European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a the stars and stripes monday december 30, 1991 a amps Guy Miller a helicopter approaches the flight deck of the aircraft Carrier Forristal during its deployment in operation provide Comfort in the  Wing s postwar Mission was saving lives by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau at sea in the Mediterranean the aircraft Carrier Forrestal and its air Wing stayed on standby during the persian Gulf War. The Cnance for Crew members to prove themselves came however when the Carrier was ordered to an unknown destination in the Mediterranean on May 30. Once under Way they found out they were heading to the Eastern Mediterranean where the United states and other nations of the Gulf War coalition had begun operation provide Comfort. The objective was to protect kurd who fled from Iraq to Turkey after their rebellion against iraqi president Saddam Hussein failed. A air cover was the biggest portion of our Mission and that was to do two things. It was to ensure that the iraqis did not attack the kurd and to give them a sense of our presence so they could feel comfortable that they were not going it was a team Effort on the part of the ship the Wing and the logistical Chain All the Way Back to the states that kept us supplied with parts a capt. Stanley of Bloyer Craft being fired upon or planes occasionally being swept by iraqi radar Bell said he himself never in Davis Ney to be attacked a said rear adm. Waiter j. Davis or commander of the . Atlantic Fleet s Carrier group six. Attack so 176 provided air cover and More according to the units skipper cmdr. Lee Hawks. A i saw this really in two phases a Hawks said. A because at the time we got Over to the theater of operations which was in the Middle of june there were still a great number of marines and soldiers still on the ground. And so our involvement was in direct support of them. A after the troops withdrew we became More involved in intelligence data collection Quot Hawks noted. Intruder pilots used their aircraft a Forward looking infrared system a Low Light television device and night vision goggles to observe movements of troops vehicles and Armor. A we flew 800 hours in Northern Iraq in direct support of operation provide Comfort a Hawks said. Although each Mission lasted vhf to four hours More than twice the duration of most sorties made by Carrier based aircraft Squadron planes spent an average of 30 to 45 minutes Over Northern Iraq. Forrestall a aircraft left the Carrier flew eastbound through Turkey just North of Syria and refuelled inflight from air Force tankers along the route. The pilots performed their missions in Northern Iraq refuelled again and returned to the ship. A it was rewarding to participate in provide Comfort but it was not business As usual. Having observed ground fire when we first came in we knew it was not a routine training Mission a Hawks said. A we had established a Boundary line we did no to want to Fly South of a said it. Matt Bell an f-14 tomcat fighter Pilot with fighter so 11. A the line was just North of two airfields where Mig-23s had been sighted so we wanted to be looking South for something to pop  while participating in provide Comfort aircraft from Belles unit flew 70 two plane missions Over Northern Iraq. A your primary concern was not iraqi aircraft. We knew they Hadnot flown in several months a Bell said. While escorting photo and electronic reconnaissance aircraft Bell and his fellow tomcat pilots were most concerned about anti aircraft artillery and surface to air missiles Bell said. Although he had heard reports of some coalition air countered such situations. It was also rare for Navy pilots to see their air Force counterparts Over Iraq. A everything was coordinated from one schedule produced by the air Force. It specified where we were supposed to be and what Call sign wed use a Bell said. As the operation continued All the aviation squadrons in Forrestall a air Wing became involved said capt. Stanley f. Bloyer the earner wings commander. A your e-2c airborne Early warning aircraft were operating at the Border doing the same Mission As the air Force s airborne warning and control aircraft. That was a Long trip for them. They did a great Job there Quot Bloyer said. The wings s-3b Viking used its specialized sensor and surveillance systems for reconnaissance missions. A the helps did Yeoman a work a the hard work a hauling people to and from in Ciurlik a Turkey to attend meetings and bring people out to the boat Bloyer said. A Between june 14 to sept. 16, the Wing flew 911 sorties of All types in support of provide Comfort for a total of 3,129 flight hours Bloyer said. He said Wing aircraft completed 98 percent of the 933 sorties assigned them. A a that a a testament to the Crews working on the air planes a Bloyer said. A the troops working on our air planes Are technically very capable. A it was a team Effort on the part of the ship the Wing and the logistical Chain All the Way Back to the states that kept us supplied with parts a he said. Bloyer had the Chance to see the result of his command s efforts when he visited two kurdish villages at Amariyah and Lakhu. A in both places people gave evidence that they were very pleased that the americans and All the coalition members were there. They were very concerned about the Prospect of any of us leaving a Bloyer said a it was just Beautiful to see How it All worked out Quot Davis said. A an important plus was seeing things come together a Davis said. A a everyone a Mission was the same a saving . Pilots faced torture threats paper says London apr two British airmen shot Down in the persian Gulf War were quoted saturday night As saying the iraqis tortured and threatened them with execution. Both members of the Royal air Force flight lieutenants John Peters 30, and Adrian Nichol 28, were paraded on iraqi television after their capture in january. They appeared bruised and downcast. Early editions of the sunday times said Peters had a loaded pistol put in his Mouth to Force him to make the broadcast and his right knee injured when he baled out was repeatedly stamped on until he could barely walk. He was punched in his left Eye which had been gashed when he escaped from the burning aircraft. Nicholas head was beaten so badly that his clothes were soaked in blood and tissue paper was put Down his Back and set on fire. The two men were repeatedly whipped beaten and deprived of food during their 46 Days in Captivity the report said. The sunday times said details of the ill treatment had been kept secret until now. It did not say precisely How it got its information but it reported that Peters and Nichol Are writing a Book on their experiences. The weekly said the two airmen had a suicide pact before the air War began after they Learned of torture inflicted on kuwaitis following the iraqi invasion last August. But in the desert after being shot Down by a surface to air missile a they decided to take their chances As prisoners a it said. The weekly said it had spoken to three other captured British airmen who described similar experiences of being blindfolded and beaten with clubs wire cables and rubber truncheons for refusing to reveal secrets. They were identified As flight lieutenants Rupert Park 31, David wadding ton 25, and Robert Stewart 23. The newspaper said Clark was battered almost continually for 24 hours during which his left leg was broken with a club. Waddington said he was knocked unconscious by repeated blows to the head and Stewart was beaten with a pistol butt