European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday october 17. 1994 the stars and stripes Page 5 v pc a a v it. Ltd a a a. A Quot a a Ltd 5�?~&Quot  amp it s it amp it v is Quot vow i i in pm. It i to it 1� a of Cut jh-t11 f in 4 1 a a Var ,. S �?~4sv a. A Quot a v a a a a a is a la -. It Ltd a a Ltd to a a it  v i. A jv4 -4? a amps Kon of forgo soldiers with the 2nd in 7th inf regt out of fort Stewart ga., get some target practice saturday in the kuwaiti desert about 20 Miles West of the . Troops relax but their fist is ready by Vince Crawley staff writer Dairi Range Kuwait a like anyone else from West Texas staff sgt. Robert Burke has his personal opinions. A a we be got to do everything we can to bring Down the Wall that a going up Here the same As we did to bring Down the Wall in Europe a the 36-year-old artillery Forward observer said As he crouched in the Shade of his armoured personnel Carrier. But then averting a new cold War in the burning Sands of Kuwait is a Job for someone a few pay grades above burkes. He a in charge of a few enlisted members of a fire support team a or fist a that would travel the front lines. In thinly armoured vehicles alongside tank Crews. Their task is to radio targets for artillerymen who Are ordinarily stationed several Miles behind the tanks and. Infantry. The fist members Call themselves the a eyes of the artillery a Burke explained. A the eyes of  his Crew left on the a first Day the first flight out a when troops were sent last weekend from fort Stewart ga., to quell the latest crisis in the persian Gulf. Within Days of their arrival iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein began withdrawing assault troops he had massed on the Border of Kuwait which he invaded in August 1990. Burkes team is attached to the divisions task Force 2-7 and has been in the kuwaiti desert for a week. The outfit also spent two months in Kuwait on a training exercise this summer preparing for an emergency like the one that just happened. A a we re Calm. We re kind of relaxed a Burke said of the recent peaceful developments. But he added with the mixed emotions of a Soldier trained for combat a a we re kind of disappointed in some ways but not too  Perry a visit did no to include a Stop at burkes position in the Barren Gravelled desert far Inland from Kuwait Bay. So Burke was crouching in the Shade with some of his team members a just talking Over some Good old artillery  the crate red Road leading to burkes outpost passed by junkyards filled with the wrecked remains twisted wreckage once part of iraqi president Saddam about 15 Miles West of Kuwait City. A amps Kon Georg Hussein a military might sits in the desert . Defense Secretary William Perry a a a told troops of the 24th inf div Mech on of Iraq s 1990 invasion Force acres of saturday that their speedy deployment to twisted broken combat vehicles sitting in the desert has a saved the world from an arid Plain where they will never rust. War it it there were no traces of vegetation and the Only living creatures other than the soldiers were the countless flies competing with gis for a bit of the Shade. Burke said his Texas upbringing makes him feel at Home in the desert. A i think we had some overreaction at the higher level beyond the army a he said of the american buildup in Kuwait. A but we re ready for anything if they the iraqis do come  1 president Clinton vowed late last week that a we will not bring our combat troops Home As Long As Iraq continues to threaten the peace and stability of the Gulf.�?�. The International jury is still deliberating on How to prevent further menacing iraqi troop movements if coalition troops go Home. Would the fist team be ready if politicians decided to use Force against Iraq a in a heartbeat a one of burkes soldiers said. Burke said that if there a another military showdown with Iraq he Hopes it will be a ., rather than a u.n., Mission. A just my personal opinion a he said. A a Mission for the ., -driven, .-lcd, that is for our needs and our wars not what other countries  other nations he said a need to expend More into their own defences if they want to spread their own feelings around the  a amps Ken Goorge he does no to mind working in soldiers from fort Stewart ga., rest in the Shade of their vehicle As they receive a partnership with other armies but he briefing from staff sgt. Robert Burke right at Dairi Range Kuwait. From left Are said amen can soldiers should not be spec a Idrew Bennder spec. Jim Maclean and sgt. Hector Rolan Hernandez. A mercenaries for the world. But he would like the world to find a permanent solution to the lingering instability that has followed the end of the persian Gulf War. A we had to Stop the War for political reasons a Burke said of the Bush administrations decision to allow Saddam to remain in Power with much of his army intact. A i understand the rationale. Because we do have to have a Barrier Between the rest of the Middle East and  and he said a you can to disarm a person and Stop him from moving around is country. Not if he has sovereignty Over his  the Short term solution the lanky _ texan said is to create a sort of kuwaiti version of the american Berlin brigade that acted As a tripwire during the 45-year cold War. Only in burkes plan the american commitment  last nearly half a Century. A set up a brigade Here a combat regiment with All the assets which is almost a division a Burke said. A have them occupy Here and rotate other personnel in for additional training.�?�. And he said Quot finish the training of the  in two years he reckons the kuwaitis and saudis will be ready to defend their own countries with their own troops. A that Way you done to have to have a Buffer nation Between Iraq and  but he hastened again a a that a just my personal  so he set aside world politics and returned to his Job of teaching Lis team some time worn desert tactics