European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a a sunday. April 28, 1931 the stars and stripes a Page 3homecomings a switch at in Ciurlik by Ron Jensen staff writer in Ciurlik a Turkey a the Post desert storm homecomings at this base Are a bit unusual. Here it s the uniformed  who wave the flags and cheer while the family members get off the air planes. Late at night on Jan. 16 nearly 2,200 dependents began a voluntary evacuation of the base hours before the first bombs of the War were dropped. Two weeks ago they began returning a this was the first evacuation Ever from the european theater a said senior master sgt. Oscar Davis the base Coic for military personnel. Geographically in Ciurlik is in Asia but the base is part of the military a european operations. The evacuation was discussed for months prior to the War but in the end it was a Quick decision by the Secretary of defense. A actually we drug our feet on this a admitted col. Gary Lorenz the 39th tac group commander. A it happened but it happened at the last  Many dependents still were at the base when a red Alert sounded indicating a possible scud missile attack. Only service members were equipped with Gas masks. Lorenz said dependents were not provided masks because it Vyas always assumed they would be evacuated in time. The Lack of masks for family members troubled Many on the base and created some personal crises about who should get to Wear them. A some sponsors just put their masks aside and said a in a not going to make that decision a said Barbara Carr whose husband Michael is base Deputy commander for resource management. Lorenz said the Alert had a big Impact on the families at the base. A we did a show of hands two Days before the deployment. Less than half wanted to go a he said. But after the first red Alert almost All opted for the voluntary evacuation. Ultimately fewer than 50 remained. They think they Are returning to the base the Way it used to be. We re trying to address the Issue that it s not the same base Anta Denny. In Ciurlik a family support Center evacuees were Given airfare to their stateside a Safe  they also received a per diem while away but Many families did t know that when they left Davis said which was an additional worry. A your budget is already tight and now you re wondering a How am i going to manage two households a a Davis said. However As soon As dependents reached the United states they were met by military personnel who helped them handle the paperwork for the allowance. The amount was based on the area of the country in which they were staying. Those who did not move in with friends or family were Given additional Money for rent and household expenses. Family members and sponsors seemed thankful for the evacuation plan. A it was a peace of mind when they left a said staff sgt. David Schoe of the 39th Security police. His wife Virginia and daughter Taylor 4, were in Nebraska while he was working 12-hour Days at in Ciurlik during the War. A i  be worried about my family while in a working All those Long hours a he said. Carr who set up House in Virginia said the opera Tion in Turkey received Little attention in the states which fostered rumours among evacuees who kept in touch by letters and phone. One Rumor was that the runway had been blown up shortly alter the evacuees left. Another was that the base Hospital was damaged by  or terrorists. And there were tales of infidelity. A about 1,000 family members have returned. Many Are waiting for the end of the school year in the states before coming Back to in Ciurlik. T hey Are returning to a base that s now the Center of a massive humanitarian Effort to Supply kurdish refugees escaping civil War in Iraq. Several thousand people Are temporarily on the base to assist the Effort causing Long lines and slowing traffic. Quot a in a welcoming address to family members Lorenz asked for understanding. A when a the commissary does no to have your favorite Brand think of the kurd a he said. A have a Little  Anita Denny director  support Center said returning family members Are in for a Shock. A they think they arc returning to the base the Way it used to be a she said. A we re trying to address the Issue that its not the same base a the child care Center is closed she said because the employees have not returned. Levels of service at the base ordinarily lower than at stateside bases have been reduced even further. A a in a telling families to sit Down and discuss what s going on on this base and How it will affect their lives Quot she said. Davis said he wants family members to Tell him of any problems caused by the evacuation. If such a drastic measure is needed again he Hopes it will go even smoother. He also said the evacuation was a proper me. A a a even though we did not get hit a he said a it was still Best Tor them and the sponsor Quot distribution bogs Down As Relief goods pile up bearing gifts Bernie Moran holding two Teddy bears is Given a toy helicopter by Gen. Ii. Norman Schwarzkopf during a visit Friday at . Central come at Macdill fab in Tampa Fla. Bernie 11, had sent cigars and water to the general during the persian Gulf War As Well As a Teddy Bear upon Schwarzkopf return to the states looking on is Ber Niess brother David and Mother Celma. By Ron Jensen staff writer in Ciurlik a Turkey a cargo destined for the kurdish refugees is arriving at this air base in Southern Turkey faster than it can be delivered. A the base right now has Flat run out of room a said air Force col. Felix f. Moran the commander of the 628th military Airlift support so that unloads cargo. A a a a i think the Supply Mission has grown beyond expectations. We re actually busier now than we were during the persian Gulf War a Moran said. About 1,400 tons of  by air each Day and several Hundred tons More by truck filling space Between hangars and along the flight line with pallet after pallet of goods. �?�1 done to have any place to put it a said col. Michael f. Carr Deputy commander for resource management at the base. He said 400 loaded trucks arc stalled at the Forward Supply base in silo i awaiting Crews to unload them and space to put the supplies. Facilities at Diyarbakir another Supply Center Are packed. A a in a Restuc cd in the  trucks i can  of Here by the logjam at those places he said. Tinis far the base has shipped out 16,000 tons of supplies most of them by truck since operation provide Comfort began april 9. But that Pace is below what is being received. A a we be been getting in stuff that Hasni to moved for tour Days a said sgt. Robert Gassman of the bases 39th Supply so. There is talk that the civilian Airport in nearby Adana will take charge of the six to eight civilian relict flights coming in daily. Moran said those Lew flights take up room on the already crowded ramp plus they take Trews trained for unloading military aircraft More time to empty. Some cargo shows up with no obvious destination. Moran said 13 pallets of hard biscuits from Japan came in on a Givihan flight the other Day. A we done to know what to do with it a he said. The surplus will soon disappear when. More of the refugee Camps Are made accessible to trucks and helicopters which Are faster at delivery systems than the 30 Airdrop missions being flown daily from Here. Until then in Ciurlik a will Contin us to resemble an overstuffed warehouse. By Ron Jensen staff writer in Ciurlik a Turkey a hangar 3 on this air base in Southern Turkey looks a bit like Santa a workshop. Workers in red Caps Scurry through a routine of work that every eight minutes produces a pallet prepared for air dropping. A a it a like an Assembly line a said sgt. Brendon Grimes of the 4th Mobile Aerial port so at Rhein main a Germany. A the same people Are doing the same Job Over and Over  with four such lines the 273 riggers from 13 army and army Reserve quartermaster units from the United states Korea and Europe Are producing a loaded pallet every two minutes. A a they re wearing fingerless gloves not because they re in style but because their hands Are raw a said sgt. Major Gary Ferguson of the general support Center in Kaiserslautern Germany. The Crews Are nearing their 6,000th pallet since work by Gan april 6. Recently they be been rigging More than 500 pallets a Day. To Rig a Load Crews cover the wooden pallet with a plywood skid Board. A Large heavy plastic Sheet is spread Over the pallet. This is topped by a cardboard Cushion known As a  forklifts then Are used to place the supplies on the pallet the plastic cover is secured around the Load. Finally a. Parachute is attached. Grimes said parachutes 26 feet in diameter Are used for most loads. Parachutes 64 feet in diameter arc used for fragile loads like water that must descend at a slower Speed initially the loads were Basic a res blankets and water. But combat control teams now in some of the kurdish refugee Camps Are asking for particular items. A right now we re doing what we Call a Burger King a a Ferguson said. A you can have it your  so quickly Are the pallets being built As supplies flood into the base that the riggers often have outraged their equipment. One Day they ran out of chutes