European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 stars and stripes june 2007 Aviano Squadron rotating to South Korea by Kent Harris stars and stripes Aviano air Italy almost half the firepower of Aviano air base will soon be on display in the Republic of South the bulk of the 555th fighter Squadron and its f16 aircraft have been participating in a red Flag exercise in air Force officials confirmed thursday that the ital based Squadron will continue on to South Korea after the exercise and serve a four month rotation Tiffany Public affairs chief for the 8th air Force based at Kunsan air base in South told stars and stripes that the rotation absolutely does not Indi Cate an increased Security threat in South its just kind of the Luck of the draw that there coming to said they could have been tasked to go to Iraq or the 510th fighter Squadron at Aviano recently returned from such a deployment and both squadrons have served multiple times in various rotations to the Central commands area of but Payette confirmed that this is the first time such a unit based in Europe has been tasked to the Pacific under the aerospace expeditionary Force Jennifer chief of Public affairs for the 31st fighter Wing at said Friday that the deployment and exer Cise in Alaska give the airmen from the Tri ple Nickel new the deployment of forces throughout the Pacific provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into coalition and bilateral she said Ferrau declined to provide specific num Bers of airmen or aircraft from Aviano in or disclose when they would arrive in South we dont talk about operational numbers or anything that could jeopardize our peo she she referred further questions to who could not be reached for further comment Payette said thursday that 18 aircraft and about 300 airmen would be that represents most of the aircraft As signed to the Squadron and about 40 percent of the f16s assigned to Ferrau forwarded a statement from air Force Public affairs rebutting an earlier wire report that implied that the forces were being sent to bolster forces in a sign of High tensions in the korean Peninsula ref rotations occur not just in the Cen com for this was a Normal ref rotation in support of an air Force these rotations help maintain he peace and Security in the asian Pacific re Gion and show the ref is truly a global look at where we need reporter Ashley Rowland contributed to this email Kent Harris at  Seth and stripes at the 3rd 2nd cavalry Stryker regiment soldiers pay tribute to Jonathon Russell Rusty Gilbert who died june 9 following a training Accident at Vilseck mourns Soldier killed during training for Iraq tour by Seth Robson stars and stripes Germany Ira bound soldiers of the 2nd cavalry Stryker regiment were prepared for strife and difficult but they didst expect to lose one of their own so 3rd 2nd Cav commander Rod Coffey said Coffey was speaking at a memorial for one of his company h soldiers Jonathon Russell Rusty 22 who died june 9 at Lan Stuhl regional medical Gilbert was shot in the head during redeploy ment training at Grafe Wohr training area on May according to an army press the old native and member of the Cherokee nation was preparing for his second Iraq he served in Mosul from 2004 to 2005 with the 1st 25th infantry division before it re flagged As 2nd Cav in Germany last Gilbert survived a mortar attack in and the purple heart is among his Many decorations and in a conflict where How to interact with the civil Ian population is part of the i can see no better example than Coffey give him one week in a neighbourhood in Iraq and hed have All the kids telling him where the bad Guys he  even need a soccer he the 2nd Cav will move into Iraq with the memory of Gilbert in soldiers he he has done his part against an enemy filled with reckless he company h commander Mike Stinchfield praised Gilberts decision to join the in May he volunteered to serve at a time when he knew he could go into harms Way people Are questioning now Why we Gilbert never questioned Why we fight but he fought for the rights of people to question that he staff Tim Gilberts team Leader in said hed watched the Young Man transform from a Follower to a Leader whom other soldiers looked up to for staff Jess Solon said Gilbert introduced him to country music when the pair roomed together at fort he loved country music and if your ears we rent bleeding it want loud i hated country Solon whenever he went to turn on that country music he looked at me with a smile that went ear to when i saw that smile i  say As time went on i started turning on the country now i love country music and every time i hear it i will be reminded of chaplain Willie Mashack recalled Gil berts love of the War Craft computer Bowling and bar hopping with his Gilbert is survived by his Rebecca his father Dennis Brothers Billy and Smokey and sister email Seth Robson at  lawmaker asks Congress to revisit dont dont Tell by Leo Shane Iii stars and stripes Washington a califor Nia Democrat is pushing for con Gressional hearings on the Mili Tarys dont dont Tell policy for the first time since it was put in place 14 years Ellen one of the leading opponents of the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the said wednesday that she has begun planning with other members of the House armed services com Mittee on holding Public hearings in coming i think the country and the Rankan file military Are Way ahead of Congress on this Tauscher i think not Only Are the american people but i think our service members Are very much interested in hav ing this ban the policy was put in place in 1993 by Congress after a series of contentious Tauscher said the new hear part of a Campaign to Over turn that will feature Testi Mony from current and former homosexual troops to educate both lawmakers and High rank ing military on How Little the change would affect i think there is an interesting stratification Between Flag offic ers and the she whats important is through the hearing process to make Clear that this does not have any affect on a persons ability to in Zogby International published a poll of 545 cur rent which found that 23 percent know some one in their unit who is Homo sex in 78 percent said they would still have joined the military if the dont ask policy was not in compared to 10 percent who said they would have avoided last stars and stripes Ehen Tauscher broke the Story of Jason an openly Gay Sailor who was re called after being separated and served As a linguist in the Middle East despite not concealing that he was after the Story a Knight was again Dis charged from the in its july Issue to be released next the advocate a National Magazine focusing on homosexual issues includes Sto Ries of two Active duty soldiers who say their commanders know about their sexual preference and have not taken any actions to reprimand or remove them from the Tauscher staff said the congresswoman does not have any of those individuals lined up for Tes but she is confident that a number of Active and retired troops can be found to Echo those so far the hearings Are being planned Only on the House Side of Capitol Hill no senators have taken up requests from Gay rights advocates to sponsor a Bill overturning the military to View the Zogby poll results from 90 to email Leo Shane at