The

Offi

cial

U.S

. Arm

y M

agaz

ine

March 2003www.soldiersmagazine.com

Buildup inthe Gulf

Special Feature

•Return to Kosovo •School for Air Defenders •And a . . .Coolmap topull outand hang up!

Soldiers StaffEditor in Chief: LTC John E. SuttleManaging Editor: Gil HighProduction Editor: Steve HardingArt Director: Helen Hall VanHooseAssociate Art Director: Paul Henry CrankSenior Editor: Heike HasenauerAssociate Editor: SFC Lisa GregoryPhoto Editor: SSG Alberto BetancourtSpecial Products Editor: Beth ReeceGraphic Designer: LeRoy JewellExecutive Secretary: Joseph T. Marsden

The OfficialU.S. Army MagazineSecretary of the Army: Thomas E. WhiteChief of Staff: GEN Eric K. ShinsekiChief of Public Affairs: MG Larry D. GottardiChief, Command Information: COL James M. Allen

Soldiers (ISSN 0093-8440) is published monthly under super-vision of the Army Chief of Public Affairs to provide the TotalArmy with information on people, policies, operations, technicaldevelopments, trends and ideas of and about the Department ofthe Army. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarilythose of the Department of the Army. � Manuscripts of interestto Army personnel are invited. Direct communication is autho-rized to Editor, Soldiers, 9325 Gunston Road, Suite S108,Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5581. Phone: DSN 656-4486 or com-mercial (703) 806-4486. Or send e-mail to soldiers@belvoir.army.mil. � Unless otherwise indicated (and except for“by permission” and copyright items), material may be reprintedprovided credit is given to Soldiers and the author. � Allphotographs by U.S. Army except as otherwise credited.� Military distribution: From the U.S. Army Distribution Opera-tions Facility, 1655 Woodson Road, St. Louis, MO 63114-6181,in accordance with Initial Distribution Number (IDN) 050007subscription requirements submitted by commanders. � TheSecretary of the Army has determined that the publication of thisperiodical is necessary in the transaction of the public businessas required by law of the department. � Use of funds for printingthis publication was approved by the Secretary of the Army onSept. 2, 1986, in accordance with the provisions of Army Regu-lation 25-30. Library of Congress call number: U1.A827. �Periodicals postage paid at Fort Belvoir, VA, and additionalmailing offices. � Individual domestic subscriptions are availableat $38 per year through the Superintendent of Documents, P.O.Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. For credit card orderscall (202) 512-1800 or FAX (202) 512-2250. � To changeaddresses for individual subscriptions, send your mailing labelwith changes to: Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop SSOM,Washington, DC 20402. � POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to the Fort Belvoir address above.

Printing: Gateway Press, Inc., Louisville, Ky.

www.soldiersmagazine.com

March 2003 Volume 58, No. 3 INBUILDUPS

teve

Ha

rdin

g

24 Cabañas:Training for PeaceU.S. and Latin Americansoldiers gathered in Chileto hone their peacekeep-ing skills.

32 Return to KosovoAmerican soldierscontinue to help keep thepeace in the war-tornBalkan nation.

40 School forAir DefendersAt Fort Bliss, Texas,soldiers learn the art andscience of modern airdefense.

FEATURES

2 Feedback16 Briefings20 Postmarks22 Sharp Shooters

Front cover:Soldiers of the 3rdInfantry Division’s2nd Brigade practicetheir close-combatskills at a firing rangein the Kuwaiti desert.— Photo by HeikeHasenauer

4

DEPARTMENTS30 Focus On People49 Corps of Engineers

— AlaskaEarthquake

THE GULFSpecial Cover Featu re

COOL MAP PULLOUT at 9

Soldiers2

FeedbackAS of this writing, prepara-tions continue for thelikelihood of war with Iraq.To provide you withexclusive coverage of ourArmy’s preparations forwar, we sent veteranSoldiers correspondentsHeike Hasenauer andSteve Harding to Kuwait,where they were givenunprecedented access toU.S. forces.

In “Buildup in the Gulf,”Heike and Steve capturethe essence of the scaleand complexity of prepara-tions for war. Their wordsand images freeze thatmoment in time beforecombat when soldiersexperience a combinationof uncertainty and exhilara-tion in a place far, far fromhome.

To help track ongoingdevelopments in the MiddleEast, in this issue we’veincluded a handy SoldiersSituation Map. Modeledafter a hurricane-trackingmap, on one side you’ll findthe entire Persian Gulf areaof operations, along withsuggested Web sites forkeeping up with the latestdevelopments. On thereverse is a map of theworld.

As always, we here atSoldiers hope you find thisissue interesting andinformative.

From the EditorSpiritual FoodWHETHER intentional or not,in your December issue youdiscussed food both spiritual(“Serving God and Country”)and physical (“From HorseBlood to Hot Pockets”).

Both kinds are what soldierfitness is all about. The Armyis doing a great job of feedingits force.

Chaplain (LTC) John D.Griffith, USAR

Des Moines, Iowa

Lacrossed SignalsI WAS delighted to see somephotos from the Baltimore andWashington, D.C., area in yourDecember “Sharp Shooters”section — especially a pictureof a member of the women’slacrosse team of my almamater, Loyola College.

However, your captionerroneously identified the twoplayers in the picture as “highschool lacrosse players.” Bothplayers are collegiate-level,and the field they were playingon is located on Loyola’scampus on the northern edgeof Baltimore.

Loyola College has anoutstanding Army ROTCtraining program and thewomen’s and men’s lacrosseprograms are perennialpowerhouses in Division I play.

It was great to see aGreyhound player in Soldiersmagazine, but I couldn’t let thecaption slide.

CPT Charles A. MusanteFort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Thanks for the correction.As we’ve said in the past, weassume that the captions forphotos provided to us by non-staff photographers arecorrect. When they aren’t,we’re always glad when

Awesome AlmanacI AM an ROTC instructor atNortheastern University inBoston, Mass.

I recently receivedcopies of the 2002 Alma-nac and have found it tobe an outstanding teach-ing aid for new cadets, aswell as an excellent recruit-ing tool for new cadets.

I’d like to request 30 additional copies of the Almanac,if they are available. These will be used as study guides fornew cadets and as recruiting tools.

Please let me know if you can fill this request.CPT Nathan Gruver

via e-mail

Thanks for the kind words, and your extra copies are on theway.

I RECEIVED a copy of the 2003 Alamanac today and, asusual, it is an excellent product and ready reference.

I do have one small correction, however: The caption forphoto 4 on page 40 in “This Is Our Army” identifies the non-American soldiers as Czechs. While the training area was inthe Czech Republic, the non-American soldiers are Polish,not Czech.

LTC Evan Miller (Ret.)Versailles, Ky.

someone can set us — andthe original photographer —straight.

Low on the Pole...THE November article“Updating the OER System”was very interesting.

However, I am troubledthat the author used the term“totem pole” to end his article.There are many nativeAmericans in the military whodo not like this reference.

Russell J Bagleyvia e-mail

Not Star TrekIMAGINE my embarrassmentwhen I saw the cover of

October’s issue. It seems tome that a contractor wants tomake some money on a “coollook” that is based on somemisconception of the Army’sfuture “Star Trek” warrior.

Maybe the guy in the covershot is playing laser tag orpaintball, but his helmet andthe other parts of his “uniform”have no realistic role in a realinfantry unit.

I spent four years in theinfantry and I would neverwear that helmet. I agree withthe need for taking advantageof our technology, but we cango too far. Don’t give somecontractor the satisfaction ofselling the Army useless junk.

CPT Darin GaubFort Huachuca, Ariz.

March 2003 3

Soldiers is for soldiers and DA civilians. We invite readers’ views. Stay under 150words — a post card will do — and include your name, rank and address. We’llwithhold your name if you desire and may condense your views because of space.We can’t publish or answer every one, but we’ll use representative views. Write to:Feedback, Soldiers, 9325 Gunston Road, Ste. S108, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5581, or e-mail: soldiers@belvoir.army.mil.

Wildfire UnitAFTER reading the Octoberarticle on the wildfire-fightingoperations undertaken by thesoldiers of the Oregon NationalGuard, I couldn’t help notice areference at the very end ofthe article to an active-dutybattalion from Fort Riley, Kan.In case you were unable tolocate the name of thatbattalion, it was the 1stBattalion, 5th Field Artillery.

CPT Richard D. Wellman Jr.via e-mail

Service FlagsWE’VE received many lettersand e-mails noting that theService Flags featured in ourJuly issue cannot, as theauthor implied, be orderedonline from the manufacturer,Annin & Company. Whencontacted, the firm suggestedthat customers order the flags

locally, or by calling theAmerican Legion at (888) 453-4466.

Why SDAP?AS of Oct. 1 the Army hasgranted increased SpecialDuty Assignment Pay (SDAP)for career counselors.

The U.S. Total ArmyPersonnel Command Web sitestates that: “SDAP is amonthly incentive to enlistedsoldiers who have assign-ments that are extremelydemanding or require a highdegree of responsibility.” So,let me see if I understand this.A career counselor can getalmost as much SDAP as adrill sergeant or an airborne,ranger or special forcessoldier?

I’ve been a drill sergeantfor two years and a member ofthe 82nd Airborne Division for12 years, and I do not under-

stand why a career counselorshould receive an additional$220 per month. Is their jobreally that demanding?

Name withheld by request

No Bosnia Medal?IT is amazing that the DefenseDepartment has produced acampaign medal for those whoserved in Kosovo, yet hasforgotten those who haveserved in Bosnia.

What makes Kosovo dutymore of a priority for a cam-paign medal? From what I sawwhen I was in Bosnia withSFOR, and from what wasbriefed to me by those whowent to Kosovo, they are prettymuch the same as far asmission tasks, schedules,

environment and dangers.I think it’s time for our

leaders to give service mem-bers who have done time forIFOR and SFOR what theydeserve — a Bosnia campaignmedal.

SPC John A. ClementsFort Rucker, Ala.

Online PrivilegeI RETIRED from the Army in1991. Until today, I had onlyseen Soldiers magazine veryinfrequently.

The online version allowsme the privilege (yes, privi-lege) of again reading yourmagazine on a regular basis.

Thank you!SFC Dan Mills (Ret.)

via e-mail

Soldiers4

Soldiers of Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 1st AirDefense Artillery Regiment, race to a Patriotlauncher during a Scud drill. The ADA unit isone of several tapped to provide air defensecoverage during the U.S. buildup in Kuwait.

Story by Heike HasenauerPhotos by Heike Hasenauer and Steve Harding

Soldiers4

Buildup inthe GulfBuildup inthe Gulf

Steve Harding

March 2003 5March 2003 5

KU

WA

ITIN

Soldiers6

Newly arrived in Kuwait, soldiers of the3rd Bde., 3rd Inf. Div., prepare theirBradley fighting vehicles for movementto forward camps.

Soldiers6

Heike Hasenauer

March 2003 7March 2003

KU

WA

ITIN

Soldiers8

IN early January all signs pointedto another war against Iraq assoldiers of the 3rd InfantryDivision’s 3rd Brigade floodedinto Kuwait — some 4,000 overa four-day period — said LTC

Geoff Ward, the brigade’s executiveofficer.

British, German and Czechsoldiers were among coalition-forcesoldiers on the ground. And U.S.military officials called the influx offorces the largest military buildupsince the Gulf War.

During the first two weeks in

January, Defense Secretary DonaldRumsfeld signed two large deploymentorders to send a total of 62,000military personnel, including thou-sands of Marines, to the Gulf region.And Defense Department officials saidthe United States could have as manyas 150,000 troops in the Middle Eastby February.

Just a few hours after 3rd Inf. Div.soldiers of the Fort Benning, Ga.-based 3rd Bde. began pouring intoKuwait International Airport in theearly morning hours of Jan. 11, PV2Dallas Morrow and other members ofthe 1st Battalion, 15th Inf. Regiment,

found themselves in a sea of equip-ment at Camp Doha — the CombinedForces Land Component Commandheadquarters for coalition forces inKuwait.

Their Bradley fighting vehicles andM1A1 Abrams tanks surrounded them.And cases of rations and water clut-tered the marshalling area, along witheverything from tool kits, oil andengine coolant to duffel bags, indi-vidual weapons and personal bodyarmor, all of which they packed tightlyinto the vehicles before convoyingacross the desert to forward basecamps later in the day.

The brigade had been in country

A convoy of Army vehicles — a commonsight during the buildup — rolls along aKuwaiti highway en route to positions nearthe Iraqi border.

Buildup in the Gulf

Heike HasenauerSteve Harding contributed to this article.

March 2003 9

Soldiers of the Army Reserve’s 299th Engineer Co.practice launching floating bridge sections duringtraining at a Kuwaiti naval base. The bridges couldprove vital for crossing Iraq’s several large rivers.

KU

WA

IT

March 2003 9

IN

Steve Harding

Soldiers10

earlier, from May to November, toparticipate in Exercise Desert Spring.“We went home just long enough toget a taste of what we’re missing,”Morrow said.

The division’s 2nd Bde., from FortStewart and Hunter Army Airfield,Ga., had remained in country since itsparticipation in the exercise in May.And the division’s 1st Bde. wasexpected to begin arriving on Jan. 20,Ward said.

Bulldozers and forklifts rumbledabout over wide expanses of desert,creating obvious sites for additionalcamps. And, while informationprovided to the media was extremelyguarded, representatives in the area

Members of Btry. C beef up the overheadcover on one of the several bunkers dot-ting the unit’s compound.

He

ike

Ha

sen

au

er

March 2003 11

saw numerous convoys of trackedvehicles and other equipment andbusloads of soldiers being transportedto forward-operating bases near theIraqi border.

A camp located some 26 kilome-ters from Kuwait’s northern borderwith Iraq had been renamed bysoldiers of the 2nd Bde. Combat Teamas Camp New York. Additional newcamps in the desert included Pennsyl-vania, New Jersey and Virginia, said2nd BCT spokeswoman MSG EmmaKrouser.

A few kilometers from the Iraqiborder, soldiers of the 2nd Bde.conducted target practice and live-firedrills in a makeshift MOUT village,

Fully armed and ready to fire, Patriot launchers ofBtry. C, 2nd Bn., 1st ADA, point skyward near aU.S. staging area under construction in the Ku-waiti desert.

In Btry. C’s command center, soldiersmonitor the progress of one of the manydrills conducted during the buildup.

KU

WA

IT

11

IN

Heike Hasenauer

Ste

ve H

ard

ing

Soldiers12

and the battalion surgeon, Dr. (CPT)Erik Schobitz, conducted advancedfirst-aid classes.

“We’re definitely training for goingto war,” said PFC Fernando Machadoof 2nd Bde. “We’ve been practicingclearing trenches, knocking outbunkers, clearing buildings, breachingand bypassing obstacles, conductingNBC training and preparing forcounterattacks.”

“I’m thinking what everybody elseis thinking,” said 19-year-old PFCBobby Lansdon of 2nd Bde. “I reallydon’t know what to think. I’m excitedabout serving my country, but at thesame time, I’m a little scared.”

Back at Camp New York, SSGAnthony McCloyn and othermembers of Co. A, 10th Engineer

Bn., pulled maintenance on M113armored personnel carriers loadeddown with large fluorescent cones andsmall bright flags that would be usedto mark safe passages through enemyminefields.

“We’ve been training nonstop,”McCloyn said, “and all our training tothis point has focused on clearing theminefields. We’ve got to get it rightthe first time, so that the tanks andBradleys can move forward. If theycan’t get to the front, they can’tengage. It’s that simple.”

Elsewhere, soldiers of Battery C,2nd Bn., 1st Air Defense ArtilleryRegt., a Patriot missile battery fromFort Bliss, Texas, continued to conduct

Her NBC mask firmly in place, SPC ParisMcField waits for the all-clear during aScud drill at the Btry. C, 2nd Bn., 1st ADAPatriot site.

Beefed-up training for soldiers in Kuwait during thebuildup included close-range target practice for 3rd Inf.Div. troops at a range constructed in the desert nearthe Iraqi border. Heike Hasenauer

He

ike

Ha

sen

au

er

March 2003 13

Scud-missile drills near Camp Arifjan,home of the Kuwait army’s 15thMubarek Armored Brigade.

And on the water, at the Port ofShuaiba, the Army logistics supportvessel SP4 James A. Loux deliveredmedical supplies and equipmentbelonging to the 205th Area SupportMedical Bn., an Army National Guardunit from Kansas City, Mo.

At the nearby Kuwait Naval Baseseveral other Army vessels — includ-ing utility landing craft, tugboats andthe newly commissioned high-speedtheater support vessel Spearhead —awaited their next missions in supportof the buildup of U.S. forces.

Infantrymen of the 2nd Bde., 3rd Inf. Div.,prepare to clear a building during live-fireMOUT training at a site near Camp NewYork. Steve Harding

13

INK

UW

AIT

Soldiers14

The naval base was also the site ofbridge-building training for soldiers ofthe Army Reserve’s 299th EngineerCo. from Fort Belvoir, Va., whorepeatedly practiced launching andassembling a floating bridge — anasset that would be crucial to coalitionforces should they be required to crossthe Tigris and Euphrates rivers, amongothers in Iraq.

Crew chief and raft commanderSSG Matthew O’Brien was respon-sible for “anything going on in thewater as a bridge is being assembled,”he said.

During training in January, the299th constructed a raft, whichconsisted of several interior “bays”with ramps. “The ferry bridge is thequickest way to get military forces toshore,” said O’Brien. “We can trans-

port anything the military has, up to 70tons at any one time, over a 215-meterbridge span.”

CPT Marty Norvel of the 416thEngr. Command, a liaison officer tothe three Army bridge companies thathad either personnel or equipment inKuwait in January, said the “multi-bridge companies would allow com-manders at the highest level to projectcombat power across water or drygaps, such as ditches and ravines.”

Two other bridge companies of the99th Regional Support Command —the 459th Engr. Co. from West Vir-ginia and 671st Engr. Co., fromOregon — were expected to arrive inKuwait in the coming weeks.

In January, as coalition forcescontinued arriving in Kuwait, marryingup with their equipment and moving

into forward positions, O’Brien andother 3rd ID soldiers conveyed theirconcern about possible war.

“Sure I’m scared,” one youngprivate said. “Who wouldn’t be? Butwe’re all well trained and ready to doour jobs.”

And training was the key tokeeping soldiers’ fears at bay as theyawaited possible action, said MGHenry W. Stratman, deputy command-ing general of Third U.S. Army/U.S.Army Forces Central Command andthe Coalition Forces Land ComponentCommand.

“It would be foolish for soldiersnot to have some concerns,” Stratmansaid. “We’re in a dangerous business,and the possibility of action gives usall something to think about. But that’swhy we train so hard — so we’ll be

Jersey walls at Camp Doha carry thelogos and patches of units that havepreviously served in the Gulf region.

Soldiers line up for dinner at CampNew York’s dining facility. The desertoutpost saw its population increasedramatically as the buildup continued.

Heike Hasenauer

Steve Harding

March 2003 15

ready to execute any mission thepresident gives us. And I think oursoldiers are superbly trained and readyfor whatever comes.”

SGT Jose Blanco of the 3rd Inf.Div.’s 3rd Bde., 1st Bn., 15th Inf.,summed up the feeling many soldiersexpressed in early January as theytrained for war in the vast Kuwaitidesert.

“Hopefully, the Iraqis will surren-der quickly,” Blanco said. “A lot of theguys are just tired of playing Ping-Pong with Saddam Hussein.”

“I just want to get on with it. Let’sgo,” echoed O’Brien. “Let’s do the jobfor the nation and go home.”

As the battalion surgeon looks on, soldiers of the3rd ID’s 2nd Bde. practice their combat lifesavingskills during a lull in the live-fire MOUT training.

Members of Co. A, 10th Engineer Bn., loadflourescent cones — used to mark lanesthrough minefields — aboard their M-113at Camp New York.

KU

WA

ITIN

Heike Hasenauer

Steve Harding

Soldiers16

Briefings Compiled by SFC Lisa Gregory and SSG Alberto Betancourt

An Afghan boy gets a routine eyeexam from an 82nd Abn. Div. soldierduring an Army medical-assistancevisit to the boy’s village.

and the War on Terrorism

A CH-47 Chinook lands on the outskirts ofthe village of Shin Kay, Afghanistan, to takeaboard soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Divi-sion bound for another objective duringOperation Panther Climax.

At presstime, U.S. soldiers and Afghan militia troopswere jointly engaged in heavy fighting with a large groupof suspected Taliban fighters near the village of SpinBoldak. Supported by Army attack helicopters and AirForce fixed-wing aircraft, the soldiers and their Afghanallies had so far killed some 18 enemy fighters andcaptured several others.

U.S. forces graduated a fifth battalion of approxi-mately 400 Afghan National Army soldiers in January.The sixth battalion, trained by the French army, wasscheduled to graduate in February. At press time, 1,750Afghan soldiers had graduated from the ten-week basictraining course. The overall goal is to create an armymore than 700,000 strong.

The Army, Navy and Marine Corps in late Januaryannounced increases in the numbers of Reservists onactive duty in support of the partial mobilization, whilethe Air Force announced a slight decrease. At presstime, 64,741 Army National Guard and Army Reservesoldiers were on active duty in support of the mobiliza-tion. The number of reserve-component personnel fromall services was 94,624, including both units andindividual augmentees.

Thousands of American service members havedeployed to the U.S. Central Command area of opera-tions in anticipation of new missions in theregion. The largest deployment is that ofthe Army’s 16,500-man 3rd InfantryDivision to Kuwait. The division’s 2ndBrigade was already in Kuwait, and the 3rdBde. flew to Southwest Asia in earlyJanuary. The division’s 1st Bde., aviationassets and other support elements werescheduled to deploy to the area later thatmonth. The Navy, Air Force and Marineshad also deployed additional personnel tothe region, and more deployments wereexpected to follow, DOD officials said.

SG

T P

rest

on

Ch

ee

ks

SGT Preston Cheeks

March 2003 17

CPT Issac Kim (left) and SPCPatrick Neal of the 82nd Abn.apply medicine to a rash on anAfghan girl’s stomach during amedical-assistance visit to thechild’s village.

Soldiers of the82nd Abn.provide secu-rity while otherunit memberssearch a com-pound forweapons andsuspectedTaliban mem-bers duringOperation Pan-ther Climax.

Children and adults ofAfghanistan’s Mirogul villagereceive school supplies from82nd Abn. soldiers during ahumanitarian-aid mission.

SS

G L

eo

po

ld M

ed

ina

Jr.

SG

T P

rest

on

Ch

ee

ks

SG

T P

rest

on

Ch

ee

ks

Soldiers18

Briefings

President George W. Bush visits with Fort Hood soldiers and family members during a recent trip to Texas. Ad-dressing a crowd of more than 4,000, the president spoke about recent increases in military pay, improvementsin housing and about the quality of training that Army personnel receive. Fort Hood troops — who are currentlydeployed around the world — were subsequently alerted for deployment to Kuwait as part of the buildup forpossible war with Iraq.

Fort Benning, Ga.

Soldiers Train CivilianJournalistsTHE 2nd Battalion, 58thInfantry Regiment, hostednearly 60 civilian journalistsfrom around the world partici-pating in a crash course incombat survival.

Soldiers from various unitsand directorates led training,which included the properways to enter and exit ahelicopter; first aid; landnavigation; reacting to directand indirect fire; mine aware-ness; and protection againstnuclear, biological andchemical warfare.

“It’s mainly to help themand whatever unit they mightbe embedded with,” said SFCPatrick Clements, a 2nd Bn.drill sergeant who was among

18 soldiers selected to serveas escorts for the visitingmedia. “The idea is to givethem as much of a taste ofArmy life as we can pack into aweek,” he added.

The journalists rose beforedawn, did physical training,marched five miles, learned to

low- and high-crawl, experi-enced MREs and learned toapply camouflage.

More than 400 journalistshave volunteered to participatein the training, which willprepare them to deploy withmilitary units. — Army NewsService

Washington

Promotion Points forOnline CoursesSOLDIERS can now receivepromotion points for creditsthey’ve earned through vendor-based learning courses. U.S.Total Army Personnel Com-mand has announced thatsoldiers can receive onepromotion point for every fivehours of computer basedtraining completed.

The Army currently offersmore than 1,500 technical andbusiness computer courses viae-learning, all of which areavailable to active-duty andreserve-component soldiersand to DA civilians, and thecourses can be accessed byInternet.

To browse the SmartForceCatalog or to register for the

Members of the national and international press practiceexiting a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during the mediatraining at Fort Benning.

Joh

n B

yerl

y

Bri

dg

ett

Site

r

March 2003 19

program, log into Army Know-ledge Online at www.us.army.mil. Once online, select“Education” under the “SelfService” menu, then click on“CBT.”

For more information on thepromotion point system visitthe PERSCOM homepage atwww.perscom.army.mil. —Computer Based Training,Contracting Officer Represen-tative, Fort Belvoir, Va.

Washington

Database ProvidesGlobal TripwireDOD personnel are on guardagainst possible bio-terrorismattacks. They are scanningcomputer databases featuringoutpatient treatment informa-tion gathered from more than300 military hospitals andmedical clinics worldwide.

The Electronic SurveillanceSystem for Early Notification ofCommunity-based Epidemics,or ESSENCE, is helping DODdetect both naturally occurringoutbreaks of disease andpotential bio-terrorism attacks,said Army Dr. (COL) Patrick W.Kelley, an epidemiologist atWalter Reed Army Institute ofResearch.

To detect potential epidem-ics or bio-terror attacks, graphsof fresh medical data providedby ESSENCE are overlaid andexamined alongside older data.If abnormal incidences ofdisease are observed, then analert is provided to local publichealth officials, who investigatethe situation and report back,Kelley said. — ARNEWS

Fort McPherson, Ga.

Reserve SafetyPersonnel SoughtU.S. ARMY Forces Commandseeks reserve-component

soldiers to serve as safetyofficers and NCOs with itsArmy Safety AugmentationDetachment. Interested per-sonnel should be captains,majors or sergeants first class.

Selected candidates will berequired to attend FORS-COM’s two-week CombatSafety Officers Course to learnthe principles of risk manage-ment and concepts of integrat-ing RM into Army operations.

The ASAD is at FortMcPherson and has approxi-mately 98 Army IndividualMobilization Augmenteesassigned. ASAD personnelserve as safety and risk-management officers augment-ing headquarters safety staff.

For more information on the

ASAD program contact LTCRichard Cooper at (404) 464-7639 or visit the ASAD Website at www.forscom.army.mil/safety. — ASADPublic Affairs Office

Washington

U.S. Brings HealthCare to AfghansTHE United States has been“indispensable” in helping torestore health care in Afghani-stan, said Dr. AbdullahSherzai, director of planning atthe Afghan Health Ministry inKabul.

Sherzai, an Americanneurologist, gave up hisresearch work at the National

Institutes of Health to go toAfghanistan.

In December, he accompa-nied Health Ministry officials toWashington to meet with U.S.leaders. In a Pentagon inter-view, Sherzai was the spokes-man for Afghan Deputy HealthMinister Ferozudin Feroz.Expressing the minister’sappreciation for America’shelp, Sherzai said the Afghanpeople hope the United Statesintends to create a long-termpartnership with Afghanistan.

Sherzai said Afghanistanneeds help rebuilding, equip-ping and supplying its medicalfacilities, and that health careis the first step toward security.“There’s nothing more primaryand immediate,” he said.“Without health, women aren’table to secure the householdand, therefore, society is notsecure. Without health, menare not able to work and thehousehold situation falls apart,and, again, society is inse-cure.”

The U.S. military has beenparticularly helpful so far, hesaid. U.S. medics are provid-ing basic medical care; militaryveterinarians are treating farmanimals; and Army engineerteams are directing repair andconstruction projects anddigging hundreds of wells.

U.S. military officials arenow seeking guidance fromthe Health Ministry on whatthey can do next.

Along with U.S. andcoalition military forces,nongovernment organizationsalso have been an indispens-able help, and Americanchurch groups and private U.S.citizens are doing what theycan, Sherzai said.

People who want to helpcan communicate with theAfghan Health Ministry bywriting to neurondr@hotmail.com. — American ForcesPress Service

PV

2 E

mily

Da

nia

l

Thousands of American service members are deploy-ing to the U.S. Central Command area of operations inSouthwest Asia. The largest deployment is that of the3rd Infantry Division’s 1st and 3rd brigades. Thedivision’s 2nd Brigade is already in Kuwait.

Soldiers20

From Army Posts Around the WorldCompiled by SSG Alberto BetancourtPostmarks

SP

C J

aco

b B

oye

r

USAMU’s SPC Aaron F. Rebout (left) gives a few marksmanship tips to CPT Heath Harrower of the 5th Special ForcesGroup at Fort Benning’s Easley Range.

Pa

ula

J.

Ra

nd

all

Pa

ga

n

Fort Benning, Ga.

Marksmanship Team TrainsSpecial ForcesALTHOUGH their 2002 competitive season isover, the champion shooters of the U.S. ArmyMarksmanship Unit Service Rifle Teamcontinue passing along their skills andtechniques to other soldiers.

Led by SSG Jared N. VanAalst, the teamrecently conducted an advanced rifle marks-manship clinic for 5th Special Forces Groupmembers.

“We do advanced rifle marksmanship‘train the trainer’ for all units, but now we’redoing tactical training for special-operationsunits or any unit with a sniper section,” saidVanAalst.

He said the type of competitive shootingtraining the marksmen conduct correlates withthe tactical training special-ops units conduct.

“We did this training so our detachmentcould improve its long-range marksmanshipcapabilities, said CPT Heath Harrower of the5th SFG. “We’re also getting techniques thatwe can employ for our sniper teams.”

Harrower said the team emphasized basicrifle marksmanship skills — but it was more

than a refresher course.Both on the ranges and in the classroom,

the special forces soldiers learned skills suchas how to read and correct for wind and toestimate range.

“The two most important things to work onare trigger squeeze and sight alignment.That’s what we’ve been emphasizing,” saidHarrower “We learned variations and differenttechniques for trigger squeeze employed by asniper team when engaging a target. We alsoused the Noptel computerized marksmanshiptraining system, which was a very effectivetool to track sight alignment before, duringand after the shot.”

Besides shooting on USAMU ranges, thesoldiers also toured the unit’s custom firearmshop, where they spoke with gunsmiths andmachinists who build and modify USAMUweapons, and reloaders and ammunitiontechnicians who ensure each round iscompetition-quality.

“This training enhanced our long-rangeshooting capability,” said Harrower. “Wewould do it again, and recommend that othermembers of our unit go through the training.”— Paula J. Randall Pagan, USAMU PublicAffairs Office

March 2003 21

Camp Takigahara, Japan

Soldiers Train with Japanese CounterpartsSOLDIERS from the 25th Infantry Division joined theircounterparts from the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forceat Camp Takigahara during Operation Keen Sword/OrientShield 2003.

The three-week-long training exercise, which stems fromagreements in the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, includedeverything from day and night live-fires to platoon attacktactics and bunker-destroying tactics.

“This exercise gave our troops the experience of deployingoverseas and working in a multinational scenario,” said MAJRichard Wilson, executive officer for the 2nd Battalion, 35thInf. Regiment.

The Hawaii-based soldiers said the weather, which attimes was below 40 degrees, became a challenge but not anobstacle.

“It was difficult training because we don’t train in the cold,”said PFC James Wilson, an M-203 gunner with Company A.

Despite the cold, the 25th ID soldiers persevered.“It was a successful mission,” said LTC Scott McBride, the

battalion commander. “We came back a better-trained outfitand strengthened our relationship with the Japanese GroundSelf-Defense Force. We also made some good friends alongthe way.” — SGT Monica R. Garreau, 17th PAD

Camp New York, Kuwait

Engineers Clear the Way in KuwaitENGINEERS and cavalry scouts led the way for the 3rdInfantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team during recenttraining exercises in Kuwait.

“My soldiers, along with members of the 9th CavalryRegiment, worked together to breach and mark obstacleswhich covered more than 100 kilometers,” said LTC MikePresnell, commander for the 10th Engineer Battalion. “Theirefforts helped the brigade move quickly and complete itsmission.”

He said the exercise allowed the engineers to understandthe number of vehicles a maneuver force would be movingthrough the breaches during combat.

Presnell also said the exercise allowed practice of thecommand and control of the brigade, and tested the entirelogistics chain.

Using D-7 bulldozers and M-9 armored combatearthmovers, the engineers breached wire obstacles and cutthrough berms. Other activities included seizing bridgeheads.Everything culminated in a live-fire exercise at Udairi RangeComplex. — SPC Jacob Boyer, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

SG

T M

on

ica

R.

Ga

rre

au

Soldiers of the 25th Inf. Div. move toward the next ob-jective during joint U.S.-Japanese training undertakenas part of Operation Keen Sword/Orient Shield 2003.

An M-113 armored personal carrier rolls through thefinal portion of an obstacle during the 3rd InfantryDivision training exercise in Kuwait.

Sharp Shooters

Soldiers22

Photos by SSG Rebekahmae N. Bruns

(Above) SPC John Bohlert moves awayfrom the wire obstacle during the MFOForce Skills Competition 2002.

(Right) SGT George Gordon and SPCTony Standifer, both medics with 1stBn., 186th Inf., help carry a patientthrough a simulated NBC obstacle dur-ing the unit’s Expert Field MedicalBadge test.

The Sinai Mission

Sinai as part of the Multinational Force and Observers. Created after thehistoric 1979 Camp David Peace Accords, the MFO is tasked to “ob-serve and report” any violations of the treaty by either Israel or Egypt inthe region of the Sinai Peninsula. SSG Rebekahmae N. Bruns, a photo-journalist assigned to theunit, visually capturedsome moments the sol-diers encountered duringtheir deployment.

OLDIERS from the Oregon Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 186thInfantry Regiment, recently returned home after being deployed in theS

March 2003 23

Two painted rocks posi-tioned just inside CheckPoint 3-D remind the sol-diers why they’re serving inSinai.

SPC Tony Standifer covers a patient while under simulated fire during the EFMBtest.

SPC Tom Reynolds checks for possibletreaty violations from an observationpost overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba nearthe Egypt-Israel border.

Cabañas:Training for Peace

GEN James Hill, commander of U.S. SouthernCommand, visits soldiers from the 82nd AirborneDivision participating in Exercise Cabañas ’02 inChile. Senior Airman JoAnn S. Makinano, USAF

Soldiers26

THE United Nations has long beeninvolved in peacekeeping missionsaround the world, and over the yearshas identified 33 key tasks thatpeacekeeping forces must perform.

More than 1,300 U.S. and Latin Ameri-can soldiers gathered in Chile to train inthose U.N. tasks during the two-weekexercise dubbed Cabañas ’02.

LTC Nicolas Britto, chief of theexercise’s Joint Information Bureau, saidCabañas ’02 replicated a U.N. peacekeepingmission involving two fictional countries thathad been fighting. Four villages were caughtin the middle of a demilitarized zone onopposite sides of a zone of separation, and

This story was compiled from North Dakota Army NationalGuard Public Affairs Office news releases.

Cabañas

(continued on page 28)

March 2003 27

Soldiers from 7th Spe-cial Forces Group par-ticipate in a high-alti-tude, low-opening jumpfrom a Chilean aircraftwith 30 paratroopersfrom nine countries dur-ing Cabañas 2002.

Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby, USAF

Soldiers28

Cabañas(Left) Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division par-ticipate in a mine-clearing drill during the exercise.

(Right) Other soldiers from the division carry a “minevictim” on a makeshift litter during another trainingsession.

(Far right) Chilean Army Pvt. Hector BrionesMartines demonstrates the proper use of the PRC-624 radio to a group of Brazilian soldiers.

(Below) Chilean soldiers pose as civilian protestorsand block a simulated United Nations aid convoy bysetting fire to trees on the entrance road to Chile’sFuerte Lautaro.

(Below, right) Peruvian soldiers set up a vehiclecheckpoint.

the exercise participants were tasked toprotect that ZOS.

“Ten training lanes were set up to honesoldiers’ skills in various tasks,” Brittosaid. “The lanes covered everything fromhumanitarian aid, to identification andmarking of mines, to civil-military opera-tions.”

While many 82nd Airborne Divisionsoldiers participated in Operation EnduringFreedom in Afghanistan, elements of thedivision’s 1st Battalion, 325th InfantryRegiment, deployed to Chile for theexercise.

“This was very realistic training,” said1st Bn.’s SSG Gary Benslay. “Our soldierswere challenged in many different sce-narios that required them to react withoutusing excessive force.”

Benslay said the exercise helped himunderstand that peacekeeping operationsnot only help ease tensions among warringfactions, but also allow U.S. soldiers tobecome accustomed to the U.N. mandatesgoverning peacekeeping operations.

The exercise also helped build camara-derie among the soldiers of the participatingnations.

“This was a unique experience for us,”said Paraguayan Lt. Fernando Gayoso.“Ninety-nine percent of us had never beenin this type of situation. We all workedtogether as a team. It was truly a greatsuccess.”

Sta

ff S

gt.

Je

ffre

y A

. W

olfe

, U

SA

F

PH

2 R

ob

ert

o T

ayl

or,

US

N

March 2003 29

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Wolfe, USAF PH2 Roberto Taylor, USN

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Wolfe, USAF

Soldiers30

Focus on People Compiled by Heike Hasenauer

Gordonwears hisown dog

tags, plusthose of

his father,grand-

fathers andgreat-

grand-father.

WHEN ThomasGordon retired

from the PennsylvaniaArmy National Guard,recently, he passed thetorch of three genera-tions of family memberswho served — and continueto serve — to his son.

Twenty-year-old MatthewGordon is a cadet in the ReserveOfficer Training Corps at the Univer-sity of Scranton, Pa.

Now working toward his own com-mission as an Army second lieutenant,the younger Gordon wears his own “dogtags,” plus those of his father and twograndfathers, and the round tag his great-grandfather Earl Gordon wore in Franceduring World War I.

Thomas Gordon said his son, while grow-ing up, was familiar with his grandfather’smedals, as well as with the photos andmementos of his great-grandfather’s WorldWar I service.

“This is maybe where Matt started to getthe idea to join the Army,” Gordon said. “But Inever pushed Matt toward the military, nor didhe ever talk about it.”

Matt joined the Army hoping the servicewould increase his chances of becoming a

Pennsylvania State Police officer. Theyounger Gordon hopes to serve in theMilitary Police Corps.

Now, Thomas Gordon said his sonis finding the Army to his liking.

“He loves it. He is having somuch fun,” Gordon said. “Now

he’s saying, ‘maybe I’ll stayin.’”

Thomas Gordon joinedthe Pennsylvania Army

National Guard in 1971,while attending

ElizabethtownCollege.

The wartimeservice of his fatherand grandfather

“had a big impact onme believing in the military and in believing inwhat was right, and I didn’t think that wasright,” Gordon said, referring to the actions ofVietnam-era protestors. He was commissioneda second lieutenant in 1973.

Yet Gordon said his parents had “mixedfeelings” about their son joining the Army insuch troubled times.

“My dad was proud, but he had reserva-tions because of Vietnam,” Gordonsaid. “My mom was very distraught.She envisioned me going off to war andcoming back the same way Dad did.”

Throughout his military careerThomas Gordon wore his dog tags, plusone his grandfather wore from WorldWar I and one of his father’s from WorldWar II.

Thomas Gordon, who recentlyretired as a lieutenant colonel from thePennsylvania Guard after 30 years ofservice, was last assigned as deputydirector of personnel for Headquarters,State Area Command, at FortIndiantown Gap.

While the quality of service of theGordon family has stood up for nearly a

Dog tags signifying four generations offamily service are those of (from top)Matthew Gordon, Thomas Gordon,Richard Cromer, William Gordon andEarl Gordon.

Earl Gordon (seated, second from right) takes a break with his com-rades in France during World War I.

March 2003 31

Bealespreadthe wordand set acollectionbox in frontof the doorto hisoffice.

century, Gordon said his son’s Army is differ-ent — and better — than the one he joined 30years ago.

“In 1971, if you didn’t make it in civiliansociety, people told you to join the Army. Inthese 30 years I’ve seen that drasticallychange. Civilian society can look up to themilitary,” Gordon said.

Gordon said his younger son, 19-year-oldShane, has been talking to Army recruiters. I’dbe proud if Shane chose the Army,” his fathersaid. “But it is his choice.”

Gordon said if Shane does join, he’ll givehim a set of the tags he wore for 30 years tocontinue the family tradition. — MSG DanielMiller, HQ STARC, PAARNG Public Affairs

MG Eugene Klynoot, deputy commander, Headquarters, StateArea Command, honored LTC Thomas Gordon (second fromleft) during Gordon’s recent retirement ceremony at FortIndiantown Gap. Also attending were Gordon’s sons, Matthewand Shane; his wife, Carol; and his father, William.

Then-CPT Beale: Delivering donations.

THE movie “Pay It Forward” showed howone person, a little boy, could change the

world. Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment)came up with a plan to fix the things that hedidn’t like in the world. He called it, “pay itforward.”

The idea was to do a favor for three people— something they couldn’t do on their own.Instead of repaying the favor, the three peoplewould pay it forward to three other people.With everyone paying it forward, 4,782,969people could be helped in two weeks.

The 88th Regional Support Command’s

assistant staff chaplain, Chaplain (MAJ)Kenneth L. Beale Jr., has a way foranyone who travels to pay it forward.

Beale realized that he collects manycomplimentary, personal health-careproducts from hotels where he stays. Buthe seldom used the excess items hebrought home with him.

“I had all these bars of soap that Ididn’t need, but I knew someone out theredoes,” said Beale. “I decided to donatethe stuff to area shelters.”

Beale isn’t the only person at the 88thRSC headquarters who travels, so hespread the word and set a collection box

outside his office. Since February 2001, he’scollected 684 pounds of personal-care items.

The gifts go to a different shelter in thearea every month. Free health-care productsaren’t changing anyone’s life, but possiblymaking it a little more comfortable, Bealesaid.

“I would like to hear from other peoplewho would like to keep this effort going,” hesaid. “Just drop me an e-mail atkenneth.beale @usarc-emh2.army.mil,”said Beale. — SPC Tony M. Lindback, 364thMPAD, Fort Snelling, Minn.

Soldiers32 Soldiers32

U.S. soldiers patrol thestreets of Gnjlane, oncea hotspot of ethnic vio-lence.

March 2003 33

ReturnStory and Photos by Heike Hasenauer

HE bumpy bus ride from Pristina — themain entry point for soldiers arriving inKosovo — to Camp Bondsteel, the U.S.Army’s largest complex in the war-torncountry, took newly arriving soldiers past

Though tensions in other partsof the world have shifted attentionaway from Kosovo, American soldierscontinue to help keep the peace inthe war-torn Balkan nation.

Children in Gnjlane still rush out to greet the U.S. sol-diers who patrol their neighborhood streets.

Tabandoned lots filled with rubble, and red brickand plaster homes without doors or windows.

Other scenes, which have only more recentlycolored Kosovo’s landscape, included countlessconstruction sites, where workers labored fever-ishly to repair roads, schools and other publicfacilities; bustling shopping areas; and high-riseapartment buildings where white satellite dishesadorned virtually every balcony.

Along the roadside, an old man sold baskets ofred grapes, images of beautiful women loungingseductively in overhead billboards advertisedcigarettes, and road signs read: “The EuropeanUnion — Fixing Your Roads.”

At night, florescent lights in psychedelic green,pink and blue framed the roofs of numerous gasstations, which are located intermittently along theroute, like oases sandwiched between the areas ofdisrepair

b Changes for SoldiersWhile U.S. soldiers continue to conduct security

patrols to thwart potential ethnic violence and reduce theillegal smuggling of tobacco and firearms, much haschanged to positively affect the daily lives of the localpeople and U.S. soldiers as well, said MAJ MarkBallesteros, a 1st Infantry Division spokesman inWürzburg, Germany.

Since the first rotation of 1st Inf. Div. soldiers from

toKosovoIN

KOS

OVO

Soldiers34

the Schweinfurt, Germany-based 2ndBrigade arrived in Kosovo in June1999, decreased tensions and increasedfeelings of security among the KosovarAlbanians and the now-minority Serbpopulation are perhaps the most visiblesigns of the changes Kosovo hasundergone, Ballesteros said.

Today, U.S. soldiers are no longerrequired to wear the cumbersome

Kevlar helmets and flak vests they’veroutinely worn for protection while onpatrol, said Ballesteros. It’s a decisionleft to individual unit commanders.

Additionally, groups of soldiers areauthorized to patronize local, KFOR-approved establishments duringspecified periods, provided twosoldiers remain outside to patrol, saidCPT Robert Gagnon, civil affairs

officer for the division’s 1st Battalion,26th Inf. Regiment.

And Camp Bondsteel, headquartersfor the U.S. KFOR contingent, is acommunity unto itself. It boasts a full-fledged surgical hospital, two chapels,three dining facilities, two large gyms,a two-story post exchange — even acappuccino bar with outdoor seating,just off a stage where Morale, Welfare

Soldiers of Company C, 1st Bn., 18th Inf., at Camp Rock, a re-mote outpost near the border with the FYROM, monitor vehiclesentering and leaving the village of Debelde.

Camp Bondsteel today is a sprawling “city,”complete with soldier living areas, a hospital,recreation facilities and an outdoor café.

U.S. soldiersare no longerrequired to wearthe cumber-some Kevlarhelmets and flakvests they’veroutinely wornfor protectionwhile on patrol.

March 2003 35

and Recreation-hosted concerts areperformed.

Inside the MWR facility soldiershave access to computers and theInternet. They can check out booksfrom the library or watch videos on abig-screen TV. Fresh popcorn isavailable on the way in. Movies arealso shown at the camp’s designated“theater.”

“In 1999 soldiers from the 1st Inf.Div.’s 2nd Bde. were working sevendays a week, nonstop,” said COLRandal Dragon, then commander ofthe division’s 1st Bn., 26th Inf. Regt.and current commander of the 2ndBde. “Now they have some time forleisure activities, physical training andcollege courses. They also have time tocorrespond with family and friends.”

Reduced tensions in Kosovo haveafforded U.S. soldiers better opportu-nities to hone their combat skills, too.“There are 13 firing ranges on oraround Camp Bondsteel,” Dragon said.And Bradley and Abrams simulatorsare located at the Army’s campsMagrath and Monteith.

“Every two weeks new guys cometo our ‘Falcon Five’ range to qualify,”said SSG Saifoloi Filisi, a member ofthe 1st Bn., 26th Inf. In six monthswe’ve been to different ranges seventimes.”

Other improvements for individualsoldiers include video-teleconferenc-ing capabilities at all the base camps,which help reduce the amount of timesoldiers spend traveling to and fromvarious locations for meetings. At thesame time, they may use teleconfer-encing to talk “face-to-face” withloved ones back home, Dragon said.

b 2nd Brigade ReflectionsThe 2nd Bde., which was the first

large unit to enter Kosovo in June1999 following the initial NATO aircampaign, was also the first unit toreturn to Kosovo, Ballesteros said.(The division’s 3rd Bde., which iscurrently in Kosovo, began arriving inNovember 2002 for its six-monthrotation.)

If anyone can draw comparisonsbetween Kosovo then and now,

Today Kosovars and Serbs alikecan stroll the streets with mini-mal fear of being attacked by eachother.

Soldiers at Camp Rock enjoysome time off playing a game ofMonopoly.

IN K

OSOV

O

Soldiers36

soldiers of the 2nd Bde. can, he said.Dragon went into Kosovo on June

17, 1999, he said, with two Bradleyfighting vehicles. Every other day hebrought a company of soldiers intoCamp Able Sentry, in Skopje,Macedonia, then the initial stagingarea for troops moving into Kosovo.

Camp Bondsteel was just a large

area of plowed cornfields and tents.The main two-lane highway leadingfrom Skopje to the camp was socongested that travelers spent hourstrying to get to their destinations — ajourney that today takes about an hour.

Dragon’s first company arrived incountry on June 19 and established“Radar Hill,” he said. “We lived in

abandoned houses and factories. Soonthereafter, 12 U.S. platoon- andcompany-size units were positioned at12 remote sites. We’re down to foursites now. That says a lot for thepresent level of security.

“In those first weeks in country,security was limited,” Dragon said.“There was no gate at Camp

Soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div.’s 1st Bn.,26th Inf., conduct a reconnaissancepatrol in the village of Zegra.

March 2003 37

Bondsteel. About 75 vehicles werelined up in the area, and our commandoperations center consisted of fourintegrated tents.”

Mines were prevalent, said Dragon,who recalled his first night in Kosovo.“In the municipality of Vitina, Iwatched what looked like a live-fireexercise. Tracers were going off allover the place,” he said. “And we werewell aware that there were snipers whodidn’t want us there.”

Communities were in shambles.Burned buildings dotted the landscape.And trash and debris littered hole-pocked streets, Dragon said.

Businesses and public facilitieswere closed because the KosovarAlbanians had all fled their homes.The country’s infrastructure lay inruins. There was no civil police force,and the only medical care for criticallyinjured mine-blast and gunshot-woundvictims was provided by U.S. militaryforces at the combat area supporthospital at Camp Bondsteel.

Chaos extended to the unlicensed,unregistered and often stolen cars thatflooded the roads, Dragon said.

b Kosovo Today “I was here when the 1st Inf. Div.

first arrived,” said SGT Henry Leeperof the 2nd Bde.’s 1st Bn., 77th ArmorRegt., at Camp Monteith, near one ofKosovo’s largest cities, Gnjlane. “Thelocals were still doing ignorant stufflike burning each other’s houses downand killing each other.

“The peoples’ spirits havechanged,” he said. “At first, everyonehad a real dismal ‘I hate you’ kind oflook on their faces. Now there are lotsof smiles and friendly greetings.”

“There are still a lot of abandonedbuildings,” added SSG Thomas Nunnof the division’s 1st Bn., 26th Inf.

“But the people have progressed totaking a more capitalistic view, asopposed to focusing on hatred of oneanother. They’re going on with theirlives. They’re not throwing grenades ateach other now. And they don’t needus as much as they did,” said Nunn,who was also among the first soldiersto arrive in Kosovo in 1999.

In 1999, there was no electricity orwater, said Gagnon, who was in Koreaat the time but is well aware of thechanges that have taken place inKosovo since his unit’s first rotation.

Now water and electricity areavailable. Three power generators thatsupply all of Kosovo are at 80 percentcapacity, Gagnon said. Additionally, inthe last six months, engineers havecompleted two water projects andrebuilt three schools and two hospitals.And aid organizations have donatednew medical equipment.

“There are a lot of people out onthe streets to visit friends, shop or justenjoy the outdoors. Shops are open,and there’s plenty to buy,” Gagnonsaid.

And to protect the Serb population

from potential retaliatory ethic vio-lence by Kosovar Albanians, UN-operated buses transport the Serbs toSerb-operated markets several times aweek, said SSG George Warren, of the1st Bn., 77th Armor.

Kosovo today has its own demo-cratically elected government andpresident. And the country’s infra-structure is steadily improving,according to a recent report by UnitedNations Mission in Kosovo officials.Utilities, telephones, banking servicesand a civil document system have beenrestored.

Today, some 40,000 UN troopscompose five multinational brigades inKosovo, Ballesteros said. Among themare about 5,000 U.S. soldiers who, aspart of the Multinational Brigade-East,patrol areas in the eastern portion ofthe country. French, German, Britishand Italian brigades patrol the fourremaining sectors.

And while the role of UN forces isstill to maintain law and order, “armedactivity has decreased dramatically, tothe point that it’s a non-issue,”Ballesteros said.

“The peoples’ spiritshave changed. At first,everyone had a realdismal ‘I hate you’ kindof look on their faces.Now there are lots ofsmiles and friendlygreetings.”

In October 2002, posters like this onewere affixed to buildings and electricalposts, encouraging the people ofKosovo to vote. Today Kosovo has itsown democratically elected govern-ment and president.

IN K

OSOV

O

Soldiers38

b Continuing HotspotsThe exception is the Serb commu-

nity of Klokot, a suburb of Vitina, inthe U.S.-led sector. It remains apotential trouble spot, due in part tothe 2001 border agreement betweenthe Former Republic of Yugoslavia, orFRY, and the Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, or FYROM,Ballesteros said.

Under the agreement, land thatbelonged to Kosovar Albanian farmersfor generations suddenly became partof Macedonia, Ballesteros said. “It’scaused contention within the Albaniancommunity in Vitina.”

The unemployment rate is also anegative factor in Kosovo’s effort torebuild. In Gnjlane, for example, 85percent of the population is unem-ployed, said Warren. And of those whoare fortunate enough to have jobs, theaverage salary is about 150 Euros(equivalent to $150) per month,Warren said.

The smuggling of goods, such ascigarettes, also remains a problem,Gagnon added. Shop owners buycrates of cigarettes that have beenbrought into the country illegally toavoid paying taxes on them. Somesoldiers have said the quality of thetobacco used in these cigarettes, whichsell for 3.70 Euros (or $3.70) per

carton, can’t compare to the U.S.standard.

b Camp RockOn a mountaintop in Kosovo, just

1,000 meters from the FYROM, threeplatoons of 1st Inf. Div. soldiers live inwooden huts at Camp Rock, andthey’re not the popular U.S. contrac-tor-built SEAhuts prevalent at otherU.S. base camps in Kosovo. One shacklooks like a conglomeration of scrapwood pieced together, with olive-drabtarp covering any openings.

Because there is no dining facilityat the site, helicopters of the division’s2nd Bn., 1st Aviation Regt., at CampBondsteel deliver dinner every day,said SSG Scott Rideout, of the 1st Bn.,18th Inf. Regt.

The soldiers deployed to this siterotate out to Camp Magrath every 10days or so, Rideout said, so they cantake advantage of such “creaturecomforts” as hot showers and regulardining-facility meals.

“Being at Camp Rock has itsadvantages,” he continued. “It’s aboutas far away from the ‘flagpole’ as youcan get. And the view of the valleybelow is awesome.” In the autumn, it’slike being in the Shenandoah Valley inWest Virginia, said Rideout. “Also, wecan practice our infantry tactics here

without interruptions.”Cows plod down the mountain, just

outside the camp’s concertina-wireperimeter, the bells around their necksclanging persistently.

From his lookout, a soldier onwatch can peer into the FYROM,where U.S. soldiers patrol the valleyfor smugglers. And he can see the redroofs of the houses in the Kosovarvillage of Debelde. The soldiers atCamp Rock monitor vehicles enteringthe village to help deter smuggling andmonitor the refugee flow between theFYROM and Kosovo, Rideout said.

b Camp Zegra“There’s a large population of

displaced people here,” said 1LTDavid Alvarey, fire-support officer forthe 1st Bn., 26th Inf. Regt., which hastwo platoons stationed at Camp Zegra,a tiny U.S. outpost near the FYROMborder.

As the unit’s information officer,Alvarey confers with communityleaders regularly to stay abreast oflocal events and prevent illegalactivities.

Many Serbs lived in the area beforethe NATO bombing campaign wasconducted against Yugoslavia in 1999.The bombing was triggered by now-deposed Yugoslav president Slobodan

U.S. officials say the people of Kosovoare approaching their pre-1998 stan-dard of living, food is abundant andshops are full of items for sale.

March 2003 39

Milosevic’s repression of theprovince’s ethnic Albanian majority,Alvarey said.

The city of Donja Budriga liesseveral miles to the north of CampZegra, he added. “The Serbs who oncelived in Zegra moved to DonjaBudriga because it was the closestestablished Serb town.”

Recently, PV2 Jeff Herling of the1st Bn., 26th Inf., went door to doorcounting people, taking names andinquiring about what jobs the peopleperform — for a national census. “Idiscovered that most of the people inthe villages are farmers, loggers orsmall-shop owners,” he said.

“We’re also gathering intelligenceon abandoned buildings, businessesand their owners, and such landmarksas the school and the mosque,” saidNunn. “We’re taking photos of peopleand places to hand over to the nextunit that comes in so they won’thave to repeat the researchwe’ve already done.”

b Sporadic ViolenceThe soldiers who conduct

presence patrols and performvehicle checks and reconnais-sance have witnessed several“incidents” during the 2ndBde.’s most recent rotation,Ballesteros said. One involvedfive explosions in a Klokothousing area in July in whichtwo U.S. soldiers were injured.

In October 2002, witnessesreported a Serb woman waskilled when she stepped on amine while working in a corn-field. And several U.S. soldiersbarely escaped injury after a

Serb man asked them to remove anunidentified bag from his porch. Justafter the soldiers moved the bag itexploded, Ballesteros said.

“I’ve seen places like this on CNN,but being here has given me a wholenew perspective,” said PFC JasonDigham. He was in the area when alocal resident fired an AK-47 assaultrifle.

“Later we found out that it’s atradition in Kosovo to fire a weaponduring a wedding ceremony,” Dighamsaid. The man, who was later con-fronted about the firearm, realized hismistake and turned the weapon over tomilitary officials without incident,Digham said.

b Kosovo’s Future “When I first saw all the construc-

tion at Camp Bondsteel, I thought,‘The U.S. Army is building a wholenew city.’ And they were,” said a localKosovar-Albanian man who is a driverfor U.S. personnel at Camp Bondsteel.“I know the Army’s going to be herefor a long time.”

That belief gives the local peoplegreat hope for the future, the driversaid. Besides the obvious securityissues answered by KFOR’s presence,the coalition forces’ installations haveprovided many jobs for local citizens.

The U.N. Mission in Kosovo, therecently formed Kosovo PoliceService, and numerous other aidorganizations also provide job oppor-tunities, from drivers, to grounds andmaintenance personnel, to food-service workers and cashiers, book-keepers and medical professionals.

“One of the major thrusts here hasbeen to establish a civilian institutionthat will last after we’re gone,” saidDragon. “The Kosovo Police Service,for example, is a multi-ethnic organi-zation of Kosovar Albanians andSerbs.

The KPS is an eight-year programthat began almost three years ago, saidGagnon. Its members, composed of 70percent Serbs and 30 percent Alba-nians, undergo one year of trainingbefore joining the force. Later, theywork joint patrols.

“The people are approaching theirpre-1998 standard of living,” Dragonadded. In September 1999, medics sawfour trauma cases per week resultingfrom gunshot wounds and mineexplosions. Today, such cases are fewand far between.

Additionally, civilian hospitals arenow operating efficiently, and some ofthem are multi-ethnic, Dragon said.

“Order has come to a place thatonly two years ago was in totalchaos,” he said.

“One of the majorthrusts here has beento establish a civilianinstitution that will lastafter we’re gone.”

Soldiers at Camp Zegra pull guardduty at one of the most austere U.S.camps in Kosovo. IN

KOS

OVO

Soldiers40

A Patriot missile downs a target dur-ing a test on Fort Bliss’s McGregorRange. Training conducted at theTexas post ensures Army air de-fenders are ready to engage anyairborne threat.

WHENEVER the Army deploys to a worldhotspot, air-defense soldiers are usuallyamong the first to go. And with good reason— neutralizing the threat of attack by hostileaircraft or tactical ballistic missiles is essential

whether the Army is engaged in full-scale combat, participatingin peacekeeping operations or defending the nation againstterrorist attack.

And few military forces are as well equipped for the air-defense mission as is the Army. From short-range systems likethe shoulder-launched Stinger to the long-range and combat-proven Patriot, the Army’s air-defense weapons and sensorshave stood watch from the deserts of the Middle East to thestreets of Washington, D.C.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Army strives to produce theworld’s finest air-defense soldiers. And according to most airdefenders, that’s a task for which the wide-open spaces anduncrowded skies of Texas are ideally suited.

(Continued on page 18)

Soldiers40

School for Air De

School for Air De

March 2003 41March 2003 41

Defenders Story by Steve Harding

Defenders

Soldiers42

(Continued from page 40)

b Home of Army Air DefenseLocated in El Paso, Fort Bliss is

home to the U.S. Army Air DefenseSchool, the majority of operationalPatriot units, and such other organiza-tions as the Sergeants Major Academyand William Beaumont Army MedicalCenter. And, according to COLWallace B. Hobson, it’s the ideal homefor the Army’s air defenders.

“Fort Bliss is an extremely largeinstallation, with more than 1.1 millionacres,” said Hobson, the post’s formergarrison commander and currently theAir Defense School’s chief of staff. “Itencompasses the northeast quadrant of

At the ADA School soldiers learn to deploy and operate the long-range, all-altitude, all-weather Patriot.

Before ADA soldierscan be deployed toworld hotspots, theymust learn tohandle the varietyof systems thatmake up the Army’sformidable air-defense arsenal.

Use of ADA-specific simulators helps ensure comprehensive training in both theOfficer Basic Course and Captain’s Career Course.

Ste

ve H

ard

ing

March 2003 43

El Paso, but about two-thirds of FortBliss and its McGregor Range isactually in New Mexico. Of that totalarea, less than one half of one percentis environmentally sensitive. Thatmeans we can do everything fromindividual soldier training to brigade-on-brigade maneuvers.”

The post is also well equipped tosupport the frequent deployments of itsresident ADA units, Hobson said.

“Fort Bliss has absolutely first-ratedeployment facilities. We just recentlyopened a new departure airfield controlfacility, and because our Biggs ArmyAirfield has the third-longest runwayin the country, we can handle thelargest transport aircraft in the inven-tory — up to six of them at a time,” hesaid. “We’re also building a brand-new, $24 million rail facility that willopen in the summer of 2004.”

But before ADA soldiers can bedeployed to world hotspots, they mustlearn to handle the variety of systemsthat make up the Army’s formidableair-defense arsenal.

b A Range of WeaponsArmy air-defense systems provide

coverage from ground level into the

high atmosphere, Hobson said.“At the lowest level is the Stinger

missile, which comes in both shoulder-launched and vehicle-mounted ver-sions,” he said. “It’s a ‘fire-and-forget’weapon that provides short-range airdefense, or SHORAD, against suchlow-altitude threats as fixed-wingaircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerialvehicles and a limited number ofcruise missiles.”

Referred to as MANPADS (man-portable air-defensesystem) in its shoulder-launched version,Stinger is also acomponent in theHumvee-mountedAvenger, Hobson said.The two-man Avengersystem consists of aHumvee chassismounting a rotatingturret, which carrieseight ready-to-fireStingers and a single.50-caliber machinegun.

Rounding out theSHORAD line-up,Hobson said, is theBradley Linebacker, a

standard Bradley fighting vehicle fittedwith a four-round Stinger launcher anda 25mm chain gun.

At the other end of the spectrum isthe long-range, all-altitude, all-weatherPatriot system, which is intended tocounter tactical ballistic missiles,cruise missiles and advanced aircraft,Hobson said. It was the Patriot and itsassociated radars that so spectacularlydefeated incoming Iraqi Scud missilesduring the Gulf War.

With PT and breakfast over, members of one of the 6th ADA Brigade’s initial-entry training companies move out.

The Stinger missile is the cornerstone of the Army’s short-range air defenses. The six-week Stinger-only course in-cludes both active-duty and National Guard soldiers.

Steve Harding

Soldiers44

Taken together, the Army’s short-and long-range weapons and sensorsform a sophisticated and integratedair-defense umbrella whose capabili-ties, Hobson said, are matched by thequality of the soldiers who operatethem.

And creating those skilled andproficient soldiers is the mission ofU.S. Army Air Defense ArtillerySchool, or USAADAS.

b The ADA SchoolhouseThe USAADAS turns out both

enlisted and officer air defenders. Itoffers initial-entry training for enlistedair-defense soldiers through the 6thADA Brigade, and also conducts theADA Officer Basic Course, theCaptain’s Career Course, the Pre-Command Course and the WarrantOfficer Advanced Course.

The 6th ADA Bde. consists of the2nd, 3rd and 4th battalions, as well asthe 1st Bn., 56th ADA Regiment. The

latter is the initial-entry training unitfor new soldiers destined for ADAMOSs, and includes a transportationunit — Company D — that trains thesoldiers who drive the vehicles usedby ADA units. The 6th ADA’s 2ndBn. teaches SHORAD, the 3rd teachesPatriot, and the 4th teaches the ADAbrigade- and battalion-level pre-command course and conducts thesecurity-assistance training programfor foreign students.

“Within this brigade we conduct avery wide range of ADA training forboth enlisted soldiers and officers,”said SFC James A. Hartford, the 1stBn. drill sergeant of the year for 2002.“And we don’t think it’s done betteranywhere else.”

b Enlisted Soldiers …Training for initial-entry soldiers

entails a rigorous and comprehensiveintroduction to both the Army andADA, Hartford said.

“This is the first exposure most ofthese young people have to the Army,and we want to instill in them thepride and knowledge that all soldiersshould have,” he said. “The training isnot just ADA-specific, either. Theylearn all the things that every initial-entry soldier learns, no matter wherethe training is conducted.”

Once through basic training, thefledgling ADA soldiers move on to

“Within this brigadewe conduct a verywide range of ADAtraining for both en-listed soldiers andofficers,” said SFCJames A. Hartford,...“And we don’t thinkit’s done better any-where else.”

A student in the 10-week Avengercourse removes a training roundfrom one of his vehicle’s twolaunchers (above), while othersoldiers prepare their vehiclesfor the day’s training (right).

Ste

ve H

ard

ing

(b

oth

)

March 2003 45

MOS-specific training in one of the6th Bde. battalions. The length of theMOS course depends on the system,said SSG Roberto Sanchez Chavez ofBattery C, 2nd Bn., 6th ADA, aninstructor in the Avenger course.

“The MANPADS, Stinger-onlycourse, for example, is six weeks,while the full Avenger course is 10weeks,” Chavez said. “In this coursewe get a mixture of active-duty andNational Guard soldiers, and everystudent goes through the MANPADSsection first. Then the active-dutysoldiers and those from the FloridaNational Guard go on to the Avengertraining.”

Training in the 10-week BradleyLinebacker course is also split, saidinstructor SFC Barry L. Chandler, inthat students learn both ADA andBradley skills.

“Most of our students come herewith an interest in armored vehicles,and we teach them how to blend thevehicle and the system into onecomplete battlefield package,” saidChandler, of Btry. B, 2-6 ADA.“We’re a division asset, and we gowherever the division needs us to be.We’re mobile, but these soldierslearn early on that we’re still part ofthe whole ADA team.”

That team also includes a varietyof radars and other sensors, andtraining for the soldiers who operatethose systems also varies in length,said SFC Clifton Tucker of Btry. D,2-6 ADA, the chief instructor in theAir Defense Command, Control,Communications, Computers andIntelligence course.

“The course is either 10 or 19weeks long, depending on theparticular soldier’s intended assign-ment,” Tucker said. “Those individu-als who will be assigned to SHORADunits stay for 10 weeks, while thosewho will go to Patriot units are herefor 19 weeks.”

It helps, Tucker said, that most ofhis students don’t arrive completelyunprepared for the complex course.

“Most of the students are prettywell educated, and since this isprimarily a computer-based systemwe get a lot of very computer-savvy

young people,” he said. “They take tothis MOS pretty quickly, becausemost of them have been dealing withcomputers for most of their lives.”

From the students’ point of view,the fact that all their instructors havereal-world experience with thesystems they’re teaching is a majorplus, said PV1 John R. Casterline, astudent in the Avenger course.

“The instructors are all experi-enced ADA soldiers, so they know thetopic inside and out,” Casterline said.“They know how to teach you whatyou need to know. There is a fairamount to learn, but they present it ina way that is easy to digest.”

b … And Officers, TooThe training provided for ADA

officers is equally as comprehensive

(Right and below) A student practiceserecting the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel ra-dar. The compact system is the primaryADA sensor in the forward battle area,and provides early warning and targetdata to weapons such as the BradleyLinebacker, Avenger and MANPADS.

Steve Harding (both)

Soldiers46

“As Sept. 11showed us, thethreat of air attack— anywhere,anytime — is onewe have to takeseriously.”

Ste

ve H

ard

ing

(b

oth

)

(Right) Soldiers prepare a Patriotlauncher and other equipment for ship-ment to the Port of Beaumont, Texas, foronward transportation overseas. FortBliss-based ADA units routinely deployabroad.

(Above) And among the places they de-ploy to is Kuwait, where the Patriotlauncher seen here is one of several pro-tecting a key installation.

and just as well presented, said LTCChris Moylan, commander of 4thBn., 6th ADA. And with good reason.

“Air defense is a tremendouslycomplex form of warfare, and ADAofficers at all levels have to beproficient both as military leaders andas technical experts,” Moylan said.“Continuing education throughout anofficer’s career is key, and we offerprograms here for officers fromlieutenant through lieutenant colo-nel.”

But in many ways, Moylan said,it’s the first level of training — theADA Officer Basic Course — that’sthe most important.

“Young lieutenants can be handeda tremendous amount of responsibil-ity, in that they must know both thetechnical aspects of the ADA systemand also know how to undertakestaff-officer duties at the battalionlevel,” he said. “We make a point ofmentioning, for example, that inAfghanistan the first air defender on

the ground was a first lieutenant fromthe 10th Mountain Division. Whenyou tell incoming young officers that,it really opens their eyes.”

The school runs four OBCs a year,with between 70 and 100 lieutenantsin each, Moylan said. Each OBC isconducted in two phases: The 10-week common-core phase coversdoctrine, leadership, administration,logistics and threat organizations,

March 2003 47

For more on Fort Bliss andthe U.S. Army Air Defense

Artillery School, visitwww.bliss.army.mil.

while the 10-week weapon-specificphase teaches basic system skills andtactical knowledge, and how to applythe skills doctrinally.

“Our mission is to producelieutenants who are technically andtactically competent, have the‘warrior ethos’ of an infantry orarmor officer, and have the skills of astaff officer,” Moylan said. “Weconcentrate on preparing these

officers as completely as possible forthe jobs they’ll do when they leavehere.

“And it’s important that they andall air defense soldiers be as preparedas we can make them, becausedefending our soldiers and our nationis a real-world mission,” Moylan said.“As Sept. 11 showed us, the threat ofair attack — anywhere, anytime — isone we have to take seriously.”

Soldiers48

Air ForceThe Air Force successfully

launched a Titan II booster fromVandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The joint government and industry project,dubbed “Coriolis,” placed a Navy windsatradiometer and an Air Force solar massejection imager in a low Earth-Sun syn-chronous orbit to provide meteorologicalinformation on wind speed and early warn-ing of coronal mass ejections.

MarinesThe Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa conducted a two-dayintercept exercise with maritime forces fromthe Combined Task Force-150. Aboard theUSS Mount Whitney and Spanish flagshipNavarra, the two headquarters exercised op-erational staff procedures improvinginteroperability between coalition forces. TheGerman frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern andGerman tanker Rhon served as maneuver andsupport elements throughout the training.

NavyEmergency-rescue personnelaboard the aircraft carrier USS

Abraham Lincoln successfullyconducted a recent mass-casualty

drill. The ship, her embarked air wingand other vessels of the carrier’s battle groupwere conducting missions in the Western Pacificwhen their deployment was extended as part ofthe nation’s preparations for a possible war withIraq.

Around the Services Compiled by SSG Alberto Betancourt

PH3 Jennifer Nichols, USN

Cpl. Andrew W. Miller, USMC

Daniel Saxhor

from service reports

AlaskaEarthquake

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Office of History.Photographs courtesy the U.S. Geological Sur-vey and the National Oceanographic and Atmo-spheric Administration.

THIRTY-NINE years agothis month, a violentearthquake rocked 50,000

square miles of south-centralAlaska, causing more than $500million in property damage. Thetemblor released twice as muchenergy as the quake that destroyedSan Francisco in 1906.

The Corps of Engineers, inassociation with the Office ofEmergency Planning, movedquickly to help communities indistress. Though many of their ownhomes were in ruins, the Corps’Alaska District employees reportedfor duty immediately.

Their first priority was reopen-ing highways and re-establishingessential water and fuel supplies.Racing against the calendar, theCorps managed to complete most ofthe repairs before the Alaskanwinter arrived. Additionally, theychanneled most of the restorationwork to hard-hit local businesses,providing employment to residentswhose livelihood was disrupted.

The Corps spent more than $110million on salvage, rescue andrehabilitation operations in Alaska.

The quake also caused thecollapse of a section of

Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue.

Government Hill elementary school was ripped in half when the earth beneath it shifted.

An earthquake-generated tsunami battered the waterfront at Kodiak.

of1964

The Corps Engages:

Soldiers2

1LT RYAN KIRKPATRICK

1LT Ryan Kirkpatrick graduated from the U.S. MilitaryAcademy at West Point, N.Y., in 2000. Upon completionof his Officer Basic Course, he joined the World ClassAthlete Program. Kirkpatrick’s most recent accomplish-ments include the 2002 Army Ten-Miler in Washington,D.C., in which he led a field of more than 11,000 run-ners, and taking first in the U.S. Track and Field National10K Championships. He currently trains with coachArturo Barrios in Boulder, Colo.

WCAP is one of 50 morale, welfare and recreation programs the Army provides soldiers and familiesworldwide through the U.S. Army Community & Family Support Center