European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The handful of americans at Ghedi a have Learned to make do. Or do without Sis Mic bowl Abrams senior airman Frank Deleon Ardla enjoys the breadth of experience. V. Ilan Verona \ Quot i Venice Ghedi a \ / halt Sardinia of Sicily by Ron Jensen staff writer it col. Gil Behi o Ornelas could be speaking for every tiny Remote overseas site in the military when he says Quot a lot of people Don t know we  to be assigned to a Remote site whether an isolated Mountaintop communications Post or As part of a Small american Community on a giant italian facility such As Ghedi a is to feel forgotten Toft out of that paternal military embrace Quot we Don t have a big by a Ornelas says Quot or a medium sized by. We Don t have a by. Quot we have a  there is no commissary Here no gym. No Chapel. Quot we Don t have a Hospital we have a two Man Aid station Quot said Ornelas commander of the 120 members of the 7402 munitions support so or muss in the vernacular. What the Community of about 300 americans has is a couple of buildings on the Home base of the italian air Force s 6th Stormo Wing. One building is the Headquarters with All of its accompanying offices. And the other houses the club Library child care Center and the Small but Well stocked shop Pette which boldly pronounces itself a by on the sign outside Quot nearby is the laundromat with its six washers and five divers. I was shocked when my husband brought me on base the first time. I was like this is it Quot says Jeri Buerck the wife of master sgt. Harry Buerck the base s morale welfare and recreation chief an important role Here her husband s reaction was not much different. Quot when i got Here i did t know what a muss was Quot Fie says. Quot i did t know there were places like this. Your Fust reaction is of my god a Quot the Burcks arrived at Ghedi in december 1989 with two children Johnathan now 10, and Melanie 7, who must endure the inherent problems schoolchildren suffer i he elementary school is in Verona about so minutes away by bus. Quot they get bored on the bus a of. Joe bum Oksa j s4s my howl Abram it. Col. Gilberto Ornelas a a lot of people done to know we  Sas Michel Abram with few americans around Connie cling makes friends with her italian neighbors. A amps mint idol Abram master sgt. Harry Buerck fees a Challenge As mar supervisor. The Long ride has prevented Johnathan from playing sports and makes Parent teacher conferences an ordeal but the reality is even worse for Tho three High school students at Ghedi Quot that s a problem child Quot sighs Ornelas. The students leave by Van at 6 30 . For the train station in de Cenzano about 30 minutes away. There they Board a train for Vicenza where a bus takes hem the rest of the route to school a nearly three hour one Way journey. Quot Thoy still miss first  Ornelas says. Quot they can t make first  Ornelas Job is to command a unit that maintains nuclear weapons stored for use by the italians should nato involve itself in a War but he finds himself More often dealing with problems of morale and Quality of life like explaining to a Mother Why she can t get disposable diapers. Quot morale is everything. The Little things in life Are so important Quot said Ornelas who took charge Here seven months ago. Quot we try to Tell people up front a hey look this is not a big base in  Quot there is no housing Here. Everyone lives on the italian Economy. A bus makes weekly tips to the Exchange an commissary in Vicenza nearly two hours away. Don t forget Junior s Rice Kris pies it s a Long Way Back. Life is getting better. Mail used to arrive Only on monday wednesday and Friday. Now it comes daily Ornelas also worked out a better delivery system with t a stars and stripes so it arrives every Day now. An at amp Tusa direct line has been installed near the Chow Hall a Welcome addition for the Many americans who do not have telephones in their Homes because of tangled italian bureaucracy. Even the shop Pette has improved. It now carries 1,500 items up from 750 last december. Quot you were Lucky to get bread and milk in Here Quot says Jeri Buerck who works at the shop Pette. The length of tour has recently been shortened from three years to two. And anyone with More than 24 months m can go Home in August. Quot there were a lot of Happy people Here Quot Ornelas says. But there Are several who do not want their tour shortened. That is the flip Side of life at Ghedi. The base itself such As it is cannot support a lifestyle As those in say Germany can with their Large exchanges commissaries and specially stores and the american population is too Small to have pawned a support Community outside the base. You Don t go out the front Gate and see a Saab Dealership and a video store Quot says capt. Vic Musmanno  is being positive when he says that. So one must mix with the italians which is easy in eight Rhoods like the one where Connie cling lives Here Are few americans around so she has struck up  with the italians in her apartment building. Quot the ladies upstairs make pasta and bring let Down Quot says cling who works in the base Library. Quot i bake bread and take it up Quot like cling Many of the americans thrive on the interaction with the italians and would t want it any other Way. Suzy Cobb and her husband Mark a sergeant on the base have a close relationship with italian neighbors As the Only americans in their building Quot they invite us Over. We invite them Over Quot she says and because English speaking italians Are More rare than English speaking germans a Large percentage o people Here have become somewhat versed in the italian language. Senior airman Frank Deleonardis says he assignment As one of two Law enforcement airmen on base has Given him a Chance to expand his experience. Quot Here i get tasked with a lot of things i would t got tasked with at other bases Quot he says citing Accident investigation As an example. Many liken Ghedi to a Small town in the states a Here everyone knows everything about everybody with All the advantages and disadvantages that infers Buerck understands that from planning mar activities Quot it has its ups and Downs Quot he says Quot it s a Small Community it s hard to do a lot of things without upsetting somebody Quot yet there is a spirit of Community that might to hard to find on a larger base. Cobb tells of a Community project that quickly raised $500 for Christmas gifts for the children and of another that raised Money for Welcome baskets for new arrivals. Quot the Community is really very generous Quot she says and Don t forget where Ghedi sits on the european continent. It is within easy driving distance of some of the worlds greatest cities. Florence. Milan Venice and the country is Beautiful a landscape Rich to vineyards mountains and lakes. Quot i loved Germany but i m glad we Carne hem Quot says Nancy Gohlke whose husband Mark is a Captain at Ghedi. Quot there Are other people who get Hart arid s to a i m counting the Days until i  Quot there was an embarrassed silence and some foul shuffling at a Community meeting recently at which my airman asked colonels visiting from Aviano a Why service members at Ghedi do not qualify or environmental morale leave a Bonus reserved for Tom stationed in isolated outposts on islands or Mounta tops for example. One colonel answered Quot you know people in i azores come 1o Northern Italy on their Fml Quot yet the question Points out the problem lacing Ornelas As commander of a base stashed in tie so m. A a Utility closet the military usually supplies so much to make life overseas As much like America As Pov in n that its members Overlook other opportunities a we had never berm  says Cobb it s an adventure t feel fortunate to see things i be rear Thuu m books Quot Ornelas lit is that Altitude. We re Lucky Quot he says Quot it s All relative Page 14 the stars and stripes monday. 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