European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday january 20, 1995 the stars and stripes Page 3jet-setting cat s vanishing by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a Kahlua the cat is still missing in action. A . A . A nearly two weeks after his pet Cage turned up empty on a trans Atlantic Delta air lines flight the feline remains the subject of a search by airline employees in Frankfurt Germany and Atlanta. The 10-Pound Tabby belongs to staff sgt. Kevin Mccawley and his wife Desiree who travelled from Germany to Atlanta on Jan. 9 and then to Richmond Var the last time they saw the 3-year-old cat was when they handed him to the Delta ticket agent in Frankfurt. When they tried to pick him tip in Atlanta prior to boarding for to their trip to Richmond they found him missing. A a we were shocked Desiree Mccawley said in a Telephone interview. A the s like our child a part of our family. He sleeps with us at night and loves to be held. He s so Friendly that if you lean Over hell jump right up on your shoulder the couple is in the United states visiting Desiree Mccawley a family near Richmond prior to moving to Kevin Mccawley s new assignment at Ford Hood Texas. He was previously assigned to the 165th military intelligence det in Nurnberg Germany. To the Mccaw Icys the most puzzling aspect of the incident is that Kahlua a travel Case still had its latches fastened and the cat s favorite toys were inside when they picked it up in Atlanta. Desiree Mccawley thinks someone must have taken the cat out of the travel Case. A the Security fasteners on the Case arc Vicy sturdy a she said. A and even if they somehow came undone there a no Way they could have re fastened she thinks someone stole the cat or perhaps simply wanted to pet it accidentally let it get away and did no to Tell anyone for fear of Sicily by sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau Nas Simonella Sicily driving your car Down a winding Mountain Road one minute and finding yourself washed out into the Mediterranean the next does no to happen every Day in Simonella Sicily. But Flash floods Are just one of Many hazards american Drivers at the naval air station contend with. Classroom training on local driving is required for newcomers. For the past year the military police have extended that instruction to Road training As Well As to offer americans a Chance to get a real feel for the Simonella roads through a Driver improvement course. A it does no to take a torrential downpour to make these roads Slick. Just a Little morning Dew or humidity and off you go a said Petty officer 2nd class Raymond Ramirez an instructor of the improvement course. The Driver improvement course is voluntary for newcomers. But military officials Are considering making it mandatory now that four americans have been killed in local Auto accidents Over the last six months. An american also was the Driver in an Accident that killed a local pedestrian. Most of the accidents occur on roads americans use daily such As the so Van mile stretch Between the Nas i and Nas 11 sections of the base. One sign that warns Drivers of a Sharp curve has been replaced at least a half dozen times in the past year Ramirez said. Pieces of car parts litter the ditch nearby. Speeding is the major contributor to accidents at Simonella military officials said. A the most dangerous american is the one who thinks he can drive a car held together with bailing wire and Bubble us 100 Miles an hour Down a Road he nows with his eyes closed Quot said Petty officer 1st class Vincent Mal Giogio a Security policeman at Simonella. The terrain around Simonella is Moun a they were understandably upset a said Delta spokesman Todd Clay. A a we re concerned As Well. They trusted us to ship their pet for Clay said Delta employees thoroughly searched the 767 Jet in Atlanta but came up empty. The airline has posted bulletins in the Frankfurt Atlanta airports and is interviewing employees on both ends to find out what happened during the loading process. A a we re not taking this lightly by any Means a Clay it seems that its Only through my persistence that they be done what they be done so far. I suggested maybe they should review the Security tapes of the baggage area that Day in Frankfurt and they said a ooh that Good idea."1 a Desiree Mccawley said. A Delta officials in Frankfurt said a thorough search for Kahlua is on but so far no Trace of the dark Brown feline has been uncovered. A a we re trying everything possible to locate Kahlua a said Ilse Zazulla a Delta spokeswoman in Frankfurt. Quot my colleagues at the Airport Are constantly in touch with Atlanta and we arc still in the investigation stages. We be received from our station manager in Virginia Small Little fliers with pictures that we have posted around the Zazulla said the Standard investigation includes checking with the various departments that handled the pet to see when and How it was loaded. She said departments Are continuing the search. Such losses during Cross Atlantic flights Are rare Zazulla said. A actually we transport very Many pets and animals and a situation like this is extremely unusual a Zazulla Quot /. She did not provide numbers of pets transported by press deadlines thursday. But Desiree Mccawley said she Hasni to seen Quot much of an emergency kind of attitude from Delta officials a it seems that its Only through my persistence that they be done what they be done so far a she said. A i suggested maybe they should review the Security tapes of the baggage area that Day in Frankfurt and they said a of that Good a in any event Clay said its too soon to give up. He recalled the Story of a cat that went awol last year on another Airliner a not one of Delta she quickly added a and spent several weeks As a stowaway before emerging weak and emaciated but very much alive. Clay said such incidents Are a very uncommon. We ship literally thousands of animals each year without any the Mccaw Icys however said they heard differently from two Anonymous Airport employees in Atlanta. It a they told us this kind of thing happens a lot a Kevin Mccawley said. A if we had known that we never would have put Kahlua in the belly of that he said the idea that his pet could have been cat napped in Frankfurt had led him to question supposedly tight anti terrorist Security restrictions at that Airport. A your cat was treated As a piece of baggage a he said. A if a 10-Pound cat can vanish without a race then. Obviously something like a bomb could just As easily be placed in someone a the Mccawley Are considering filing claims for. Kahlua but obviously would prefer to have their furry Friend Back Home. A this sure put a Damper on our return to the states a Desiree Mccawley said. Contributing to this report staff writer a let Jones in Darmstadt Germany. Americans run into s4s Dave Casey Petty officer 1st class Vincent Malgioglio a Security policeman shows driving instructor Petty officer 2nd class Raymond Ramirez a Section of Road near Nas Simonella Sicily that has proved to be especially dangerous. Taino us and characterized by dark winding roads that often go unpaved and unpainted for years. Most roads travelled by americans Are Rural roads also used by Farmers their equipment and animals. Herds of a age Eph a goats sheep and hybrids of the two a Are often herded along the roads and cows Are left to wander at will. Driving instructors encourage Drivers to talk to themselves As they drive and name each of the hazards such As a Sharp turn slow moving farm equipment animals or a dangerous intersection. The exercise is designed to make Drivers More aware of Road conditions. A we try to stress in the course that people should not change their driving Tabus a Malgioglio said. A these italians rave been driving on these roads All their Ives if not in cars then on mopeds or bicycles. You can to reaction to the course has been mixed. Some say the course is Only useful if students encounter one of the hazards during the training. Many refuse to participate because they already know How to drive. A the course is an excellent method but is Only one of several ways we Are looking at the problem Quot said capt Stew Art Barnett Iii Nas is Gonella a commanding officer. Barnett said military police now have permission from italian authorities to Stop americans driving erratically of unsafely in town. Personnel leaving and entering the base at night Are also stopped at the Gate and checked for alcohol consumption. A Security is getting in the face of every Driver a said Barnett. A this is not an attempt to line people up for Captain s Mast nonjudicial punishment. Its an attempt to Stop these people from hurting and killing
