European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes wednesday december 11,1991 military36th fighter Wing pilots receive docs for combat Pitburg a Germany a three 36th fighter Wing pilots received distinguished flying crosses at a ceremony at Pitburg a on nov. 15. It. Col. James e. Reed capt. Mark t. Mckenzie and capt. Benjamin d. Powell received the awards for their combat roles during operation desert storm. Reed commander of the 525th tac fighter so commanded 12 f-15s leading the first strike into Iraq from Turkey during operation desert storm. In the midst of a surface to air missile launch and intense anti aircraft fire he flew a route different from those flown by the other 12 jets. As a result enemy aircraft did not take off from five iraqi airfields located near the target area allowing the f-15s to reach their targets. Using a radar guided missile Mckenzie a Pilot with the 525th tac fighter so shot Down an enemy helicopter while he and another f-15 were leading 42 aircraft that struck iraqi targets. Powell an f-15 Pilot with the 53rd fighter so was instructed to pursue enemy aircraft while patrolling Over Iraq. When the iraqi aircraft fled Powell chased and shot Down a Mig-23 and a Mirage fi.1 St non prior service enlisted returns for duty with Reserve spec. Darcy Blankenship 23, is the first non prior service Soldier to enlist with the . Army Reserve in Europe attend Basic combat training in the states and return to serve with the european based 7th army Reserve come a command spokesman said. Blankenship an administrative specialist attended Basic training at fort Leonard Wood mo., under the civilian acquired skills program. In her civilian Job she works As an army Reserve technician with 7th army Reserve come Headquarters in Heidelberg. The 7th army Reserve come has nearly 800 drilling reservists serving in 23 units stationed throughout Germany Italy and the United  squadrons Advance in maintenance Competition Pitburg a Germany a the three maintenance squadrons at Pitburg a swept the 17th air Force s maintenance effectiveness titles in their respective Fields and will proceed to Competition at the . Air forces Europe level. The 36th component repair so 36th equipment Maint so and the 36th aircraft generation so Are advancing in the Competition. Maintenance effectiveness awards Are presented  at upper Heyford wins award for self help Raf upper Heyford England a the base information management Branch at Raf upper Heyford has been recognized by the . Air forces Europe As having completed the Best self help project in the command. Members of the Branch which is part of the 20th Mission support so spent $6,000 in materials to Complete a renovation project that would have Cost about $22,000 if contract labor was used. The project completed in june 1991, entailed panelling and painting Walls and hanging ceiling tile. The Branch received the maj. John d. Riddle self help award from usafe.3rd army div band plans two Christmas concerts Giessen Germany a the 3rd army div band will perform Christmas concerts in Giessen and Butzbach. The band will perform dec. 16 in Giessen along with the Usa eur chorus and a local menus choir at 7 30 p.m., in the Congress Halle on the Berliner Platz. The band will also perform dec. 18 in Butzbach along with a local choir at 8 p.m., in the Bergerhaus. Admission is free to both concerts. Aces get Iron dad support As army units streamline re Tohm Mill and 1. By John Millar Wurzburg Bureau Furth Germany a if there were a civilian Market for armoured bulldozers army sgt. David Wilson would be the perfect Salesman. A efm a thorough advocate of this vehicle a Wilson said while standing in front of his m9 armoured combat earthmover. The Engineer Section sergeant commands one Ace and manages seven others in his unit. He Speaks confidently and from persian Gulf War experience when referring to the aces prowess in digging fire and latrine pits. Problem is the co a 16th engr in Soldier is not out to sell the year old aces on his lot. Its the older Engineer vehicles that have to be cleared from his motor Pool at Johnson Barracks . Those he said Quot Are older than most of my  for Wilson and other soldiers of the 16th, the bothersome task of replacing older equipment for aces and other late Model vehicles is just one of several burdens being lifted from the shoulders of combat engineers throughout the division by an army program called the Engineer restructure initiative., combat engineers Are the army a builders and destroyers supporting front line units by demolishing obstacles placed in their path and building new obstacles in the enemy a Way. They help Friendly forces by digging fighting positions for infantry Armor and cavalry units bridging gaps to help tanks and Clearing Landing areas for aviators. Traditionally Only one battalion of combat engineers provided these and other Battlefield services for an entire three brigade division said col. Jerry sinn 3rd inf div engr brigade commander. Sinns brigade was activated in August and was the first in the army to undergo the restructuring initiative which is a program designed to beef up Engineer support to divisions while streamlining Engineer organization and equipment. The . Army Europe s 8th inf div formally activated its Engineer brigade in november. Sinn said most army divisions will implement the program within one year. Under the initiative each division will have a three battalion Engineer brigade so that each Man Euver brigade within the division will be supported by one battalion of engineers. The 3rd inf div supplemented its 10th engr in with two others a the 16th in Firth and the 82nd engr in in Bamberg. Each will be dedicated to supporting one of the divisions three ground Man Euver brigades. It. Col. De Arnold executive officer of the 3rd inf div engr brigade said soldiers in each battalion a will Start to think like that brigade like the Armor the infantry and artillery in their role of support to the brigade. It will make a lot of things happen very  maj. John Brewer Iii executive officer for 16th engr in said his unit will always work with the divisions 2nd brigade. A the Way we were we supported the entire division which was hectic a said sgt. David Doeden Ace Section sergeant for cod 16th engr in. A supporting a f is John Millar sgt. David Doeden of the cod 16th engr in in Firth Germany moves his armoured combat earthmover into position for an Oil change. Brigade should be no problem. I think it will work out much better. Well be More Apt to know How they work and the Way they want things  sinn said the program will restructure the three 800-member battalions into three 433-member a equipment intensive battalions that will All look the  in the past sinn said he could walk through an Engineer motor Pool and a every 10 Steps i took 1 was looking at a different piece of  the unit May have had three each of two different bulldozers. For those bulldozers there May have been two different types of tractors and trailers to haul them. A before i was looking at a front end loader and a Backhoe. Its like having a �?T49 Studebaker a �?T52 Plymouth and a 1960 my and saying of maintain that stuff. You can to do it a sinn said. A a we re getting away from that a sinn said. A so when you walk Down the line now we have All the same wheeled systems that the rest of the division has a High density with parts support things Are common so they re easier to work on.�?�. The brigade will also have a Fleet of 36 armoured vehicle launched Bridges and 18 combat Engineer vehicles a both of which Are built on a common m60 tank Chassis. And the brigade s bulldozers have gone the Way of the Edsel replaced by 66 aces. That s Good news said spec. Monte Pinegar an Ace Mechanic for the i6th�?Ts he co. He said having the Ace Means he can concentrate on one pice of equipment instead of three. Wilson the would be Ace Salesman admitted that his squat tracked earthmover a does no to out dig the Dozer. It can to push As much As a  but what the Ace Falls Short on in the muscle category it More than makes up for with other Standard options such As Armor a heating and ventilation system nuclear and chemical Protection the ability to swim and most important Speed. Pinegar said the Ace managed about 20 Mph in the Sands of saudi Arabia Iraq and Kuwait while Nis units old d7f bulldozers had a top Speed of about 6 Mph on the Best surfaces. Like the system of one Engineer battalion supporting an entire division the Mechanic said the Bulldozer a was just not built for today a  British air unit redeploy to England Raf Marham England a amps a a Squadron of British Royal air Force Tornado aircraft has redeployed to England As part of the  military draw Down from Germany. The no. 2. A from Raf Laa Bruch arrived tuesday at a located about 100 Miles Northeast of Lon Raf Marham Don. The Squadron of Tornado fighter bombers returned to the United kingdom under the ministry of defense a draw Down plan known As the options for change. The Squadron had been based at Laa Bruch since 1972. At Marham the no. 2 so joins two other squadrons of Tornado aircraft and a Squadron of Tanker aircraft. A spokesman for the Raf strike come at Raf Higl Wycombe said tuesday that he did not know How Man personnel or planes were involved in the move. As part of the options for change one Tomar Squadron in Germany has been disbanded with to it others scheduled to follow by May. In addition the Plai Calls for closing Raf bases at Wildenrath and Gutersloh in Germany by 1992 and 1993, respectively. Plans Call for harrier aircraft now based at Gutersloh to be moved to Laa Bruch the strike come spokesman said