European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday december 18, 1992 Somalia the stars and stripes b Page 9bush May visit Somalia aide says Washington a president Bush is considering the possibility of a christmastime visit to Somalia in support of the . Troops fighting the famine there a senior administration official said thursday. But the official who insisted on anonymity said there Are a a lot of obstacles a including scheduling and Security problems that could keep the presidential visit from occurring. The purpose of the trip the official added would be a to bring cheer to the troops. And thank them for what they re  White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwa Ter asked thursday about an Abc news report that Bush might go to Somalia would say Only a a nothing a  Christmas one White House aide added a is the natural time to do that. However Bush has five weeks left in office and the trip could occur at any time. Bush meeting thursday morning with Kuwait a departing ambassador brushed off a question from reporters about whether he would visit Somalia. But he allowed a i can understand the interest in whether i might travel  Bush and his wife Barbara spent thanksgiving 1990 with . Troops in the saudi desert preparing for the War two months later to drive iraqi forces out of Kuwait. Bush ordered 28,000 . Troops into Somalia two weeks ago to restore order and Stop the looting of Relief supplies. An estimated 350,000 somalis have died Sinee a coup in january 1991 threw the country into chaos. The . Forces who have now pushed through with virtually no resistance from the capital of Mogadishu to the Interior City of Bairoa Are leading a multilateral Force and Are supposed to give Way in a matter of weeks or months to United nations peace keepers. Bush has kept a Low profile and made few trips outside of the White House since losing the election to Bill Clinton on nov. 3. But he has kept Active in foreign policy. He was also meeting thursday with participants in the Arab israeli peace talks As Well As signing the North american free tragic agreement. Today he meets at the White House with British prime minister John major and european Community Leader Jacques Delors. Major is also spending the weekend at Camp David mde a with Bush. Bush is planning to spend Christmas and the following weekend at Camp David with his family then to Fly to Texas on dec. 28 for his traditional three Day Hunting vacation in Beeville. It was not certain what dates Bush might have in mind for a trip to Africa. A visit to Somalia would recall a Brief dramatic trip that French president Francois Mitterrand paid to Sarajevo last june at the height of that City a siege by serbian forces in War torn former yugoslavia.. Forces in Europe hooking up with Effort by Vince Crawley Start writer a week after . Marines first landed in Somalia the military has mustered nearly 900 Europe based service members to help with the famine Relief operation called restore Hope. Fifteen uh-60 Black Hawk helicopters were at Ramstein a Germany on thursday afternoon awaiting flights to Somalia. Other Black Hawks were in the air thursday flying from France to Italy where they will be placed aboard a Somalia bound ship an army spokeswoman said. The operation is run by the . Central come of desert storm Fame and it kicked off dec. 9 with Marine Beach landings at Somalia a chaotic capital Mogadishu. To Date nearly All of the operations 28,000 american troops Are coming from units based in the states. The bulk of the Europe based gis heading to Somalia Are with task Force 5-158, which is a group of 650 soldiers from helicopter units stationed in Germany. Air Force units in Europe have sent about 270 people to support the operation and the Navy has sent medical people from Europe. The army helicopter Crews Are scheduled to begin working in Somalia by new years Day and their Job will be to transport troops equipment and Relief supplies for the operation army officials said. The army task Force is drawn largely from the 12th aviation brigade and is named for its Headquarters unit. The Crews come from a Ansbach a part of cob 3rd in 58th air traffic services. A Gie Belstadt a he co of the 5th in 158th aviation regt plus portions of co c from the regiments 7th in. Co c of the 7th in 159th aviation intermediate Maint regt also is being sent from Gie Belstadt near Wurzburg. A Hanau a two platoons from co a of the 1st army dives 7th in 227th aviation regt. A Mannheim a co d of the 502nd aviation regt. A Wiesbaden a the 159th medical co of the 421st medical evac in which is part of the 7th medical come. Individual soldiers from other units a virtually All across usage urn have also been assigned to the task Force said it. Col. Dick Bridges v corps spokesman. The helicopter task Force consists of 16 ch-47d Chinook cargo aircraft 15 uh-60 Black Hawk Utility aircraft and 15 Black Hawk air ambulances. The task forces 15 Black Hawk Utility helicopters were at Ramstein a on thursday afternoon awaiting transportation to Somalia said Millie Waters an army spokeswoman. About 170 soldiers plus trucks trailers and equipment were scheduled to Fly on air Force cargo planes and would become the first wave of the task Force to reach Somalia. The chinooks Are being loaded on a ship in Livorno Italy and most of the air Crews have returned to Germany Waters said thursday. The Crews will Fly from Germany to Somalia later this month she said. On thursday afternoon about 65 Crew members were flying the 15 air ambulances from Nice France to Livorno finishing their final leg of a flight from Germany. They were expected to arrive thursday evening hands on diplomacy Marine col. Werner Hellmer of Durango Iowa shakes hands with two Young somalis during a tour of a Bairoa at the italian port where the aircraft would be loaded onto the same ship Bridges said. The air Force in Europe had 149 military people taking part in the Somalia Relief Mission As of thursday a spokeswoman said. Of those 34 Are in Somalia 63 Are at Moron a Spain 51 Are at Souda Bay Greece and one is in Kenya. As of last week an additional 71 air Force people had been sent from air mobility come units. Although stationed at european air bases they Are not counted in . Air forces in Europe figures. Four Kc-135 Strat tankers out of raft Mildenhall England temporarily Are flying refuelling missions out of Souda Bay until tankers can be flown in from the states to take their place said it. Col. Virginia l. Pri Byla a spokeswoman for Safe. A it depends on How Long it will take air mobility come based in the states to get some other Guys out there a Pribyla said thursday. The following is a breakdown of where the air forces 149 Europe based personnel Are Home stationed from Germany Ramstein a 31 Rhein main a 21 Sembach a 11 Span Dahlem a five Lindsey air station Wiesbaden one Pitburg a one. England based air Force personnel taking part in re orphanage. The arrival of . And French troops with a food Convoy wednesday was greeted wildly by the town. Store Hope Are from Raf Mildenhall 55 Raf Alcon Bury 10 raft upper Heyford seven and Raf Laken Heath one. Also taking part Are airmen from Aviano a Italy four and Torrejon a Spain two. The people Range from weathermen to firefighters and Security police to aircraft maintenance workers. The Strat Tanker Crews belong to the 100th air refuelling Wing at Mildenhall. No sailors from the Navy a Mediterranean based 6th Fleet Are involved in the restore Hope operation a 6th Fleet spokesman in Italy said thursday. However a Navy unit from Gulfport miss., has deployed 300 Seabee to Rota Spain to support the operation in Somalia. Also the . Navy environmental and preventive Medicine unit no.7, out of Naples Italy has sent one microbiologist one entomologist and one preventive Medicine technician to Somalia to support the marines Navy officials in London said. The Navy in Europe also is providing two air bases for refuelling aircraft supporting the Somalia Mission. File bases Are Souda Bay and Nas Simonella Sicily. Contributing to this report Start writers Koan Dougherty at Ramstein a. Germany Gary Pomeroy in Darmstadt Germany and Meridith wed of at rap Midon Hall England