European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday january 16, 1995 the stars and stripes Page 3 War by Mark Kinkade staff writer the american sector Macedonia at the . Army manned observation Post a Soldier with binoculars looks Over an icy Valley As other soldiers Check weapons. Grenade launchers and a ,50-Cal-Ibcr machine gun sit ready in the armory. The Post is surrounded by barbed wire and sandbags with fortified fighting positions tucked in each Corner. Soldiers patrol snowy trails with weapons at the  peacekeeping operations resemble War fighting tactics its no Accident say the soldiers in Macedonia. In fact from the senior . Commander to the soldiers Manning the observation posts the consensus was Clear peacekeeping docs not affect War fighting skills no matter what the army chief of staff Gen. Gordon r. Sullivan says. A at our level there is no difference a said capt. Chongkit Chin co d commander who oversees several observation posts in the area. Quot our Mission is still for  As fiscal 1994 began to Wane generals from former chief of the . Army Europe Gen. David m. Maddox to Sullivan struck a familiar note they said peacekeeping constant deployments and budget cuts were hurting War fighting capability and training. The top officers said peacekeeping makes a War fighter Rusty. You done to use the same skills they said. A if you thrust them into a situation such As Kuwait they would clearly not be ready Quot col. Pick Bridges Usa eur spokesman said in november. A can we Send another corps to do another desert storm the answer is certainly  the soldiers of task Force 3-5 say War fighting and peacekeeping Are apples and oranges in this debate. What matters is the soldiers ability to. Follow orders discipline and professionalism. A a Soldier who can follow orders can do any Mission without affecting his ability to fight a War a said staff sgt. Erie Gill. As a platoon sergeant Gill is responsible for the men of observation Post u52 do Back in Kirch Gons although officials a the near a Border checkpoint. Normally the 38 men in his platoon t0 w at of is As cd to arc War fighting infantry soldiers based in peacekeeping and Hun Kirch Gons Germany. But weeks before a lesions sending them to deploying to the Balkans he took his soldiers to Poland where they practice peacekeeping in the Post cold War army. A a we be Learned that any Mission relies on the cos running the Mission and the soldiers doing the  Gill said. A that does no to change Here. In fact Force is do a i humanitarian my them to War will mean they must Sharpen their fighting skills to be effective. But the infantry soldiers standing in the Snow in Macedonia say they Are ready at any time to go to War. Its Alt in the discipline. Its not like Jve forget How to shoot a i is amps Ken George . Army capt. Chongkit Chin co i commander says Farewell to a villager while checking on his troops and their observation Post in the american sector of Macedonia. Would arrive at a War zone we would be  still peacekeeping is different from War fighting. First of All you Arentt sup Osco to shoot at anyone during a peace keeping Mission. In fact in Macedonia the rules Are let the aggressors go by if they Are invading. Just make sure you Call it in. Quot with peacekeeping you always wonder if the situation is going to change but the situation is basically Static a Gill said. A in War fighting you re always trying to guess what the other Guy is going to do next. You re waiting for something. There is a Subtle  those differences should help form a corps of More experienced. Soldiers for tomorrows battlefields not detract from the experience they be already gained said norwegian Brig. Gen. Tryggve Tellof san the commander of . Forces in Macedonia. A this is a most challenging and interesting role for . Forces a he said. A i doubt any other . Forces have this Challenge and it is something these soldiers will always be Able to draw from in the  Gill and the other soldiers agreed that if their Mission changed to a War fighting role or if they were suddenly yanked out of the cold Macedonia Snow and sent to the hot Sands of Kuwait to beat Back an iraqi attack they would have to Sharpen some skills. Quot but those skills including tactics and dealing with local residents would come Back in a matter of hours not months As some officers suggest. And then they would be ready to fight. Say minister m follows god. Is amps Ken George . Peacekeeping soldiers trudge through a foot of Snow while on patrol in Macedonia. Cos have More responsibility than we said Cpl. Robert Davis. A by the time we it in o fill it Ltd i. /"2 Ano a a ._____1 a by Mark Kinkade staff writer observation Post u52, Macedonia a according to staff sgt. Eric Gill god exists not Only in Foxholes but in . Peacekeeper observation posts. The 29-year-old platoon Leader is an ordained Baptist minister. During duty hours he musters his troops and leads them through their duties As peacekeepers at an observation Post overlooking a Border checkpoint Between Serbia and Macedonia. But when he feels the need to provide spiritual guidance of when the chaplain from Camp Able sentry in Skopje is unable to Lead services Gill has different duties he leads troops to god. A the army equipped me to do Battle against the enemies of my country Quot Gill said Over a cup of Coffee in the Oscr vation Post Kitchen Quot the lord equipped me to do Battle with satan a the soldiers father was a Deacon in the Jasper Texas Baptist Church. Gill grew up in a House directly behind the Church but it Wasny to until he was in the army he said that god called him to serve. Since he was ordained in 1989, he has preached in services in Fried Borg Kirch Gons and Hanau Germany. He also has been invited to return to Jasper to carry on with his ministry after he leaves the army. Although Gill has impressive credentials As both a noncommissioned officer and a preacher he still has to answer those who wonder if being a Warrior contradicts the role of a Man of god a it does t conflict a Gill said. A who better to talk to the soldiers and witness for them than someone who has been where they arc and done what they do a sgt. Steven Vincent a team Leader at the observation Post agreed. A a in a not a religious person but sergeant Gill and me have never bumped Heads a Vincent said. A a it a always a you re a Soldier a you re Gonna act like a  a being religious does no to mean Gill is soft on his men either. Since he was a a saved by god Gill has been instrumental in discharging 15 soldiers. Of those 11 had families. Although he effectively ruined those menus military careers he does no to feel guilty he said a a was doing right for the Soldier the platoon and the army a he said. As for killing his fellow Man if the Mission requires Gill has no reservations. A in training i try to kill the other Guy if that a the Mission and in a pretty Good at it Quot Gill said a i have a Job. 1 swore allegiance to the Constitution. If i   Job i would get  Gill said he does t Lead services at the observation Post unless asked by the troops. He will talk to soldiers about spirituality if he feels it s appropriate to the discussion. But on a Day to Day basis Gill is a Soldier with a love of god a role he is comfortable with. A being religious allows me to Lead by example Quot he said but it also Gies me a better understanding of myself and i can give spiritual