European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Volcano evacuees arrive at Mcchord after 2 Day trip thursday june 20, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 3 Mcchord fab Wash. A the first wave of the 20,000 service members and family members fleeing the Philippines mount Pinatubo Volcano have reached the Continental United states after a 2/2-Day journey by air and sea. A chartered jumbo Jet carrying 357 evacuees mostly spouses and children of service members at Clark a arrived from Hawaii late tuesday. They went through customs and were Given commercial  to their hometowns. They Are among 20,000 . Military personnel and dependents evacuated from Clark and Subic Bay naval facilities in the Philippines after Pinatubo began a series of eruptions june 9 that have killed 169 people. Some of the Early arrivals told harrowing stories of seeing collapsed buildings and a Countryside covered in White volcanic Ash. Some said they had to flee with no More than the clothes on their backs. A a in be never been in an earthquake a Volcano and a typhoon at the same time before a said air Force capt. Cliff Breier who managed to get his Doberman dog on the evacuation plane. A you could see the Hills in the distance. It looked like the Alps everything was Ash Gray or White a said air Force capt. Scott Weyant. Air Force master sgt. Benjamin Reese said he and his family were moved twice at Subic because the weight of the Ash was too much for base buildings. A the fire station i know was totally collapsed on its trucks a he said. Air Force Security policeman Joseph Callahan said he and his colleagues worked 14-hour shifts to keep looters away from Clark. A 7 As Many As 5,000 of the Scricc Momb ers and their relatives arc expected to arrive at Mcchord in the next few Days said sgt. Jim Davis base spokesman. A the first arrivals were offered medical care travel expenses and Money for clothing and other needs. Dozens of phones were provided so they could Call  a a �?�./. A 7/ a some people got out with literally no. Shoes nothing because buildings were collapsing on them a said Holly Erickson wife of an air Force Captain. Air Force capt. John Litten said people had to flee with Only the few possessions they could carry aboard the plane. That included a dozen cats and dogs. A whatever they left behind they can expect never to see again a he said. Their 21/2-Day journey began aboard service members and their families walk Down a plane ramp at Mcchord Ami Wash. Navy ships that left Subic Bay for the said. A i would love to know because that philippine Island of Cebu. From there is the Only thing that is bothering Nie they flew to Guam and then on to Hawaii right now besides wanting everyone  before the final flight to Mcchord said Litten said some of the evacuees who Navy it. Ron Barkdull. Arrived at Mcchord would begin leaving one of the evacuees Debbie Parker for hometowns across the country a of Roanoke va., said by phone from Early As  earlier tuesday that she and her about 60 people  and civil three children were waiting to hear when Ian clothes were on hand to Greet the first her husband maj. Greg Parker would arrivals. Join them. F Mcchord is a frequent Point of arrival a a in be heard that my husband has evac for Large scale military flights from Over Quot rated and i done to know where he is a she  s new network is by John Millar Wurzburg Bureau 1 Ramsthal Germany a the phone rang about every two minutes in the cramped bowl inc shelter that spec. Craig Vivian called Home last week. A Little Over six months ago he would have been Lucky to get a single Call let alone make one Vivian a communications Soldier assigned to the 3rd inf dives 123rd signal in manned one of several switchboards on the divisions new tactical communications network. Known As Mobile subscriber equipment the new network was tested by the battalions soldiers last week in an exercise that logged hundreds of Calls through Vivian a Quot something that Hadnot happened with his old equipment. Before Fielding the new system Vivian operated what was known As a Ratt Rig or radio and teletype communications . With the Rig he could Only communicate Over one Channel. The Rig could also be easily detected by enemy forces because it broadcasts a signal Over a wide area. The new system directs a narrow signal to specific receivers., a a it a like a Dinosaur a said staff sgt. Marion Bedford referring to the Ratt Rig. Bedford supervised vivians switchboard on the new network where he said an average of 800 Calls were processed each minute peaking a at about 1,100  Mobile subscriber equipment was designed to replace three generations of 1950s-Era communications gear such As the Ratt Rig. Soldiers in Europe a v corps began training on the $4 billion system in april 1990 and finished in december As part of Vii corps training program the 123rd�?Ts soldiers began learning the system in january. The new system employs a military version of the civilian cellular Telephone said master sgt. George Walters the divisions chief communications non commissioned officer. Civilian cellular phone users communicate through a network of fixed antennae. The army a version is similar except that the antennae Are Mobile to keep phone and facsimile communications intact on a modern fast paced Battlefield. Those using the new system need Only dial a seven digit number to communicate with others on the Battlefield a just like a Mabell a a said master sgt. Herbert like Mabell now they can drive Down the Road and talk on the Telephone to someone 100 Miles  because the new a a phones Are considered a secure a Rice said those using the new equipment done to have to use radio procedures and Lingo such As a Frog cry and  amps John Millar spec. Craig Vivian mans a Node Center switchboard. Rice non commissioned officer in charge of the 123rd�?Ts operations and training. With his new equipment Vivian said he can provide Call forwarding conference Calls for commanders and others who May need it As Well As one Button programmed dealing. He can also put three callers on hold at one time. Mobile subscriber equipment also allows commanders to communicate by car her humvee a phone. In the past Rice said they relied on pm radios a and you had to be within a certain Range to talk. Depending on the terrain that was 25  Shorter. A no one can Monitor your conversation a Rice said a a a Over and All of that is not  Walters said the system is also compatible with those used by the French and British armies something that works Well with the new nato concept of a multinational european based fast reaction Force. One disadvantage he said is that not everyone gets a Mobile phone. A some done to like the Way the equipment is distributed a he said. A they like that flexibility to drive Down the Road and still maintain radio Contact. They can control things  with the new system brigade and battalion command posts Are linked by phone and messages sent by fax to each other and division Headquarters through a series of six main switchboard centers and their antennae Walters said. 7. These communications links Are called a nodes a he said and can be leapfrogged Forward on a Battlefield to keep communications open. Even if one Node shuts Down to move commanders can still communicate through the remaining five. Battalion soldiers played a huge game of leapfrog during the exercise. Walters said the signal soldiers provided actual ground communications for a simulated Battle that started near Heilbronn. Battalion soldiers leapfrogged their a Node centers More than 90 Miles to an area just East of Schweinfurt. When the Battle turned North they continued a a jumping to Points North of Fulda. The exercise proved that communications can keep up with such fast moving units As Abrams tank battalions Rice said. If just one Node Center on the old network was shut Down he said switchboard Type communications came to a screeching halt. A some subscribers would be without communications depending on How far they had to jump sometimes for six hours a Rice said. A the new system can almost always have switchboard  and that Means switchboard operators Are kept Busy. A it gives me a lot More to do than my old Job a Vivian said