European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday january 5. 1991 the stars and Stripe crisis in fhe Gull co exemption granted for senior airmen in Gulf Washington a amps a senior airmen deployed to the Middle East and unable to Complete the no preparatory course could be granted no status by their temporary commanders personnel officials said. A a we be Learned there Are several deployed senior airmen who Are ineligible for appointment to no status because they have not completed the no preparatory course a a said chief master sgt. Martha Porter from the air Force military personnel Center at Randolph fab Texas. A the temporary duty commanders now May appoint these airmen to no status As an except Tion to policy provided the airmen Are otherwise eligible a Porter said airmen granted no status would be entitled to the responsibilities and prestige of a higher rank but pay officials said. Lists of those eligible for no status will be sent from the Consoli tarted base personnel office to units deployed in the persian Gulf for commanders to review she said. A this exception to policy does not set aside the requirement to Complete the no preparatory course a. Porter airmen should attend the first available class upon their to air compilation of Gulf troops greetings Frankfurt Germany a american forces network television will air a special presentation of All the personal video messages taped with the troops in saudi Arabia. The broadcast scheduled for 3 . Sunday gives an viewers an Opportunity to videotape messages from relatives and friends at a time that does not conflict with regularly scheduled , network officials said. The presentation is expected to last from 60 to 90 minutes. Also on sunday an radio will rebroadcast a Good morning saudi Arabia with Robin Williams from 1 05 to 5 . In response to requests for a repeat. In another change to Afna a a the an midday special a coping with saudi deployment will be broadcast thursday from 12 25 . To 3 . In place of the regularly scheduled music show. Experts will answer Calls irom listeners. A Worner explains reason for Cologne Germany a nato Secretary general Manfred Worner said Friday that sending warplanes from three Alliance nations to Turkey is a defensive move and not a threat to Iraq. In an interview with the Cologne based deutschland Funk radio Worner said a sending Mobile troops is a step toward nato said it is sending 42. Warplanes from Germany Italy and Southeastern Turkey to protect it irom neighbouring Iraq. The deployment includes 18 Alpha fighter jets and 270 personnel from the German air Force. Worner said that while there was no acute danger of iraqis attacking nato member Turkey sending forces there from other Alliance nations was meant to give Iraq a a Clear political Worner also said he believes a there is still a Chance a that the Gulf crisis can be resolved without a War _ free Iraq radio station starts anti Saddam tirade Nicosia Cyprus apr the a voice of free Iraq radio station escalated its attacks in Urszuy against iraqi president Saddam Hussein calling him a tyrant whose arrogance has surpassed that of Hitler Stalin and Mussolini. The radio monitored in Nicosia Cyprus began broadcasting anti Saddam programs on tuesday from an unknown location in an attempt to undermine his support. No information was available on who runs it but there was speculation it a was funded with kuwaiti Money. New Rule turns Gulf beat into grueling exercise by Rob jagodz1nsk1 Pacific stars and stripes Eastern saudi Arabia waistlines not deadlines Are worrying desert shield reporters these Days As they work to pass a military physical fitness test to qualify As combat correspondents. A few weeks ago . Military information of slicers in saudi Arabia decided that journalists picked to cover a conflict with Iraq should be in proper physical shape. So in order to gauge the Power of the press the military insisted that potential War correspondents submit to a it test. A a a a a. / a a. A. The test w As administered several times ail is patterned on standards that . Sailors must meet. It includes push sit and a 1.5-mile run nearly anyone in reasonable health can pass it. But reporters. Health can to always be described As reasonable. Still most desert shield reporters agreed that shape for War Wasny to the worst idea the military a Ever offered them. A a it a Good common sense Quot said David Lamb of the los Angeles times. A it probably does violate some constitutional rights but so does putting on a seat Lamb 50, smokes two packs of cigarettes a Day. He admitted to passing the minimum it test standards about 30 sit in two minutes 30 push in two minutes and 1.5 Miles in about 14 minutes. A Lamb distinguished himself while reporting on Viet Nav from 1968 to 1970 and also covered the conflict in Beirut Lebanon in the Early 1980s. A you never know a he said of the need to be physically fit to cover a War. A if you re grossly out of shape you could endanger yourself and but being in top shape a is not significant a he remember running for. Helicopters in Vietnam 50 or 00 Yards. A lot of adrenaline flows but that was about the extent of physical a a a a. Edie Lederer 47, who reports Lor the associated press worked in Vietnam from 1972 to 1973 and also covered the 1973 War in Israel and the 1980 soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A. a i think its important to be physically fit to cover combat because you never know what the situation is going to demand a Lederer said. A in Vietnam reporters were always jumping in and out of helicopters and Foxholes. You had to be fast on your feet to keep up with the troops. Nobody s going to wait for among the other women reporters who took . Test �?o1 was last hut proud of myself a Lederer said. A i ran the whole was. While a lot of them walked for part of she finished the 1.5 Miles in a Little More than 17 minutes. During the push up portion of the test Ross Simpson said he a popped a muscle in my shoulder. Attn shed the up ships and the sit in extreme pain. I even tin i Heuthe Simpson 48. With Abc radio served in the air Force in the Early 19ht s and called the test a Good idea. Quot i done to want to be in a situation in combat where some Guy who a dragging his butt puts my life in danger Quot he said. A few members of the Media however done to put much weight in the fitness test. A i think the reality is this a if you can run the 100-Yard-dash with a flak jacket helmet Gas mask and other equipment then you re Good to go a said a . News and world report photographer who asked that his name not be used l in served with an army reconnaissance unit in Vietnam in the late i9h0s, has covered fighting in Central America and Afghanistan and has shot news photos in new York City a which is a far More dangerous place than the others a he said. A if you have to run any Long distances in this War you re dead a the photographer said of any conflict in the Gulf Region. Quot heavy artillery and mechanized infantry can throw the equivalent of a used car lot Quot of steel flak into the air. Quot Quot reporters will be so pumped up with adrenaline that they la be breathing nut of every pore in their body. You just have to know How to .�,-.��.-� Dod proposes restrictive rules for Media coverage of War by Michael r. Gordon Washington not the Pentagon has purposed rules for Media coverage of a. War in the persian Gulf that Are far More restrictive than the guidelines that were used in Vietnam. The Pentagon said the restrictions would lie necessary to protect the Security of american military operations in the Gull and to guard the privacy of american troops. But some news executives and other critics said the proposed rules were excessive. They said the. Restrictions appeared to be aimed at preventing politically damaging disclosures by soldiers arid at a shielding the american Public from the consequences of War. A we Are always willing to obey rules that protect lives and National Security a said George Watson the Wash-.-, in ton Bureau chief for Abc news. A these go too far. And we Are concerned about Max Frankel executive editor of the new York times said. A we Hope this Isnit the Las word. T he. Ground rules Are unnecessarily restrictive and specific. We look Forward to further discussion about them with the defense the proposed regulations were provided to news executives. For comment in december. An expanded version rules was distributed to correspondents in saudi Arabia on thursday. Pete Williams the chief Pentagon spokesman thursday said the proposed rules a subject to some further and important changes might be made. Williams was scheduled to meet with news executives on Friday to discuss the regulations on which the Pentagon and news organizations have been conferring Lor weeks. During the Vietnam. War journalists were Able to travel relatively freely to combat zones and were not routinely escorted by military officials. In the Gulf combat operations would be covered by specially designated a pools Quot of print and broadcast journalists subject to tight restrictions. A Quot under the Pentagon s proposals Pool members a would have to military escorts and All with servicemen and women would be on the re. Cord. Critics complained this restriction might constrain the troops from being candid. News reports produced by the pools of news organizations would be sub act to a formal a Security review by Public a lairs officers in the Field before their release. I Here was no official censorship of news reports irom the Field during the Vietnam War although a correspondents adhered to general guidelines designed to protect t lie Security of military operations. In an apparent Effort to prevent unauthorized comments by military officers tie proposed . Would also prohibit Impromptu interviews by Pool members of entering and departing the saudi defense ministry and a other Public interviews with such officials could Only be conducted by Pool members if coordinated in Advance by military press officers Pentagon officials said. In deference to saudi a sensitivities the new regulations would also forbid coverage of religious services in saudi Arabia. The Pentagon has Long been concerned that news coverage of religious services involving Amer ican troops might offend the saudis. Quot the proposed press rules ban television coverage of Quot personnel in agony or severe Shock or a imagery of patients suffering from severe the military said its primary concern in setting the restrictions was to protect the privacy of oui idea troops and to ensure that family members of those wounded or killed do not learn of they have been officially notified by the military. Many journalists say. They Are sympathetic to this corf Cern. But some question whether the government Lias the right to ban photographs of severely wounded soldiers especially in some Way can be found to protect the identity of the troops like blacking out portions of the pictures. A. Television broadcasts showing combat in Vietnam helped build opposition to the War in the United states
