European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 21, 1993 military the stars Amo stripes a Page 11 to find mines by Chuck Roberts staff writer Mannheim Germany a what some consider to be one of the safest things on the Battlefield just got a Little safer. The army has developed a radio Remote control device for its my series tank so the vehicle can be steered through a minefield while its Crew stands at a Safe distance. Some my admirers say the tank already is the most survivable thing on the Battlefield. / the tank and its attachable mine sweeping plow were. Demonstrated recently in Mannheim. The device which is being tested at fort Knox ky., for possible use by the army allows a tank to be controlled easily with a Joystick much like those on video games. The Job of Clearing a minefield is performed primarily by army engineers but the army Stop Engineer said he does t mind sharing the workload. A we need anything that can help us Cross obstacles and save Soldier s lives a it. Gen. Arthur e. Williams the army a chief Engineer said after watching a demonstration Jan. 14 at the Mannheim Lamper theim training area. My tanks with min sweeping plows attached to the front were used during the persian Gulf War. Although the plow can dig up mines and push them safely to the Side without blowing up the tank tankers still like the idea of sending an empty tank into the thick of a minefield. Quot its a Good idea a big time a said staff sgt. Juan Ruiz a tank commander with the 3rd in 77th Armor brigade in Mannheim. A you prefer to lose equipment to life. Staff sgt Juan Ruiz Quot you prefer to lose equipment to life a the puerto Rico native said while sitting in the demonstration tank beside spec. Andre Jessup. Jessup was a Marine corps tank gunner before crossing Over into army life about a month ago. Jessup was More sceptical of the devices potential. The Chicago native expressed concern about what would happen to a Remote control tank if it became stranded in a minefield. A you would probably lose that tank staff sgt. Juan Ruiz left and spec. Andre Jessup sit on top of their my tank with a min sweeping . The Soldier at right holds the Remote control Box that allows the tank to sweep away mines while the Crew stays safely away. Anyway a was Ruiz s response. The Remote control tank was designed for the persian Gulf War because of intelligence reports of deadly iraqi minefields. The idea was conceived and a prototype built within five weeks before the end of the War said a. David Stormer a designer of the device. Stormer works for the . Army tank automotive come in Warren Mich. Stormer said he tried to design a user Friendly device because he remembers the difficulty of getting some things done when he was in the air Force and on duty in the Field. The initial Hookup of the Remote control device takes about an hour and does no to require special tools Stormer said before the Mannheim demonstration. Once installed it takes Only about 30 seconds to switch from manual to Remote operation. The Price of the system about $23,000, probably would drop to about $15,000 per kit if produced in mass Quantity Stormer said. He said the Remote control device could be applied to other vehicles such As bulldozers and , in the future. Stormer said the device performed admirably during stateside tests and in Vil seek Germany where it underwent three weeks of daily testing last year. A it worked Beautiful a said sgt. 1st class Lloyd Bowman who Learned How to operate the Remote control device in about 30 minutes. Bowman is the noncommissioned officer in charge of new equipment training at the combined arms training Center in Vilsick. There were a few snags in the communications Hookup on the Day of the demonstration in Mannheim. As a result the device was controlled by a Cable connecting the tank and the Remote control Box. In Battlefield conditions there would be no Cable connecting the control Box to the tank. Bowman said he stood a Little More than half a mile away while guiding the Williams Bowman tank with a Remote control Box which is about the size of a Brick. He said the operator normally is limited in distance Only by visual Contact and radio capability. Bowman Calls the my the most survivable thing on the Battlefield but that does no to Rule out the need for the Remote control device. A you can repair Battle damage but when the Crews gone a its gone Quot he  kindness Haub by Chuck Roberts staff writer an american couple who befriended a Young German woman on her honeymoon Likely did no to realize their kindness and hospitality would be rewarded with years of dedicated service to the Uso. The honeymoon has continued with the United service organizations which recently showed its appreciation by awarding Helga Haub the 1992 Uso ambassador award. Haub now is a businesswoman who has pledged the following a was Long As there is a single Soldier airman or their families stationed in the Wiesha Den Mainz area the Uso will be there to support  after striking up the Friendship with the american couple Haub visited them in Tacoma wash., eventually buying a House there said Henner Henkel a Friend and special assistant for the Haub family. It was after one such trip that Haub Learned of the Uso and decided that it would be a Good vehicle for helping americans Henkel said. Haub is a member of the Uso world Board of governors and has been president of the Uso Council of Wiesbaden since 1981. As a businesswoman she is on the Board of directors of the a amp a supermarket company in new Jersey director on the governing Board of kaisers Kay Uso service fee desc heft in Viersen Germany and vice president of the , Gesellschaft fur Kansu mfrs Chung a consumer research society in Niernberg Germany Haub has used those business contacts to open new avenues of commercial sponsorship for Uso activities such As its German Golf tournament said Carly Harris the usos assistant regional executive for Europe and the Middle East. Unlike other communities where sponsorship is primarily american events in which Haub is involved often have an equal number of German and american sponsors said Harris a former director of the Wiesbaden Mainz Uso. A a she a genuine she a real and she a committed to making americans feel As welcomed Here like she did in America Quot Harris said