European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday May 31, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 by Jon Connor staff writer dexhe1m, Germany a rats that have moved into Anderson Barracks in Force appear to be healthy and free of disease a and they re eating Well according to the chief entomologist of the army a 10th medical lab. A a they re abnormally healthy a maj. Charles e. Cannon said. A a they re fat three weeks ago Cannon and his team were called in to help remedy the overpopulation of rats troubling Derheim a military Community of about 1,650 residents a humans that is. Several Community members estimate the rat population is Between 1,000 and 4,000. Some residents have said the problem could have been averted if More garbage bins with lids on them had been available if shrubbery by their apartment buildings had been trimmed and if the garbage had been picked up More often to reduce excess bags on the ground. Officials say however that some Community members did not sort their trash for collection and recycling. Contractors technically done to have to pick up unsorted trash. A a a a a. A -. A a a a a. A a. Meanwhile Community members await drainage plugs that Are needed for existing and new garbage bins to prevent the rats from rummaging in them each bin which sits about 10 inches off the ground has a Drain age Hole in the Bottom. The holes Are a big enough for a rat to go through said family member Theresa Brown. About 75 plugs Are needed for the garbage carts according to it. Col. Gregory j. Dyson commander of the410th base support in in bad Kreuz Nach which oversees Derheim. A a it was Only after receiving the new carts that directorate of engineering and housing officials Learned of the drainage holes and the need for the plugs Dyson said. A a a. A a a a although the Deh has received some plugs the rest Are a on their Way and expected a within a week a Dyson said. Cannon of the Lan Stuhl based 10th medical lab noted that the garbage problem in Derheim has improved �?o90 percent a explaining that correcting the sanitation problem is the first step to combat the rats. The team will Monitor the situation for the next 90 to 100 Days Cannon said. Cannon could not estimate How Many rats plague Anderson but said there Are a a whole lot less than a a a blood samples were taken from the rats to determine the presence of antibodies to fight disease Cannon said of his teams rat study. The blood results wont be available until this summer Cannon said. A a a a a a is amps Jon Connof the directorate of engineering and housing has distributed these traps at Anderson Barracks in Germany but residents say the rats can break unit Aims to communicate its a amps Kevin Doufherty stacking and packing a pallet is among events awaiting these airmen from Sembach a Germany. Thirty members of the bases 1st combat comm so Are competing in combat challenge�?T94 at tinker . V by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Sembach a Germany a whether its at Home or on the Job most everyone knows the value of communication. Without it you re a whisper in the wind this week the 1st combat comm so at Sembach a will demonstrate some of its technical communicative skills at the air forces biennial combat Challenge Competition at tinker fab okla. Combat Challenge �?T94 pits air Force communications units against one another to determine which is the Best and quickest at assembling sustaining and supporting a Mobile communications network of the kind needed during a deployment. A we Are going to shake them up a predicted capt. Marvell Roberson the commander of the Squadron s base communications systems flight at Sembach. A we have the capability to win the sustaining a a a a v the a sustaining events involves erecting a 20-foot satellite dish and establishing voice and data links that would enable commanders to communicate in the Field. The event counts for three fourths of the Overall possible Point total. Roberson said his men for example can erect and get a satellite dish operating As it should in about 27 minutes. A it has to be done fast but safely a Roberson said. A safety is one of the things they judges focus on Sembach is one of nine squadrons lumped into the Large unit category thirty Sembach airmen left saturday for tinker. The Competition runs from today to saturday. Combat Challenge a mirrors what a unit would do when they Are deployed a said senior master sgt. Kevin Thompson superintendent of the units Quick reaction package. A a it a the main communication Fink to the rest of the Field commanders a need communication right up until they walk out the door Quot added master sgt. William r. Meyers the noncommissioned officer in charge of satellite communications for the Squadron. That need is the reason Why communications units espouse the motto a first in last combat communications. S4s Kevin Dougherty capt. Marvell Roberson. Planning a to shake them up units Are typically the first to deploy and the last to pull up stakes. Aside from competing for bragging rights exercises of this Type enable communications personnel to test concepts and Exchange ideas Thompson said it also helps promote Esprit de corps. The Competition is the units last major event before this Summers relocation to Ramstein a. A few Days before they left for tinker 1st combat comm personnel spent a morning Honing their skills along sem Baches Light line. Four airmen took about 15 in imbues to assemble a tactical air Nav Ignatio Al system a homing device for Friendly incoming aircraft a a it a like an electronic by on sending out a signal a said staff sgt. Otto r. Vile who sported the Black hard hat he will Wear during the Competition a Alt gives pilots station identification direction and distance from the while Viteri spoke a few of his com rads gathered around to listen and chime in. Staff sgt. Walter Evans made this prediction a we Are going to kick some butt a As they say in the communication Jim is Ness stay tuned
