Insid

e TEST ANSWERS . . . . 2GLICHES . . . . . 3SCOUTS . . . . . . 4SCHOOL . . . . . 5WIRE . . 6-7TOA . . . . . . 8TOP GUNS . . 10

Talonthe

Serving the soldiers of Task Force EagleOperation Joint Guard, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Volume 3, No. 15 Friday, April 11, 1997

OBSERVATION POST NINE � Thesoldiers walk slowly along both sidesof the muddy street, their weapons atthe ready. Around them are the all-too-familiar ravages of war -- crum-bling vestiges of once pretty Balkanhomes, bent and bullet-ridden streetsigns, garbage, bricks and rusty car-casses of automobiles pushed into pilesalong the street. Men, women and chil-dren, seemingly numb to the destruc-

tion that surrounds them, go abouttheir daily routines of work and play -- and rebuilding.

To these residents the sights of warare common, but for the soldiers of 3rdPlatoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion,2nd Infantry, Task Force 1-77, it is awhole new world.

�It�s two different worlds definite-ly,� said Pvt. Theodore S. Cerwin, 20,the patrol�s radio, telephone operator.�There�s a bunch of mud here -- really

On patrol in OmerbegovacaBy Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

See PATROL page 12

Pvt. Benjamin L. Rider, Company C, 2ndBattalion, 2nd Infantry, scans the nearbyruins of the town of Omerbegovaca from atopthe watch tower at Observation Post Nine.

Photo by Spc. David Boe

The Talon Friday, April 11, 1997

THE TALON is produced in the interest of the servicemembers of TaskForce Eagle, headquartered at Eagle Base. THE TALON is an Army-fundednewspaper authorized for members of the U.S. Army overseas, under theprovision of AR 360-81. Contents of THE TALON are not necessarily the officialviews of, nor endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense,Department of the Army or Task Force Eagle. THE TALON is published weeklyby the 1st Infantry Division (Task Force Eagle) Public Affairs Office, Eagle Base,Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina APO AE 09789, Telephone MSE 551-5230. E-mail:talon@pop1-email.5sigcmd.army.mil. Printed by PrintComTuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Circulation: 6,500.

The Talon

Page 2

1st Infantry Division Commander . . . Maj. Gen. Montgomery C. MeigsEditor in Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. William L. DuPont364th MPAD Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. Frank PartykaOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1st Lt. Robert M. InouyeNCOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. 1st Class Daniel M. WareEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. William L. Geddes1st Infantry Division PA NCOIC . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. Gregory W. BinfordTranslator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arijana Salihbasic

The Task Force Eagle spring safety campaign is beginning, andit focuses on three hazards: military vehicle and civilian traffic ac-cidents, mission operations tempo and sports and physical train-ing activities. This week, traffic accidents.

Leaders and soldiers alike must take special precautions to avoidaccidents or injuries. Before any convoy movement is started, en-sure you conduct a detailed safety briefing. During the briefing,discuss at a minimum:

■■■■■ Proper distance between vehicles so civilians can pass.■■■■■ Radio communication so all trail vehicles have prior

warning of potential hazards.■■■■■ Roles of drivers and vehicle commanders.■■■■■ The importance of wearing safety belts. During convoy movement always expect the unexpected. Pe-

destrians on the shoulder of the road are a common sight -- chil-dren are normally released from school between noon and 2 p.m.Turn on to be seen -- which means vehicles should have their head-lights on. When entering a tunnel, move as far to the right as possi-ble, keep proper distance between vehicles and reduce convoyspeed. The safety issues are endless -- it is the convoy command-er�s responsibility to ensure that all areas are covered.

By Sgt. 1st Class D. L. Matthews -- Safety Through Knowledge

The following are quotes from 11-year-old students� science exams.

�The tides are a fight between theEarth and moon. All water tends to-wards the moon, because there is nowater in the moon, and nature abhorsa vacuum. I forget where the sun joinsin this fight.�

�A fossil is an extinct animal. Theolder it is, the more extinct it is.�

�A permanent set of teeth consistsof eight canines, eight cuspids, twomolars, and eight cuspidors.�

�Germinate: To become a natural-ized German.�

�Momentum: What you give a per-son when they are going away.�

�Rhubarb: A kind of celery gonebloodshot.�

�To prevent contraception: weara condominium.�

�The skeleton is what is left after the insideshave been taken out and the outsides have beentaken off. The purpose of the skeleton is some-thing to hitch meat to.�

�For head cold: use an agonizer to spray thenose until it drops in your throat.�

�Before giving a blood transfusion, find out ifthe blood is affirmative or negative.�

�To remove dust from the eye, pull the eyedown over the nose.�

�For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lowerthan the body until the heart stops.�

�For dog bite: put the dog away for severaldays. If he has not recovered, then kill it.�

�For asphyxiation: Apply artificial respirationuntil the patient is dead.�

To keep milk from turning sour: Keep it in thecow.�

The

answ

er is.

.. c

ont�d Greetings. Congratula-

tions on a great deployment.As we begin this mission, wemust come together andkeep safety first in every-thing we do. You exemplifythe division motto; No Mis-sion too Difficult, no Sacri-fice too Great, Duty First; Victory!

We need to reflect upon what wehave accomplished up to this point.It started with initial deploymentpreparations and certifying unit col-lective tasks relative to peace enforce-ment operations. We learned how toperform our jobs in a different envi-ronment, under stressful conditions.Continue to do the right thing -- onegood thing leads to another.

Welcome to all individual andunit replacements rotating in withthe 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Divi-sion. I began to track units arrivingbut lost track the third day. Wher-ever you come from, welcome.

I am sincerely excited about

working with this particularrotation. We have an impres-sive team assembled from awide variety of places � US-AREUR, OCONUS and CO-NUS. The final piece of thistask force are the Reserveand National Guard units

serving with this force � it is trulythe definition of the term �the totalforce.� We will take this mission tothe next higher level together.

Finally, the mission rotation.Many are in a hurry to pack up andleave, others to unpack, setup andassume the mission. I assure youthere is plenty of time to do whatneeds to be done. Deliberate andmeticulous execution is the key tosuccess. It guarantees the end.Please ensure all moving vehicleshave ground guides and all of you onfoot stay clear of loading and vehi-cle-congested areas. See you up front!

Convoys

Command Sgt. Maj. S. L. Kaminski,1st Infantry Division (Forward)

UP FRONT -- THE TOTAL FORCE

The TalonFriday, April 11, 1997 Page 3

News briefs

EAGLE BASE, Tuzla � Not toolong ago, the Army did not use com-puters. Soldiers came to the fieldand did not need to worry aboutpower surges or dusty keyboardsor crashing hard drives. Now, how-ever, the Army is so dependent oncomputer technology, a minorglitch in a major system can shutdown an entire operation.

Keeping computer systems run-ning, especially in an environmentlike Bosnia, is a full-time task forthe three-man crew of the DivisionSupport Command Combat Ser-vice Support Automation Manage-ment Office (CSSAMO), the com-puter hardware �gurus� of Opera-tion Joint Guard.

�This is a very hectic job, with alot of long days,� said Master Sgt.Hermann A. Schroeder, noncom-missioned officer in charge of CS-SAMO at Eagle Base. �We�re on call24 hours a day.�

Schroeder was trained by theArmy to be a wheeled-vehicle me-chanic. But in the past few years,Schroeder has become a self-taughtauthority on computer hardware.By reading manuals and attendinga few classes, Schroeder haslearned what it takes to run majorcomputer systems and can fix, or at leastdiagnose, problems afflicting most comput-ers in the Army.

�Most of what I know I learned from on-the-job training,� he said. �If we don�t knowwhat the problem is, we�ll work until we havean idea of what�s wrong and go from there.�

The problems affecting computers inBosnia are varied and unusual comparedto computer problems back in Germany orin the United States. Problems range fromnon-functional hard drives to faulty moni-tors to sticky keyboards. After a few monthsin theater, there are few things the CSSA-MO has not seen.

�We once found a dead mouse in the com-puter. It shorted out the board inside thecomputer,� said Schroeder.

Dust is perhaps the biggest enemy ofcomputers in the field. Dust gets into thecomputer and affects the circuitry, drives,monitors and keyboards. It shorts the elec-tronics. Unfortunately, dust is everywhereand threatens every major computer sys-tem in use by the Army.

�People need to be careful in their officesand make sure their computers don�t get toodusty,� said Schroeder. �All it takes is somecare. If people cared about their computers,they would not have many problems.�

When possible, Schroeder preaches com-

puter common sense to soldiers, from thecommanding general on down. Since theCSSAMO cannot monitor all the comput-ers, it is crucial that soldiers take respon-sibility for the equipment.

�Most of the problems we see are be-cause people just don�t care about theequipment,� said Schroeder. �Computersget dropped. People spill drinks on key-boards. People can�t simply plug a comput-er in and expect it to work all the time with-out doing some preventative maintenance.�

One of the biggest problems Schroedersees in his office is printers ruined by inat-tentive soldiers. Ninety-nine percent of theprinters used by the Army in Bosnia runon 110-volt current, not the 220-volt cur-rent found in Europe. Printers must thenbe plugged into transformers.

�Check the current before plugging anypiece of computer hardware in,� saidSchroeder. �If you are plugging a comput-er into a 220-volt outlet, make sure theswitch on the computer is set at 220. If not,you will have a problem.�

If the CSSAMO cannot fix the problem,the computer is sent to Kitzingen, Germa-ny, for repair. But this is a last resort, sinceit takes at least 90 days for the computerto be fixed and sent back to Bosnia.

By Sgt. Steven Collins129th MPAD

Finding glitches

Master Sgt. Hermann Schroeder, DivisionSupport Command Combat ServiceSupport Automation Management Office,inspects a piece of computer hardware.

Photo by Sgt. Steven Collins

Clearing it rightRemember to clear your weapon

properly. Soldiers must take thetime to look into the chamber toensure no round is present. Be safeand point the weapon at the clear-ing barrel. When you are done, closethe dust cover to keep dust out ofthe weapon.

To drink, or notto drink...

The faucet water at Camps Colt,Demi, Bedrock and McGovern, theBlue Factory (not Guardian Base,just the Blue Factory,) and all thedining facilities has been certifiedas potable water, which means youcan drink it. The faucet water in therest of the camps is non-potable,which means you can brush yourteeth with it but should not drink it.It is recommended that soldiersdrink bottled water at the other sites.�We are studying the situation toimprove, in the near future, thedrinking water at all camps,� saidLt. Col. Sven Ljamo, division pre-ventative medicine officer. �We usestateside standards for water. Be-fore it is certified as potable it un-dergoes a comprehensive analysisby our laboratory.�

Insects/TicksMany of the stray cats and dogs

running around on the base campmay be carrying ticks or lice.

Soldiers should use insect repel-lents and conduct buddy checks toprevent infestation.

Keeping pant legs bloused intoboots will also help in prevention.Spraying clothing with insect repel-lents will also help.

Check nightly for ticks and beaware of grassy areas and woodedareas -- these areas are likely tocontain ticks. Although the risk issmall, some ticks do carry Lymedisease.

Bug netting can be used insidethe tents to help control insects.

1st ID ReunionThe Society of the First Infantry

Division 1997 reunion is scheduledto be held August 6-10 in Alex-andira, Va. For more info on the so-ciety, check out the 1st ID homepage at www.1id.army.mil.

The Talon Friday, April 11, 1997Page 4

EAGLE BASE-- When the active Army needs additional resourc-es, they often call on the Army National Guard.

Since the OH-58 Scout helicopter is an older aircraft that is nolonger widely used in the Army, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 104thAviation Regiment, a National Guard Detachment from West Vir-ginia, was called on by the Army to operate and repair four OH-58. The detachment still uses the OH-58 at home station.

The team consists of enlisted mechanics, warrant officers, pi-lots, a standardization instructor pilot, and a maintenance offic-er/test pilot.

After 300-flight hours, each aircraft has to undergo a majorinspection process known as a phase. �The phase inspection in-volves a major disassembly of the aircraft,� said Sgt. 1st ClassMichael R. Scully, platoon sergeant. The detachment is conduct-ing the first OH-58 phase maintenance inspections in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

�The phase is a very, very time-consuming and detailed exam-ination of the complete aircraft,� said Sgt. Finbarr Donovan, anaircraft mechanic from Parkersburg, W.Va.

Phase inspections usually take six weeks to perform, but withthe experience that this detachment has, �we are hoping to havethis one done in two to three weeks,� said Scully.

As often as these aircraft are being used, a phase inspection isneeded every month. �One hundred hours a month would be easyto accumulate over here. That is if we were only using one air-craft,� said Scully.

�We use two to three helicopters a day, so on average we put in60 to 80 flight hours each month,� said Scully.

�It is something that needs to be done. I wouldn�t want to be

By Spc. Janel R. George129th MPAD

the one out there flying around if the maintenance wasn�t done,�said Staff Sgt. Donald L. Miller, a civilian water department work-er from Vienna, W.Va.

The OH-58 is used mainly for reconnaissance and observationmissions. While in Bosnia, the detachment also performs escortsfor chaplains and VIPs.

�They (OH-58s) are a more economical form of transportationfor the missions we are required to do,� said Sgt. Robert L. Braden,a full-time National Guard aircraft mechanic.

An OH-58 costs $400 to operate for one hour, whereas, it costs$1,600 to operate a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter for an hour. �Theyare a very economical way to carry one or two people,� said Dono-van.

�We can take on the smaller mission of the UH-60, like reconsand one to two passenger loads that don�t require a big aircraft,�said Chief Warrant Officer Douglas H. Nutter, a maintenanceofficer and maintenance test pilot.

This detachment came to Bosnia well prepared, said Scully.�It is not that different from what we have trained on at home,and that has brought us here well trained,� said Scully.

The area and terrain is very similar to that of West Virginia.�Walking out of West Virginia and into Bosnia � it is just likehome,� said Scully.

There are three full-time National Guard members, two me-chanics and one maintenance officer. �The full-timers add a lotmore experience. We work with them (OH-58) for a living. Theother guys only see them once a month,� said Nutter.

Because the OH-58 helicopters operated and maintained atEagle Base are the last four in all of Europe, this unit�s mission isa unique one for the Army.

�Our job is real important because the active Army does nothave people to support the aircraft,� said Braden.

Just like home

Chief Warrant Officer Douglas H. Nutter,Company C, 2nd Battalion, 104th AviationRegiment, washes an OH-58 scout helicopter. Photo by Spc. Janel R. George

The TalonFriday, April 11, 1997 Page 5

MEMICI, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- American soldiers are a famil-iar sight to most children in Bos-nia-Herzegovina. They are thepeculiar people that speak a fun-ny language, carry guns anddress like Ninja turtles. And ifyou bother them long enough,they�ll eventually break downand pass a piece of gum out thetruck window.

The hearts of Americans inthe United States have gone outto Bosnian youngsters. Manyfamily members of deployed sol-diers at Camp Dobol who haveseen pictures of the kids senddonations. �We don�t requestcharity but church groups, indi-viduals and other organizationsstill send the donations. Eventu-ally we had a stockpile and de-cided to split it up between twoschools,� said 2nd Lt Keith Jens-en, fire support officer, 1st Battalion, 7thField Artillery, Task Force 1-26.

One half of the clothes, books and can-dy went to a school in the Muslim villagetown of Memici, and the other half went toa small school in Osmasi on the Republicof Srbska side. �Before we left for theschools, we brought all the boxes to thechapel, laid it out and split it up equally,then reboxed it up,� Jensen said.

Capt. Clifton Pratt, battle captain for TF1-26, has received abundant contributionsover the past months from Edgewood Ele-

mentary School in Yardley, Pa. His moth-er-in-law, 2nd grade teacher Kay Buffaloe,began the idea for her class.

�It started at Christmas time,� saidPratt. �Her class sent me tons of letters andcandy and decorations. We put the decora-tions up on our Christmas tree in the din-ing facility and I passed the letters on toCo D.� After the holidays, the letters andcards and cookies kept coming. �The kidswere very excited about supporting us. Fi-nally the class sent three huge boxes ofpens, pencils, notebooks, stickers and oth-

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

Children at the elementaryschool in the village of Memici.

er supplies for us to give to schools,� he said.Both the students at Edgewood Elementa-ry and in Bosnia intend to stay in touchwith one another through letters.

Both the soldiers and kids equally ben-efited from this mission of merriment. �Webrought along soldiers that didn�t havemuch of a chance to leave base camp. Mostof the field artillery soldiers were behindtheir guns the whole time, ready in casesomething would happen,� said Jensen.�They had a chance to see exactly what weare supporting here. It was for the hun-

dreds of smiling faces that we saw atthe schools.�

In the classrooms, the students andsoldiers asked each other questions,ate cookies and played some games.Reassuringly, the kids also pointed outthat they were staying away from min-efields.

Jensen recalls �at the Muslimschool, I asked who was the toughestguy in the class. All the fingers point-ed to a little boy in the back of theroom, so I challenged him to an armwrestling contest. I�ve had some roughdays in the field and wasn�t in top form,and the little kid beat me hands down.�The boy was officially awarded threeextra Oreos.

�The bottom line is that the kids puthuman faces on us as soldiers. Theycould see us in a relaxed atmosphere,rather than in full �battle rattle� at adistance concentrating on our peace-keeping missions,� said Jensen. �Allthe soldiers were happy to see the kids.It made us realize that everything wehave done here in the last six monthswas worth it.�

Putting a human face to it

Photo by 1st Lt. Tyrone Kindle

Photo by 1st Lt. Tyrone Kindle

2nd Lt. Keith Jensen fire supportofficer, 1st Battalion, 7th FieldArtillery, Task Force 1-26, losesan arm wrestling contest.

The Talon Friday, April 11, 1997Page 6

Walk

From top left, clockwise, Staff Sgt. FrankLomonaco, squad leader, stands guard at the westgate of Eagle Base... Spc. James Allbritton mansthe squad weapon at the west gate of Eagle Base...Staff Sgt. David Gilbreth, squad leader, leads hissquad on patrol around the perimeter at EagleBase... Background, a Bradley fighting vehiclestands guard at the west gate to Eagle Base. Allsoldiers pictured are members of Company C, 2ndBattalion, 14th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division.

The TalonFriday, April 11, 1997 Page 7

EAGLE BASE -- When Staff Sgt. David Gilbrethand his squad come off duty, they elicit manystares from the other soldiers at Eagle Base. Atthe end of a normal day, Gilbreth and his squadare covered in mud, a result of walking the wirefor eight hours.

�It�s pretty slippery along the wire,� said Gil-breth, a squad leader with Company C, 2nd Bat-talion, 14th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division. �Wedo a lot of sliding out there. By the end of our pa-trol, we are all pretty muddy.�

Gilbreth and his squad are part of the majoreffort to secure the 13-kilometer perimeter sur-rounding Eagle Base, headquarters for Task ForceEagle, Multinational Division-North. The effortis spearheaded by the 4th Battalion, 3rd Air De-fense Artillery and is supported by units from 1stInfantry Division and the 10th Mtn. Div.

Security for the base is maintained by soldiersin four crucial areas. First, only certain gates al-low access to Eagle Base and the gates must bemanned and observed constantly to control theflow of traffic into and out of the base. Second,patrols walk the 13-kilometer �wire,� the outer-most boundary of the base. Third, crews in Brad-ley fighting vehicles sit at important points to re-strict access to the base in case of an emergency.Finally, soldiers man a number of observationposts along the perimeter.

On patrol or at the gates or posts, soldiers fo-cus on security, but also train concurrently on oth-er common tasks training. Gilbreth said his squadis especially vigilant to the threat of mines.

�There are some confirmed minefields aroundthe perimeter, but they are clearly marked. We�veactually seen some mines. But I�m confident thatthe trail we walk is clear of mines,� said Gilbreth.

At the gates, soldiers need to check and recordall vehicles, as well as be aware of all the civil-ians who need to get in and out of Eagle Base.Staff Sgt. Frank Lomonaco, a squad leader withCo. C, 2-14 Infantry, 10th Mtn. Div., supervises asquad at the west gate.

�We are well-trained and are prepared for allthe things we need to do and the things we mighthave to do,� said Lomonaco. Company C is trainedfor quick response to an enemy threat.

One of the real �hazards� of the job is the mud.Rain has made duty along the perimeter a dirtyjob. Every day soldiers come back to their tentswith boots covered and uniforms splattered withmud and personal equipment in serious need ofcleaning. Even though an annoying part of thejob, the mud was not unexpected.

�I figured it was going to be muddy here. Wewere told to prepare for the mud, but I don�t real-ly mind,� said Pfc. Joey Williams, a gunner withCo. C.

Gilbreth agrees. �People kind of shy away fromus when you get off patrol because we are so dirty.But you expect this. I�ve been in the infantry for15 years and am used to mud.�

Story and photos by Sgt. Steven Collins129th MPAD

Walking the wire

The Talon Friday, April 11, 1997Page 8

EAGLE BASE -- In a ceremony here, April 4, Col. Michael R. Thompson,commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, handed-off control of his area ofTask Force Eagle to Col. Que Winfield, commander, 3rd BCT. This ceremo-ny typified change of command ceremonies which have been occuringthroughout Task Force Eagle as much of the task force rotates out.

In his farewell address, Thompson praised the troops of the Multina-tional Division-North.

�You look at these soldiers and their boots are a little muddy, flak jack-ets are a little dusty, a little sweat around the collar, worn out kevlar cov-ers, but you look in their eyes and there�s an eye of confidence there,� Th-ompson said. �They know what they�re doing. They are well-trained sol-diers. They do what they do because they know there�s no greater commit-ment than being a U.S. soldier with your boots on the ground.�

�It�s been a tough, rewarding deployment for the soldiers of the 2nd BCT�said Maj. Gen. Montgomery G. Meigs, commander, 1st Infantry Division.

Different soldiers, same mission

�This division now has had every battalion and every company, exceptthe chemical company, in the main, in harms way or in an overseas deploy-ment some time during the last year. This is the only division in the Armythat has had that kind of exposure and that kind of stress. Farewell to theDagger Brigade. You have written your record in the history book. To theIron Brigade, we welcome you.�

In his address, Winfield thanked the soldiers of the 2nd BCT callingtheir deployment �nothing short of spectacular�.

�You and your soldiers are leaving behind a terrific legacy,� Winfield said.�A legacy that will be a challenge to continue. I applaud the 2nd BCT in itsefforts and accomplishments in ensuring the stabilization of Bosnia-Herze-govina. It is with great respect and admiration that I say thank you andwell done.�

�The 3rd BCT is ready,� Winfield said. �We are highly-trained. Our moraleis at an all-time high and we are fully prepared to support this mission.�

Winfield concluded his address saying, �We the soldiers of the 3rd BCTeagerly anticipate the days and missions that stand before us. We will notlet you, our fellow comrades in arms or our country down.�

By Spc. Terri Cook1st Infantry Division PAO

From top, down, Col. QueWinfield, facing forward,stands at attention alongwith Command Sgt. Maj. S. L.Kaminski after unfurling the3rd Brigade Combat Team�scolors... Lt. Col James K.Greer(right) and CommandSgt. Major Jessie Legetteunfurl the colors of 1stBattalion, 77th Armor duringthe task force transfer ofauthority at McGovern Base,April 2... Lt. Col. Robin Swan,TF 1-26 commander, andCommand Sgt. Maj. DarylMoore, during the task forcetransfer of authority at CampDobol, April 4.

Photo by Spc. David Boe

Photo by Spc. Terri Cook

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

The TalonFriday, April 11, 1997 Page 9

MCGOVERN BASE -- Quick, what doM1A1 Abrams tanks, M113A1 ar-mored personnel carriers, HMMWVs,UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters andgenerators all have in common? Allof them need fuel to operate. Withouta continuous supply of fuel, the bri-gade commander won�t be able to vis-it his troops, the wounded soldierwon�t get evacuated, and the check-point won�t get fed. In short, the mis-sion fails to get accomplished.

It is Sgt. Robert A. Winchester�s jobto ensure this doesn�t happen.

Winchester, 26, is the bulk fuelnoncommissioned-officer-in-charge atMcGovern Base, and, along with hisother team members from CompanyA, 201st Forward Support Battalion,he makes sure the fuel keeps flowing,both at McGovern and Camp Colt.

�Without fuel the unit can�t oper-ate,� said Winchester, an eight-yearveteran from Reno, Nev. �It can�tmove its vehicles and equipment.�

Winchester said on average histeam dispenses up to 20,000 gallonsof JP-8 each week. To keep up withsuch a demand, the men have at theirdisposal three 5,000 gallon tankers,one 50,000 gallon collapsible bag, and a 350 GPM (gallons perminute) pump that can fill a tanker in a matter of minutes. It ismore than enough equipment to satisfy McGovern and Colt�s pe-troleum appetites, but, said Winchester, it is still hard work.

�People think pumping fuel is like at a gas station -- it�s not,�said Winchester. �You have to roll out the hoses, set up the pumps,and make a plan for fuel flow. People see it already set up andsay, �Oh, that�s easy,� but what did it take to get it there?�

Despite the hard work, Winchester said his team operates asmooth mission. �The soldiers under me do their job and do itgreat,� he said. �I don�t have to micro-manage them. They do a lotof the work without even being told.�

Winchester said he tries to keep his soldiers informed as muchas possible on what needs to be done. Soldiers, he said don�t likesurprises. �They don�t like getting last-minute missions that theyhave to jump through hoops to get done,� said Winchester. �Sowhat I do is give them a list and tell them, �Look, this is what hasto be accomplished, and then you will be released for the day.� Getthe mission done, and that�s it, no Mickey Mouse stuff.�

It�s a command philosophy that works, according to Winches-ter�s team members.

�It�s excellent, excellent,� said Spc. Carlos D. Williams, 23, ofFayetteville, N.C. �We have good communication, and we worktogether well. We�re not stressing each other out.�

Spc. James K. West said a lot of the ease of their mission inBosnia stems from the team leader. �He (Winchester) takes care

of us out here,� said West. �He keeps us off some of the more(burdensome) details.�

�Sgt. Winchester is always looking out for us,� said Pvt. ShadA. Schendorf, 18, of Rice Lake, Wis. �Sometimes he goes a littleoverboard, but he does take care of us.�

Schendorf, who enlisted eight months ago, knew when he re-ceived his orders for Germany that he would end up in Bosnia. Hesaid the first day he arrived at his unit Germany, he was told hewas going. This was not a problem, said Schendorf.

�I think it�s kind of cool, because when I go home I can say thatI�ve been to all of these countries,� said Schendorf. �And I�m hap-py to finally get to a duty station where I can work and see whatmy job really is.�

�The rest of the team has taught me a lot,� he said. �And I�vebeen able to refresh them on some of the things they haven�t donebecause I�m fresh out of AIT (Advanced Individual Training) andI still remember everything.�

With their mission of fuel supply, environmental and personalprotection are major concerns, said Winchester. �We have to beaware of spills and leaks,� he said. �We also have to be aware ofthe equipment we use, like gloves and goggles, so we don�t getfuel on us or in our eyes.�

Safety, environment, force protection, and 50,000 gallons offuel -- it�s a lot to juggle, but the team members have a way tomake it all work, said Schendorf.

�We work together and get it done,� he said.

Bulk pump up

By Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

Sgt. Robert A. Winchester(left)and Spc. James K. West, bothof Company A, 201st ForwardSupport Battalion, disconnecta discharge hose during arefueling operation.

fuel handlers

Photo by Spc. David Boe

on

The Talon Friday, April 11, 1997Page 10

CAMP COLT -- To be the best, a team must train harder thanother teams and be willing to put in the time it takes to becomenumber one. It also involves taking a lot of pride in the job andnot being willing to accept just doing the job, but to to do it to thehighest standards.

This philosophy is used everyday by the troops of Battery A,1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery. Every task they perform, fromdoing routine maintenance to laying on a target, they do with theattitude that they want to be first and won�t accept anything else.

It was this attitude, this method of training and performingtheir duties that allowed this four-howitzer platoon to win a re-cent competition among all field artillery batteries in Bosnia.

�Our platoon is a really squared away, we are expected to winthe big dance every time, kind of like the 49ers or the Cowboys.We know that we can�t always win, but that is our mindset,� saidStaff Sgt. Garnet Taylor, a section chief for Btry. A.

Taylor said that being in Bosnia for a peacekeeping missiondoesn�t allow Btry. A to do the typical training they do to get readyfor war. They don�t often get a chance to move their guns andwhen they do it is usually just two howitzers at a time.

�The competition gave us the opportunity to go out and do thetraditional things for war. It proved that we haven�t missed abeat on keeping our skills up,� said Taylor.

�It takes a lot of preparation. We come up with a plan on howwe will train using suggestions from all the soldiers and then wetrain to the point where we can max each task,� said Sgt. AlvinJohnson, a section chief for Btry. A. �Overall teamwork is thebasic concept, they have to want to win.�

A team of evaluators scored the team on many different tasksincluding a pre-combat inspection where the load plan is checked,a check of maintenance records to ensure each crew did the prop-er drills and the time taken to emplace a howitzer in the areaprepared by the advance party.

�It entails a lot more than just being the fastest, we have to domany things correctly, including maintaining correct convoy in-tervals and having good maintenance records,� said Sgt. Jim Gior-

dan, a gunner for Btry A.Btry. A scored 197 out of a possible 200 points during the test-

ing, Giordan said. When the evaluators could not find any short-comings with procedures, they randomly asked soldiers questionson basic artillery knowledge. They came through with flying colors.

�In our platoon we always shoot for the top � we aren�t doinganything we are not used to doing,� said Giordan. �The soldiersthrive on competition. They want to be number one and they wantto set the standard for the entire battalion.�

�We don�t get a lot of recognition because we just support who-ever needs us. That�s why we have competitions, to keep the guysfrom getting complacent,� said Giordan.

It is an impressive sight to see four M109 howitzers along withfour M992 ammo carriers rolling down a road. The ground shakesand the rumble can be heard from quite a distance away. Nativeswho live in the area around Camp Colt have gotten used to thetypical HMMWV convoys and rarely come out to look any more,but when they discover this much firepower coming down the road,they have to come out and check out the awesome sight.

The members of Btry. A realize they are in Bosnia as a deter-rent, a show of force to let the former warring factions know thatfurther fighting will not be tolerated. The irony is that they hopethey never actually get to use the skills they work so hard to hone.

�We all see it as though we are trained to do our job, but wepray that we don�t have to. If we have to do our jobs it means thatthings aren�t going to well,� said Giordan. �If you hear the words�lightening bolt� you�ll see all kinds of guys running from all di-rections in PT gear, shorts or whatever. We have three minutesto lay on target and 10 minutes for the platoon. One gun is al-ways up, twentyfour seven, ready to lay steel on target.�

Sgt. Alvin Johnson is the section chief for the gun that alsowon the competition for the best howitzer section, which allowsthem to place a red muzzle protector on the end of their barrellthat reads �Top Gun.� Johnson said that winning the individualtitle was not as important as winning the battery title.

�It�s more important to win as a platoon because we go outtogether, not just one gun,� said Johnson. �We watch each others�backs.�

By Spc. Paul Hougdahl129 MPAD

Topguns

Pfc. Cary Lee Coffman, a cannon crewmember for Battery A, 1st Battalion, 7th FieldArtillery, sets up a collimeter used as an aiming reference for an M109 Howitzer. Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl

The TalonFriday, April 11, 1997 Page 11

EAGLE BASE -- �Congratulations, it�s agirl!� �Dad, I hit my first home run today!��Good job soldiers, from a Big Red One vet-eran.� �Mom, I got an A on my English pa-per!� How can a Task Force Eagle soldierreceive these messages? Easy. Find a com-puter which has the Internet browser, thenaccess a new page -- the Task Force Eaglehome page at www.1ID.army.mil.

�What we have developed here is an in-teractive service for soldiers and familymembers which enables them to send mes-sages to the soldiers of Task Force Eagle,�said Staff Sgt. Gregory W. Binford, TaskForce Eagle public affairs supervisor. �Itprovides an interactive communication flowbetween us and the public.�

The messages are reviewed, checked forappropriateness and then posted as soonas possible.

�When the tasking came down, we allrecognized how powerful the world wideweb page could be for soldiers or anyonewho would like to know what is taking placehere in Bosnia,� said Maj. Bill L. DuPont,public affairs officer, 1st Infantry Division.

The intent at the beginning was to pro-vide an outlet that was the most timelyavailable and to provide an informationresource tool that was initially experimen-tal in nature, but is now taking on a wholenew direction and has become somethingthat is very useful.

�Looking back, having birthed this pagewith G6 AMO assistance, it has providedus an excellent opportunity to connect fam-ily members and curious surfers to our sol-diers here supporting the SFORmission,�said DuPont.

�We have established links to other re-lated websites such as Defense and Bos-

nialink. However, the biggest hit on thispage seems to be the link for sending andreading messages to soldiers in Bosnia,�Binford said. �We do upgrades and chang-es to the pages on a daily basis to keep theinformation current and fresh and when aletter comes in to any specific soldier wewill do our best to get the message to thatsoldier.�

Since the home page went public on Dec.3, 1996, it has had over 6,500 visitors.

�We have been able to post daily everymessage of encouragement that has comein so far. That�s something that we wouldlike to see continue. We would like to haveas many messages come in and we will postthem as quickly as possible to let our sol-diers know how the people feel about them,�said the Overland Park, Kans. native.

Soldiers of all nations in support of TaskForce Eagle are receiving messages. Theinteractive link between SFOR and thepublic is something that is a whole new

direction the Army is heading.�We are definitely trying to blaze new

trails but to do so in a manner that is bothproductive, constructive and very useful toboth the public and all of Task Force Ea-gle,� Binford said.

The home page contains information onthe role of the 1st Infantry Division herein Bosnia-Herzegovina and the history ofthe separate brigades, battalion-size ele-ments, biographies on key leaders, includ-

ing the battalion commanders, battalioncommand sergeants major and the areaof responsibility for the separate brigades.�News releases are posted to keep thepublic information current on the thingsthat are relevant to our area of opera-tions,� Binford said.

The home page includes Task ForceEagle maps, graphics, links to downloadthe Talon, which is the official Task ForceEagle newspaper and the ability to readand send messages to the soldiers of TaskForce Eagle.

�On the read mail page is a disclaim-er,� Binford said. �Often times the mes-sages that come in to our soldiers are verywarm-hearted and very genuine concerns.However, we haven�t done any kind ofbackground check on any messages andso what we�ve done is cautioned peoplethat if you respond to an e-mail address

that you do so using your best judgmentwhen contacting anyone that you mightmeet on the Internet.�

�Since we are running a split base oper-ation, our connection will continue whenwe redeploy to home base,� DuPont said.�It will be a forward/rear operation. As forthe home page, there will always be a 1st

Infantry Division home page.��There is a lot of work and man hours

involved in the project but I think overallit is a glowing success,� Binford said.

By Spc. Terri Cook1st Infantry Division PAO

Welcome to Task Force Eagle

Home Page gets word to soldiers

Turtles in the box By Capt. Peter J. BuotteFeaturing Muddy and Dusty

The Talon Friday, April 11, 1997Page 12

no paved roads. You can see allthe buildings have bullet andshrapnel holes from direct hits.�

Cerwin, fresh out of basictraining, has been in countryonly a few weeks, and is current-ly stationed at Observation Postnumber nine, in the heart of thebombed-out town of Omerbego-vaca. He said he remembers see-ing such destroyed Bosniantowns on the evening news whilestill a student in San Antonio,Texas. To Cerwin, watching it onTV, it was an unreal and faraway place -- nothing to do withhis life. �If a year ago I�d beentold I�d be in Bosnia today -- I�dhave said it was crazy,� he said.

Though it might seem crazyat times, the Co. C, 2-2 Inf.�Ramrods� are the new tenantsat OP-9, replacing Task Force 1-18, which is rotating back toGermany. In addition to per-forming checkpoint duty at the OP, the sol-diers are required to go out on daily pa-trols and night patrols into Omerbegovacaand Dizdarusa.

Like Cerwin, many of the soldiers at OP-9 are young and new to the Army. Pvt. Dar-io J. Troiano, 21, entered the military sixmonths ago. This is the farthest he has everbeen from his hometown of Carey, Ohio.

�I�ve seen a lot of stuff I�ve never seenbefore,� said Troiano. �But that�s why Ijoined. Where else can you get a chance togo to another country and get paid for it?�

Troiano said when he sees the familiesin Omerbegovaca struggling to rebuildtheir lives it touches him personally. �Be-cause I know -- I have my ownfamily at home,� he said. �Ifeel sorry for these people --it�s a real eye opener. You hearabout war in school, but youdon�t really feel it until youactually see it first hand.�

One soldier who has seenit first hand before is Sgt.Ryan E. Sullivan, who at 25is one of the older members ofthird platoon. The dismountsquad leader from William-sport, Penn. is the only mem-ber of third platoon who is on a second de-ployment to Bosnia. This distinction, hesaid, has allowed him to provide his young-er squad members with valuable informa-tion on their mission.

�I have little chats with them, tell themthings that I did before when I came downhere,� said Sullivan. �I want to bring themup, kind of mold them to be good soldiers,the best they can be.�

Sullivan said he tries to instill into hismen the importance of force protection,anywhere and anytime.

�Whether one is going to the bathroom,taking a shower, sleeping at night, eatingchow or doing patrols, we practice forceprotection at all times,� said Sullivan.

A three-year veteran, Sullivan is astickler for detail. Prior to each patrol,he double checks his soldiers, ensuringthey have the proper equipment and fullcanteens of water. He asks individualsquestions, like �What do you do if a snip-er attacks?� or, �How do we react to dem-onstrators?� During patrols he keeps aconstant eye on the mission, tighteningor closing in the squad as need be, andmaking sure details are adhered to. It�sthe details, he said, that help the unit do

its mission without interference. To thatend he makes sure his men perform theirmission professionally.

�If you go out looking like a rag-taggroup you might be tested,� said Sullivan.�If you go out looking solid, professionaland disciplined, you�re a lot less likely tobe messed with.�

Sullivan said the main mission of theRamrods at OP-9 are the patrols throughOmerbegovaca. It�s a show of force, he said,to let the local civilians know the U.S. sol-diers are doing their job. No patrol is the

same, said Sullivan. One day it might be asouth patrol looking for UXO�s (unexplodedordnance), the next, a north patrol monitor-ing resettlement efforts. �And, of course, weenforce the provisions of the GFAP (GeneralFramework Agreement for Peace),� said Sul-livan. �If we see anything wrong we let it beknown to higher headquarters.�

Sullivan said his men gain a lot of experi-ence out of performing different missionssuch as this.

�They�re doing an outstanding job,� saidSullivan. �After every mission we do a sortof back brief on what happened. We discusswhat we can improve, what we did well, whatwe might do different, and they get a lot of

information and experience out ofthat.�

�I�ve been having fun,� said firesupport specialist Pfc. Clarence K.Pierre. �The patrols haven�t been bor-ing. You get to walk around, and youhave the little kids waving at you -- itmakes you feel good.�

Pierre said the patrols, whileserving a military function, have acalming effect on the civilians. �Youshow them that you can be trusted,�he said. �When they see us they canrelax because they know we�re here

to help them.� The cold, overcast morning dissipated

away to a warm, dry afternoon. After arriv-ing back at OP-9, the squad split up. Sulli-van and some of his men went back to theirtent for a couple of hours of sleep before go-ing back out for the afternoon patrol. Otherswalked to the mess tent to grab a bite to eat.Up on the watch tower, a lone sentry stoodsilhouetted against the blue sky, looking outtoward Omerbegovaca. There, for the men,women and children of the town, life -- andthe rebuilding -- goes on.

PATROLfrom page 1

Accompanied by militarypolice and explosive-sniffingdogs, soldiers fromCompany C, 2nd Battalion,2nd Infantry, move out fromObservation Post nine for apatrol into the Bosnian townof Omerbegovaca.

Photo by Spc. David Boe

�If you go out looking like a rag-taggroup you might be tested. If you goout looking solid, professional anddisciplined, you�re a lot less likelyto be messed with.�---- Sgt. Ryan E. Sullivan