European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 16, 1992 a -1_somalia the stars and stripes b y Page 9kenyan Hub takes on International air by Bob Klose staff writer Mombasa Kenya a at just the right time Mombasa a Airport offers a telephoto View from the runway that stacks the american Flag on the Tail of a c-130 aircraft against the colors of the British and German air forces flapping in the background. The huge Airlift of supplies and food North to All Points in Somalia is a multinational Effort that puts As Many As 14 aircraft in the air a Day for As Many As 22 missions and sometimes More. And that represents just the ., British and German military aircraft. There also Are planes from Southern air transport an american charter Carrier flying into Somalia from Mombasa under contract with the world food program which maintains a stockpile of bagged food goods a Quarter mile from the military Headquarters. The Lead humanitarian Aid Mission based in Mombasa is operation provide Relief begun in late August by a task Force of american personnel under the command of Marine Brig. Gen. Paul a. Fra Tarangelo. Operating under the  Central come the american Effort of the Mission is a Patchwork of forces from All the branches of the military about 600 men and women from the United states and Europe. They include marines from Camp Pendleton Calif. Special forces from fort Campbell by. And air Force personnel from two stateside bases. The Fleet of 10 c-130 Hercules aircraft under  Command indicates that the american group is the dominant organization. Any doubt about that is eliminated by the Aroma of French Fries and hamburgers coming from the Grill behind a quickly erected american canteen called intercontinental located outside a warehouse that is Airport Headquarters for the  Force. About 90 British personnel operate from a handful of tents pitched on a strip of land some 100 Yards from the american compound. The British Fly As Many As four missions a Day aboard two modified c-130s, according to the Wing commander Colin Burns. And about 50 Yards farther Down from the main runway 47 members of the German air Force run two c-160 trans alls on four missions a Day. The British operate under operation provide Relief although Burns has the Power to veto a Mission ordered by Fra Tarangelo. The germans Are not officially connected to operation provide Relief and Fly missions according to the needs of the world food program. Personnel from German air transport Wing 63, whose three aircrews Fly schedules of two Days on and one Day off have operated out of tents and a portable building set up on a narrow stretch of ground in late August. The Center of the Small compound is occupied by two tables and eight chairs made of Bentwood. The area is ringed by potted Palms picked up at an open Market in Mombasa. They Are placed strategically beneath a Parachute mounted overhead for Shade. A i thought it would be Nice to have a Little bit of Green Here to have something 16 Chinook copters Fly to Italy As prelude to journey by ship like a recreation area a said German air Force it. Col. Joachim Wundrak the Wing commander. Although operation provide Relief is humanitarian in nature it is being driven by the military which is becoming increasingly strident in its military bearing As operation restore Hope the american Effort in Somalia to safeguard food supplies to the nations starving citizens picks up Speed. But there is a a feel Good aspect of the food flights that the germans americans and British Are flying out of Mombasa. The military planes Fly into a country racked by famine and civil War and arc armed Only with sacks of wheat Rice and cooking Oil. On a recent German flight the Crew touched Down on an Airstrip in Bard Cra one of the somalian hot spots and delivered 5.5 tons of blankets to a Unicof Crew. The German plane roared off a huge Cloud of dust rising in its Wake. It circled Back and flew through the Reddish Brown Cloud dipped the planets wings in goodbye and headed Back to Mombasa. By Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau Livorno Italy a the carnival Field at Camp Darby resembled a scene out of the movie apocalypse now on tuesday As helicopters bound for Somalia landed. Flying in two formations that one Spectator reported stretched to nearby Pisa 16 army transport helicopters flew into Camp Darby near Livorno at 12 45 . A the last real flying the aircraft will do until they arrive in Somalia. The army ch-47d Chinook helicopters mostly from cod 502nd aviation regt departed Mannheim Germany on sunday. The chinooks medium transport helicopters will travel by ship to Somalia to participate in operation restore Hope to safeguard food shipments to starving somalis. The journey to Camp Darby took a Day longer than it would under the Best circumstances for a variety of reasons said sgt. 1st class Phil Tegtmeier. Both weather and diplomatic clearances prevented the copters from flying Over Austria according to some of the Chinook pilots. Gaining clearance to enter italian airspace also took longer than expected further slowing the air crafts arrival. As a result the copters arrived at Camp Darby on tuesday in two groups from airports in Lyon and Nice France because no single Airport in Southern France could accommodate All 16, said chief warrant office Rit would be Nice to spend Christmas with the  chief warrant officer 2 Tim j. Woodruff 3 Joe Roberson. The aircraft Are scheduled to be flown four at a time to Livorno sport where members of cob 70th trans in aviation intermediate main twill remove the copters twin Blades and soldiers from throughout the army a v corps will Load the aircraft on a Roll on Roll off ship said Tegtmeier a spokesman for the army a Southern european task Force. The ship will take seven to nine Days to reach Somalia. A c-130 Hercules transport aircraft was to leave from Pisa a Airport today to return the pilots and Crew members to Mannheim. They will take another flight from Germany to Somalia once their helicopters arrive in the famine struck East african country. In the meantime they plan on an Early Christmas even though they Hope they done to have to move up their celebrations. A it would be Nice to spend Christmas with the family a said chief warrant officer 2 Tim j. Woodruff adding that he and the other soldiers understand the urgency of the Mission in Somalia. Caught with the goods a Marine Jason Smith of West Springfield mass., catches a somali who tried to make off with a bag of Relief Grain monday at the Mogadishu port. The Man was ejected from the  in mob attack charged with prostitution Mogadishu Somalia apr a somalian woman who was beaten and stripped by a mob for allegedly fraternizing with French soldiers is in jail on charges of prostitution Security officials said tuesday. The woman was hit in the face with fists and Sticks for 15 minutes monday in View of French and  Peacekeepers who did not intervene. The crowd shouted a we done to need aids victims a according to the newspaper log Gaal. Three Mogadishu newspapers criticized French legionnaires for violating social customs in the Muslim country saying a a French mercenary had paid the somalian woman for sexual favors. Col. Michel Touron commander of French troops in Mogadishu denied French soldiers had paid the woman for sex. Quarantine won t be necessary for returning gis v corps says by Mark Kinkade staff writer a Rumor that service members deploying to Somalia from Europe will be a a quarantined for six weeks after they return is not True but medical authorities advise women who deploy to not risk getting pregnant for up to three months after returning. The Rumor of a quarantine surfaced among people standing by for possible deployment in operation restore Hope. For example concerns about the possible quarantine were raised after a town Hall meeting in Gellhausen Germany by some service members who attended. But no quarantine is planned said army it. Col. Dick Bridges a v corps spokesman. Flow Ever women Are advised to have a pregnancy test before deploying to avoid possible Side effects from malaria medication he said. Troops leaving for the East african country Are taking me Loquine an anti malarial drug that could cause birth defects in unborn children said Barbara Slifer spokeswoman for the 7th medical come. The medical command is responsible for medical processing of service members involved in the operation. The Medicine is Given As a once weekly Pill that must be taken for six weeks after returning from Somalia she said. Women Are being told to avoid getting pregnant for another two months after finishing the medication to allow the drug to flush out of the body. A the medication for malaria they take could harm the unborn fetus a Bridges said. A women  be pregnant and take the medication. They need to be cognizant of the  Slifer said pregnant women will not be sent to Soma Lia