European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday decembers 1990 the stars and stripes Page 3crisis in the Emu a i i. Patriotic duty. Sa5 Kan Georg army staff sol Oliver Garrett of Btry a 2nd in 7th guards a Remote Patriot missile site in the saudi dear defense arty looks ready for anything As he Sert. His unit is out of fort Buss Texas. . Military t in Eastern saudi Arabia apr . Military spokesmen denied wednesday that american troops were prohibited from displaying the its. Flag on their uniforms to avoid offending the saudi govern ment. V a they said that in a recent incident the commanding officer of a Florida National guard unit had asked his troops to remove the Flag in error the officer his unit and the Date of the incident were not identified. All troops bound for saudi Arabia Are briefed on the cultural sensitivities in the strict moslem nation which bans the mingling of the sexes in Public and bars alcohol. In the past Strong ties with the United states have never been emphasized publicly because of . Support for Israel. A / one military spokesman said some commanding officers take the warnings further than the regulations. A in trying not to offend someone in being sensitive ,. They err on the Side of caution a said capt. Mike Sherman of the . Military joint information Bureau. A it was just a bad word that the commanding officer  newday quota. Eastern saudi Arabia a Susie the Camel her woolly head swathed in flies lounges out Back. A few homesick soldiers clutching scribbled notes sit stiffly in front of video cameras recording messages for the folks Back Home Sand toughened marines in Lime Green swimming trunks lie by the Pool the cacophony of three different sound systems blaring around them. They Call this place desert world a make believe resort where weary . And British troops Stow their weapons doff their camouflage hats and pretend for a Day they Are on vacation instead of the front lines of operation desert shield. Built for third world guest workers but hardly Ever used the sprawling sports Complex was turned Over to the marines by saudi authorities five weeks ago. Here up to 700 soldiers can play volleyball swim sunbathe shop for souvenirs pose for pictures with a local bedouins Camel tape video messages watch movies read work out or Telephone Home a we get Long faces in the morning and smiles at the end of the Dav a said master sgt John Kulick who runs on uniforms got.�?�. A a. A a a the military said a similar false report that letters mailed with Stamps showing the american Flag would not be delivered had swept through military ranks earlier this year. /. . Mint any positions in saudi Arabia Are barred from flying the amp Arne rican Flag according to a policy by  come. V -�?�.�?�/�?��?�. A a a they Are encampments rather than bases on the Sovereign territory of saudi Arabia a amp Aid it. Cmdr David Knox a spokesman for the command. He said it would not be appropriate to Fly the Flag because that would imply that the area was under american control. That is Standard military policy worldwide Knox said. A a v troops however May display the Flag on the Walls of their living quarters in offices of their uniforms or anywhere else if their commanding officer approves he said. \ a a a v Knox said he was unaware of any saudi concern Over such displays of the Flag. Gives troops to the Complex. A a a a a a he called the place a a Little bit of Home Quot although few of the marines enjoying desert world or club saudi As some Call it would agree. A a a this is definitely not Home Quot said John Martinez a 22-year-old Marine Corporal from Labadieville la., who was waiting in the Sun to phone his Fiancee after a month in the desert with a helicopter Squadron. Still it is a break in the routine. A it gets real wearing up there working with the same Guys ail the time Quot Martinez said out in the desert the Only amusements Are letter writing letter Reading and catching scorpions to Field in daily scorpion fighting competitions said Marine Cpl. Vincent co Cretu of Bronx . A a we be got nothing else to do a he said As he slapped Down cards in a game of Spades at a shaded table with fellow marines. A desert world also offers the Only coed sports facility in saudi Arabia where men and women Are segregated at swimming pools gyms universities and even restaurants. A. Quot. A a it a a Relief to come Here a real Liberty a said Barbara Cailteux a Navy nurse sunbathing by the Pool Gulf briefs a 4 Canadian air Force in Gulf axes scimitar for friction Lahr Germany a amps a a friction Quot is in. A scimitar Quot is out. The Canadian air Force in the persian Gulf has adopted the Navy a name for its Mission in the Region a operation friction Quot and abandoned the one it had been using Quot operation  a scimitar is a Short curved sword once used chiefly by arabs and  when we set up the joint Headquarters under Commodore Ken Summers we decided there was no need for two names Quot said army it. Col. Ralph Coleman a Canadian forces spokesman. Military officials in Ottawa picked Quot operation friction Quot because it was used first and had became a familiar term at National defense Headquarters in Ottawa and at the forces maritime come in ital fax Nova Scotia Coleman said. Although forced to Sheath its scimitar the air Force retains some Tongue in Cheek nomenclature for its installations in Qatar. The office and living quarters Are dubbed Quot Canada dry one a and the air base is a Canada i two Quot in deference to the arid climate. Canada has 1,700 troops in Qatar Bahrain and the persian Gulf. Three Canadian Navy vessels Are helping enforce the . Trade embargo against Iraq and a Squadron of Cf-i8 fighter jets is providing air defense for the ships. . Deserters can t find Haven in Sweden this time Stockholm a Sweden will not give Asylum to any american soldiers in Europe who desert to avoid being sent to the conflict zone in the Middle East the swedish foreign ministry said. Sweden was a Haven for american deserters avoiding Vietnam War duty in the 1960s. That is no longer the Case. Asylum rules were tightened in 1989, foreign ministry spokeswoman Anita Matejowsky said. _ Sembach unit will deploy As soon As gives a Sembach As. Germany a the 7011th tac comm so at Sembach a will begin deploying to the Middle East As soon As Airlift support can be arranged a base spokesman says. / the 7011th, part of the 601st tac control Wing will provide air and ground radar data said Bill Sherman of the Sembach Public affairs office. He would not comment on the number of people types of equipment or the squadrons future location in the persian Gulf area. The . European come announced monday that the 601st would Send elements to the Middle East beginning thursday however Sherman said the unit is on a military Airlift come waiting list of deploying units a a we re waiting on them to let us know when we can go a he said. A. Half million juice boxes to help troops wet whistles Washington a the aseptic packaging Council has donated More than a half million juice boxes and has gathered donations to fill them from coca cola general foods Usa Ocean Spray and Del Monte. Among the items being shipped to the persian Gulf Are cases of Tang minute Maitland hic drinks trans a por tation is being provided by the army and air Force Exchange service. The products so Rudd be distributed in mid december. Commemorative stamp sets bring in $50,000 for Uso Washington the Uso so far has received $50,000 from sales of sets of commemorative stamp covers depicting Servie members in saudi Arabia said Rich Davis a Uso representative. The stamp sets made up of seven photo envelopes postmarked in the United states and saudi Arabia on veterans Day Cost $300 each. About $107 from each Sale is being donated to the Uso by world wide classics the company handling the sates. The stamp covers could generate an additional $500,000 for the Uso Davis said. The Money goes into the Gulf crisis fund which finances Mobile recreation vans that will visit military outposts