European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday february 13, 1993 world the stars and stripes d surprises always pop up in Somalia medic says by Steve scholar staff writer Deli Dugle Somalia -. Sgt. 1st class Rafael Lozano says there s never a Dull moment for Germany based Mem Bers of task Force 5-158 Here. Lozano a medical platoon sergeant from the 159th medical co in Wisba Den says on a Given Day he might be treating a wounded somali be involved in a firefight or flying with his uh-60 Black Hawk Crew to evacuate a malaria stricken Soldier. "1 just never know what i m going Tobe doing he said. Things can get hectic he says when helping somalis who Seldom speak English. We picked up a somali who had suffered a Nead injury when his truck Over turned Lozano said. The first thine 1had to do was put an intravenous Solu Tion into his Arm and he started hitting me because he did t understand what i was doing. He was finally tied and strapped Down for his own safety until i got their in. I still have bruises from Lozano has treated about 10 somalis since he arrived in january. Spec. Robert Gay also from the 159th, is a motor Pool wrecker operator. Business has been pretty slow. In fact i Haven t had any. Not one breakdown or Accident in my area he said. For Gay among others the worst part of being Here is the anguish of not receiving mail. That s our biggest problem Here he said. Task Force members Are making do in primitive working and living conditions in various parts of this decaying soviet built air base. The buildings have. Been stripped of windows electrical wiring roof panels or anything else not cemented in place. Such items were taken and sometimes sold by marauding somalis. In addition the buildings Are often infested with bats scorpions and deadly snakes. Lozano tells of a Soldier who was temporarily blinded when a cobra spit venom into his eyes. Because he was close to our medical unit we saved his sight by constantly Zirri sgt 1st class Rafael Lozano unpacks medical gear at Deli Dogle Somalia. 8&s of Ryew a gating his eyes with water until we got live specialist says working six Days a him to a Hospital in Mogadishu he said. Week 12 hours per Day in a hostile environment is worthwhile. If we leave this country too soon it might go Back to what it was. We re helping people every Day. I can Sec that. Don t ret me wrong. I miss my wife and the environment it seems poses As formidable a risk to soldiers As sniper fire but task Force members seem to be making the Best of it. T l a ,. Gest. Tony Thomas a 159th a Duimstra son in Germany. But this is important. 1 Russia n officers labelled corrupt Moscow a the russian army s officer corps is riddled from top to Bottom with corruption and potentially explosive discontent a croup of military critics alleged wednesday. Instead of tackling these prob lems the top brass is purging the ranks of Reform minded activists and critics who try to bring them to Light they said. They sounded their alarm As a leading Moscow daily published a full Page expose on what it said was a massive Giveaway of expensive country Homes to a handful of High ranking officers. Among those who allegedly got Dachau at a fraction of their Market value was defense minister Pavel Grachev the newspaper Moskovsky Kontson molts said. The critics a Federal lawmaker spokesmen for two Independent military unions and a sacked offi cer who edits an Independent army newspaper told reporters such revelations fan already raging Dis Content in the armed forces. The officer former it. Col. Al expander Ivanovich Zhilin said morale is so Low that at least four underground committees opposed to president Doris n. Yeltsin have been formed inside the Mili tary. He and the others did not offer Concrete evidence supporting their allegations. The lawmaker Anatoly Alex Lyev is a member of a new com Mittee on military corruption Cre ated by the supreme soviet legislature. He said the panel would look into the Dacha Story As Well As tutors that officers Are get Ting Rich Selling stolen military hardware and equipment. Canadian government to appoint War crimes investigators for Balkans Lahr Germany is the Ca Nadian government is appointing a War crimes investigation team to work for the United nations in the former republics of Yugoslavia the Canadian forces said thursday. The team led by army it. Col. Kim Sandra Carter of the forces office of the judge advocate general in Ottawa will be composed of military lawyers and military police investigators. The team is expected to travel to Vukovan Croatia to investigate reports of violations of inter National Law in that area then move on to other areas in the Balkans. The team is reporting to the new five member . Commission of experts on War crimes of whom one member also is a Canadian Navy cmdr. William Fen Rick. Fenrick Carter and forensics experts will be probing among other things the origin of a mass grave found near Vul Kovar the forces said. Loading team to return from Somalia Lucky Duck veterinarians at Tokyo s Ueno zoo begin surgery Friday to remove an Arrow from a Duck s Back. Authorities captured and treated the female pigtailed Duck. It had be come a National celebrity after it eluded capture for two weeks with an Arrow lodged in us Back. In recent weeks authorities have discovered the bodies of two other ducks wiled by similar arrows leading them to suspect there is a serial Duck killer. Rhein main a Germany a nine member team of the 4th Mobile Aerial port so returns from Mogadishu Somalia to Rhein main a today according to an air Force release. The team deployed to Africa in Early december As one of the first . Air Force units to set up the Airlift for operation restore Hope which provides humanitarian Relief to the people of the War torn nation. Stationed at the Lawless capital the team loaded and unloaded aircraft carry ing Relief supplies to the Remote areas of the country. Other members of the Squadron Are deployed to split Croatia supporting operation provide Promise the United nations Relief missions into Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina
