European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 15, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Three armed occupants Are required in All military vehicles including one above to ride  at right youngsters peer into a . Compound. Lance Chi. Johnnie Traughber has been on More than 100 Mogadishu convoys. The dark Side of restoring Hope . Forces in Mogadishu run a daily Gauntlet of Brazen gunman thieves and Rock throwers a amps photos by John Bohmer two marines left Lead several children off the compound at the port of Mogadishu. Above a somalian Grain truck is readied to leave the port. By Craig Martin staff writer the Flag has been waved and americans have been told How Happy somali s Are to see . Service members helping deliver food to the starving masses. In the midst of All the hoopla though the scene is turning sour. The daily grind of serving in Somalia is made even worse by gunfire unrelenting heat and Sun and thievery and Rock throwing by youngsters living in a society robbed of its Structure and rules. There Are several military staging areas and secure areas called compounds in Mogadishu. Several convoys Are driven each Day Between these areas to transport people supplies or equipment or to pick up such necessary items As drinking water and meals ready to eat. Each Day people in the compounds or one or More of these convoys face the dangers of flying rocks theft sunburn or gunshots from warring factions Quot we were driving along a Convoy route and i Don t know who hit us Quot said sgt. 1st class Raymond Evans of the 10th Mountain div Light from fort Drumm . Quot a round went off behind us. I accelerated and the Guy behind us took four in the tailpipe Quot meaning they were shot at As they were leaving. Evans looked at the ground and Shook his head. This ail happened before the fatal shooting of Marine pfc Domingo Arroyo 21, of Elizabeth n.j., during a patrol on tuesday night and the wounding of a Navy medic the following Day Page 18 the stars and stripes gis based in Somalia Are briefed on the use of Force to protect themselves and their property. They re also Given some Basic instructions a no vehicle goes outside a secured area alone. There will be a minimum Quot Convoy Quot of two vehicles. A Wear flak vests and Kevlar helmets outside a secure area. A weapons a Tel be loaded and a round in the chamber whenever outside a secure area. A each vehicle will have a minimum of an armed Driver someone Riding Shotgun and a gunner. 1 a never split up a Convoy. Troops Are told they can fire their weapon to defend themselves if they can clearly identify their target. The trick is defining what constitutes being fired upon the marines say. A shot rings out and ricochets off the Road beside a military member. Was he fired upon or was it a random shot that happened to land nearby that a where the Gray area lies. The marines treat the gunfire As a Normal part of somalian life. They hear it try to determine if they Are a target then ignore and accept it. Several marines and soldiers described being fired upon but said they did no to return fire because they could t Tell who was shooting at them. Quot we were driving along a shuttle route in Mogadishu when. Somalia fired four shots at us said Lance  Traughber. A motor transport specialist with the 1st Marine expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton Calif.  they shot ail the somalis along the Side of the Road dropped to the ground Quot making it impossible Friday january 15, 1993 to spot the culprit he said Quot luckily they did no to hit us Quot said Traughber who arrived in Somalia dec. 15. Quot they re terrible  . Troops in Somalia also Are directed to use the minimum amount of Force necessary to protect their cargo and Quot sensitive items Quot such As night vision goggles. That minimum Force includes striking people with the butt of their weapons. Quot butt stroke them if you have to but Don t shoot them to protect your res Quot 1 St sgt. Daniel Mace of Gie Belstadt Germany briefed members of task Force 5-158 Early one morning Quot use a stick punch them push them Stap them but keep them from getting your  the canadians take a different approach. One commander said on a can television report that if a weapon displayed by a somali sgt. First class Raymond a vans describes being fired upon. Comes parallel with the ground Canadian soldiers can shoot. . Drivers Are told to Quot stomp on the Gas to Speed away from a situation if they perceive a threat. That happened on a humvee Convoy of two vehicles when one humvee became mired in traffic and was surrounded by curious somalis. Both humvee drove away quickly. A Marine master gunnery sergeant who was in a second Convoy passing by promptly pulled Over the trailing . Vehicle in the first and chewed out the Driver for speeding he was perhaps the Only individual in Mogadishu enforcing traffic Laws. The master gunnery sergeant later was chewed out for splitting up a Convoy. Thievery is widespread. Convoys must travel through heavily. Populated portions of the City where the streets Are packed with pedestrians Donkey carts overloaded Toyota trucks buses camels and humvee. Somalis scan the vehicles As the military vehicles move through Mogadishu. According to several marines and soldiers who take these convoys every Day anything that in t fastened Down is in danger of being stolen. Quot they la snatch anything that in tried Down so watch things hanging off your belts Quot said 1 St it Shawn Jones a Pilot in Gie Belstadt. Quot hold on to everything you have Quot sgt. 1 St class Terry Duffey from Gie Belstadt told several task Force 5-158 soldiers before taking a two vehicle Convoy through Mogadishu earlier this month. Quot  take what in t  a Duffey s been on hundreds of convoys through this famine torn continued on Page 20 a Marine above talks to a youth caught in the razor wire surrounding the port. At left two boys Are caught in a storage Yard. A. A  i. A a a j Quot s s u a a Quot Quot a the stars and stripes Page 19