European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 15, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 3in the Gulf Nurnberg unit has a blast destroying iraqi Materiel by John Millar Middle East Bureau Southern Iraq a cleaning up ammunition abandoned on the battlefields of Southern Iraq has become something of a specially of co b of the 16th engr for the last several weeks the unit has been tracking Down piling up and destroying tons of missiles mines and munitions left behind by iraqi forces. While the work helps make the area Safe for wandering bedouins and refugees the platoons real Mission is designed to keep the arms from getting Back into iraqi hands once . Troops leave the  a recent Day the company was on the move by Dawn heading off in tracked personnel carriers. The Day promised to be a Busy one. A a we be got eight targets to hit today a said spec. Paul Bamford an Engineer assigned to the 1st platoon of the company which is based in Nurnberg Germany. Leaving the Road members of the platoon mane Vered Over the Chilly iraqi desert searching for the mornings first kill. A a lot of times we spend an hour two hours driving just to find a site a said sgt. 1st class Amandeo Esperanza the units platoon sergeant. A some Days we drive around All Day and never find it a Bamford added. A but when we do we get a kick out of blowing it  on this particular Day the engineers found their  within 20 minutes of leaving the Road. It was a series of hastily constructed iraqi bunkers filled with everything from mortar rounds and illumination flares to hand grenades. The soldiers piled the ammunition a along with a healthy dose of plastic explosives on a 5-minute fuse a into an abandoned enemy foxhole. They then scrambled to their vehicles for the mad dash to a rendezvous site about half a mile away. There perched on top of their vehicles the soldiers watched As the first explosion sent flares rocketing into the sky. A second blast occurred seconds later As the ammunition ignited. Bamford said the platoon once blew up an estimated 100,000 pounds of iraqi ammunition in a single Day Al though the unit normally averages a about 40.000. To 50,000 pounds Quot daily he said. Most of the engineers enjoy the demolition work Bamford said noting the Job a is what we train for and we never get a Chance to do it a in peacetime. Bamford personally prefers blowing up iraqi vehicles. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a. A a a a the trick with vehicles is to split them in two or take out the engine so it can to be used again a he said. Explosives can usually take care of the engine while detonation Cord can be wrapped around a truck or other vehicle to split it in half he said. Bamford said he wrapped the explosive Cord around one iraqi truck after placing land mines beneath it. A we blew the mines and it went up in the air flipped split in two and landed on the ground a the platoon member who creates the biggest blast inherits the title of a King of the Boom until a larger explosion is made he said. A we like blowing up the big things a Bamford said although he acknowledged that larger explosions offer greater dangers. One close Call came when the platoon blew up a stockpile of iraqi Sa-13 missiles Esperanza said. A we thought we were far enough away when we blew them a he said a and they were going Over our  sgt. Michael Strother the platoons current King of the Boom remembered the rockets a were taking off like they were being  / the Mother of All blasts however is yet to come for the platoon. Unit members plan to destroy a massive iraqi ammunition dump when the last . Forces leave the area according to Bamford. The iraqi Complex is about Ivi Square Miles and contains a just rows and rows and rows of ammunition a Bamford said. Near the ammo dump is an Airfield the engineers also plan to destroy on their Way out of Iraq. Bamford said it will take about 15,000-pounds of plastic explosives and 240 cratering charges to wreck the Airfield and its runways. A we want to totally destroy it a he said. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a is amps John Millar sgt. Michael Strother of cob 16th engr in stacks iraqi ammunition in a foxhole in Southern iraqi. The ammunition was later blown  not a Quick or easy task by the los Angeles times dam Mam saudi Arabia a the roads leading to King Abdul Aziz port Are clogged these Days with Sand caked humvee rough terrain forklifts and tanks lining up to go Home. The machines of War Are being washed inventoried and packed. Work Crews Are wrapping helicopters in plastic sheeting driving armoured personnel carriers into the hulls of cargo ships and tearing Down Field hospitals. With the formal conclusion of the persian Gulf War the herculean Supply Chain that tunnelled millions of tons of vehicles ammunition and food a not to mention 540,000 people a onto the Sands of saudi Arabia has been slammed fully into reverse. By the time it is Over 3,000 airlifts and 400 sea lifts will have transported 1,900 helicopters 12,000 tanks and artillery pieces 235,000 tons of unused ammunition and an endless list of Materiel in addition to More than half a million men and women. A no one will Ever comprehend the enormity of this a said maj Bob Desro Siers a spokesman for the 50,000-member support come staff that oversees logistics. On average a ship a Day and at least one Airlift an hour leave saudi sea and airports bound for . Bases. Already almost 45 percent of the . Personnel dispatched to the Gulf have left for Home much of the equipment is in route. Getting it All Here a a feat billed As the largest Airlift in history a was achieved in record time american Mili a tary officials like to boast \ getting it All Home officials concede can be just As complicated and will take a a to a v., a a Ltd rap a member of the 3rd army div carries his cot and sleeping bag As his unit withdraws from checkpoint Charlie. With the conclusion of the persian Gulf War the Supply Chain that funnelled millions of tons of vehicles ammunition and food into saudi Arabia has been slammed into reverse. Much longer. For one thing sea lifts to saudi Arabia departed from 30 ports sea lifts out of saudi Arabia will leave from two ports. Further the equipment must be thoroughly washed of desert Sand to meet strict Quot department of agriculture requirements. Federal officials say the Sand could contain pests such As Mediterranean fruit Fly larvae. And because the War was so much Shorter than expected not Only were Many stocks left Over that now have to go Back but supplies were still arriving a full month after fighting ended. It. Gen. William g. Pagonis the top logistician in charge of this epic task said he Hopes to finish withdrawal by years end. But he is not yet willing to bet on it. The air Force is sending 600 tons of cargo and 1,000 people a Day from 23 bases in the Gulf. The army a the Branch with by far the largest representation Here a and the marines Are shipping an average of 4,800 tons and about 4, h 0 people a Day. The path followed by the 1st Cav div illustrates the Way the army redeploy. The 15,000-Strong division drove from its position on the Eastern Hank of .-occupied Iraq to the port City of dam Mam Over a two week period Early this month. At the military equivalent of a Gigantic open air car Wash on an Asphalt Field in the desert 1st Gav inf used Jet Stream hoses brushes and rags to Wash Sand from the wheels Side panels and treads of hundreds of trucks personnel carriers missile launchers and trailers. A we got Here at 1400 hours yesterday a said sgt. Rufus High of Dallas a and we be been washing Ever since. Between 200 and 300 vehicles Are washed per hour though some More stubbornly dirty items can take up to 10 hours to clean soldiers said. Tents were provided for troops to wait in a a a sterile holding area until their Home bound ship Tad docked and were ready to receive them. Then convoys drove to King Abdul Aziz port in dam Mam where they joined a sea of pallets and packed Materiel waiting to be loaded onto the ship. The whole process front the time a division begins to move until it is packed and dispatched can take weeks officials say. Stevedores work As Many Aslo ships at a time Pagonis said. Vehicles can drive onto the a Roll on Roll off hips while huge cranes Load the vessels