European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 b the stars and stripes -3r at a glance a French Pilot readies for take off. Troops Ponder iraqi threat As troops throughout the Gulf re Gion await the ground assault they have plenty of time on their hands to Ponder the iraqi threats facing them. A Page 3 Media control criticized Walter Cronkite said the Pentagon a system for dealing with journalists in the Gulf War is doing the Public such a disservice that he d prefer reporters be censored but free to Range Over the Battle front. A Page 4 women should fight a majority of americans believe women should participate in the fighting against Iraq but 64 percent Iri an associated press poll reject sending mothers of Young children to the War zone. A Page 5 Patriot has shortcomings Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff has told Congress that the Patriot missiles doing a Good Job of intercepting scud missiles but is not always destroying the enemy warhead or achieving a Quot catastrophic  a Page 5 a Friendly fire a concern amid new concerns about the threat to . Troops posed by so called Quot Friendly fire a army aviation and armoured units have assigned High priority to minimizing such casualties officers said. A Page 6 go insurance May get boost government sponsored life insurance for military personnel provides coverage far below the american Standard and Congress May remedy the situation. A Page 17 military to discourage visits of gis hospitalized in Europe by Rosemary Sawyer staff writer Ramstein a Germany a military officials plan to discourage families from travelling to Europe to visit loved ones hospitalized As the result of injuries suffered in saudi Arabia because of the Speed with which patients will he moving Between medical facilities. In the time a family spends flying to be at a songs or daughters bedside in Frankfurt for example that patient could be transferred to the United states. A a we do not suggest by any Means that families go ahead and try to come Over Here from the states because of issues like terrorism and because the whole system is going to be very fluid a said Kathleen Tesi chief of . Air forces european family matters Section. Quot patients will be moved from the area of responsibility to the hospitals Here and in Pliny cases to hospitals in the states so it could be a passing in the night kind of experience a she said. If families insist on visiting loved ones in european hospitals however air Force personnel will assist them in any Way possible Tesi said. One Way the service will help them i amp through a computerized system that tracks patient locations. It does not keep data Ort their conditions. When possible service members will be army mum Headquarters officials with . Army in Europe refused Over a four week period to release information about the commands patient tracking system its casualty notification or assistance programs. A a a a a i Quot \ a a in Quot moved to medical facilities near their Homes. And depending on the nature of the injury this May be done rapidly especially because the services Many contingency hospitals Are Only meant for interim stays Tesi said. Tesi recommends families Contact their local air Force family support Center after learning that a loved one has been injured. The support Center personnel will help them Contact patient tracking which will direct them to the Host base a nearest to the medical facility where the Servic member is being treated. The Wesiter records the location of All air Force personnel a military and civilian a hospitalized in Europe. The Safe computer Trail ends when he or she is moved to a stateside Hospital. Each Host base will have a family reception Center to help visiting families get situated in the local area Tesi said. The Center will provide the family with such information As a list of available lodging and tips on dealing with local currency. The Center staff also will give the family directions to the medical facility and explain entry procedures. A we done to want families going to the hospitals directly. That a Why the tracking Center will not Tell he spouse or the next of Kin the Hospital a Tesi said. If an airman is being treated in say an army Hospital his or her family will be instructed to report to a similar army assistance Center. Kuwait looks like scene in apocalypse now 2 returning fliers say by the stars and stripes Middle East Bureau southwestern saudi Arabia the Battlefield in Kuwait is a landscape of craters smoke and wreckage that looks like a scene from the film a apocalypse now a according to two . Fliers. T a the whole military establishment is burning a said hot Bradley Seipel 34, a weapon systems officer on an f-111f fighter bomber a a it a amazing flying in there. You look at Kuwait that whole area its just fire a said Seipel of Virginia Beach a. I Seipel and other airmen from the 48th tac fighter Wing provisional frown Raf Lakenheath England Fly nightly attacks against iraqi tanks artillery and reserves in Kuwait. A this is War and we Are beating them bad a a said Sci pc la a Pilot capt. Mike Russell 35, of Bradenton Fla. The fighter Wing a pirates from a Large air base in southwestern saudi Arabia. The pilots assigned there believe that the allies have destroyed a significant portion of the iraqi military but their Birds Eye View of the Battlefield leads them to believe that the Job is not Complete. V �?o1 still see that they Are going to be Able to put together a great ground defense or offence a said it. Troy Stone 25, of Hemlock mich., an Al 11 weapons officer. A a they re still Able to Moe their goods. They re still Able to produce these goods and get them to their army and they Are dug in so well.�?�. Russell concurred. A when you look Down at Kuwait there a just stacks of military he said. Media Pool getting to know you better spec. Noel Harris leans Down from the roof of his Plum acc to talk with youngsters in Rafiah saudia Arabia orig  . Troops make trips v town in the Mobile multipurpose vehicle to buy goods they often use the Opportunity to mingle with the local folks. Still the damage done to Date is impressive the pilots said. A it s like constant explosions constant fires a Russell said. A a it a just Awe inspiring night after night How we ripped them  not All the smoke and fires Are from Allied attacks. There Are an estimated 50 Oil Field fires which the allies have said were set by the iraqis to create smoke screens a when you Fly Over there Are fires everywhere a Seipel said. A we done to know an Oil fire Tram any other fire.�?�. Russell Seipel Crew has flown More than 100 hours of bombing missions. Their strikes have included attacks against Saddam Hussein a summer Palace in his Hometown of Cikrit the Oil control valve bombing that halted the huge Oil spill into the persian Gulf and ammunition docks in Kuwait City. We re one Small part of the picture and there Are Ninny other people that have missions in there and Are bombing them constantly a Russell said. / this Story was compiled from information gathered by Pentagon Pool reporters on the scene a. F a