European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Off duty in uniformed . Peacekeepers like these egyptian soldiers Are common sights in Zagreb. A amps gory Pomeroy . Forces break the tedium by shopping praying and drinking task Forea 212�?Ts tent City has been dubbed Ponderosa. At right sgt. 1st class Keith Bailey takes a break from guard duty. A amps Vince Crawley my Page 14 the stars and stripes a amps Gary Pomeroy by Gary Pomeroy staff writer bar hopping and shopping Don t leap to mind when thinking about military deployments to dangerous areas. But the 350 . Service members in task Force Force 212 Are rapidly learning that a Knock on Wood a there Are worse places to be than Zagreb. Croatia. Aside from the americans Pleso base the . Camp adjacent to the Zagreb Airport is Home to about 1,500 soldiers from France great Britain the Netherlands Norway Sweden and other nations. They occupy the Brick dormitories and other fixed facilities on the compound. Near the flight line the americans and dutch live in Field conditions 14-person tents with tent enclosed showers and toilets. Some of the soldiers who had done this sort of thing before brought televisions Vars Reading materials and musical instruments to pass the Slack time after duty ends. And the tedium is further reduced by an unusual array of pursuits available on and off the compound. A i had no notion of what we would be doing after duty Quot said staff sgt. Philip Hill a licensed practical nurse with the 212th Mobile army surgical Hospital in Wiesbaden Germany Hill spoke while sipping a cold Beer during a Dart match in the Britannia club a British army run pub on the compound. The pub one of about 10 military run clubs spread around the compound is the most popular spot for americans. The Britannia does business in German Marks because most of its customers Are stationed in Germany. It brings in about 1,000 Marks $650 during a typical three hour business night said Lance Chi. Scott Rainsley a British Soldier by Day and bartender at night. I get Claustrophobic Quot Hill said Quot so having these bars gives you a Chance to get  the senior officers of task Force 212 Are aware and somewhat wary of the bar scene. We do make a Point to stay in touch with the other leaders to be certain that that s not the Only thing they have to do Quot said col. Gregg Stevens the task Force 212 commander. Stevens a guitar player for 15 years Hopes to form a band. Additionally a weight room has materialized there Are 15 bicycles available for Wheeling around and a basketball hoop is set up outside a nearby hangar. Chapel programs include Bible study groups and a choir. It a is amps gory Pomeroy the arrival of live american forces network radio and television broadcasts had a huge Impact. The most Welcome luxury has been the ability to venture into Zagreb Croatia s capital a few Miles Northwest of the Airport. Zagreb a with a population of nearly 1 million a is a modern Eastern european City with museums shopping areas Tours restaurants five Star hotels and mass transit. Quot it really gives you something to look Forward to on your Day off Quot said 1st it. Terri Garber a staff nurse from the 130th station Hospital in Heidelberg Germany. Garber was among the first group of task Force members to scout the shopping possibilities in the City. However the City is Only a temporary distraction Garber said. Quot you done to forget what you re doing  the most popular purchases so far Are the Wicker baskets and shelves used to liven up the tents. Quot its amazing what you can do to brighten up your Corner Quot said 1st it. Nicole Smith a staff nurse from 2nd general Hospital in Lan Stuhl Germany. Some purchases Are made simply for fun or therapeutic value Garber said. A til look at some of the purchases in six months and say god what am i going to do with this a Quot Garber said. Other seemingly simple purchases can prove challenging. Capt. Or John Mchenry from the Frankfurt army regional medical Center visited at least six shoe stores trying to find a pair of size 9 Shower clogs. He settled for size 11s. Troops can travel to the City on free . Buses hire a cab from the Airport $20 one Way or ride a commercial bus from the Airport $2 one Way those leaving the compound must sign out and travel with at least one other person. Some nations in the . Peacekeeping Force require or allow their soldiers to Wear uniforms downtown but americans Ever conscious of terrorism Wear civilian clothes. Thirty members of the Hospital staff recently applied the creative approach to taking in Zagreb. They chartered a private bus made reservations at a local restaurant and attended an evening concert. The Tab for the two Way bus service and concert was about $6 per person. Dinner and drinks Cost about $20. For maj. Or turn Richards this 179-Day deployment has been a picnic compared to the 110 Days he spent in desert shield and storm. The Quot difference is Day and night Quot said Richards chief of surgery for task Force 212. Quot in saudi you were a prisoner Quot said Richards who task Force commander col. Gregg Stevens strums his guitar. A amps Gar Fontroy a amps Gary Pomeroy sgt. Alberto Garcia assembles a bicycle at Pleso base. Task Force members Pray during a tent City Church service. First its. Terri Garber left and Letitia Tully shop for candles. Spent his time in saudi Arabia tent bound at a combat support Hospital in the Northern portion of the Neutral zone. Quot although not being around my family is not my idea of a Good time at least you have something to divert your attention Quot said Richards assigned to the shape medical Center in Mons Belgium. And therein lies the Down Side of the duty. Richards made it Clear that no amount of recreation could remove the depression and stress induced by being separated from family and friends. Richards and most others in the task Force especially persian Gulf veterans can rattle off a list of significant events that they will miss. Said Richards Quot i will miss daughter Tarin s birthday again i will miss son Tyler a first birthday i will miss Christmas again i will miss my anniversary  additionally the croatian assignment poses safety and Security risks on and off the compound. Everyday at noon the Church Bells of Zagreb toll the arrival of midday. The single Cannon blast that echoes among the Chimes brings audible gasps from Many locals. It is a daily if unintentional reminder that the City was a War zone not that Long ago. Quot As Long As the Security situation stays positive soldiers will be Able to go downtown Quot said Stevens who commands the 68th medical group in Wiesbaden. So far he said Quot local people have been positive toward our  nevertheless the risks Are close at hand. The most visible threats Are the Pleso base minefields left by the serbian dominated yugoslavian people s army when it vacated the site about a year ago. A croatian worker was seriously injured at Pleso on nov. 14 when his Bulldozer set off one of the land mines in an area thought to have been cleared. Some americans were arriving at Pleso when the incident occurred. Quot that put a lasting impression on us Quot said sgt. 1st class Scott Flaherty a Public affairs non commissioned officer assigned to task Force 212. The Bulldozer remains in place and the most common line in Camp is Quot stay off the  its often spoken for no apparent reason. Some substitute it for  Quot we continue to remind them about safety of All sorts Quot Stevens said. Quot like Vietnam you Don t forget you re in a danger  some task Force members recalled a recent newspaper article in which croatian officials declared their nation to be a Safe place for tourists. One Soldier asked Quot if it s so Safe How come the article came out of London Quot ap/s4s wednesday december 9,1992 a amps gory Pom Troy capt. Jenelle lanes takes a break from shopping in downtown Zagreb. The stars and stripes Page 15