European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 12, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 n is i. \ a. A Ltd a  a. V4 a a a a v ?.��?�  it. R v jul it Ltd a _ _s4s Ron Jonson sgt pc i Charles Bobo Tel pfc. Caleb Cason Hiscar and a Pup named Brandon head out on a patrol near the serbian Border can americans in Macedonia sometimes encounter arms by Ron Jensen Nurnberg Bureau observation Post 51 Echo Macedonia a for five Days in late april the american soldiers Here lived under serbian guns dug in on a Bluff 900 Yards away. A first it was a Light machine gun Early in the morning Quot said 1st it. Robert Bennett. A then we saw three antennas. They were digging All Day Long before the end of the Day the soldiers saw the tube of a mortar on the Hill overlooking their observation Post. They estimated that 11 soldiers were dug in above them there is an equal number of americans at this observation Post Only about 50 Yards from a Ravine that Marks the serbian Border. A patrol of americans slipped unseen to within 400 Yards of the serbs. A they were there for five Days 24 hours a Day a said. Sgt. Michael Carr who is in charge of this observation Post. A at night we could see them with the Thermal  Bennett said he was not sure if the mortar was in place during the entire five Day stretch. This episode was one of the most tense that has involved serbian and american troops along the Border that separates Serbia from Macedonia. The Border is being watched from the macedonian Side by americans and soldiers from the nordic in As part of a United nations sponsored Mission to Monitor movement in the Region. There Are about 1,200 . Soldiers in Macedonia including More than 500 american soldiers from the 1st in 6th inf regt from Vilseck Germany. Spotting serbian patrols along the other Side of the Border is not unusual but occasionally the encounters become More than just visual. In january two americans and three nordic in soldiers were held . Hours by serbian soldiers. The . Troops were trying to retrieve a disabled vehicle when they apparently crossed into serbian territory. It. Col. Carter Ham the american commander in Macedonia said the . Soldiers in trying to retrieve the vehicle went into a town a that by our map clearly shows it was in  however the town included a serbian outpost that detained the . Soldiers. They were later returned to . Authority at a Highway Border crossing. A a that a one thing that is of concern to us that the Border is not clearly marked Quot said Ham. The Border was for years simply an unmarked line separating two republics within the nation of Yugoslavia. Only with the disintegration of Yugoslavia has it become a National Border and the line is not yet clearly defined. Maps at observation posts show two Borders a Blue line indicates the Border As it was perceived before March 23. A red line Marks the Border As it has been perceived since then. In almost every Case where it has changed the Concession has been to Serbia a Benefit. \ soldiers Mark the Border by Trees or Creek Beds or edges of Fields. One . Soldier said that if a foot patrol becomes confused about where the Bof Der is it Heads due South until it finds a familiar landmark. A this has not been a Border before a explained Brig. Gen Tryggve Tellef sen the norwegian commander of the . Mission. A there is no political will for the time being to form a fixed  until a Border is fixed incidents like the one in january May continue to occur. Recently several scouts encountered serbian soldiers and were by one account a a surrounded by the serbs. That situation ended quickly and quietly. A  v a almost on a daily basis we see one or More serbian patrols Quot said Ham a it is our policy to minimize the encounters we have with serbian  capt. Ferry Caskey commander of cob which mans six of the nine observation posts on the Border said a typical serbian patrol is three to five soldiers a doing the same thing we re doing a walking around observing the  he said they usually carry Small arms a radio binoculars and occasionally a Light machine gun. The incident in late april came As a . Deadline neared for serbian troops to end aggression against the Muslim town of Gorade in Bosnia but-. Commanders Here Are not saying the two situations Are related. Ham and Telle Seri downplayed the incident after meeting with serbian commanders in Nis a town abut 70 Miles inside Serbia. Tellefsen said he was told that additional training was going on in the area. Plus he said the americans had Only recently taken Over the observation Post from the swedes and chalked up the serbian action As a result of curiosity. A i think if you had been a serbian Soldier you would be curious about a a a a. Is amps Ron Jensen pfc. Caleb Cason Hiscar left and pfc. Cameron Johnston study a strategic . A Quot what was going on a he said. A when you Are curious you try to go and  asked if he believed the serbian commanders explanation Tellefsen said a a in a telling you what they told me. You can believe what you  Ham said a Well i have no reason to question the serbian corps commanders  the serbs above observation Post 51 Echo left Only after a complaint was made in Nis. But Ham is not sure if the complaint led to their removal. A i think that a what it was a he said. A you done to Ever really  Tellefsen said he has been assured that he will receive information from the serbian military about any further training in the area. A what we told them is if we see weapon systems aiming at us it creates tension a he said. A part of my Job is to reduce  Ham said he sent no additional soldiers to observation Post 51 Echo when the serbs moved in. A it was not my perception that there was an increase in threat that would warrant that deployment a he said. The soldiers at observation Post 51 Echo said they Arentt sure if the serbian weapons were aimed directly at them. There is one thing however about which they have no doubt. A i know we had our .50-Cal machine gun Laid right on them a Carr said. Wiesbaden Germany a amps a . Army Europe Headquarters decision to delay its civilian workers renewal agreement travel until october could harm the workers children if they have to miss school a school system official said wednesday. The army finances . A Home leave trips for employees who were hired in the United states and who agree to extend the length of time they will work Over seas. _ a a a a a a  the Impact of the commands budget based order is hard to assess without knowing which pupils arc affected and How Long they would be absent from school said Hal Haggard spokesman for the department of defense dependents schools Germany Region. But in a written response to a query Haggard recommended that parents who must postpone their renewal agreement travel take those trips during the Decem Ber january school vacation a was an educator 1 know the potential negative Impact on a child depends on the length of the absence and the individual a Haggard wrote. A furthermore educational research tells us that a time on task is an important Factor in learning. Extended absences affect a time on a  a v a a the command directed the postponement of renewal agric mint travel until after fiscal 1995 begins oct. 1. The decision was one of several Cost cutting measures intended to stave off a projected year end budget deficit of More than $100 million. Exceptions Are not impossible Howe. Or. Civilian workers who think the Ducci Sion on renewal agreement travel constitutes a hardship for them can Appeal to local commanders . Army Europe spokesman col. Richard Bridges said. Mystery talc found at base being probed by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau the contents of three 55-gallon Drums unearthed wednesday at Span Dahlem a Germany were being Analysed As possible hazardous material after an pm ploy cd of a German construction firm developed a rash and blisters a base spokesman said. Based on preliminary tests Span Dah Lem base officials and Rit Birg City fire department inspectors believe the substance described As a Pink talc is not radioactive or acidic said capt Mike rein. Air Force officials have cordoned off the area where the Drums were found a we suspect it the barrels dates Back to when the base was constructed or even world War ii a rein said. The Drums were found wednesday morning by a German company hired to remodel Sangdahl cml a Small arms firing Range on the bases Southeast Side rein said. Workers found the barrels at a depth of about 5 feet. One was accidentally punctured during excavation. The reason officials Are fairly certain the Drums were not recently buried at the site is their proximity to mature Trees that have extensive Root strictures rein said. There Are no distinguishing Marks on the Drums. The Drums May have been buried by the germans americans or French who built the base in the Early 1950s. The base was turned Over to the air Force in 1953