European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday july 17, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3a last Hurrah Worth rem401st in Spain notched Niche in War history by David Tarrant staff writer Torrejon a Spain a six months ago maj. Gary Scott climbed into the cockpit of his f-16 at in Ciurlik a Turkey and flew More than 500 Miles to drop bombs on enemy targets in Northern Iraq. To the South at an air base in Qatar maj. Emmett Tullia gave the thumbs up sign to his Crew chief and streaked off in his Jet fighter to attack enemy targets in Southern Iraq. Whether in the mountains of Turkey or the deserts of the Mideast these officers and other personnel from Torrejon a were in the thick of the persian Gulf War. But in the summer of 1990, War have been further from their minds. As August began the biggest Issue at Torrejon a was the pending departure of the 401st tac fighter Wing from Spain in 1992 As part of a joint agreement. The Wing was gearing Down for the deactivation of its three fighter squadrons when Iraq invaded the tiny Oil Rich nation of Kuwait on aug. 2. Soon Torrejon was gearing up for the biggest Mission in its history. From that Day and on through March in searing conditions and choking dust of Turkey and the arabian Peninsula Torrejon based units were heavily involved in operations desert shield and storm from the North and South. When president Bush decided to Send a Force to saudi Arabia it did no to take Long for the 401st and its Force of f-16s to get a Call. It soon became the 401st tac fighter Wing deployed with the deployment of the 614th tac fighter so to the tiny Arab emirate of Qatar in late August As part of a counter strike Force. Shortly afterwards the 401st�?Ts 612th tac fighter so went to Turkey at first merely in support of display determination a nato exercise in the Mediterranean. For a while it All seemed to the f-16 fighter pilots like a Good training Mission. Based on the outskirts of Doha the capital of Qatar the 614th flew with Canadian Cf-18s, As Well As the qatari air Force whose French made Mirage of is were the same models used by the iraqis. A we were just getting better prepared. It was like Maple Flag and red Flag rolled into one a said Tullia referring to two major training exercises. Occasionally they would talk about War. But it still seemed a Remote possibility. A we thought that with All of the expense and time involved in the operation that something might happen a Tullia said. A but for the time being we were just having fun meanwhile the 612th, which was supporting the nato exercise in Turkey had its deployment extended again and again. A i always said we fight like we train and that s what we did. Except this time when they were _ shooting triple a. You could see it a maj. Emmett Tullia but in Ciurlik a in Turkey is one of the designated Forward operating locations for the 401st, and eventually it became Clear that a Short stint of temporary duty would soon turn into operation proven Force. With the Start of the War the goals of the Turkey based task Force were to freeze iraqi air and ground forces in the North so they could not turn them against coalition forces to the South and also to deny a Safe Haven for iraqi forces in the North. A we wanted to keep the pressure up and not let them feel they had a place to hide a said it. Col. Don Jones operations officer with the 612th during the War and currently Squadron commander. Flying in Large formations the primary targets of proven Force included air defense systems and chemical weapons production plants. Eventually they were sent to take out several suspected scud missile Sites. Operation proven Force was operation Surprise to the iraqis. A i done to think they were expecting an attack from that direction a Jones said. The iraqis however were More than prepared for the coalitions air forces in the South. Still Tulliao a first impression of combat was How similar it was to training. A we always said we fight like we train and that a what we did a he said. A except this time when they were shooting triple Ayou could see it a he said referring to anti aircraft artillery. There Wasny to much resistance from the iraqis until they went into Baghdad during a daytime bombing Mission Jan. 19. There were so Many surface to air missile Sam Sites around the iraqi capital they All be listed on a map. As the pilots rolled into Baghdad they saw a thick carpet of anti aircraft artillery smoke at 11,000 feet Tullia said. That Day the iraqis shot Down two pilots from the 614th. Maj. Jeff Tice and capt. Mike Roberts were both captured. Tullia earned his nickname a a Dodge by narrowly avoiding a similar Fate. Just after dropping his bomb on an Oil refinery Tullia saw a Sam coming toward him. A Pooh boy a he recalled thinking. A this is going to be a close Tullia did a barrel Roll and watched the Sam shoot past the Point where he had just been. A that Shook me up a Little a Tullia said. A but there was another one right behind me so i really Ponder the meaning of life at that Sams were also the primary threat facing the pilots from the North. A i never saw any iraqi planes a said capt. Thomas Moore the Mission commander on several raids. A your biggest threat ended up being triple a from so if the iraqis come out they would just Havq-4o Root them out Moore said. The coalition began systematically destroying the airfields anti aircraft artillery Sites ammunition dumps and hardened bunkers sheltering iraqi jets. By Jan. 30, two weeks after the air War began Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf declared Allied air supremacy. The overpowering air Victory still amazes Moore. Even More amazing was the fact that the 612th lost no planes in combat and Only one to engine failure. A i thought wed have losses. That there Wasny to was just great a he said. Scott of the 612th, said the pilots could not figure out Why the iraqi air Force did no to come out to fight. A a lot of us we re saying a come on. Come on. Give me your Best shot a a he said. The two fighter squadrons returned to Torrejon in March. Once again the base is preparing for the deactivation of its fighter squadrons. The 613th deactivated in june. The 612th is scheduled for deactivation in september and the 614th in december. Both units Are up for outstanding unit awards for their performances during the War. In the meantime the training that paid off in the War has taken on a new significance Jones said. A from a supervisors standpoint there is a big concern about mental letdown. You be survived the War so you think you re invincible. Our big Job now is to reorient everybody a lie said. A the threats not gone. In some cases its increased. We have to think about attention to but the memory of the War that began six months ago still lingers like a Trail of exhaust from a departing Jet. A life goes on a Scott said. A once we got Back there was a Little bit of a mental letdown at first. Here nobody a shooting at you March attracts record entries by Ron Mckinney staff writer Nijm Egen Netherlands a a record number of participants set out at 4 30 . Tuesday on the 75th International four Days marches. More than 39,000 marchers a an increase of about 8,000 Over the old record a covered the streets in and around Nijm Egen As thousands of onlookers cheered. A a that a a phenomenal number of people to be out there doing this kind of thing a said master sgt. Jared Ross who was marching with a couple of friends from the 36th tac fighter Wing Hospital based at Pitburg a Germany. A a it a fun certainly an experience Worth the marchers cover a 25-mile route each Day ending Back at their Camp. The March concludes Friday. More than 600 americans were among the participants from 16 nations who set out on the initial leg of the March carrying 22-Pound Rucksacks. By the Midway Point of the first 25-mile leg in downtown Elst an american medical group had forged ahead by passing 27 unit teams. The 68th medical group team from Wiesbaden Germany nicknamed the monster marchers held a 10-minute Lead going into the Days second rest Stop just outside Elst. Other medics from the same unit who were waiting at the rest Stop to provide medical care were delighted to see their friends at the front. A a they re not just americans. They re our americans a said pfc. Janel Leroy. The monster marchers set such a blistering Pace that their friends on duty were unprepared for their Early arrival and had to sprint across a Field to catch them. A a there a no substitute for conditioning a said the teams Leader sgt. 1st class Walter Pilkons. A we came to Nijm Egen to March but we came to March seriously. A a it a very important to finish As a team and its very important to me to be Blister setting the Pace for the monster marchers was sgt. Kimberly Suber Hankins. A a it a almost like conquering other nations a she said of leading her team past slower marchers. A most other groups think that because we re medical we re weak. But we re a we weren to really trying to be the fastest until we found out we were in the Lead a said spec. Tyler Rodriguez. A a it a not really important. I just want to Complete the March. But if we can smoke them like that Well do although the monster marchers were the first to finish the opening leg another team claimed Victory with a better time of under six hours but its members started More toward the rear of the Parade of marchers. Members of the 26th support group from Heidelberg Germany said they were satisfied with being the fastest. A we know who won a said spec. Bryan Owens. A we were Only five minutes behind them a said 1st it. Tim Teague the 26th support groups Leader. A we beat them by a Good five to 10 no matter who had the faster time no one really takes Home a Gold medal said dutch army officer Cadet Erwin Oskam. A a there a no official timekeeping Quot he said. A the biggest Competition Here is to get everyone Over to the not every unit beat its heels to set a record Pace. Six members of the 650th Security police so at Hahn a Germany took their 25-mile hike at a leisurely Pace. But that did no to maket any easier on them. A a in be got to make it Quot said staff sgt. Ledell Rivers. A i did no to know How Tough it was. With All these people around us we can to help but keep
