European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes thursday february 20, 1992hope is a positive meeting of minds by John Millar staff writer Baku Azerbaijan a it did no to matter to air Force tech. Sgt. Alan Wagner that there were no forklifts to help his Crew unload 20,800 pounds of medical supplies on the wind ripped runway of the Airport Here. Nor did he mind the confusion caused by onlookers photographers and the local ground Crew who tried to Tell him How to do his Job in a language he did no to understand. What mattered to the de Witt Iowa native was the general mood of everyone around him and he liked what he sensed. Wagner and five other members of the 5th Mobile Aerial port so based in Raf Mildenhall England flew to the former soviet Republic monday expecting the unexpected and prepared for the worst. They were part of operation provide slope which is conducting 64 american flights and delivering 4.5 million pounds of food and Medicine to 23 locations across the Commonwealth of Independent states. If nothing else his Crew was mentally ready for the Job something Wagner acknowledged by telling them a i like the Way you re  he also liked the mood of the azerbaijanis who were helping his Crew. The americans unloaded the first of 11 pallets before the local ground Crew joined in. But soon a Stern looking cargo official from Baku a Airport babbled heatedly to Wagner in russian. Not understanding a word he agreed with the official wholeheartedly and proceeded to unload the plane. The azerbaijani cargo handlers followed suit. It was the second operation provide Hope Mission Wagner steam had handled. Last week it had delivered supplies to Bishkek Kyrgyzstan. Wagner said his team unloaded cargo in Bishkek with the help of former red  soldiers. The  conscripts there were a in Good humor a he said. A they were willing to intermingle a none of that standoffish kind of  although the azerbaijanis were far from a standoffish a they were a a Little less organized and not As Well prepared As the soldiers in Bishkek a he said. But there a a difference in every Mission something to which the six member team has grown accustomed. Wagner made sure he did no to paint too pretty a picture for his Crew members before they left in Ciurlik a Turkey for Baku. He met with his team at 4 45 a.m., singing a they hey hey its a Beautiful Day Quot followed by several one liners that brought smiles and chuckles air Force tech. Sgt. Alan Wagner uses gestures to communicate with a cargo official while sgt. Marcia Butts unloads supplies in Baku Azerbaijan. Wagner and Butts Are with the 5th Mobile Aerial port so Raf Mildenhall England. From the Crew. Then he told them about the forklifts. A a in be heard four people say they have forklifts at Baku Airport a he said. A a in be heard two people say they done to. Well have to hide and watch. We do that a lot a wait and  a a we done to actually have a Home station Mission Quot Wagner said. A your Mission is on the  a you get to do a lot of different things a team member staff sgt. Rick Causer said about the groups Mission. A if there a a dirt runway out there with no Aerial port Squadron we take our equipment out there and become the Aerial port Squadron. Our jobs out in the Field. Anything that deals with loading and Down loading aircraft we Deal  team member sgt. Dave Guy said he jumped at the Chance to serve on operation provide Hope flights despite being away from his wife who is due to give birth Friday. A i could come Over Here with my paycheck and buy the whole Block a Guy said. A these people with their paychecks can to buy a loaf of  he said provide Hope has proved humorous when it comes to language barriers. While unloading beef in Bishkek he put fingers on his head and a Moo eds to show what he was unloading. Wagner said he Wasny to apprehensive about doing his Job in what used to be enemy territory. A the Only reason Why it was enemy territory is because their Bosses and our Bosses told us it was. Now that they Are gone the people Are Back a he said. And Wagner has no problem relating to them even though he docs not speak russian. While unloading the c-141 transport in Baku Wagner admired the Bear Cap worn by one Baku cargo handler. He pointed to the furry headgear and said a Nice  another azerbaijani overheard the complement and switched Wagner a hat with the one the air Force sergeant had admired to which the Load team chief replied a i like the Way you re  it s Nice to do something for peace Crew finds by John Millar Wurzburg Bureau Baku Azerbaijan a the wasteland like open Fields surrounding the runways Here offered nothing similar to the modern facilities the air Force c-141 Crew members enjoyed Back at Norton fab Calif. The Star lifter cargo Jet had just landed in the former soviet Republic monday and had come to a Stop at the Edge of a Concrete apron where a constant biting wind blew a steady Stream of trash around. The planets Crew members were met by a stiff faced azerbaijani customs officer and a ragtag group of cargo handlers Riding in rickety trucks. Air Force Reserve tech. Sgt. Edmund Gornay was elated. Gornay is an accountant in civilian life an unemployed accountant at that. And because he cannot find work in California he has been volunteering for Reserve flight duty a a lot to make ends meet. But the worries of civilian life were far away As he stepped from the camouflaged Jet to meet the All male gathering of former soviet citizens. A i got this trip by pure Luck a said Gornay a Load master assigned to the 729th military Airlift so at Norton. Quot my name was picked out of a hat by the  As a result Gornay had to a get stuff for those who could not go. A a stuff meant anything from the former soviet state that he could Trade for and Gornay was loaded with cigarettes Candy food and unit patches to bargain w Ith. A they View this As a once in a lifetime Mission a said Pilot and Crew commander capt. Ron Goodwin about his California Crew. A we spend a lot of time training for Oao John Muar an azerbaijani prepares to Don a baseball Cap while air Force staff sgt. Clarence Skipwith sports his newly acquired hat at the Baku Airport. War so its Nice to do something for  it was also an Opportunity for the Crew to meet and befriend the people they had trained to fight against for so Many years. Goodwin assigned to the 15th military Airlift so at Norton had the Opportunity to talk with a Pilot from Aeroflot the still operating airline that carried the Flag for the former soviet Union. The English speaking azerbaijani Pilot who did no to want to give his name told Goodwin that the shipments of supplies flow n As part of provide Hope re a a pleasure for us but this is not a big help for our  Goodwin told the Pilot that he realized the limited shipments would not solve All the country a problems Quot but wed rather do this than Point missiles at each  Quot this is right a the former soviet Pilot replied. Meanwhile Gornay had taken his bartering into the office of the Baku airports chief of cargo operations where he and other Crew members were offered Tea and Cognac. The office he said was like something seen in the movies. Quot you know when the Kab Guys capture a Guy a kind of dreary a he said referring to the former soviet unions secret police. Gornay broke the ice by opening a package of Jolly rancher hard Candy. The azerbaijani cargo chief liked it so much he asked . State department on site inspectors if Gornay would give him the whole bag. A the said he wanted them to help quit his smoking habit a Gornay said. Sitting in the drab office meant a lot to Gornay. A i Felt like i was sitting at a negotiating table a a lower level of negotiations for Good will. It will be the most memorable experience of my career. Its like two hours of Friendship wiped out More than 40 years of hostilities a he said. Staff sgt. Clarence Skipwith an aircraft Mechanic said he did not know what to expect when they landed in Baku. A i was kind of uneasy at first Quot Skipwith said. A but we found out they were just people when we got  Skipwith had no sooner stepped out of the c-141 when an azerbaijani wanted to Trade a soviet military Cap for his camouflage baseball Cap with a c-141 Patch on it. Simple gestures like the hat Swap and a struggling conversation of hand signals that followed probably meant More than the shipment of medical supplies Skipwith said. A i kind of got the feeling the world is going to be a better place because of  Skipwith likened the meeting to the Way two children from opposing countries might meet a they done to care if they speak the same language. One throws a Ball the other throws the Ball Back and they re playing