European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 24, 1992 Somalia the stars and stripes b Page 9heavy rainfall promises Good somalian crops Mogadishu Somalia apr Relief workers said heavy Rains in november should bring a healthy Harvest to the famine stricken Southeast part of the country the first step toward weaning somalis from dependence on food Aid. While the Harvest will not match those before drought and civil War destroyed much of the land it will be a great improvement Over the past two years and could ease food shortages John Perry an agriculture specialist for care International said tuesday. Even with adequate rainfall the land is not Likely to fully recover until late next year. But there is cause for optimism. November was a crucial month for Farmers who depend on its normally heavy Rains to boost the Harvest that begins in january. The month brought 5 inches of rain in november about twice the average said care spokeswoman Cynthia Osterman. These figures come from the Border town of Najir Kenya the nearest spot where rainfall is officially measured. . Military paper radio striving to inform somalis Mogadishu Somalia apr the . Military is putting out a somali language newspaper radio broadcasts and leaflets to assure somalis it is Here to help and not to conquer. The effectiveness of the Public relations Campaign is difficult to measure but officers on monday credited it with at least one major Success since . Forces arrived dec. 9. At Beli Dogle a transit Point for Relief convoys Between Mogadishu and Bairoa the military dropped thousands of leaflets the night before a planned military operation to secure a major Airstrip. A after we dropped the leaflets Village leaders came to the commanders at the scene and said they wanted to cooperate with us a said it. Col. Charlie Borchini commander of the battalion running the operation. A we done to know How much the leaflets affected them but they  officials also said they had scored some Success with the newspaper Rajo which Means a a Hope in somali. Maj. John Markham of Clearwater fla., said demand was so High that the first Days run of 3,000 copies sunday was increased to 8,500 for mondays edition. Civilian Abdullahi Omar Mohamed 35, a somalian born american from Annandale va., is de Facto managing editor. He has been distributing the newspaper to judge its reception and found crowds gathering at two Giveaway spots. A it was a mob scene a he said. A literally people were grabbing papers from my hand. The people Here Are thirsty and hungry for  Mogadishu has four daily mimeographed newspapers and one weekly. All Are linked with clans involved in Somalia a factional fighting and color their news accordingly. Borchini 42, of Baltimore said that for credibility a Sake the army paper is printing news not propaganda. Tuesdays Issue has a Story about marines shooting a Young somali who tried to train a .50-caliber machine gun on them. A we done to want to be seen As Here just to make the joint task Force look Good a Borchini said. One of Mohamed a jobs is serving As cultural adviser to the newspaper and the radio station offering advice on what is acceptable and what is not. Mohamed has added somalian music to the stations two news programs daily a and changed the format of its weather forecasts. In Muslim Somalia a a weather report gets involved with god a Mohamed explained. A they ask a How can you say what god will do a Quot so we Lead the weather with a lengthy explanation that Only god can know about the future but that this is what machines Tell us that the weather is Likely to  Black Hawks chinooks on Way to Somalia by Steve scholar Kaiserslautern Bureau Livorno Italy a thirty one Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters 450 trucks and trailers and 120 containers of supplies set sail for Somalia on tuesday aboard the civilian transport ship american Falcon. The equipment and supplies will be used in support of operation restore Hope the Effort to safeguard food shipments to starving somalis. The voyage from Livorno to Somalia was supported in part by 27 soldiers from cob 70th trans in aviation maintain Mannheim Germany. The loading of the ship was done under the auspices of the army a military traffic management coma. The aircraft and vehicles belong to v corps units in Germany. Once in Somalia the equipment will support air and ground Relief efforts. The 120 containers Are loaded with Cereal milk water and meals ready to eat. The loading of aircraft began saturday according to maj. Marc Brodeur co b commander. I he Black Hawk and chinooks began arriving at Camp Darby Italy from Germany on saturday. They were flown from Camp Darby to the port of Livorno a about five Miles away a where they were partially disassembled before loading them on the ship Brodeur said. Soldiers from cob which supports port operations for the deploying personnel and equipment removed 96 Blades each weighing about 350 pounds from the Chinook helicopters and packed the Blades on Board the ship said sgt. 1st class David Flaugher noncommissioned officer in charge of the air marshalling area at the port. The soldiers also prepared the Black Hawks for shipment. More than 15 helicopters were aboard ship by monday but late arrivals by some vehicles delayed much of the loading until tuesday. Officials attributed the delays to poor weather and Convoy problems. All of the soldiers belonging to the 70th trans in supporting the Livorno operation were scheduled to return to Germany by today. Load Mem up move Mem out a amps John Bomar members of the 7th and 9th battalions 227th aviation regt Man Euver a Black Hawk helicopter onto a c-5 Galaxy at Ramstein a Germany on tuesday night. The Galaxy was one of several aircraft that was to transport Germany based equipment including trucks and other support vehicles to Mogadishu Somalia this week. The equipment will be used by . Forces participating in operation restore Hope the Effort to safeguard food supplies to starving somalis. The Galaxy is based at Travis fab in California. Of s combat controllers relish Tough missions Kismay Somalia a army Green berets and Navy seals get the Glamour but a Small group of air Force men wearing their jump wings diving bubbles and Ranger tabs think they re every bit As Tough. The air Force combat controllers walk Parachute sail or swim to out of the Way strips prepare them to receive aircraft then direct air traffic under difficult circumstances. A everything we have is portable pack Able Jum Pable and swim Mable a said capt. Mike sneeder of Panama City fla., who led the six Man combat control team to Kismay Airport. Belgian paratroopers and . Marines arrived sunday at this port City in southernmost Somalia. The Kismay operation was pretty simple. Sneeder and his team flew in aboard a c-130 cargo aircraft rolled off their Quarter ton truck trailer and motorcycle set up in the smashed litter strewn Kis Mayu Tower and began sorting out a flow of military cargo aircraft helicopters civilian Relief planes and even a twin engined Cessna on a local run. Kismay also has an 11,000-foot, hard surface runway built by the soviets when they were Somalia a Best Friend in the 1970s, and a terminal building. The Airport was badly damaged during Somalia a civil War but it is nevertheless one of the Best in the country. The combat controllers done to always have it that easy. Its members have parachuted onto a dirt strip with Only the equipment they can carry on their backs. Or they might drop into the sea just Over the horizon to come in by rubber boat. On another Day they might be parachuted into a dense Jungle to set up a Beacon for a bombing run. The controllers frequently Are called upon to do other jobs such As search and Rescue missions rescuing pilots or diving for downed aircraft