European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 2 b the stars and stripes thursday february 21,1991war in the Gulf at a glance israeli girl puts new face on mask spies May save . Lives despite . Reliance on satellites and other High tech Means to gather intelligence american lives May Well depend on the eyes and ears of military spies now poised to prowl behind enemy lines just before the invasion of occupied Kuwait begins a Page 3 Wiesbaden team readies like everyone else in the Northern saudi arabian desert the people of the 12th evacuation Hospital from. Wiesbaden Germany Are making last minute preparations for ground War a a a a a a a Page 4 a sign of the times the War of words Over the persian Gulf War has spread to include traffic signs and City officials in Gainesville fla., Aren t Happy about it. A Page 5 red Cross seeks funds -1 a. _ a. A. A a. A the american red Cross on tuesday announced its biggest wartime fund raising Effort since world War ii in Washington. It said former president Reagan will head the Campaign to raise $30 million for Gulf War troops families and victims. A Page 5 Slick not As bad As feared the persian Gulf Oil Slick is much smaller than originally feared and Allied attacks on iraqi positions Are believed to have caused up to 30 percent of it saudi officials said Dhahran. A Page 6 Dod opposes Bill to exempt Many parents from combat by Chuck Vinci Washington Bureau Washington a a Hill that would exempt single parents Witul one member of a dual military couple from serving in combat would create a second class soldiers and erase gains made by women Servic members Pentagon officials say. The Bill introduced by rep. Barbara Boxer d-calif., is one of several circulating on Capitol Hill that Are designed to prevent children from becoming what Legislatures arc calling a War orphans.�?�. Boxers version which has 70 House co sponsors would direct the military to choose one member of a dual military couple for deployment with the other1 member having the option of serving outside the combat zone. Single parents also would have the Choice of exempting themselves from duty in a combat zone. In both cases individuals would have their military commitments extended by whatever length of time they spent outside the War zone. R such a move is a unwarranted and urn Wise a Pentagon manpower chief Christopher John told the House armed services military personnel subcommittee tuesday at the Bill a first congressional airing. A fall members of the profession of Arras serving today Are volunteers a Jehn said a they understood that when they volunteered to serve they freely assumed the duty and obligation to place themselves in harm s Way when called upon to do so. A expecting the same sacrifices of All military members married or single with children or without is the Only understandable and fair policy and one that is consistent with the american tradition of r military opposition to the Bill was expected but some of boxers subcommittee Peers also gave it a Cool reception repeatedly raising the Issue of fairness in a Volunteer Force. Rep. Beverly Byron d-md., who chairs the subcommittee said she is troubled by the thought of permanently de priv my children of their parents. A it is easy to lose sight of the fact however that today a military is composed of an All Volunteer Force whose members made a conscious decision to join a she said. A we need Tottoc careful that the so Hubon is not tar worse than the problem a a aside from the fairness Issue military officials tear the Bill would be disastrous for unit readiness Jehn said. More than 16,000 single parents and 1,20ft dual military couples with children Are serving in operation desert storm. Jehn reminded the subcommittee that the theater was not declared a combat zone until months after the Depky mint began. Had Boxer s Bill been Law at that time it mighty have led to Large numbers of personnel already in place deciding to get out of the War zone leaving units critically undermanned he said. The Long term the Boxer Bill would be to create a population of second class citizens who would lag behind their fully deployable counterparts in terms of advancement John said a Barbara Pope assistant Secretary of the Quot Navy for manpower said the military could not be expected to waste a increasingly scarce resources training single parents in combat and combat support skills which other the quickest promotions if they could later decide not to deploy when the time comes to use those skills. A fall combat and direct combat support skills would be neck Stamly closed to single parents in order to maintain High states of combat readiness and deployability within the remaining Force Structure a Jehn said. Boxer said her Bill is not a a a women a Bill a because it would affect both men and women. But Jehn disagreed pointing out that female single parents make up a much higher percentage of the female military population than their male counterparts. Of the 66,000 single parents in the military about 39,600 Are men and 26,400 Are women. With 220,000 women in the 2.05 million Active duty Force that Means 12 percent of Active duty women Are single parents while Only 2.1 percent of men Are single parents. He said the Bill would essentially reverse Many of the advances women have made in gaining Access to non traditional military jobs. Proud afghans eager to Aid allies ki1afji, saudi Arak a apr a dozen years alter he tied the afghan air Force to fight the communist government in his country maj. Din Mohmad Zadrien is Syll at War. The 35-year-old former Pilot is in saudi Arabia with a contingent of 1 m guerrilla fighters who have travelled Here to tight the iraqis. A i am very proud to come Here a said Zadrien. A we Are Here to protect the saudi Arabia Sadr my a guerrillas who Call themselves Mujahideen a holy warriors Are among 300 afghans sent to saudi Arabia by rebel leaders who have fought the communist government in Kabul and soviet troops Lor More than 12 years. Zadrien said he expects the Dull Force to reach 2,000 afghan guerrillas join the 31-nation coalition arrayed against Iraq. Although representatives from Many of the countries joined in a non combat role the guerrillas Are Here to fight a task they Are All too familiar with. Their Long hard War with the soviets and afghan regular army has made thym experts in combating soviet equipment and tactics. The superpower with All its Armor helicopters and air Power failed to subdue the Tough Mountain fighters. A drink scamp on the Road leading into the Battle scarred City of Khanji is bristling with the same soviet weapons the guerrillas fought with and against in their Battle. / the ak-47s, rocket propelled grenades ak-74 Light machine guns and other Light arms were Given to the afghan guerrillas by the saudi government. The fighters came to the country with Little other than their traditional afghan pyjamas. A a. The Mountain fighters also expect to afghan volunteers wait to get their turn on a firing Range in saudi Arabia. Receive four wheel drive vehicles from the saudi government. Now equipped with saudi tents . Camouflage uniforms Rind either equip Niento the afghans continue their religious traditions halting training to answer the Call to afternoon prayer. Their ties to Home Are also evident. They gave a visitor some 20 letters to mail Lor them All addressed to afghan refugee Camps in Pakistan. The fighters brought another tradition with them. Becaj Tom of the history of feud s among the various guerrilla factions the afghans were split into three separate Camps spread Over a 31-mile area near the Kuwait Border. .1 Hough the afghans Aren t sure of their specific role in the fight against the iraqis Zadrien said his men have no qualms about cooperating with Western forces such As the United states and France. A if the americans and French Are Here to fight too there is no problem a he said. A but Zadrien was hopeful that rumours of peace might be True. A the iraqis and soviets Are Good friends he said. A i think they Are going to make Saddam understand that peace is better for his
