European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 08, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 8,1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 -. ,. / Xiv ".7 is   american and italian motorcyclists Roar along a Street at Avi Noab Italy Nith toys for tots donations. At right Santa Claus accepts gifts from passers by. Of jeers Doorn of yith toy by  Cruger Northern Italy Bureau Aviano a Italy the annual toys for tots Campaign at Avian a is roaring to its Best Ever conclusion thanks to the powerful kick Start it recently received from scores of american and italian motorcyclists. By the time the campain ends saturday we will have ended up collecting close to $10,000 Worth of toys about double the amount we collected last year staff sgt. Kurt Stranick said wednesday. The Success of the drive owes a great Deal to the help we received from the  the toys for tots Campaign now in its filth year is jointly sponsored by the base fire department the har Ley Davidson owners group and the Aviano a motorcycle riders organization said Stranick a member of the base fire department. American arid italian riders some coming from More than 200 Miles away showed up nov. 20 to escort Santa Riding on an air Force firetruck and to donate toys. The  of the drive is to collect donated toys for needy children in the Aviano military Community. This year s turnout for the toy run was the Best we be Ever had with 101 bikes and 148 participants. Toys Worth More than $5,000 were collected on the drive s opening Day said de Costa president of the base bikers organization. Sixty five of the motorcycles belonged to italians Costa said. Some Rode from As far As Florence and Milan to take part in the event " 7. Costa said that not Only was he surprised by the size of the turnout but so were members of the crab wife the italian paramilitary police Force that provided escorts for the motorcycle Convoy. 1 the crab Irmiere were amazed at the number of bikes because they Only expected a few not a line of bikes a half mile Long Costa said. V after the bikers had deposited their gifts in a huge Box outside Avi Arib s main Exchange they convened for a Buffet lunch and then had the Opportunity to pose for photos beside an air Force f-16 fighting Falcon on Aviano s flight line Between dec. 15 and 20, organization commanders and first sergeants Are asked to visit the fire depart ment and select toys that needy family members have requested Stranick said All remaining toys will be Given to an orphanage for disabled children in the nearby town of Udine a Perm Dnene unit for persian Gulf operations v by Marian Hamilton Mediterranean Bureau destroyer so so recently became the first . Navy destroyer Squadron to be permanently deployed in the persian Gulf Region officials announced. The Squadron which was inactivated 49 years ago after serving in the Pacific during world War ii was re activated during ceremonies nov. 30 aboard the us aircraft Carrier Dwight d. Eisenhower. Destroyer squadrons Are part of every major group of ships in the Navy. They exercise operational control of individual ships within the group and direct How each ship fulfils its part of the Mission said Navy it Hal Pittman a spokesman for the . Naval forces Central come surface ships in the Region were previously con trolled by destroyer squadrons sent on temporary duty to the Gulf from their Home ports in the United states Pittman said. We have established our own destroyer Squadron to do the Job instead of having to rely on others he said. Squadron members All seven of them will be stationed in the persian Gulf with their families and will spend about half their duty time at sea. They will direct ship operations from Shore the remainder of the time. Because of Security concerns Navy officials will not give the exact location of the Squadron s land based operations. R Navy capt. David m. Stone took command of the unit and assumed the role As commander of Middle East Force surface action group. He and a six Mern Ber staff will take charge of the . Navy s role in the . Maritime interception operations enforcing . Sanctions against Iraq. The Squadron also will execute the Navy s regional exercise program for combat surface ships. . Naval forces in the Region arc expected to conduct More than 60 exercises during fiscal 1995 an increase from seven exercises five years ago. _ cmdr. T. Mccreary of the naval Central command said the growth of . Ships in the Region also necessitated putting a permanent destroyer Squadron in the area. After the Gulf War it became apparent that we needed a three Star Admiral to command the area he said. Before  was a one Star. But during the last five years we be gone from an average of five ships in the area to about 20." Mccreary said the Squadron will control five to seven of those ships. The others will be under the operational control of Carrier Battle groups or amphibious Readi. Ness  be also seen a tenfold increase in the number of exercises he said. We needed a permanent com Mand in place to control operations and provide Conti  " the Central command now oversees an area of More than 10 million Square Miles. The area includes the Middle East red sea the Horn of Africa Pakistan and Kuwait. Mar Sale scheduled saturday in Mannheim the morale welfare and recreation office will hold a property Sale saturday in building 1505 at Spitelli Barracks in Mannheim Germany. The hours Are from 8 . To noon. The Sale open to Only  id card holders offers Jsck household items outdoor recreational property and other items. All items Are being sold As is. Payment can be by Cash or Check. F a goods offered at Rota the defense re utilization arid marketing office at Rota Spain will conduct a surplus goods Sale dec. 16, for . Id card holders Only. J .-.,. The Sale will be held from 10 . To a . In building 186 behind the naval station potato air seasons store. Stray bullets in Somalia kill . Peacekeeper Mogadishu Somalia a an egyptian peacekeeper was killed and an Indian colleague wounded wednesday in heavy fighting Between rival clans in Southern Mogadishu. Maj. Zubair Chattha the . Military spokesman said both men were hit by stray bullets. . Troops were not engaged in the fighting he Aid