European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 2, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 3teams take aim for Hope and history by Ron Mckinney staff writer Rhein main a Germany a senior airman Janel Schroeder focused on the russian Soldier in Moscow took a breath then fired off a burst of shots. Satisfied Schroeder trained her sights of her telescopic Range finder on another russian Soldier. Before shooting another burst of shots Schroeder looked up and smiled. Then she squeezed her Index Finger and again the mechanized shutter did its thing. Schroeder watched the soldiers expression change to Surprise As he realized he was being shot. Instead of facing bullets however her prey was up against imagery warfare and his predator was a combat photographer armed with a Nikon f3 camera. Schroeder was one of 54 combat photographers and video Raphers assigned temporarily to Rhein main a to document operation provide Hope for history. They were split into teams of two which accompanied each of the 65 missions to the Commonwealth of Independent states. A i never dreamed id be doing something like this is amps Dave Didlo senior airman Janel Schroeder shoots at Rhein main. Said Schroeder who had accompanied operation provide Hope flights to Moscow Ana Kharkov. A it was such a unique situation shooting russian soldiers who were supposed to be our  Schroeder described the russians she saw in Moscow As dour. A they looked like the real Stern Guys the ones you picture in your head As the real russian Soldier Quot she said. A i started photographing them and they caught on that i was shooting them. They looked Kinda mean and they were staring Back at  that is until she pulled the camera away from her face and smiled. A they acted almost a Little bit shy after that a Schroeder said. At Kharkov however the former arc enemies were friendlier. An officer handed her a bouquet of carnations and a bottle of Champagne. A they were coming up to me checking out my camera equipment a she said. The combat photographers were also providing still photos and video footage for release to the Media. With state of the Art computerized technology the photos can be transmitted to Washington d.c., within minutes. In one instance Gen. Hansford t. Johnson commanding the . Transportation come at Scott fab 111., wanted to see a picture of a cargo plane involved in operation provide Hope. Within an hour his aides were holding a photo of the aircraft that had been taken by one of the combat photographers. It. Col. Lennon Tatum the officer in charge of the provide Hope combat photography team said his Only guidance to the team was to look for stories that could be told in pictures. In preparation senior master sgt. Paf Nugent the teams chief photojournalist brought 2,000 Rolls of slide film from his duty station at Norton fab Calif. He also brought an electronic imaging station that consisted of a waterless and chemical free still photographic processing lab and computer equipment designed to store still photo imagery on computer disks. Nugent estimated the a a $300,000 or More. Nugent called the Mission into the former soviet Union a an Opportunity of a  when a c-141 Star lifter flight was delayed in Moscow for five Days because of maintenance problems Nugent used the time to document a local Colora at red Square and the City a Market area. A i was just overtaken personally that i was just in Russia a Nugent said. A there we Are talking to the guards at red Square and watching them  staff sgt. Eric Laurhammer a vide Grapher had participated in similar humanitarian missions to Czechoslovakia and Romania and had documented operation provide Comfort an Effort to help kurd in the iraqi turkish Border area. Even with that experience Laurhammer admitted this was a something  at the russian City of Chita during provide Hope Laurhammer was told that the area was a strategic military site because of its proximity to the China Mon be teams photo equipment at a amps Dave Aldio staff sgt. Eric Laurhammer works with his equipment. Golian Border. He said the russians were open during interviews but restricted photo Access. A there was a Little tension there that they did no to want us to shoot anything other than what we were there to do a Laurhammer said. Although the teams purpose was to document humanitarian Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent states staff sgt. Dean Wagner said that task required no less Effort than that needed during operation desert storm. Wagner who went to Kishinev and Baku had taken combat photographs during the persian Gulf War. A this was just As demanding. There Are always extreme deadlines a Wagner said. Those daily deadlines were met consistently by Nugent and master sgt. Jim Pearson who combined his photo requirements with those associated with being the teams photo editor. After the photographers turned in their film for processing Pearson decided which images would be sent to Washington each Day. Those images were sent to the joint combat camera Center at the Pentagon and then distributed to the joint chiefs of staff and the defense departments Public affairs office and other government agencies. They were also made available to the .  army outcast to German spokesman by Marc Fisher the Washington Post Potsdam Germany in 1989, the . Army bestowed upon staff sgt. Gerald Wood the coveted title of army journalist of the year. In 1990, the army asked the Jaycees to name Wood one of the most outstanding Young men in America. A the is the epitome of today a educated articulate professional Soldier a an army statement said. In january 1991, the army locked Wood out of his office in Berlin forbade him to speak publicly flew him to new Jersey and tossed him out of the service. By opposing the persian Gulf War in one of his articles and a criticizing army practices Quot the army said Wood brought Quot discredit to the army and a violated the Trust of his  in Ordinary times that would have been an ignoble end to a promising career. But these times Are hardly Ordinary. And so it is that just 10 months later Wood was invited to share thanksgiving dinner with the top . Diplomat in Berlin. And a few weeks ago Wood ran into the army commander who signed his dismissal papers. A she came up to me smiling and we had a Nice conversation a Wood recalled. The commander did not have much of a Choice. After All Wood is now a German government official to whom the a take great of sense at the idea that what i did was anti american commander must be pleasant and courteous. The South carolinian is working As the first press Secretary of the new parliament in Brandenburg one of the five German states created from the remains of communist East Germany. Odd things Are happening in the infant democracies of the former East bloc. So when a 27-year-old american offered to teach sex communists How to run a a Ronald Reagan style press conference a Woods term for a news conference at which reporters Are forced to behave politely a he got an interview and aced it. It did not Hurt that Wood had handled Media relations for the . Army. What the Brandenburg parliaments president did not know when he hired Wood was that the eager Young american had been thrown out of the army. Wood was embarrassed and uneasy Abou what had happened. People he had worked with were even saying he had done something in american. Wood was a Model Soldier army re Gerald Wood cords show. He created a newspaper for the Berlin brigade represented the . Commander in Berlin at civic functions and ran a successful program that brought . Soldiers into German classrooms for Frank discussions of German american relations. All the while Wood was on his Way to pacifism. Woods philosophical about face was no sudden change an army spokesman says Woods behaviour in the months preceding his discharge had become  but it took the buildup to the Gulf War to make Wood go Public with his doubts. A i just  believe we would spill blood for Oil a he said now. A a it a something that a just not Worth dying for. And to see my country begging other countries to finance our military ventures a 1 just done to see my country As a nation of  then in january of last year Wood saw a news Story quoting a . Soldier As saying that a War in the Gulf would finally give him a Chance to a legally  Wood decided to speak out. He sent a commentary to Taz a German daily aligned with the Radical environmentalist Green party. A after years of reflecting and maturing i can no longer reconcile further service in the army with my conscience a Wood wrote. A i cannot work for an organization whose Only purpose is War. I want to serve  two Days after the commentary appeared Wood said he was barred from his office told not to speak publicly about the article and handed a counselling statement accusing him of damaging the army a reputation. A the army just wanted me out As fast As possible Quot Wood said. He was flown to fort Dix n.j., and Given an honorable discharge. The army confirmed most details of Woods discharge but refused to say whether he had been banned from talking about his commentary. Feeling uncomfortable at Home and longing for Berlin and his Girlfriend Wood returned to Germany where he free lanced news stories for German newspapers for a few months before Landing the Brandenburg Job. A i take great offence at the idea that what i did was anti american a Wood said. A if someone says it Wasny to very smart to do it that Way 1 can accept that. But i always believed you have to say things you really believe