European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 27, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The St a and tripes vol. 53, no. 223 500 sunday november 27,1994 d 8693 a marines head to Adriatic from wire reports Washington three us. Ship with 2,000 marines aboard were heading from a French port to the Adriatic sea to provide support for nato forces in bos Nia according to administration officials. A Pentagon official emphasized that the action was taken solely for precautionary reasons and does not reflect in creased . Involvement in fighting in the former Yugoslavia. An amphibious ready group com posed of the amphibious assault ship Nassau and two other ships left Poulon i Southern France four Days ahead of a scheduled departure. The names of the other two ships could not be Learned i mediately. The group is expected to reach the Adriatic in a couple of Days. The reason for sending the three ships is to have helicopter support More readily available in Case nato forces ask for assistance the Pentagon official said speaking on the condition that he not be further identified. The Clinton administration has vigorously opposed placing . Ground troops in Bosnia arid Herzegovina. The deployment the official added does not change that policy and does not signal a stepped up . Involvement in Bosnia. He said the ships had Long been scheduled to depart for the Adriatic next tuesday. One example cited As possible use of the . Forces was to help Rescue nato pilots should they be shot Down Over the Adriatic. The Washington Post reported that . Officials said the marines Are being sent to the Adriatic in Case . Troops and . Personnel need to be evacuated if fighting and nato airstrikes on bosnian serbian forces Widen. And the los Angeles times said a major Mission would be to Rescue peacekeepers if the serbs should Start harming them or hold ing them As political hostages. The Marine expeditionary unit to which the troops Are attached is trained in Rescue procedures and includes a Spe Cial operations unit. It also is Well equipped with mechanized weapons. In addition to the 2,000 marines the three Navy ships carry about 4,000 sail ors the Pentagon official said. Serbian troops from serbian held areas of Croatia Man a train carrying heavy guns on the bosnian serbian Border near Bihac. I v. Serbian she is rattle Safe area7 Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina a after demanding outgunned government soldiers surrender rebel serbs fired artillery shells into the . Safe area of Bihac in Northwestern Bosnia on saturday. . Officials were scrambling to organize a cease fire after a planned nato air attack on the serbs was called off Friday night because of darkness. There were reports of attacks saturday on Bihac itself which has a mostly mus Lim population estimated at 70,000, . Officials confirmed the serbs captured the Village of Vedro polje inside the . Safe  it s quite Clear that we have failed to deter an attack on the Safe area " said . Spokesman Colum Murphy in Sarajevo. We were supposed to deter attack on civilians and to protect the civilian  also saturday nato pilots said they were fired at by a surface to air missile while flying regular patrols Over serbian held Central Bosnia. Capt. Jim Mitchell a spokesman for nato s Southern command in Naples Italy confirmed that British pilots reported that one missile was fired at them. He said nato was investigating to see shells on Page 2 in i i n g persists Over to i is to r Servi Ces Byart Pineros Angeles times Washington the Navy wants to Stop the air Force from controlling All deep strike bombing missions. The army wants to Edge the marines out of the action in fighting major land wars. The marines Are looking for a few Good tanks most of which Are now inside today owned by the army. The air Force is Angling for its own warplanes and not the Navy s Carrier borne aircraft to be the first to re Spond to trouble anywhere around the Globe. Welcome to the world of roles and missions the armed services lengthy and heated Effort to redefine which functions each should perform and what kinds of weapons each should have in the Post cold War Era. After years of defense department refusals to tackle the Issue and a couple of false starts by the military itself con Gress last year finally set up an Independent commission on roles and missions to referee the fracas. F but the exercise Only a few month sold has already degenerated into a Mili tary food fight dimming Hopes that any serious sorting out actually will be achieved the air Force in what some com Plain was a last Hurrah by its just retire chief of staff Gen. Merrill a. Mcpeak put Down some markers that outraged leaders of the three other services. The Clinton administration has yet to see roles on Page 2 sup clean closes All i v ".v_�. A v a w c2qc3c3c3c3 Tacaca phone companies offer savings for serve remembers see Page 3 Christmas at the movies the new Miracle on 34th Street arrives for the holidays see sunday Magazine