European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday april 19, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3norfolk welcomes new wave of returning ships Norfolk a. Up eight amphibious ships returned from the persian Gulf to a rousing Welcome at the nations largest naval base this week they will be followed by the aircraft Carrier America and the replenishment Oiler Kalamazoo which headed for Home thursday. The ships that returned to Norfolk naval base and nearby Little Creek naval amphibious base on wednesday led a second wave of Navy Homecoming celebrations that will last through the week. A a r a a a the amphibious transport Dock Shreveport one of the first ships to tie up was met by Flag waving families and friends buoyed by a Navy band playing patriotic music. Relatives yelled out sailors names As loved ones came into View. A this turnout was just great a unbelievable a said Robert Welsch a�.26-year- old from Lancaster pa., who was greeted by his 4-month-old daughter Leah and his wife Maggie. A a a in be got my Little baby daughter Here. This is the first time in be seen her. She a Beautiful i really love  than 19,000 sailors and marines Are coming Home this week to Virginia and North Carolina. A total of 13 amphibious ships Are returning from an eight month deployment including five More ships scheduled to arrive saturday. They make up the largest group of amphibious ships to come Home since the korean War. One of the vessels that returned wednesday was the amphibious assault ship iwo Jima. The ship lost 10 Crew members last october in a steam leak Accident soon after being deployed for operation desert shield Crew members called the tragedy a Shock but but said they still managed to carryout their Mission. A a in a just glad they did no to die in vain a Reggie Lee 21, a quartermaster from. A a a a. A a a Vickie Short sprays iwo Jinia Sailor Charles Nilmeyer with silly string after his arrival at Norfolk va., on wednesday. Philadelphia said of his fallen Crew mates. The iwo Jima and other amphibious ships deployed in the persian Gulf misled iraqi president Saddam Hussein into believing there would be a Marine Beach assault on occupied Kuwait top . Military commanders say the deployment helped Allied forces outflank iraqi focus on land. Even though the marines did no to get to hit the Beach sailors said they were proud of their role in desert storm. A was far As the ground offensive was concerned they did no to know when we was coming in and from what Angle and what Point a said Brian Harvey a ship Serviceman aboard the Shreveport. A i think we played a major part in that  in addition to the ships four squadrons from the americans air Wing returned to Nas Oceana in Virginia Beach. Other ships that arrived wednesday were the amphibious transport Dock Trenton the Dock Landing ship Gunston Hall the amphibious transport Dock Raleigh and the tank Landing ships Spartanburg county Saginaw and Manitowoc. Review of ban on women in combat urged Washington a a senior member of the Senate armed services manpower and personnel subcommittee says the experience of the persian Gulf War Calls for a new look at the ban on . Servicewomen in combat . John Mccain r-ariz., said wednesday that the distinction Between combat and non combat roles has become blurred with the increasing Range of missiles aircraft and other weapons. �?o1 think its time we re evaluated that policy a Mccain said. A i think that clearly women have demonstrated again that they can perform any role that they re called upon that any male is called upon to  of the approximately 540,000 . Military personnel who served in the Gulf 35,000 were women according to the defense department. Mccain the ranking Republican on the personnel subcommittee is one of Only a handful of lawmakers to speak out publicly for a change in the combat policy. Mccain a former Navy Pilot was a prisoner of War in Vietnam. By . Law women in the Navy and air Force Are barred from serving in combat jobs. The army is not covered under the same statute but has written its own regulations in line with the Law. Last year several Liberal House democrats proposed legislation calling for a four year test of whether women could hold combat related jobs but no action was taken. Rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., who sponsored the legislation said wednesday she will attempt to bring it Back in a package of economic Equality legislation for women that will be introduced in Juner in a Telephone interview after the Senate hearing Mccain said he was unsure whether a review would Lead to a total repeal of the ban or an easing of some of the restrictions. A the Clear lesson of the Gulf War is that women Are entirely capable of performing in Superb fashion a Mccain said Mccain a comments Drew a favourable response from the air Force caution from the Navy and outright rejection from the army and Marine corps. Each service testified before Mccain a subcommittee. A in my own personal View the last impediment we have doing that is the Law a said it. Gen. Thomas j. Hickey the air Force personnel chief. A it. Gen. William h. Reno the army a Deputy chief of staff for personnel said a five women were killed in the Gulf War 21 wounded and two taken prisoner. But in. Each Case he said the women were acting within the restrictions of army policy. A the policy is appropriate and we do not see any compelling reason to change a Reno said. It. Gen. Norman h. Smith of the Marine corps said of the combat ban a i done to think its broken i done to think anything needs to be done with  Navy vice adm. Jeremy Boorda said his service had pushed the limits of the Law with women working at jobs within the Law. If a change were to occur he said a we would have to be willing to undertake the commitment to make it a truly equal Opportunity for both males and  Mccain said women in the military have told him they Are prohibited from moving up the career ladder because of the combat service ban. F Houston up a famed firefighter Paul a a red Adair is a mad As hello about a Lack of support from the kuwaiti government for companies trying to extinguish burning Oil Wells and is threatening to pull out of the War torn country. Adair 78, lashed out tuesday at the a organized confusion among kuwaiti officials that is keeping Houston area Well control specialists from getting equipment they need to extinguish More than 5u0 burning Wells in the country. Adair accepting an award at the Industrial fire world exposition also said he wants . Officials to Tell the kuwaitis to take action a for get off the  rep. Curt Weldon r-pa., a keynote speaker at the conference blamed the . And kuwaiti govern ments for causing logistical problems he said provoked Adair to threaten to pull out of Kuwait. Adair so expertise is not in filling out forms and dealing with lawyers a said Weldon who recently returned from Kuwait. Weldon who Heads the congressional fire service Institute said he wants to bring Adair together with the kuwaiti ambassador to the United states to solve problems. 14 Kuwait Oil minister Rasheed Al Amiri last weekend criticized the slow Pace of firefighting efforts and hinted he May bring in Well fire experts from other countries. An official involved in the kuwaiti firefighting of r fort told the Houston Post that slowness by the kuwaiti government had delayed work by red Adair co., boots amp Coots inc. And wild Well control inc. A All Houston area companies a and that bulldozers supplied by Kuwait were a a pile of  Adair who flew to Washington on tuesday said he was frustrated by the Lack of heavy equipment water and adequate accommodations for his workers. Adair said he has plenty of work  the world if the kuwaitis cannot provide Basic tools needed for the Job. In the past four weeks boots amp Coots has capped nine Wells Adair a company has capped 28 and wild Well control 25. A fourth company hired by the kuwaitis arrived from Canada Only a week ago