Insid

e SIGNS . . . . . 2REFUGEES . . . . . 3SAFE PASSAGE . . . . 4WEAPON . . . . . 5HOW SWEDE IT IS . . 6-7AIR FORCE . . . . . . 8IT’S TRICHI . . . . .11

Talonthe

Serving the soldiers of Task Force Eagle

Volume 3, No. 12 Friday, March 21, 1997

Operation Joint Guard, Bosnia-Herzegovina

CAMP DOBOL -- A Serbian tank re-cently confiscated from a weaponsstorage site near Brcko in the Russiansector was successfully demilitarizedat Camp Dobol under the supervisionof Lt. Col. Robin Swan, Task Force 1-26 commander and Col. Anatoli Sazan-ski, chief Russian liaison officer.

The Russian built T-55, seized af-ter a violation of the Dayton Peace

Accord, was neutralized with dignity.�We demilitarized the tank as en-

vironmentally safe as possible whilekeeping the outside looking as good aspossible. The Serbs can have it backor put it in a museum.� said 1st Lt.Rob McCarthy, executive officer forCompany B, 9th Engineer Battalion,Task Force 1-26.

In order to demilitarize the vehicle,all items that could be replaced or usedin other tanks needed to be destroyed.

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

See Blast page 12

The initial blast of a Serbian T55 tank wasdone using C-4 explosives detonated bythe explosive ordnance detachmentattached to Task Force 1-26.

Photo by Sgt. Angel Clemons

SFOR demilitarizes tank

The Talon Friday, March 21, 1997

posits and withdrawls andkeep check books up to date.Know how much you have inyour account to spend. Planahead.

Honest mistakes aremade, such as forgetting torecord a check then writinganother one when the bal-ance will not cover it. How-

ever, many bad checks are not hon-est mistakes. They are done to de-fraud the U.S. government. These ac-tions are punishable under the Uni-form Code of Military Justice. Lead-ership gets involved when a soldierhas attempted to defraud the govern-ment.

There are always exceptions tothe monthly maximum amounts thatcan be written. Your finance officehas these figures. There are provi-sions for advances for money need-ed for passes and leaves. But contactyour finance office rather than writea bad check.

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:inouyer@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 SabanovicIllustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sgt. Corwin L. Reed

LAYING DOWN THE LAWS

Recently there have beenindividuals writing bad checksat the finance office and postexchange. The number of inci-dents may be small but the les-sons learned apply to all.

Recovery of these funds isnot the entire issue -- financewill deduct the negativeamount from your paycheck.However, you are placed on the badcheck roster -- which restricts you fromcashing checks anywhere on base andin the AAFES system. I consider thisan issue of integrity. When individu-als knowingly write or pass bad paperthey are not upholding the standardsto which soldiers aspire.

Writing a check with non-sufficientfunds will also place your spouse in adifficult situation, especially if youshare an account. The spouse may besurprised to find out the account doesnot have funds to cover all of theirchecks as well. This puts them in a veryuncomfortable position.

Everyone is responsible to balancetheir own accounts. Keep track of de-

PHASE 3, Rail Operations and Loading & Unloading Equipmentshould accomplish the following:

····· Commanders, supervise and coordinate unit movement.····· Commanders, brief personnel on mandatory safety messages.The train commander must accomplish the following:····· Ensure orderly operations conduct and personnel safety.····· Establish liaison with railway officials, identify hazards.····· Obtain and stage in a controlled area all required blocking,

bracing, chocking, and lashing materials.····· Accompany the yard master to inspect the railcars to en

sure their suitability for the intended loads.····· Ensure flatcar floors and sides are intact and free of debris.····· Confirm electrical power to overhead power lines has been

cut off and lines are �LOCKED AND TAGGED OUT�.····· Conduct a safety briefing to all personnel on the rail car

loading and unloading hazards and safety requirements.····· Stress patience at critical points, i.e. unloading at home.····· Designate a staging area for vehicles after unloading. No

ground guide, no vehicle movement.Keep up Task Force Eagle�s excellent safety record to the end.

By Lt. Col. Troy Vincent, Division Safety Office

By Command Sgt. Major James W.Laws 1st Infantry Division (Forward)

Redeployment III

And

the

sign

on t

he w

all sa

id... In an Acapulco hotel:

The manager has personallypassed all water here.

In a Bucharest hotel lobby:The lift is being fixed for the nextday. During that time we regret thatyou will be unbearable.

On a Moscow hotel room door:If this is your first visit to the USSR,you are welcome to it.

In a Zurich hotel:Because of the impropriety of en-tertaining guests of the oppositesex in the bedroom, it is suggestedthe lobby be used for this purpose.

In a Paris hotel elevator:Please leave your values at thefront desk.

In a hotel in Athens:Visitors are expected to complainat the office between the hours of9 and 11 a.m. daily

In a Yugoslavian hotel:The flattening of underwear withpleasure is job of the chambermaid.

In a Japanese hotel:You are invited to take advantage of the cham-bermaid.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.

In a Bangkok dry cleaners:Drop your trousers here for best results.

Outside a Paris dress shop:Dresses for street walking.

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge:Ladies are requested not to have children inthe bar.

In a Swiss mountain inn:Special today -- no ice cream.

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand:Would you like to ride on your own ass?

The TalonFriday, March 21, 1997 Page 3

News briefs

KARAULA REFUGEE CAMP, Bosnia-Herzegovenia � The children surroundedthe U.S. military vehicles as they arrived,startling drivers who worried about thechildren�s safety. Despite warnings, thechildren drew closer, waiting with antici-pation for the delivery of more Americangenerosity in the form of school suppliesand warm clothes.

�The children love us. They are all veryfriendly,� said Capt. Roy Flock, chaplainfor the 299th Forward Support Battalion,Guardian Base. �These trips give our sol-diers a chance to see the people they are inBosnia to protect.�

The 299th has been delivering donatedgoods to the people of Karaula since lastOctober, when the unit arrived in Bosnia.The soldiers of the 299th have taken morethan 500 boxes of clothing, personal hy-giene items and school supplies to the campof 950 refugees, located 5 kilometers eastof Guardian Base in the city of Zivinice.

The refugees live in 41 apartment hous-es, with 23 individuals sharing a smallapartment room and bathroom. Nearly allof their food is donated by relief organiza-tions. The houses have electricity but havewood/coal burning stoves for heat. No med-ical care is available.

�If not for our involvement, these refu-gees probably would not have had as warmand as comfortable a winter as they didwith the clothing we�ve given them,� saidMaj. Richard Rivera of the 404th Civil Af-fairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve. Rivera,of Cherry Hill, N.J., and his unit organizethe convoys to Karaula once Flock getsenough donations.

The donations pour into Guardian Basefrom a number of sources, most of them inthe United States. Individuals and relief

organizations gather the clothing, hygieneproducts and school supplies and ship themto Flock, who has 299th soldiers organizeand pack them for distribution.

�We try to visit the camp once every twoor three weeks,� said Rivera. �The refugeesare always excited to see us and really likethe products we�ve been able to deliver.�

The camp survives on the products do-nated by relief organizations and on themoney raised by the sale of products madeby the refugees, such as sweaters and woodcrafts, said Rivera. The camp has even es-tablished a school for the nearly 400 chil-dren in the camp. Yet, painful memories ofthe war linger and the conditions at thecamp only amplify the sadness.

�It is difficult for us to understand, be-cause we don�t speak their language,� saidFlock. �But if we did, we�d probably learn alot of painful things.�

However, Asif Andelic, the refugee lead-er, is hopeful for the future. �Many liveswere lost during the war,� he said througha translator. �Now we are growing vegeta-bles. We are teaching our children to growinto complete and healthy people. If theeconomy would function better, it will con-nect all factions together in unity.�

The children are learning English,thanks to the school supplies and booksgiven to the refugees.

�We teach English, because we don�tknow where the (orphaned) children willgo tomorrow,� said Andelic. It is possiblethat orphaned children will leave the campeventually to find homes in other parts ofthe country or even in other countries.

For all the soldiers, whether they aredonating goods or actually delivering them,the Karaula experience will be a pleasantreminder of why they were deployed toBosnia. �We have seen directly what ourinvolvement here in Bosnia has meant tothese people,� said Rivera.

By Sgt. Steven S. Collins129th MPAD

299th gives warmth

Photo by Sgt. Steven S. Collins

Everywhere a SignAs redeployment nears, take time

to refresh your memory on Europeanroad signs. Since an above-averagepercentage of redeploying personnelhave been involved in accidents on re-turn, the time will be well spent.

Autobahn

Cars only

Drawbridgeahead

Children inarea

Bumpy roadahead

Mines clearedSFOR Russian Brigade engi-

neers conducted an engineeringreconnaissance of the terrain in theareas of Dugi Dio and Sapna thisweek. They found and obliteratedmore than 30 mines and other ex-plosive ordnance.

New WebmasterSoldier with knowledge of HTML

language sought for maintaining 1IDhome page (www.1id.army.mil).Contact PAO Maj. W. DuPont at 551-3351 or IPN 7167.

Col. Claude V. Christianson, commander of the 1st Infantry Divisionsupport command, speaks to some of the refugee children

Bike crossing

The Talon Friday, March 21, 1997Page 4

CAMP BEDROCK � For some, it�s time togo home. The route is mapped and, thanksto the 1st Infantry Division units whichsupplied soldiers to check out the routes,there is a safe passage to Slavonski Brod,the first leg of the voyage home.

These soldiers were responsible forchecking road widths, bridges, rest areasand traffic control areas of the route. Theroute has been traveled and patrolled manytimes since October, but still needs to bereinspected for safety.

�These routes are familiar to almosteveryone. These are major routes that justneeded to be rechecked for large pot holesand as to whether the bridges and roadscan handle the size of vehicles that will beusing them,� said Staff Sgt. MichaelO�Rourke, operation sergeant of Headquar-ters and Headquarters Company, 9th En-gineer Battalion.

Several of the bridges on the routes wereinstalled by SFOR personnel, replacingbridges that were destroyed during thefighting.

�We just need to make sure that these

bridges are still supported correctly andthat the pins and joints are holding togeth-er under the stress they have been put un-der the since the units deployed,� said

O�Rourke, a native of Olympia, Wash.During the inspection, the Provost Mar-

shall�s Office determined the areas thatneeded traffic control points. These pointsshould account for the convoys and directthe vehicles through difficult intersectionsto ensure the convoys move smoothly.

�We basically know where the trafficcontrol points are going to be, but we needto verify the information and locate anyother intersection that might need some-one to direct the convoy or signs that showthe route,� said Sgt. 1st Class Steven M.Gray, operation sergeant for 1st InfantryDivision Provost Marshall�s Office.

�The convoys deploying and redeployingwill be scheduled at different times to helpprevent one of the convoys from having topull over to let the other one through,� saidCapt. Patrick �Bud� Budjenska, of the 2ndBrigade, 1st Infantry Division. �This willreduce the risk of an accident and civiliantraffic congestion due to the convoys.�

�During the day, when the locals are onthe road, it is going to be dangerous,� saidJudson, native of Cushing, Maine. �Theseroads are already too narrow for many ofthe military vehicles when there�s two-waytraffic, but then adding people walking onthe sides of the road just adds to the diffi-culty. Every driver will need to be alert.�

The local adults are aware of the dan-ger but have concerns for children who walkback and forth to school or accompanyfriends to markets, said Muminovic Mirzet,24, a resident of Zivinice.

Fahira Habibovic, 35, also of Zivinicesaid that a radio announcement would helpparent warn their children to be more cau-tious of SFOR convoys.

Even with the route cleared, contingen-cy plans for crossing the Sava River intoCroatia need to be considered. If needed,the 74th Engineer Company will install aribbon assault floatation bridge.

�We can have the bridge installed andready for use soon after the first boat isplaced in the water,� said Staff Sgt. KevinR. Burrell, 1st Platoon sergeant. �All of ourequipment is ready and on standby. As soonas we get the call we can roll.�

With the clearing and checking of theroute to Slavonski Brod completed, and somany safety precautions taken to preventaccidents or mishaps, it is now up to thesoldiers to make that first leg a safe one.

�The trip to Slavonski Brod is going tobe a long day for the soldiers, especiallywith them excited about leaving,� said Bud-jenska, from Richardson, Texas. �The sol-diers need to take their time and pay atten-tion to what they are doing. We�ve had veryfew accidents and injuries so far consider-ing the road conditions and we need to makesure we get everyone home safely.�

Safe passage homeBy Staff Sgt. Jerry A. Weber129th MPAD

�We�ve had very fewaccidents and injuriesso far... we need tomake sure we geteveryone home safely.�

--- Capt. Patrick Budjenska

Staff Sgt. Michael O'Rourke,Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 9th Engineer Battalion,evaluates a Mabey JohnsonBridge along one of thedeployment-redeployment routes.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Jerry A. Weber

The TalonFriday, March 21, 1997 Page 5

MCGOVERN BASE -- It�s a 68-ton behemoth that has the speedand agility of a Jaguar. Its 120-mm gun can slice through enemyarmor like a hot knife through butter, while its thick hide makesother weapon systems seem like pea shooters. Nothing is safefrom its eyes, which can pierce the night, rain and fog to find itsprey.

This is the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank -- a weapon of peace.A weapon of peace?�We�ve got the guns and the systems, and the fighting capabil-

ity in order to keep the peace in Bosnia,� said Sgt. Jeremy J.E.Schweigert, 23, an Abrams gunner with Company A, 1st Battal-ion, 77th Armor. �It�s a show of force. We�re here to keep the peace.�

Schweiger, a native of St. Clair Shores, Mich., said the �War-lords,� with their Abrams tanks, provide the high-caliber musclefor Task Force 1-18, based at McGovern Base.

Schweigert�s tank, Alpha-18, like a tiger staring out from its lair,sits behind a wall of sandbags and concertina wire, silently watch-ing military and civilian vehicles approach the base�s north gate.The stillness is broken only by the flapping of a small Americanflag above the turret, or when a crewmember jumps aboard thetank and Alpha -18 awakens with a turbine-driven growl. The longbarrel of the main gun slides left and right with a menacing whir.It�s a reminder of the M1�s potential deterrence and power.

�That�s one of the reasons why they (the commanders) broughtdown tanks on the SFOR mission � they needed the power,� saidSchweigert. �The Bradley (M2 Fighting Vehicle) is an awesomefighting vehicle, but it can be taken out by enemy tanks -- the

enemy cannot take out the Abrams tanks.�Schweigert and his unit have been in Bosnia since October,

performing a variety of missions. In addition to guard duty atMcGovern, the unit performs checkpoint procedures and weaponstorage site inspections. Some of the missions, said Schweigert,are a new experience for the tankers.

�We�re doing a lot of non-armor duties,� said Schweigert. �We�reused to sneaking through the wood line, or taking out heavy ar-mor. It�s a learning experience for us.�

The main mission of Co. A, 1-77 Armor is Checkpoint Alpha-2on Route Arizona, south of Brcko. Schweigert said that while histank may just sit at the checkpoint, it�s sheer presence is enoughto make people with mischief on their minds to think twice.

�Everybody notices the M1 when it goes by or is just sitting outthere on the road at the checkpoint,� said Schweigert.

Schweigert, and the rest of the crew of A-18 have seen theirshare of excitement too.

�At the checkpoint we�ve had belligerence -- people wanting totest us as far as they can,� said Schweigert. �I�ve found C-4 insomeone�s car once, and we�ve also found weapons.�

�On the checkpoint one night a drunk was driving a van anddidn�t see the stop sign and ran right into the guard shack whiletwo guys were in there,� said Spc. Scott A Aldridge, 21, A-18�sdriver. �They got out alright - they jumped over the sandbags.�

Aldridge, who hails from Seattle, said despite any potentialthreats at the isolated checkpoint, he feels safe when seated withinthe iron walls of his Abrams tank.

�Because I have the turret above me and steel in front of me

By Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

Weapon of peace

Photo by Spc. David Boe

See PEACE page 12

Spc. Scott A. Aldridge (left) and Private Frank W.Kasica, both of A Company, 1st Battalion, 77thArmor, pull guard duty atop their M1A2 Abramstank at the north gate of McGovern Base.

The Talon Friday, March 21, 1997Page 6

From top left, clockwise, A Swedish dog handog the path to clear... A sweeper for the Swclears and marks a safe area for the rescue tSgt. Michael A. Bowie, 45th Medical Companyharness" in preparation for a combined trainpractice hoist operations for possible minefield

The TalonFriday, March 21, 1997 Page 7

Man�s best friend

Dogs have been called man�s best friend, but how many of us would place ourlives in the hands, or more accurately, in the nose of a dog on a daily basis?The 26 members of the Swedish Explosive Ordnance Platoon ultimately place

their lives and the lives of minefield casualties in their dogs� abilities. And they do sowith the utmost confidence, especially since they just acquired the dogs in the unit.

As members of the stabilization force supporting peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina, theSwedes, set up at Camp Oden, readily and willingly respond to unexploded ordnanceand minefield contingencies on a regular basis.

�For me, this is a completely new experience. I�ve never worked with dogs before,�said Capt. Johan Eklöf, Swedish EOD commander. �I�ve learned a lot about how dogsbehave, and I completely trust them. I�ll walk behind them (in a minefield).�

Speed necessitates the use of the dogs, especially in emergency-rescue situations.�If someone is wounded, bleeding and possibly in shock, we need to get to them as

fast as possible,� Eklöf said. �A mine detector picks up all metal, so you have to stopand check it and either avoid it or remove it. The dog just sniffs out the explosives.

�It�s like a formula one car and the dog is the engine,� he said. �You can push thecar, but not very fast. With the dog (engine), you can go very, very fast.�

As important as belief in the dogs, is trust in your teammates.�Everyone in the unit is skilled at their work, so we trust each other,� Eklöf said.�Most important is confidence in our abilities and the other guys� abilities,� said

Spc. Lars Persson, sweeper. �I trust any of these guys.�When approaching an accident site, the team first stops to access the situation and

gather information.

Photos and story by Spc. Matt Johnson129th MPAD

See SWEDES page 11

ndler puts the dog's nose to the ground to show thewedish EOD platoon out of Camp Oden near Tuzlateam to start its evacuation from a minefield... Staff

y, helps a Swedish EOD specialist strap on a "monkeying exercise. Background, U.S. and Swedish Forcesd extractions using a dog trained to detect explosives.

The Talon Friday, March 21, 1997Page 8

McGOVERN BASE--Once, when flying home, Senior Airman Ri-chard L. Larson encountered a problem of mistaken identity.

�When I went home on leave, I took a hop to Dover and I wastalking to some Air Force people,� said the 26-year-old Oxford,Wis., native. �And they thought I was Army because of the way Italked. Instead of saying �BX�, I�d say �PX� or, �going to the field.��

After seven years in the Air Force, Larson had become accus-tomed to the confusion. As a tactical air command and control spe-cialist, Larson has spent his entire career working with the Army.

His current assignment is no different. For two months, hehas been attached to McGovern Base along with other Air Forcepersonnel to support operations of Task Force 1-18. While only afew of them have worked consistently with the Army, all of themhave picked up the task force�s peculiar speech patterns.

�We have ended up saying �hooah� a lot more than our Air Forcecounterparts,� said Larson.

�Yes, we�ve gotten a lot of their habits,� said Senior AirmanJeremy R. Kozee of Lenore, W.Va., who is also a TACCS. �We�retrying to break ourselves of the �hooah� thing and �roger.� We saythat a lot, too.�

It is important that Larson, Kozee, and their co-workers �talkthe talk� -- it�s part of the job. The Air Force team has a direct linkto the day-to-day operations at McGovern.

The mission of the tactical air control party at McGovern, saidKozee, is to advise the ground commander on the use of air powerin his theater of operations.

�We have to know the capabilities of the aircraft, what type ofmunitions they carry, and we also go out and control the mis-sions,� said Kozee. �We go out and get our eyes on the target thathe wants taken out and we call in the air strike to neutralize it.�

�We go to a control point � hopefully a safe distance away �and basically talk their (the pilots) eyes onto the target,� said

Larson. �We make sure they�re hitting the target and confirm whothey say they are.�

The team trains with aircraft from different NATO countries,from American A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, to British Jaguars, to Span-ish F-18s. While English is the official language in the air, Lar-son said they still have to be careful giving instructions to pilots.

�You might tell them to look for a dirt road, and they don�tknow what �dirt road� means,� said Larson.

Being a TACCP is a unique Air Force job. Not only are all dutyassignments with Army units, but the TACCPs must perform theArmy Physical Fitness Test as well as theAir Force�s. This ap-peals to Airman 1st Class Ryan L. Barton.

�I like working with the Army,� said Barton, a 20-year-old na-tive of Klamath Falls, Ore. �You do more physical activity. Ithought it would be better than sitting in an office.�

All of the TACCP�s said that while they like their job, there aretimes when they regret not having a normal Air Force job.

Larson said weather plays a factor in how many training mis-sion they can do in a day.

�One day the weather was great and I had ten missions in oneday,� said Larson.

When Larson wants to know how the weather will be that day,he turns and talks to the two Air Force weather observers shar-ing his office in the task force�s tactical operating center.

�I can give them a weather brief for their missions, and briefthem on winds,� said Airman 1st Class Petina L. Allen, 23, ofLenoir, N.C.

This is Allen�s first deployment since enlisting over a year ago.�It�s been a great experience,� said Allen, who was reassigned

from her squadron in Fort Carson, Colo. for duty in Bosnia. �Thisis my first real interaction with the Army as far as an infantryunit goes, but they�re very helpful and supportive.�

At the simplest level, Allen�s job involves going outside oncean hour and taking a visual check of the current weather.

�I take visibility, wind direc-tion and speed, sky conditions,with the different type of cloudsand ceiling height, and theamount of coverage,� said Allen.�I have a tactical barometer toreport the altimeter settings --I report these observations toTuzla, and that helps them.�

Simple or not, Allen�s workcan directly effect operations atMcGovern Base. �The S-3 shopand the liaison officers use myobservations for incomingflights and operations like that,especially with all of the patrols,or night guard duty,� she said. Ican give them an idea if it�s go-ing to freeze overnight.�

�Hooah� notwithstanding,the Air Force personnel atMcGovern still have a recogni-tion problem with the Army.

�A few of the infantry guysactually know who we are, butother than that most wonderwhat we do here,� said Larson.

Of course Army soldiersknow Air Force when they seethem: �When we�re around theArmy,� said Kozee, �it�s �Hey AirForce!� or �Hey Air Force guy!��

By Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

Air Force -- Talking the talk

Photo by Spc. David Boe

Airman 1st Class Ryan L. Barton, 1stAir Support Operations Squadron,positions a portable satellite antenna.

The TalonFriday, March 21, 1997 Page 9

A different sort of vehicle

NICE TRY�During a routine Serbian weapons storage site inspection near the town of Zvornik, 2nd

Lt. Keith L. Jensen, fire support officer forCompany C, Task Force 1-26, noticed alocked door behind a three-foot stack ofcinder blocks. Capt. Brian K. Coppersmith,Co. C commander, asked the Republic ofSrpska site commander to open the door.He was told entry could be gained from theopposite end of the building.

As they approached the area from theother side, Sgt. David L. Yeoman, Co. Cmedic, instantly noticed that the room washalf as wide as it should be. They returnedto the hidden door, removed the cinderblocks and requested the key.

THE MASTER KEY�The RS site com-mander dispatched a soldier to go get thekey. The soldier returned empty handed.The site commander said he could breakthe door if they wanted him to, but therewere only old beds and useless equipmentinside. Coppersmith answered that thiswould be unnecessary. He had a way toopen the door without damaging either theframe or the door. He reassured the sitecommander not to fret about the key -- onweapons storage site inspections, the BlueSpaders (Task Force 1-26) always carry a�master�. He told Pfc. Andre Danielly to re-trieve Jensen�s bolt cutters out of their HM-MWV.

ONLY SPARE PARTS�The liaisonofficer asked that Coppersmith wait for thetank battalion commander to bring the key.

The commander arrived about fifteen min-utes later. As he slowly opened the door,he explained that there was a vehicle in-side. It was different than the other vehi-cles. They just use it for spare parts.

READ YOUR BOSNIA HAND-BOOK�After opening the door, the vehi-cle inside was indeed different then mostother Serbian vehicles. Coppersmith noticedthat the vehicle seemed new. He also remem-

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

bered seeing it before in the Bosnia Hand-book � listed as an SFOR vehicle. It waspainted with high-quality, olive-drab paint,but there seemed to be more than one coat.Scratching off a bit of the top layer, he real-ized there was an underlayer of white paint.The soldiers consulted the handbook and the

vehicle matched the description of a DutchYPR-765 (a command and control fire sup-port vehicle, similar to a U.S. armored per-sonnel carrier), although mounted with a .50caliber machine gun and armored cupola onthe turret.

NO STONE UNTURNED� �We noti-fied Task Force 1-26 Battalion Headquar-ters and a M88 recovery vehicle was im-mediately put on alert.� Jensen said. Lt.Col. Robin Swan, TF 1-26 Commander, is-sued the order to �leave no stone unturned.�The Dutch YPR was then moved withoutincident to the Camp Dobol impound lotwhere it was returned to its rightful owneron March 15.

�We notified Task Force 1-26 Battalion Headquartersand a M88 recoveryvehicle was immediatelyput on alert.�

--2nd Lt. Keith L. Jensen

Spc. John P Shields Sr. and Sgt. David L. Yeoman, both of Charlie Company,examine the Dutch YPR armored personel carrier confiscated from the Serbsduring a routine weapons storage inspection recently near Zvornik. The firesupport vehicle was towed to Camp Dobol and was returned.

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

The Dutch YPR, a command and control fire support vehicle, confiscated froma Serbian weapons storage site by Company C, Task Force 1-26.

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

The Talon Friday, March 21, 1997Page 10

CAMP DOBOL--Protection usingavailable resources (dirt) has beenused since people first began hurlingrocks and bones at each other. Onemight think that with today�s highspeed technology, an easily-erected,prefabricated bunker would be devel-oped. But dirt and sand, a free andabundant building material, is every-where the Army goes.

Bunker detail means thousands ofsandbags and hours of back-break-ing work. Tear the whole thing downand put it back together again. A per-fect time to practice your escape andevasion tactics? Not so for the �BlueSpaders� of Task Force 1-26 where ev-eryone digs in to help.

Named the �Adopt-a-Bunker� pro-gram, each company at Camp Dobolis assigned a bunker to restore.Weather causes bunkers to lean, or the sandbags to disintegrate,which means frequent rebuilding must be done.

�By everyone in the Tactical Operation Center participatingin the reconstruction of our bunker, to include officers, noncom-missioned officers and enlisted soldiers, the bunker will be com-pleted sooner than expected. Everyone had the opportunity towork as a team, which made it almost enjoyable.� said Staff Sgt.Juan A. Garcia, battalion master gunner for Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, TF 1-26.

One bunker that holds approximately 40 people takes roughly7,300 sandbags. They are especially effective against indirect fire,as the dirt absorbs and disperses the shock. With two or three fullbags, a direct M-16 round can be stopped. Bunkers can also beused as a shelter in extreme weather and storms.

Starting from the roof, new bags are stacked six layers high.The wooden framework is kept in place, but all the old sandbagsare removed and emptied. After the roof, the sides are tore down.The ground must be leveled out before the walls are built up.Like Lego toys, each row of bags must overlap in different direc-

tions. One row is laid down andtamped (pounded), then aboard is placed across andtamped down again.

1st Sgt. John P. Wyche, Co.D, 1st Bn, 77th Armor, TF 1-26, explains the essential roleof bunkers in Force Protection.

�For Delta Company, wewould take our defensive fight-ing positions in our tanks if wewere to come under attack,�Wyche said. �The bunkers areactually for soldiers working inthe field of support, service sup-port or for the interpreters.�

Other force protection mea-sures include Hesco bastions(large, gray baskets filled withsand), guard duty at all gates,checkpoints, triple strands ofconcertina wire surroundingthe camp and look out towers.

Company D worked in shiftsto complete the bunkers, finish-ing them on March 17.

�I have some of the best sol-diers in the Task Force,� saidWyche. �They have workedhard since we have been hereand should be proud of whatthey have accomplished.�

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

Bunkers

Photo by 1st Lt. Tyrone Kindle

Photo by 1st Lt. Tyrone Kindle

Sgt. Kevin W. Johnson withCompany B, 9th Engineer Battalion,Task Force 1-26, hammers downsandbags to level them out duringthe recent bunker reconstruction atCamp Dobol.

Funneling sand into hundreds ofsandbags is just one part of thebunker building process.

The TalonFriday, March 21, 1997 Page 11

By Spc. Paul Hougdahl129 MPAD

Watch pigs, they�re trichi

�We want to stop before the accident siteso we�re not in the middle of the minefield,

survey the area and form a plan of action,�Eklöf said. �We then draw a zero line backfrom the mine line where only explosiveordnance disposal personnel are allowed.This is a (shaky) �safe� zone.�

After using a mine detector, if time per-mits, the dog and handler begin the pro-cess of sniffing out a safe trail to the vic-tim.

�We clear an area for the stretcher andtake the victim away,� Eklöf said. �Firstwe help the injured people, then healthypeople, then dead people and finally theequipment.

�If we�re in a rush, we send in the medicwith mine shoes (wide, air filled shoes thatdistribute a person�s weight) to stabilize thepatient,� he said. �It�s more dangerous, andhe isn�t required to go, but he hasn�t re-fused yet.�

In addition to mine removal and dispos-al missions, the platoon conducted trainingwith the 45th Medical Company at Guard-ian Base on hoist operations from a Black-hawk helicopter, training for scenarioswhere the technique might be neccesary.

�Hoist missions are more challenging.On a hoist mission, everyone has to be onthe same sheet of music,� said Staff Sgt.Kimberly K. Baker, 45th Med. Co. �If not,everyone can get tangled up. It�s verycrowded up there (in the helicopter).�

�Normal hoist missions extract patientsout of ravines, ground operations, rolledover vehicles or what have you,� said StaffSgt. Michael A. Bowie, flight medical in-structor for the 45th. �Here the idea is tohoist the team down to a safe area wherethey can go into a minefield and extractpatients out as fast as possible.

Both the Swedish and the U.S. soldiersagreed more of this training would be ben-eficial.

�In this type of theater with multi-na-tional forces, the more we work togetherthe more proficient we become,� Bowie said.�We have to rely on each other and weshould rely on each other because we�re inthis together.�

�We worked very well together. We justseemed to click,� Baker said.

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Country Connection300th MPAD InfoGraph

A truckload of meat infected with trichinosis was found by inspectors fromthe veterinary station Novi Travnik at the Arizona market, which is located inNorthern Bosnia on the Zone of Separation.

Citizens from the area often purchase their meat from this marketplace butare advised to buy meat from veterinarian stations which examine meat andvaccinate animals.

In the civilian population of Banja Luca, over 100 cases of trichinosis haveoccurred that have required hospitalization. There were also cases reported inthe Teslic and Doboj areas.

Trichinosis is a roundworm infestation that comes from eating raw or under-cooked pork. It is a common infection in many parts of the world. It is rarely seenin the United States because of strict regulations in the feeding of domesticanimals and meat processing inspections.

�All the meat and dairy products we eat comes from the Central Region. Thepeople who need to worry about it are those people who have to eat on theeconomy,� said Lt. Col. James Geiling, 1st Infantry Division Surgeon. �Avoidpork and make sure meats are fried or cooked very thoroughly.�

The disease is transferred when a human ingests pork muscle tissue thatcontains cysts, which hatch into roundworms in the human intestinal tract. Theadult roundworms produce larvae that pass through the stomach into the blood-stream and then to muscle tissue where cysts are formed.

Early symptoms are gastrointestinal cramping and diarrhea. When the larvaemigrate to the muscle they cause an inflammatory reaction producing pain, es-pecially in muscles constantly in use such as rib muscles used in breathing.During larval migration, swelling in the face and around the eyes often occurs.

There is an oral medication available to treat the disease once the larvae haveinvaded the muscles, but it may leave cysts which have already developed. Thepain can be alleviated with analgesics.

The severity of trichinosis depends on how heavily the infestation has oc-curred. While a light infestation may not even be noticeable, heavy infestationscause severe symptoms and in some extreme cases may cause heart failure.

The disease can only be obtained from infected meat and cannot be trans-ferred from human to human. Meat can also be made safe by freezing it at sub-zero temperatures for three to four weeks.

100.1 FM

The Talon Friday, March 21, 1997

Private Frank W. Kasica, loader for A18, 1st Platoon, CompanyA, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, loads a training round into the 120-mm main gun on his M1A2 Abrams tank. Photo by Spc. David Boe

Page 12

and on my sides,� said Aldridge, �I feel thatnothing can hurt me down here and if some-thing does happen, the crew up in the tur-ret, they�ll be on it.�

Two mechanics with the 9th Eng. Bn., Sgt.Gilbert Steckline and Spc. Micheal Nirk,along with the Explosive Ordinance Dis-posal [EOD] team, were first on site. TheEOD team conducted a thorough search ofthe tank for unexploded ordinance andloose rounds. They found one fuse for around and a .50-caliber round. Also, forsafety�s sake, the mechanics drained allfuel and oil from the tank to ensure no sec-ondary explosion or significant environ-mental damage would occur.

The final drives on the tank were alsodisconnected. �This eliminates the use ofthe gear box. But the tracks can still roll ifand when it needs to be towed,� said Streck-line, 29, of Reading, Pa. �I�ve done thisbefore in Saudi Arabia, but this is the firsttime for us in Bosnia.�

The turret ring, where the turret sitson the chassis and enables it to spin, wasrendered powerless. During the demoli-tion of the turret ring, the engineers ignit-ed some residual oil, as well as the insidelining of tank. This burned the driver�s compartment, destoyingall gauges and electronics.

After the fire went out, McCarthy said, the team used thermitegrenades (incendiary grendades that burn at 2000degrees fahren-

Blastfrom page 1

PEACEfrom page 5

The thermite hand grenades, placed in theturret, engine, transmission and barrel ofthe T55 Russian tank were ignitedsimultaneously using a remote hand-heldblasting machine.

Photo by Sgt. Angel Clemons

Aldridge said such firepower can eas-ily take care of any threat directed at thetank. �They can keep sending stuff at usand we�ll just keep taking them out,� hesaid. �They have nothing that can hurt us.�

The power of theAbrams came inhandy when 1st Platoon was tasked as

part of a weapons confiscation mission in Cel-ic a few months ago. Schweiger said the unitwas pumped up and ready to go, preparedfor the worst, but hoping for the best.

Unfortunately, the worst almost happenedwhen a crowd gathered to keep the U.S. sol-diers from confiscating weapons from the site.

Schweiger credits the M1A1Abrams with diffusing the con-frontation and allowing suc-cessful mission completion.

�The convoy was slowed upand they were causing someproblems,� said Schweiger.�We just moved up our M1�sand they dispersed and tookoff.�

The weapons confiscation atCelic was the result of an ear-lier inspection of the storagesite � another �Warlords� mis-sion.

�Operations Joint Endeav-or and Joint Guard are defi-nitely not conventional mis-sions for armor forces,� saidWarlords commander, Capt.Michael C. Johnson, 29. �It�ssomething we never expectedto do, but we adapted well.�

�All of these soldiers arewell trained,� he said. �Beingdeployed has real good effectson team building, on unit co-hesion, and on just learning.We�re ready for anything.�

hite.) �They will melt just about any piece of metal,� he said.One grenade in the gun tube turns into liquid plasma. This

slides down the tube, scoring the inside, destoying the rifling.TF 1-26 and the Serbians decide the fate of the tank from here.