European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 6, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3crisis in  marines from Kaneohe Hawaii and the via 311th from Yuma. Ariz., play a game of Flag football in a saudi arabian Field of dust sunday. Football in desert dome helps marines pass time Eastern saudi Arabia apr its probably the Only such football Field in the world covered by Sand with cot filled tents running along one sideline. But the marines on a rare Day off sunday did no to mind the dust. A a it a fun a Good Way to let out aggressions a said Lance Cpl. Dale a a Tom Keller 20, of Oregon. A a it a better than sitting Back at Camp doing  rest and relaxation for the 220,000 . Troops confronting Iraq in the Gulf has become More important with operation desert shield in its third month and no end in sight. Saudi Arabia is the first potential combat zone where some traditional soldiers diversions a visiting area bars and dating the locals a Are banned. In their absence sports have become an important recreation especially for the 30,000 marines. Unlike their army and air Force counterparts the marines Are barred from saudi cities to keep a Low profile. The marines play football in a stadium at a base turned Over to them by the saudi government. Every game is called the scud bowl apparently after scud missiles which Are part of the iraqi Arsenal. Dust bowl would be More like it. Even though Clouds of dust partially obscured some of the play the 100 fans at sundays main Battle Between the 174th Marine Wing support so and the 311th Marine fighter attack so yelled just like fans at Home. They cheered Good passes and touchdowns booed interceptions and shouted at the referee for Calls they did no to like. The marines were playing Flag football a variation of touch football in which tackles Are made by grabbing strips worn by the opposing team. Highlights of the game which the 311th won 15-14, were broadcast on the armed forces radio network. Most fans sat in the stadium on one Side of the Field. But some stood outside a Long Row of tents running the length of the other Side just a few Yards from the players. A just step right out and watch the game a said Lance Cpl. Elloy Myers 20, of Wyoming whose tent is on the 40-Yard me. A a it a a Good Bonus. Except when it wakes you up a he said. A a it a kind of fun especially when people get in fights and  a ringside seat a said master sgt. Dan Rich 38, of Rochester n.y., a maintenance chief with the 311th Tom cats. A you get to holler at everybody. Its Good for relieving stress. Chief warrant officer Jerry l. Duck 36, of Mississippi was celebrating a 16-0 shutout by officers Over the enlisted men from his unit in the 311th. A for an old Man i did All right a he said. A it helps the morale. I think the stadium is the Best place in the  some combat reservists will be called up to bolster Force in Gulf Washington not the defense department has decided to Call up major combat units from the reserves totalling thousands of men to join the Force in the persian Gulf in the next few months administration officials said. The Pentagon decision came after Congress just before adjourning quietly doubled the limit on Active duty service for combat reservists to 360 Days. The reservists Are expected to be among As Many As 100,000 additional troops the Pentagon has said it will Send to the Gulf in coming weeks and the reservists could be on the front lines Early next year Dod officials said. Congress in its waning hours last week extended combat reservists 180-Day Call up limit to 360 Days allowing sufficient time to train them. The move angered some lawmakers who argued that if the Bush administration believed the units were needed it should have declared a National emergency which would have extended the Call up to two years. The use of the combat reservists adds an important new dimension to the United states buildup in the Gulf marking the first test of the military a largely unproven concept of integrating Active duty combat forces with their part time counterparts. The concept is part of a broader plan the total Force policy that was adopted in 1973 after the draft was abolished. Dod officials said Many details remained to be worked out before the new plan could be put into effect including the number of combat reservists and the specific units to Send when they would go and How they would fit into a Pentagon plan to rotate fresh troops into the Gulf Region every six to eight months. More than 34,000 reservists have already been mobilized to perform military support roles in the United states and in the Gulf Region. These include physicians port handlers cargo plane pilots and water purification specialists. And while pressure had been growing in Congress to use the combat reservists the Pentagon had opposed their mobilization on grounds that the additional months needed to train them would eat into the 180-Day limit that reservists can now serve under president Bush a existing Call up order. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. Colin l. Powell and the commander of american forces in the persian Gulf Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf have said it would be impractical to use the combat reservists for such a Short period. The Pentagon dropped its opposition after Congress approved the Extension of the Call up limit. The provision affects combat reservists Only. The reason Many military officials Par tical any those in the army wanted the combat reservists called up was to include them in the rotation policy. A this fits into both the buildup and the rotation As they develop a a Pentagon official said. Depending on the deployment schedule army officials Saia the reservists could be sent As Early As next year. Two of the army divisions now in saudi Arabia a the 24th inf div Mech and the 1st Cav a have army National guard combat Reserve units or a around out brigades a that Are part of the full division and could be among the first combat Reserve units sent. A we Haven to heard a word yet but if we get called to go we re ready Quot said Brig. Gen. Karl Brantley commander of the 155th army brigade a 3,900-member army National guard unit in Tupelo miss., that rounds out the 1st Cav div. Some senior army officials and Field commanders in saudi Arabia have expressed reluctance to use combat reserves for fear they might not be Battle ready. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Powell have consistently denied any suggestions that the military doubts the reservists fighting ability. While the Call up provision quieted some congressional critics of the Pentagon other lawmakers were angry at How the Extension was slipped into the 1991 military spending Bill at the 11th hour with virtually no debate. The proposal was not included in either the House or Senate version of the spending Bill but ended up in the final Compromise conference report after rep. John p. Murtha d-pa., who Heads the House appropriations defense subcommittee had the measure inserted. A it was not subjected to any Public review or hearings As to its implications a said sen. Sam Nunn the Georgia Democrat who Heads the armed services committee. Murtha said Congress had provided More than $20 billion to train and equip Reserve and National guard units in the last decade and was considering placing More emphasis on reservists. Before doing that though the Gulf crisis offered the a perfect Opportunity to test the total Force concept a if we re going to depend on the reserves More a Murtha Saia. Nunn who strongly supports the combat Reserve units said the provision a blurred the distinction Between the limited Call up authority and a declaration of National  becoming casualty of Gulf Mission Killeen Texas apr since troops from fort Hood started shipping out to saudi Arabia this military town has come to look like an economic casualty As stores and restaurants close from a Lack of business. A business is off 35 to 40 percent a said Mike Lazar 53, owner of a topless nightclub that generally gets three fourths of its business from soldiers at the nearby base. A there Are fewer soldiers and those that come in Are spending less a said Lazar. A Why the magic of the crowd is  Western sizzling Steakhouse closed last month because it lost so much business when the troops joined operation desert shield in saudi Arabia after iraqis aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. Manuel Pacheco plans to sell his Boot amp things army store. A i done to know what my next move will be a said Pacheco. A when you re not making enough to pay the Light Bill its  fort hoods 38,000 troops a plus another 55,000 army spouses and children a provide a livelihood for an estimated 120,000 civilians around Killeen population 65,000. The Central Texas military base accounts for about 75 percent of the areas Economy officials said. Since the deployment we can to find people to rent from us a said trailer Park operator Rick Foerster. A where ordinarily id do $5,000 in business in a now doing $200,�?� said John Consentino assistant manager of a store that Sells sports shoes. Jewelry store owner Rob Morris now trolls the local mall for shoppers. A normally on a Day like today a military payday id have 20 customers a Morris said. A today i be had five. We re hoping for the  chamber of Commerce president Rick Murphy said  and Downs Are part of business in a military town. A a there a a lot of adjusting required a said Murphy. A but life goes  Tattoo shop owner Rena Hoot 37, knows about those fluctuations. She did a booming business in operation desert shield tattoos a at $9 5 a pop a before soldiers shipped out. Now Hoot watches to in her shop. A a we la try to tighten our Belt awhile a she said