European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 9, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a saturday january 9,.1993 Somalia the stars and stripes b Page,3 Cut off from news by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau while helping to fight off widespread starvation among the people in Somalia . Troops there Are getting meager rations of current information. The stars and stripes has not yet received permission to distribute papers in Somalia and an official with the armed forces radio and television service said wednesday that there Are no plans to broadcast to . Troops in the War and famine stricken country. There Are More than 20,000 service members in the area said Bob Hall a Pentagon spokesman. And while that number is expected to begin dropping later this month it  be a Large decline Hall said. A we expect to have people there for some time in the future Quot he said. Some ships in the area receive news broadcasts by satellite but troops on the ground get their news by word of Mouth. A spokesman at Central come Headquarters in Florida said news items Are faxed to commanders in Somalia who relay the information to their units. A there is absolutely no attempt to impose a news blackout of any kind in Somalia Quot said air Force it. Col. Marc Martens. A a we re going to get the stars and stripes in there As soon As we can get it out to the  j however Chris Eddings the general manager of stars and stripes operations in Europe said thursday that the organization has been frustrated in its attempts to get the publication into the hands of . Service members set to Somalia. A we put together a team the Day operation restore Hope was announced and reached out to the commands a Eddings said. A we knew we would have to make a Strong offer right up front. Its a shame those servicemen went through Christmas and new years without so much As a . Newspaper Quot stars and stripes offered to sell papers at a discount to the Central come set up bookstores in Somalia and distribute free books and magazines paid for through corporate sponsorship officials said. Central come officials Are trying to find space aboard transport aircraft to bring the newspaper into Somalia mar Lens said but flights still Are filled with Mission essential equipment. A it  do any Good to say yes to stars and stripes or any other newspaper and then let it sit on the docks a he papers neither rain nor dirt. I a two members of the a its. Navy medical corps get wet while working . Military compound near he american embassy in Mogadishu during heavy rainfall in Somalia. They were Ihling sandbags at a the capital of the War and famine stricken country. Said. I in Somalia at least a few copies of the stars and stripes should be available in Mogadishu soon As Uso officials Are carrying a stack of papers for the hospitality Center planned for the City Airport. And Martens said Central come officials Hope the stars and stripes will be distributed on a wider basis soon. A the stars and stripes people in Ger Many have been very helpful by providing us with detailed information on the sizes and weights involved a he said a a in be been working with them and afus american forces information service for Days and we re very close to getting it . Broadcasters have encountered problems As Well. Military officials in Somalia said an arts broadcasting team showed up in Mogadishu the country a capital last weekend with several tons of equipment aboard an air Force c-141 Star lifter cargo plane. Apparently nobody had told them not to go. The team consisting of an air Force major from Tokyo and four other people from Norfolk va., headed Back to the Mogadishu Airport wednesday to return Home. A it was not possible to use it Quot Martens said a a there a no electricity. There a no potable water. There a nothing in the Way of local communications. If we Don t take a Generator it does no to  the equipment taken to Somalia included a satellite dish and Small transmitters for receiving radio and television signals and for broadcasting radio said Mel Russell an arts official in Washington. The broadcasters attempted to identify people and equipment at . Locations that could support the troops sent to Somalia Russell said however he described their generating capability As limited. A a we depend upon the command that we re supporting for Power a Russell said. A a Wco re prepared to go do  operation provide Relief an Airlift Mission operating from the Airport in Mombasa Kenya began receiving arts radio broadcasts from los Angeles via satellite in september one month after the Mission there began said Marine Cpl. Steven Conklin a communications technician in Kenya. The signal is received at the Airport and broadcast in the passenger terminal Conklin said. Shortwave broadcasts from the voice of America and the British broadcasting corp. Are available in parts of the Region. Conui Buling to ibis report staff Fri lord Joseph Owen and Vince Crowley to Mogadishu and Gary Pomeroy in Darmstadt Germany at least 4 service members come Down with malaria Mogadishu Somalia a amps a at least four . Service members have contracted a aria since operation restore Hope started a spokesman for the operations joint task Force said thursday the victims were deployed in Somalia and All the cases surfaced within the last week air Force capt. Joe Davis said. Two victims Are marines one is a Soldier and one is an airman Davis said. All four had neglected to take anti malaria medication on schedule. Some . Troops deployed in Africa have an anti malaria prescription that Calls for taking pills once a week. Another Type of prescription Calls for daily doses. Task Force returning tonight Frankfurt Germany a amps a All but two of the soldiers of cod 502nd aviation regt who deployed recently to Somalia Are scheduled to return to Germany tonight a v corps official said Friday. The 168 returning members of task Force 5-158 Are scheduled to leave Mogadishu today on a chartered dc-10, and the aircraft is expected to land at Rhein main a about 10 30  the soldiers will be bused to Coleman Barracks near Mannheim for official welcoming ceremonies. Most of the co d soldiers left Germany on Dee. 30 and 31 to participate in operation restore Hope the american led . Relief Effort in Somalia. However military officials decided sunday that the unit would return to Germany just a few Days after it arrived. Central come officials said the Chinook helicopter unit was not needed in Somalia because other . Or coalition helicopter units can accomplish the resupply missions the 502nd was to perform. Two soldiers from co d and one from he co 5th in 158th aviation Reg la Are returning aboard the american Falcon the ship transporting the unit s 16 ch-47d Chinook cargo helicopters to Northern Germany. The soldiers called Supe cargos Are charged with accompanying the units equipment during the voyage on the cargo ship contracted to the military sea lift Cornel the chinooks flew from Mannheim on dec. 13 for a two Day journey to Livorno Italy. There the helicopters were loaded onto the american Falcon for the voyage to Mogadishu. They were reloaded onto the american Falcon on monday and the ship departed from Mogadishu on tuesday morning. It is expected to Dock at no Denham Germany near Bremerhaven within a week v corps officials said. ?