European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday August 9, 1991 m unexpected guest some thousands crowd onto the freighter Vlora before it departed Albania on wednesday. Italy mobilizes its navies to halt refugee Laden ships Rome apr Italy mobilized its Navy and coast guard along the Adriatic thursday to Block thousands of albanian refugees from reaching italian ports. But despite warnings issued wednesday that All refugees from the impoverished country would be sent Home albanian freighters and fishing boats defied coast guard blockades and sought to reach the italian coast. The Milan newspaper corriere Della Sera said that one albanian drowned wednesday when he jumped overboard and tried to swim to Shore. Authorities said they could not immediately confirm the report. One ship with an estimated 1,000 albanians aboard headed to the port of Otranto around Midnight wednesday hut authorities refused it permission to enter the Harbor. 1 port officials were especially alarmed by reports from Albania that another freighter the Vlora was carrying As Many As 10,000 people and sailing toward Italy. Port officials were mobilized along the coast and the Navy and coast guard sent out patrol boats and helicopters. Two other ships were reported off the Mediterranean Island of Malta but authorities were also refusing entry. Reports from Albania said thousands of people have gathered at the port of Durrs hoping to escape to Prosperity in the West. Security forces opened fire on some refugees As they tried to Board ships. At least 12 were reported to have died As they tried to Board ferries. Albanian television said Many of them drowned. Italy is trying to absorb More than 20,000 albanians who have arrived since March. The government began sending Home newer arrivals in june. By Amy Gieszler Jones . Bureau the . Soldiers who deployed to play War games in the isolated untamed areas of Iceland recently expected to run into the occasional icelander in this land of fewer than 250,000 people. But they did no to expect to see the american tourist who accidentally stumbled across them in a Valley surrounded by mountains near Glacier areas in Western Iceland. They were All hiking in the country known As the land of ice and fire. A of All the things to see out Here i did no to expect to see someone from Tennessee a pfc. Robert Williams a communications specialist said in a Telephone interview. He was one of the More than 700 reservists who descended on Iceland recently for a two week biennial exercise called Northern Viking 91. Some of the local icelanders trekked into the Valley atop ponies curious to find out what this unfamiliar movement of people in Green was about. Iceland is the Only nato member country without a military. As such it would rely on the United states to defend the nation during wartime. That Mission belongs to military Reserve units primarily based in new England. To test defense plans and procedures reservists from primarily army units spend two weeks on Active duty every two years in Iceland familiarizing themselves with the unusual terrain and temperamental climate while practising wartime scenarios. Reservists from air Force Navy and Marine corps units also participated in the exercise which kicked off july 30 and ended wednesday. Northern Viking 91 is described As both a command Post exercise and a Field training exercise. / various scenarios Are set in the command Post while soldiers deploy to the Field. Only five military helicopters a three Uhls and two ch-47 chinooks a but no tanks or artillery were used in this years exercise. The . Nas Kef Lavik Home to the Iceland defense Force run by the . Military is the primary staging facility for the exercise. On the off years Between exercises the reservists practice in greater numbers with the tanks and artillery at a 500 Square mile training ground in Canada known As Gagetown. But the deployment to Iceland is valuable experience most of the reservists say. Exercise a a lot of times when we re training we re working in a hypothetical situation. Now its easier to visualize a said pfc Todd Holloway 26, an infantryman with a co 3rd in 18th regt of the 187th inf brigade from Lawrence mass. A this gives it a More realistic feel. A i probably went to All four Corners of the  most of the soldiers were impressed with the Beauty of Iceland. A it makes me almost want to conic Back Here for a vacation a said Williams a self professed outdoors Man. A i took some incredible  Iceland a terrain 80 percent of which is glaciers lakes mountainous lava desert and other wasteland favors the defender said it. Col. John Rasmuson the civil military operations officer for the . Army forces Iceland headquartered in fort Devens mass. Enemy paratroopers dropping in  go unnoticed in the virtual 24 hours of Daylight and they would have nowhere to hide in the Barren Countryside. A and the population is so homogeneous that you could pick out a foreigner a said Rasmuson who in civilian life is a Public affairs officer at fort Devens. A a it a not like new England where you can hide behind a tree a said 1st sgt. Brad Parkhurst of he co 167th support group from Manchester . Northern Viking exercises began in 1985 and have grown from one eight Man contingent to a deployment of More than700 reservists according to Rasmuson Rasmuson who has participated in All of the Northern Viking exercises said he does no to foresee an increase in the number of people for future exercises. A this is about the maximum number of people we can do this with for practical reasons a said the 46-year-old Massachusetts native. One of those reasons is that those 700-plus people maximize the logistical support provided by Nas Kef Lavik located on the southwestern tip of Iceland near the nations capital of Reykjavik. This years exercise also included a couple of firsts. A 70-member staff from the 376th combat support Hospital in Liverpool n.y., set up its 400-bed capacity Mobile unit self transportable Hospital. This was also the first time Chinook helicopters from the Pennsylvania army National guard were used to haul the troops and supplies Hui Iceland a  ship to visit romanian bulgarian ports by King Gruczek Mediterranean Bureau  missile Cruiser Belknap flagship of the Navy a 6th Fleet will make Goodwill visits to the Black sea ports of Constanta Romania and Varna Bulgaria next week. The visit to Varna bulgarians major seaport is believed to he the first visit by an american warship to Varna in More than 75 years. A we had it researched by the Navy historical Center in Washington and the records show that the last visit to Varna took place before world War 1,�?� cmdr. Craig Quigley the 6th Fleet spokesman said wednesday. A we have had Navy ships taping into Constanta several times in the past few years but this will be the first visit into there by the Fleet flagship and its commander a Quigley said. The Belknap with its complement of nearly 60 1 officers and Crew will arrive in Constanta on monday and will remain at the Busy seaport and resort Center until Early aug. 16, when it will depart for the morning Long trip to Varna Quigley said. A the visits to both ports Are an expression of the United Stales encouragement and support of these nations moves toward democracy Quot Quigley said. The visit to Varna will conclude aug 20. In both Romania and Bulgaria vice adm. William a. Owens 6lh Fleet commander will meet with commanders of the respective navies and with leading political figures. Also nine sea Hees assigned to the Public works department at Naples support activity will carry out two Public assistance projects in each City. In Romania they will construct a playground at a Hospital for handicapped children and renovate a Hospital emergency room. In Varna they will build a playground for an orphanage Aud help build a bulgarian military Supply depot. They will be joined by teams of volunteers from the Belknap. Sailors from the two nations have been invited to join. The 6th Fleet band will give a number of Public concerts in both countries and the Belknap will be open Tor visits by the Public. A we anticipate pretty Good sized crowds in both places a Quigley said