European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 28, 1993va benefits to be explained at Safe bases in february Ramstein a Germany a amps a briefings on veterans affairs benefits will be presented in  . Air forces in Europe bases throughout the command. Benefits specialists will present information about Allva Benefit programs including educational benefits disability compensation Home loan guaranty life insurance conversion and medical and dental treatment. Dates and locations Are. A feb. 3 a Tempelhof a Germany. A feb. 9 a Hahn a Germany. A feb. 10 a Sembach a Germany. A feb. 11 a Geilenkirche a Germany. A feb. 12 a Ramstein a Germany. A feb. 17 Raf upper Heyford us. A feb. 22 Raf Alconbury us. A feb. 23 a Span Dahlem a Germany. A feb. 23 Raf Chicksands us. A feb. 24 Raf Lakenheath us. A feb. 25 Raf Mildenhall us. A feb. 25 a Mir air station Turkey. A feb 26 a Raf Ben Waters us. More specific information on times and locations is available by contacting a family support Center. Military the stars and stripes a Pago 11 4 Washington a amps a four . Air Force officers based in Europe Nave been nominated for promotion to major general according to a statement from . Air forces in Europe. The nominees Are Brig. Gen. George t. Babbitt jr., Safe Deputy chief of staff for logistics Brig. Gen. Lee a. Downer a Safe a Deputy chief of staff for operations Brig. Gen. Tad j. Oelstrom 86th Wing commander and Brig. Gen Richard t. Swope Deputy chief of staff for operations at Allied forces Central Europe in Brun sum Netherlands. Babbitt Downer and Oelstrom Are based at Ramstein a Germany. The nominations for promotion must be confirmed by the .  gets civilian award Rhein main a Germany a amps Billie j. Daugaard of the 435th comptroller so at Rhein main a has been named the . Air forces in Europe a financial analysis civilian of the year. As the primary budget analyst of financial programs for operations and logistics groups at Rhein main officials said Daugaard a expertise helped smooth the transition when command of the 435th Airlift Wing transferred from air mobility come to  office tops Ramstein a Germany a the Ramstein accounting and finance office was named Best in . Air forces in Europe in the commands annual financial management and comptroller awards program. During the year the flight established the first electronic funds Transfer system for the department of defense in Europe offering faster Access to Money for individuals and vendors. Annual savings under the system Are estimated at 7,100 Man hours and $750,000 in printing mailing and equipment  unit will now represent the con Imand in air Force  award Given Span Dahlem a Germany a amps the 52nd component repair so received the . Air forces in Europe s maintenance effectiveness award recently for its efforts in 1991 and 1992. The Squadron was commended for its maintenance support of flight missions in operation provide Comfort and operation Southern watch. It also is credited with saving Over $6,2 million through innovation suggestions and effective leadership and with detecting design flaws in aircraft parts and other critical areas of flight acquisition and maintenance. The Squadron now competes for the Honor against air Force maintenance squadrons worldwide. A. A  staff sgt. Herman Mendez a logistics sergeant with the 158th aviation regt in Glt Belstadt Germany rides atop a heavy expanded mobility tactical truck Hemet in Mogadishu Somalia. By Craig  writer. Mogadishu Somalia a for even the most highly trained or Well briefed Soldier the first night in any War torn country can be frightening. And it seems no matter How much you prepare yourself for what to see and expect things arc different. A when the building shakes from artillery Ceplo onit gets my attention Quot Saia spec. Richard Wagner a company clerk with the 158tn aviation regt in Gic Belstadt Germany. V corps and 7th medical come soldiers in Somalia got to see first hand on their first night Why the african country is in such turmoil. Soldiers of task Force 5-158 on dec. 31 were greeted with gunfire and artillery barrages Between two had a Donkey drive by a. Shooting new years eve too. That a where a Herd of donkeys goes by the Gate and shots corns from them. You can to see who a doing it because they re hidden behind the donkeys. A capt. Bill Morris operations officer for the 10th Mountain div Light warring factions of bandits. Some artillery rounds landed about 100 Yards from where the task Force was staying a warehouse building on a compound dubbed a the  the factory is a group of buildings on the Western outskirts of the capital City about a mile from downtown. It contains lathes and foundry Type equipment that was used to make ammunition tank and jeep parts and other equipment. Across the Street and facing the main Entrance of the factory is another compound occupied by one of the most powerful warlords Mohamed Earrah aided. According to capt. Bill Morris operations officer for the 10th Mountain div Light from fort drum n.y., headquartered at the factory aided s so called a Cantonment area Quot contained heavy arms including at least two tanks with .50-caliber machine guns mounted on the top and a howitzer the tanks and howitzer faced the factory. The Cantonment area is a base housing Type compound for the warlords Morris said. Shortly after Sunset at about 6 15 on dec. 31, sporadic rapid gunfire crackled through the hot humid air. A at first it was just a few rounds of Small arms fire Quot said 1st it. Arthur Yeager a Pilot with the 502nd aviation regt in Mannheim Germany. A the initial thing was they re shooting and 1 thought that place was made Here and All we were to do was a support Mission. A but there was still firing going on and that surprised me a Yeager said. A a it a kind of funny a said sgt Robert Downs a transportation specialist with the 10th Mountain div. A it would be dead quiet for is or 20 minutes. One starts firing then they All join  gunfire could be heard about every 20 minutes until about 9 . When artillery rounds began. A i. Was More than nervous a Wagner j the company clerk said. A i expected the random gunfire. 1 done to like explosions near  a a artillery came very lose to the perimeter Here a Yeager said. A at first when we first got Here people were just walking around in to shirts and their weapon. After the night started going on then it was Kevlar helmets Ana flak vests whenever you went  Yeager said he Wasny to concerned when the artillery first began. A at first artillery was just lighting up the sky a Yeager said. 1 was counting a Flash one thousand one one thousand two one thousand three and 1 thought that was a pretty Good distance  then they started getting closer and it was to the Point where people were no longer staying outside to watch a Yeager said. A they were concerned for their own  then the rounds started Landing close to the Facto a. A. A it started getting to the Point where every hair on your body Felt the concussion a Yeager said a when you can feel it on your face and body inside a building like this you know its pretty  a we had a Donkey drive by shooting new years eve too a said Morris. A a that a where a Herd of donkeys goes by the Cate and shots come from them. You can t see who a doing it because they re hidden behind the donkeys. Morris told the stars and stripes that aided a a bandits were exchanging gunfire with Ali Mahdi Mohamed a clan which has its own area in another part of Mogadishu. Marines in attack helicopters hit aided a a Cantonment area Jan. 7 after the rebels inside refused to give up their weapons. For sgt. 1st class Raymond Evans also from 10th Mountain it Wasny to so much what happened to him on his first night earlier in december but what he saw. Evans was at the factory in 1989 to teach somalis How to repair jeep engines and use lathe equipment. It was Beautiful then he said. But this time it was different. A fall the Bullet holes and debris in the buildings is the difference Quot Evans said. A it used to be Beautiful