European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                . Allies Back by sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau in Ciurlik a Turkey though . And Allied forces Are stretched to the limit operation provide Comfort Wilt go on indefinitely say top officials of american and French forces in Turkey. Quot we will stay because we made the decision a said col. A Douard Crespin commander of the French forces for the joint task Force of operation provide Comfort. Quot we have Only 45 pilots and they Are doing missions in three countries plus training in France Quot he said. Quot the military budget has been decreasing for years but this year we stopped cutting Quot he noted. Quot we have had peace for 40 years. Nobody could imagine this  operation provide Comfort began in april 1991 As a persian Gulf War coalition attempt to Aid iraqi kurd who fled to Turkey after a failed rebellion against iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The operation s Mission later shifted to supporting the . Ban on iraqi flights above the 36th parallel. Every is weeks the French pilots and ground Crews rotate among the in Ciurlik duty provide Promise flights to the former Yugo is Avia which Fly out of Aviano Italy and Frances operations in Africa. From in Ciurlik the Crews help enforce Mardon the no Fly zone and provide pictures of where Saddam Hussein a forces and military hardware Are located. The dozen aircraft Fly daily missions taking turns with the British who also Fly reconnaissance. Mainly squad ecu Tive officer of so 4. Quot sometimes Well find a whole unit has  american British and French officials say Saddam s forces have kept a Low profile the past few months. Crespin said Saddam probably Hopes that the United nations will interpret his Lack of aggression As a Goodwill sign and lift the sanctions. Quot Hussein a in a definite Crouch a said . Air Force col David Piirto the task forces intelligence director. A the question is what happens at the end of the Book who is to say that when we leave it wont Start All Over again a those questions were voiced by others Active in provide Comfort who fear that despite the Progress toward helping kurd resettle in Northern Iraq departure of the coalitions military might would give Saddam the Opportunity to renew aggression against the kurd. The Region is one of several that have demanded the attention of nato and non nato countries. . Forces Are supporting operations from in Ciurlik to the Balkans to Somalia. Many of those efforts were originally conceived As Short term humanitarian missions but provide Comfort is in its third year. Many military personnel Are on their third and fourth tour with provide Comfort. The 81st fighter so from Span Dahlem a Germany is the longest continually deployed Squadron in the air Force. It has been deployed since september 1990. During the Gulf War personnel were on Asanta a helpers Brig. Gen. Donald e. Longer a re a commander of the 435th kick off flights for operation provide Santa which they Hope Airlift Wing at Rhein Maln a Germany shows goods donated will bring a Little seasonal cheer to the country. Packages of for the children of War ravaged Bosnia and Herzegovina to a Teddy bears toys warm clothes and food were to be dropped Dako Ogata . High commissioner for refugees. ., Over Remote snowbound regions of the Balkan nation. The Man French and German aircrews were getting ready monday to in the Beard was not identified. 90-Day rotation but have since changed to a 60-Day rotation. Quot we try to keep them Home for longer periods of time a said . Air Force senior master sgt. Horace Sanders jr., a maintenance supervisor Quot but unfortunately with the draw Down we Don t have the abundance of people we had before. We went from 385 people to 234. Plus Well be deactivated in March of 94.�?�sanders tries to give his people the Opportunity to Volunteer for missions such As provide Comfort because of the draw Only Cox said the constant separation is harder of spouses and children than on the sctt ice member. French service members arc no different. Crespin said the divorce Rale has climbed and Many have a serious family  a it Isnit easy on anybody said group capt. J. Jarron commander of the British forces. A but look at it this Way every year we British pay lots of Money to go somewhere hot. And Here the Job is real its not an exercise. We re not sitting around waiting for the russians who did no to even bother  Sas Kan Torgi Sites for service by the stars and stripes sat travel will expand its operations in Europe under a six month army contract to provide travel services at six places in Italy Belgium and the Netherlands the travel Agency announced. Beginning dec. 9, sat travel will offer official travel services at supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe at Mon Belgium. On that Date the company will also begin both official and Leisure travel services at Camp Darby and Caserma Enderlc in Italy Chi Evris a and the nato support activity group in Belgium and Schinnen in the Netherlands sat travel is operated by the . Airlines to provide travel services for . Service members defense depart mint civilians and their families. In addition to official travel the company also offers Leisure services that in elude airline rental car and hotel reservations Tours and cruises. The new contract is expected to generate $6 million in bookings sat travel officials said. Once the contract expires sat travel is expected to renew its agreement with the army and include the six new locations with the 39 places in Germany under one contract. With the addition of the six locations sat travel will have 66 offices serving the . Military in  Bank sets thanksgiving hours merchants National Bank branches in Germany will be open until noon on thanksgiving Day the Bank announced. However the merchants Branch at the . Embassy in Bonn Germany and branches in the United kingdom Iceland Greece and the Netherlands will be closed the entire Day. All transactions such As civilian sure pay will be processed on thursday. Stateside Crews planes join deny Aviano a Italy a amps a dozen . Air Force a-10 Thunderbolt 11 aircraft deployed to Aviano a Italy from air National guard and Reserve units in the United states have begun flying sorties in operation deny flight. The planes Crews and support personnel a a totalling More than 200 people a arrived at Aviano last week to replace a-10 aircraft and personnel of the 510th fighter so from Span Dahlem a Germany. A the last of the personnel from Span Dahlem left Aviano. After being deployed Here since july 12 in support of deny flight a said senior airman Tony Jacob an Aviano spokesman. The arriving a-10 Force is a composite one drawn from the Connecticut air National guards 103rd fighter group and the air Force reserves 47th fighter so from Barksdale fab la., Jacob said. The hew arrivals began flying operations wednesday and by monday had logged 54 flights Many of them sorties to provide air cover to , peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The guard and Reserve units will remain at Aviano through mid december Jacob said. They Wal be replaced by the reserves 45th fighter so from Grissom fab ind., and the 303rd fighter so from Richards Gebaur fab to