyond the roughly 240,000 soldiers sailors airmen and marines already there a might be sent to the Gulf area. He did not say when More forces would go. The biggest psychological lift for the troops some of whom have been in the saudi desert for two months will come when the Bush administration announces a timetable for a rotation of fresh forces Sullivan said. The general said the army already has set in motion the arrangements for mobilizing the first fresh units from the United states and Europe although no individual units have been alerted to begin moving to the Gulf. Sullivan acknowledged that some soldiers Are grousing about not knowing How Long  be on duty in saudi Arabia where living conditions on the front lines Are harsh but he said he was satisfied that morale is not suffering unduly. A the troops Are in pretty Good shape and they Are not experiencing what i consider to be inordinate morale problems a he said. A i done to see  recent news reports based on interviews with soldiers and other servicemen in the Gulf area have portrayed the troops As losing patience with the nagging uncertainty of when they might go Home and whether  be required to fight. Earlier this month after complaining members of the army a 24th inf div Mech were quoted in the new York times the commanding general restricted Access to reporters