Insid

e QUESTION IS . . . . 2SGT. MORALES . . . . 3ANYTIME . . . . . . . 4COMMO . . . . . 5DEFENDERS . . . 6-7CRUD . . . . . . 10BLACK HISTORY . . 11

Talonthe

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

Volume 3, No. 9 Friday, Februry 28, 1997

By Spc. Paul Hougdahl129th MPADCAMP COLT- �The weapons are now non-missioncapable,� said Sgt. Sam Hilton, Company A, 9th

Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Di-vision, as he examined the machineguns he had placed under the track ofan M-728 combat engineer vehicle.

Soldiers from the 519th MilitaryPolice Bn., Camp Colt, recently seized26 Russian-made M-72 machine gunsand AK47 assault rifles from a formerwarring faction�s weapon storage siteduring a routine inspection.

During the inventory, the machineguns were confiscated because theywere not on the lists compiled by theMPs during previous inspections. Ac-cording to the Dayton Peace Accord,former warring factions cannot moveweapons from site to site without writ-

ten permission. In addition, theDayton Peace Accord allows SFORto confiscate the weapons.

When a discrepancy is found dur-ing an inspection, the proper proce-dure is to examine all records fromprevious inspections to confirm thediscrepancy. In this case, the weap-ons could not be accounted for so the519th MPs decided that the ma-chine guns had been moved to thesite in a non-approved move.

Master Sgt. Donald Ward, Head-quarters and Headquarters Detach-ment, 519th MP Bn., said that the

Weapons smashed

See GUNS page 12

Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl

Sgt. Sam Hilton guides Spc. Grant Bohlen onto 26 M-72 machine guns and AK47 assault rifles confiscated from a VROweapon storage site. Both are from Company A, 9th Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.

The Talon Friday, February 28, 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:inouyer@pop1-email.5sigcmd.army.mil. Printed by PrintComTuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Circulation: 4,500.

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. GeddesFeatures Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. LaVonna A. Rohloff1st Infantry Division PA NCOIC . . . . . . . . . Sgt. Gregory W. BinfordTranslator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arijana SabanovicIllustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sgt. Corwin L. Reed

LAYING DOWN THE LAWS

T he unsungheroes of thismission are our

family members. Theyare the keys both tothis deployment andany future ones. Fami-ly support is important� we have learned thislesson through the ex-periences of past deployments.

The letters and packages senthere from friends and loved onesback home mean so much when theyarrive. The �to any soldier� notesand letters carry a special messageas well. All will brighten any day.Everyone looks forward to mail call.It is one of the biggest morale fac-tors here, and for those receivingmail, quite likely the highlight oftheir day.

Family members wait for mailand phone calls as much as thetroops here do. A friendly voice is

If you throw a cat out a car windowdoes it become kitty litter?

If corn oil comes from corn, wheredoes baby oil come from?

If you shoot a mime, should youuse a silencer?

When a cow laughs does milkcome up its nose?

Why do they put Braille on thenumber pads of drive-through bankmachines?

How did a fool and his money GETtogether?

If nothing sticks to Teflon, how dothey stick Teflon on the pan?

How do they get a deer to cross atthat yellow road sign?

If it�s tourist season, why can�t we shoot them?

What�s another word for thesaurus?

Why do they sterilize the needles for lethalinjections?

What do they use to ship Styrofoam?

Why is abbreviation such a long word?

Do they have reserved parking for non-hand-icap people at the Special Olympics?

Why is there an expiration date on my sourcream container?

Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

How do you know when it�s time to tune yourbagpipes?

Is it true that cannibals don�t eat clowns be-cause they taste funny?

When you choke a smurf, what color does itturn?

Does fuzzy logic tickle?

The

ques

tion

is... always good to hear, and the

phone is a quick way to keepin touch, but keep in mind, theminutes add up to dollars.

The SFOR mission pushesat a fast pace and is demand-ing on the time and energy ofall of the personnel deployedhere. Regardless, we shouldnever get too busy to write or

make contact with loved ones.Family support groups play an

important part in deployment. Wemust keep in mind that it is equallyhard on those loved ones left at homeas it is on the sailors, soldiers, air-men, Marines and civilians here.Family support does an outstandingjob; their efforts are appreciated.

To all of the family members whoread this column, on behalf of thetask force, I�d like to say �thanks forthe support.�-- Command Sgt. Maj. James W.Laws, 1st Infantry Division (forward)

Maintenance of vehicles is important in accomplishing ourSFOR mission. There are some inherent hazards in main-tenance operations, such as battery acid.

High concentrations of acid mist cause eye and skin irritations,teeth erosion, mouth soreness, and breathing difficulties. Contactwith diluted acid irritates skin, eyes, and may cause irreparable cor-neal damage, blindness, and facial scarring.

Safety tips when handling battery acid include; wear protectivegloves and eye goggles; wear long sleeves; wear acid-resistant apron;wear boots and overshoes; wear trousers over boots; always washthoroughly after handling battery acid; always have eyewash foun-tain bottle available; do not store battery acid in metal containers;do not stack containers over three high; store in dry, cool, and wellventilated area with drainage.

Should an accident occur, the following emergency actions shouldbe taken. If acid contacts the eyes, immediately flush with water forat least 15 minutes. If acid contacts the skin, remove contaminatedclothing, wash with soap and water. If acid is inhaled, get fresh airand give oxygen. In all cases where acid contacts the body, see a doc-tor immediately. If there is an acid spill, zone off (dike) contaminatedarea and neutralize the spill with lime. All collected material shouldbe disposed of as hazardous waste.

By Lt. Col. Troy Vincent, Division Safety Officer

BATTERY ACID

The TalonFriday, Februry 28, 1997 Page 3

News briefs

How much does a M16A2 rifle witha loaded clip weigh? What is sig-nificant about Madeline Albright?

Can you sing the 1st Infantry DivisionSong? Grilled by these questions and doz-ens more, soldiers from Task Force Eaglesuccessfully withstood the grueling andthorough interrogation.

A Sergeant Morales membership is aunique reward for remarkable noncommis-sioned officers whose leadership achieve-ments deserve special recognition. Mem-bers exemplify an outstanding leader,shown by a personal regard for the needs,training, improve-ment and welfare oftheirsoldiers.

T h i s a c h i e v e -ment is put in thesoldier�s 201 file.

Staff Sgt. AngelaFitzhugh, Head-quarters and Head-quarters Company,9th Engineer Bat-talion, 1st InfantryDivision, has a dou-ble reason to celebrate this accomplish-ment. She is the only female from the 1st

Infantry Division to pass the board sincethe unit was reflagged. For Fitzhugh pass-ing the boards isn�t an end, but a begin-ning.

�I feel it�s a great accomplishment, andI hope to mentor other female noncommis-sioned officers to follow in my footsteps,�Fitzhugh said.

The Sergeant Morales Club is a com-mand program in USAREUR designed toincrease combat readiness by strengthen-ing the noncommissioned officer corps

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPADSpc. Gary Bailey129MPAD

through the continuing improvement ofNCO quality, morale, performance and po-tential. Gen. George S. Blanchard, 5thCorps Commander, developed the conceptand fictitious name in 1973 to bring prideand esteem back to the NCO Corps thatwas in decline after Vietnam. The SergeantMorales Club is the European equivalentof the Audi Murphy Club in the U.S.

SMC membership is a way of recogniz-ing NCOs who have contributed significant-ly to developing a professional NCO corpsand a combat effective Army. Master Sgt.Joseph M Timm, 720th Military Police Bat-talion, has several success stories as a su-pervisor to candidates. �They need to bewilling to burn the midnight oil to preparein order to achieve the goal. Soldiers freezeor make mistakes during the board, but it�s

how the soldier re-covers that is im-portant.�

C o r p o r a l sthrough sergeantsfirst class from anymilitary occupa-tional specialty areeligible for candida-cy if they are recom-mended by theirchain of commandand directly super-

vise at least two soldiers. Once a member,the soldier is a member for life.

(Albright, the secretary of state, is thehighest ranking woman in a governmentposition so far, the M16A2 with clip weighsapproximately 7.8 pounds and the songgoes like this:

Toast of the Army, favorite son, hail tothe brave Big Red One! Always the first tothirst for a fight, no foe shall challenge ourright to victory. We take the field, a grandsight to see, pride of the Infantry. Men of agreat division, courage is our tradition,Forward! Big Red One!)

Soldiers grilled; Well doneMine action center

The mine action center asks sol-diers to pass on the message ofmine awareness by submitting mineawareness tips to the MAC. Thebest tips will be published. Follow-ing are some examples of mine tips:1. Just because there are no signs;doesn�t mean there are no mines.2. Your next step may be your last;look before you hear a blast.

Submit all tips to the MAC. Stopby or call Staff Sgt. Rodriguez atMSE 551-3480.

Reunion briefingsIt is important for all Task Force

Eagle soldiers to prepare for theirreunion with loved ones. TFE unitministry teams are conducting re-union briefs for soldiers of their unit/base camp. All soldiers are requiredto receive the briefing prior to re-turning to home station. The TFEchaplain asks that as many soldiersas possible receive the brief beforedeparting their base camp. Formore information contact yourchaplain or TFE chaplain at eitherMSE 553-3664, IPN 7174 or Teleda-ta 2888 ext. 123.

New Sgt. Morales membersStaff Sgt. Patrich W. Bean, Bat-

tery A, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artil-lery; Staff Sgt. Michael A. Bowie,45th Medical Company; Sgt. Ian P.Bush, Company B, 3rd Air DefenseArtillery; Staff Sgt. John C. Collins,Company A, 9th Engineer Bn.; Sgt.Christopher Curry, Headquartersand Headquarters Company, 1stBn., 26th Infantry; Sgt. Angela S.Fitzhugh, HHC, 9th Eng. Bn.; StaffSgt. James Franklin, Troop D, 2ndBn., 6th Cavalry; Staff Sgt. JasonE. Fritz, Company B, 9th EngineerBn.; Sgt. Robert C. Hammett, HHB,4th Bn., 3rd ADA; Staff Sgt. BernardC. Howard Jr., HHT, 6th Cav.; Sgt.Warren J. Hutchinson, HHC, 9thEng. Bn.; Sgt. Thomas D. Jagielski,HHB, 4th Bn., 3rd ADA; Sgt. 1stClass James R. Kiehl Jr., 4th Bat-talion, 3rd ADA; Staff Sgt. JamesMoudy, HHC, 11th Aviation Regi-ment; Sgt. John W. Salley, Compa-ny B, 299th FSB; Staff Sgt. Eric B.Stewart, Company A, 7th Bn., 159thAvn. Regt.

Improved TFE HomepageCheck out the latest changes to

the official Task Force Eagle home-page at:

http://www.1id.army.mil.

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

From left, Command Sgt. Maj. Ivan Castillo, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery,Command Sgt. Major Dave Gates, 1st Infantry Division, and Command Sgt.Maj. Robert Fox, 4th Bn., 3rd ADA -- an imposing board to stand before.

�They need to be willingto burn the midnight oil toprepare in order to

achieve the goal.�

--- Master Sgt. Joseph M. Timm

The Talon Friday, February 28, 1997Page 4

The versatile soldiers of Company B, 9th Engineer Battalion., Task Force 1-26 are often said to be the multi-pliertool of the Army. They are able to perform numerous tasks

anywhere at any time.During the Brcko Arbitration, the Combat Engineers primary

mission at TF 1-26 Forward Operations Base provided surviv-ability for Recon and Support teams out of Camp Dobol. Thetactical importance of the FOB reduced time to target if TF 1-18from Camp McGovern were in need of reinforcement. Located ata key intersection, the position could also control traffic flow head-ed towards Brcko in case of conflict.

�For the Engineers, mobility, counter mobility and survivabil-ity are our meat and potatoes,� said 1st Squad Leader Staff Sgt.Jay C. Quicksall of 2nd Platoon, Company B, 9th Engineer Bn.which is based in Schwienfurt, Germany.

The initial fortifications of the FOB are in place to standardwithin 24 hours. �However, with every defensive position, youare never done. There are constant upgrades that can be addedto make it better,� said Quicksall. The number one priority is theperimeter, which doesn�t only detour uninvited visitors. �It letspeople know that when they cross our line, they are subject to ourterms, which are not negotiable.�

The thaw of spring marks a considerable shift in TF 1-26 En-

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

gineers area of responsibility. They will change their focus frombunker destruction and force protection to supervising the formerwarring faction who continue to uproot their fatal minefields.According to Capt. Paul B. Olsen, Company B commander, 9thEng. Bn., TF 1-26, this means thousands of additional mines re-moved from the ground.

�Pulling out the mines means that fewer kids may lose theirlegs or lives,� said 1st Lt. Rob M. McCarthy, Company B execu-tive officer. �And because we have gathered the schedules of thefactions� plans, the transition period will be shortened as we re-deploy and the next group of engineers rotate in. We are able tohand them the schedule so they can easily monitor their progress.�McCarthy is from Wheaton, Ill.

Recently, Lt.Col Robin Swan, commander of TF 1-26, honoredthe leadership of Second Platoon by presenting them Blue Spad-er Coins. This commemorates effective troop leadership in plac-ing tactical and protective obstacles over a sustained period oftime during demanding conditions.

�For most of my squad, this is their first deployment. Manyissues have been worked out here in Bosnia. I�m happy that Iwas given a chance to train some new soldiers in this environ-ment. It is a great opportunity to participate in Operation JointGuard,� said Quicksall. �Anywhere in the world, the CombatEngineers, especially 2nd Platoon, Bravo, lives by our motto: �Es-sayons� meaning �Let Us Try.�

Anytime, Anywhere

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

Sgt. Paul R. Smith, 2ndPlatoon, Company B,9th Eng. Bn., constructsthe perimeter at theForward OperationsBase of TF 1-26 duringthe Brcko Arbitration.

The TalonFriday, Februry 28, 1997 Page 5

Staff Sgt. Miguel A. Cabrera, 31, shop foreman for commo platoon, HHC, 1-18 Inf., tries to get better reception on a SINCGARS Ground Combat NetRadio in the TOC during a snow storm at McGovern Base.

Photo by Spc. David Boe

MCGOVERN BASE -- They may talk aboutus, but they can�t talk without us!

It may be a funny saying in Army com-munications, but Staff Sgt. Miguel A. Ca-brera wasn�t smiling when he was awak-ened at 4 a.m., Feb. 19 with a serious prob-lem.

Cabrera, the shop foreman in Task Force1-18�s commo platoon was confronted witha task force-wide communications break-down. Systems were crashing everywhere,and to make matters worse, a heavy snowfront had descended over McGovern Base--the Tactical Operations Center�s �funmeter� was in the red, which was not good.

�Once this front came in last night itwreaked havoc with our communicationsystems,� said Cabrera, a native of Phila-delphia. �Communications had graduallydecreased through the night as the snowaccumulated.�

Cabrera, along with the rest of his pla-toon and the battalion�s radio transmitteroperators, started troubleshooting theproblem, beginning at the lowest levels, or�subscribers,� as Cabrera calls them.

�It�s a drawn-out process,� said Cabrera.�You have to start with the smallest bat-tery and work your way up to the tip of theantenna.�

After swapping out and moving anten-nas, re-shooting azimuths, and conductinga collective �mind-meld� among communi-cation elements, they had eliminated mostof the problems and the task force was ableto continue its missions.

For the 12-year veteran, it was just an-other day in the world of Army communi-cations. �Inevitably there WILL be inter-ference,� said Carbrera. The idea, he said,is to have the experience and skills to iden-tify the interference without �gremlins.�

�There�s a saying,� said Cabrera. ��Wehave gremlins, sir, we have gremlins!� It�sanother way of telling your commander,�Sir, I have NO idea what�s going on!��

Cabrera doesn�t like gremlins, which iswhy he sometimes spends more than 18hours a day checking and re-checking sys-tems. �It�s a 24-hour operation,� said Ca-brera. �That�s not a problem for us; that�sour job. This is what we came in for.�

Cabrera�s platoon leader, 1st Lt. Tho-mas P.F. Moran, agrees. �Stuff breaks,� hesaid. �Anybody that has a problem, 24-hours-a-day, they can come and get me.�

Moran said his platoon�s mission atMcGovern is to provide tactical and com-mercial communications to the task force,advise commanders on signal matters andprovide direct support for repairs.

�Basically that means we keep up theFM radio networks, tactical satellite net-

works, all of the computer networks andtelephones,� said Moran. �Everything thathas electricity running through it is ourresponsibility. It�s a never ending cycle.�

Because of this, the Fairport, N.Y. na-tive�s office, located on the second floor ofthe task force motor pool, doubles as hissleeping quarters. On the door is a signthat says, �WARNING: Do not approachdoor, wild SIGO inside.� Inside, on theright, is Moran�s cot, directly underneatha mortar hole in the ceiling, which, saidMoran, is his �skylight.� On the left is his

work station � a green folding table with acomputer on top, complete with a MontyPython montage screen saver. On the wallis an X-Files calendar. �That�s an alienhybrid,� said Moran, flipping through themonths. �There�s Muldar � I thought therewas a Scully back here � there � she�sdrawing on somebody � Scuuully!�

Moran loves X-Files. �Roger. I live forit,� he said. �I haven�t been able to watch it

for the past several months.� Unlike Ca-brera, Moran doesn�t find gremlins in thesystem, but rather something along thelines of the cult T.V. show. �There are a lotof parallels in the strange phenomenon thathappens to FM and the phones, strangeunexplained occurrences,� said Moran.�You just never know some days, but thetruth is out there.�

Moran said freak events like snowstorms are part of the communicationsfield.

�I�ve had several of our telephone poleswrapped around trucks,� he said. �That�salways exciting, because one afternoonyou�ll be sitting there thinking you�re get-ting ahead of the game and suddenly some-one will call you and tell you someone justmowed down a couple of telephone polesand you have to go re-string everything.

�It�s a big challenge for us in signal,� hesaid.

Moran said, that along with the chal-lenges come rewards with working in afield that is rapidly expanding.

�Technology in the Army has blossomedat an exponential rate,� said Moran. �Andnow we�re looking at the Force 21 packagewhere everything is digitized and tied inand information is flowing freely aroundthe battlefield so commanders know exactlywhat�s going on with their troops on theground.�

Two of Moran�s soldiers, Cpl. Will A.

By Spc. David Boe364MPAD

Operator, I�ve been cut off

See COMMO page 12

�It�s a 24-hour operation.That�s not a problem for

us; that�s our job.�

--- Staff Sgt. Miguel A. Cabrera

The Talon Friday, February 28, 1997Page 6

From top left, clockwise A Russian paratrooper jumpsbackward out of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter... MilitaryFreefall Jumpmaster Command Sgt. Maj. Glen Nickelsignals one minute til jump time to the Russianparatroopers... Nickel and Capt. Jose Gabilondo, liaisonofficer to the Russian Brigade, go over hand signals andcommunication planning with the Russian paratroopers.

Story by 1st Lt. Robert M. Inouye364th MPADPhotos by Spc. Tracey L. Hall-Leahy55th Signal Company (Combat Camera)

The TalonFriday, Februry 28, 1997 Page 7

Day of theDefenders

UGLJEVIK, Bosnia-Herzegovina�On Sunday theRussian Brigade celebrated their Armed Forces Daywith help from a U.S. Army helicopter crew.

Known as the Day of the Defenders of the Fa-therland, Feb. 23 is a day that celebrates the Rus-sian military forces history. Activities were highlight-ed by Russian airborne paratroopers freefalling 5,000feet from a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

�It was great working with the Americans. Thehelicopter was great,� said Warrant Officer SergeyFedulov, a 20-year veteran of the Russian army.

Language barriers and safety were big concernsfor the flight crew, but with the help of Capt. JoseGabilondo, liaison officer attached to the RussianBridade, and Military Freefall Jumpmasters Com-mand Sgt. Maj. Glen Nickel and Sgt. 1st Class Micha-el Townsend, both of 3rd Battalion, 10th SpecialForces Group, those concerns were overcome. Ga-bilondo translated while Nickels and Townsendworked on hand signals so the crew and paratroop-ers understood each other.

�Having Russian soldiers jump from an Ameri-can aircraft was unique for me,� said Chief WarrantOfficer Paul Marr, Company B, 2-1 Aviation, pilotof the helicopter the Russians jumped from. �Work-ing with their military has also been a unique op-portunity. It�s interesting to meet them as people,learning how they train and how they do business.They are very professional.�

The Talon Friday, February 28, 1997Page 8

Photo by Turkish Army Maj. Ali Demirel

ZENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Soldiers from the Turkish Bri-gade recently supplied citizens of Zenica with writing sup-plies, food and warm clothing.

Along with maintaining the stabilization force mission,members of the Turkish Brigade have helped displaced refu-gees of the civil war with basic needs.

Currently, more than 1,600 packages of food, 89,835 piec-es of various writing supplies and 2,358 articles of clothinghave been delivered to 1,172 displaced people living in sixrefugee camps in the Turkish Brigade�s area of responsibili-ty. The camps include Arnauti, Kasina 1, Kasina 3, Kasina5, Djacki Dom, Gp Bosnia, Babino Pilje, Putovici and Mos-canica.

In addition to helping refugees, the soldiers distributed sup-plies to childeren at the Martyr�s Elementary School in Zenica.

Turkish soldiers assist war refugees

By Staff Sgt. Vonny Rohloff364MPAD

�The government computer isgovernment property and is

intended for offical use only�

------ John Kotsay

New equipment-same rulesArmy communication systems have ad-

vanced far beyond the days when a scoutwould ride on a horse between camps witha message rolled up in his saddle bags, run-ning enemy lines to bring news from oneunit to another.

Today that same Army scout that trav-eled through minefields, enemy forces andbad weather must now be aware of the haz-ards of electronic communications. Thosehazards include misuse of gov-ernment property and informa-tion security violations.

�The government computeris government property and isintended for official use only,�said John Kotsay, network man-ager and systems administratorat Eagle Base, �It is like a HM-MWV, you don�t take it anddrive to the grocery store.�

Soldiers using computersduring off-duty time to surf theweb or send messages home need to knowthat what they view or send and receive issubject to monitoring by the 5th SignalCommand. Personal use of e-mail is re-stricted, and must be during non-duty time,such as after work or on breaks. Govern-ment computers or other equipment maynot be used to send receive, view or down-load pornographic material, or any othermaterial which would reflect adversely onthe government. In other words, use mustbe within the bounds of good taste. Person-nel who attempt to get as close to the lineas possible do so at the risk of prosecution.

�Give someone an inch and they take amile,� said Kotsay, a Department of Armycivilian with the 102nd Signal Battalion,

5th Signal Command. Many people arenot aware or have not thought throughwhat is official use and what guidelinespertain to unofficial use.

One of Kotsay�s daily duties is to moni-tor the e-mail host in Bosnia. Currentlythere are approximately 900 customers.Kotsay, deals with daily changes in e-mailaccounts. If a person is no longer using anaccount or receives a large file, Kotsaychecks for the reason. Accounts unusedfor 30 days are removed from the system.

�I look over the system for problems and

look for large accumulations,� he said. Alarge amount would be a mail box withmore than one megabyte, or one millioncharacters. A photograph could be a mega-byte or more depending on size or resolu-tion. An average letter of one to two pagesof e-mail is about four to eight thousandcharacters. Photographs and pictures arelarge files and cause concern because oftheir size. They tie up the hard drive andslow down message traffic for everyone. �Amessage may have to wait,� Kotsay said.

Some soldiers receive pornographic pho-tos through e-mail, but because the com-puters are government property viewingthe photos are considered misuse of gov-ernment property and are punishable un-

der the Uniform Code of Military Justice.�Porno is not professional,� said Kotsay. �Itmakes us look bad and reflects on all of us.�In addition, there are some degrees of por-nography that are illegal, such as child por-nography.

If a soldier receives pornographic or in-appropriate e-mail, they should delete thefiles and report it to the system adminis-trator. It would be advisable to inform thesender not to send this type of material inthe future.

Another risk that computer users needto be aware of is sharing informa-tion or e-mail addresses that mayget into the hands of hackers.According to Kotsay, hackersbreak into computer systems forfun or a challenge. Others may trybecause they once had e-mail withthe military and after a move can�tget a new account. Hackers wouldhave a difficult time with the sys-tem in Bosnia. �We have a spe-cial software program that sayswhat host can login,� Kotsay said.

�We have a strong security program.�Most of the computer systems within

Bosnia are unclassified. The informationon them may not be classified, such asname and social security number, howev-er that information is sensitive to publicdistribution. Other information such asunit strength, troop movements and oper-ations is classified depending on how it isused. Soldiers should not share classifiedinformation with family and friends.

Today�s high tech communications sys-tem keeps soldiers linked, but the hazardsare out there, so be cautious what you sendand receive over the new internet highway.These hazards may not kill you -- but theycould cost you your military career.

By Turkish Air Force Maj. Sevinsel Hasan PAO

The TalonFriday, Februry 28, 1997 Page 9

It was a long, exhaustive and potentially dangerous day, and in the end ashackle was blown up.For Capt. Charles H. Klinge, command-

er of Company A, 9th Engineer Battalion,it was an enjoyable and successful day.

It all started a few weeks earlier whenthey realized a need for a lateral vehiclebypass between routes Kansas and Mis-souri a few miles south of Brcko.

�The only good routes we have to traveleast and west are up in the city of Brcko,or down about six or seven kilometerswhere it gets close to the Russian brigadesector,� said Klinge, a native of Crofton,Md. �The city is very congested, so tryingto move armored vehicles through there isa slow process, and moving all the waydown to the Russian sector just increasesour response time.�

The solution: the Dr. Pepper bypass, atwo-kilometer road outside the village ofOmerbegovaca that allows travel withoutgoing through Brcko or farther south.

The problem: A mine strike on the roadkilled one civilian and wounded anotheron Dec. 20. The road was given a �red� re-stricted status.

�Normally if there is a minefield we co-ordinate with whatever faction put themines in,� said Klinge. �In this case therewas no mine record of the locations � andbased on operation requirement to get thatroad open we made the decision to do it.�

So, Company A, was tasked with clear-ing the Dr. Pepper bypass.

�We needed to move laterally in thatsector,� said Klinge. �Based on safety pre-cautions we could take and preparationswe could do, we said we could do this mis-sion with low risk. It�s a high-risk situa-tion, but we reduced the risk by planning.�

By Jan. 22 the company received theequipment and training it needed to accom-plish the mission, including a mini-flail, asmall remote-controlled vehicle used indetonating anti-personnel mines � the typesuspected of infesting the road.

On Feb. 4, the company moved out inthe early morning to Dr. Pepper bypass.

The weather, while chilly, was clear,which was lucky for the engineers, whoKlinge said would not have attempted aclearing with snow on the ground.

Two obstacles had to be bridged in or-der to reach Dr. Pepper: a culvert thatKlinge said he didn�t want to damage, anda rickety structure nicknamed �booby-trapbridge spanning a small creek.

Once across them, it was a matter of

By Spc. David Boe364MPAD

Engineersshackled

clearing a maneuver area with the miniflail, then bringing up a 60-ton remote con-trolled anti-tank mine detector called thePanther (an M-60 tank minus the turret)to clear the remaining length of road. ThePanther would be controlled from the com-pany�s Combat Engineer Vehicle. Klinge,in his command vehicle, an M-113, wouldfollow behind the CEV. At this point, saidKlinge, they had done the normal planning.

�But the biggest thing we did was say,�OK, we have remote-controlled equipment,and when we get to where we�re definitelyin the mine-strike area, we�re going to max-imize the range the remote-control frequen-cies will work,� said Klinge. �About all anti-personnel mines have a blast radius ofabout 50 meters, so I made sure we wereoutside that radius. We also had our peo-ple in armored vehicles so if something didhappen we would be protected.�

To his relief nothing happened �sort of.After advancing through the bombed-

out village of Cadavac, the engineers werejoined by Lt. Col. Stephen Layfield, com-mander, Task Force 1-18, McGovern Base,who�s convoy came up on the road cleared

Cpl. Aaron P. Johnson,Company A, 9th EngineerBattalion, operates theremote control for thePanther mine clearer, whileSgt. Robert F. Shorter,commander of the CEV,observes the Panther'smovement via a smallvideo screen.

Photo by Spc. David Boe

by the Panther. Soon after, they foundsomething sticking out of a pool of mud.

�When we thought we had encountereda mine near the end of the route, they (ad-ditional engineers) came forward and puta charge on it and blew it up,� said Klinge.�My opinion on mines is better safe thansorry. If we think it�s a mine we just de-stroy it and come back later to figure outwhat it was.�

It turned out the object was not a mine.�It was a fairly large shackle,� said Klinge.�And we effectively blew it up.�

While no mines were discovered, Klingesaid the mission had been accomplished,deliberately and safely.

�When you are doing these missions youneed to be thorough,� said Klinge. �Lt. Col.Layfield always says, �Don�t rush to fail-ure,� and for engineers that�s a perfect mot-to out here.�

Sgt. Robert F. Shorter, from Oxen Hill,Md., who commanded the CEV on the mis-sion, agreed. �We made sure each area wascovered,� said Shorter. �If there were minesout there we would have hit one with themini flail or Panther.�

The Talon Friday, February 28, 1997Page 10

Coping with �Bosnian Crud�

EAGLE BASE -- Almost everyone gets it eventually,usually during the first few weeks after arriving in-country. It comes creeping when they least expect it.Just when they thought they would learn to live incountry, �Bosnian Crud� hits, making soldiers misera-ble and sending them to sick call.

It�s not surprising that many soldiers become sickin the cold and wet environment of Bosnia-Herzegovi-na. The majority of sick call reports at the Tuzla Mainaid station are due to upper respiratory problems.

�Pretty much on a daily basis we see a lot of com-mon colds, upper respiratory, bronchial infections andsinus things. A lot of the cases we see are referred toas the �Bosnian Crud,� said medical specialist JeffSimkins. He is a member of Headquarters and Head-quarters Battery 1st Battalion 7th Field Artillery .�Itsnothing more than a simple cold, but it can really wreakhavoc on someone�s body. We see a lot of it here andhopefully we can make people feel better,� he said.

The symptoms of the crud are mild fever, sinus congestion alongwith headaches and a sore throat in the morning that tapers offduring the day and general fatigue with a hacking cough.

Physician�s Assistant 1st Lt. Shane F. Spears, Headquartersand Headquarters Battery, 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artil-lery, recommends several preventive measures to avoid the dread-ed crud:

· Eat healthy.· Drink enough fluids. Coffee, tea or soda does not fill the

gap. Soldiers need to make sure they drink lots of waterand juices.

· Exercise regularly.· Soldiers should properly use the cold weather protective

gear they are issued.· Use the head to foot sleeping arrangements in tents.

EAGLE BASE -- There is danger lurkingout there. It is lying in wait around themess halls, pizza parlor and snack bars;everywhere soldiers eat. The enemy is highfat and high cholesterol. And these contrib-ute to heart disease, the number one killerin America.

Maj. Jill E. McCoy, registered dietitianfrom the surgeons office, 1st MedicalGroup, Tazar, Hungary, presented classesat Eagle Base, Blue Factory and GuardianBase on cholesterol, fat and nutrition.

Fat is important to our bodies to pro-mote good health, however, too much fat,high cholesterol or the wrong kind of cho-lesterol can lead to clogged arteries andheart disease.

How much fat is too much? The Amwer-ican Heart Association�s guideline is nomore than 30 percent of total calories per

By Pvt. Wendy R. Tokach129th MPAD

· Wash hands frequently to avoid the spread of germs.�Every place has their own strain of virus,� Simkins said. �I

think basically what�s happening is soldiers aren�t climitizingthemselves to the environment all that quickly. It usually takes20 to 30 days for your body to adjust. That in-between period seemsto be where everyone is picking up the virus. It�s nothing seriousjust basically your common cold.�

By sticking to the preventive measures soldiers can avoid thevirus and stay healthy. Soldiers are also reminded to have theirillness checked out, because if not cared for, the symptoms mayget worse.

�If soldiers come down with the crud they need to be takingsome Tylenol to keep headaches and fever down; double or tripletheir fluid intake and get as much rest as they can,� Simpkinssaid. �The best advice is just to pay attention to what your bodyis telling you.�

Beware the enemy:Fat

1st Lt. Shane F. Spears demonstrates one of the methods used tocheck for the Bosnian Crud

Photo by Pvt. Wendy R. Tokach

day should be fat. McCoy said an easy wayto compute the number of grams of fatneeded each day is to divide your ideal bodyweight by two. If ideal body weight is 130pounds, divided by two equals 65 grams offat.

Cholesterol, a fat like substance foundonly in animal products, is also manufac-tured by the human body. �Fat and choles-terol are two separate things,� said McCoy.�We can see fat in our diet.� Cholesterolalso comes from food or it can be made inthe body but we can�t see it. Cholesterol isin every cell membrane of the body and inthe nerve endings. It is also a buildingblock to hormones including testosterone.Fat is important, but one must choose andeat the healthy kind of fat in the properamount for our body said McCoy.

The AHA recommends about 300 milli-grams of cholesterol per day. Studies re-veal the average soldier sometimes con-

sumes as much as 780 to 850 mg per day.An ounce of red meat contains about 25 mgof cholesterol and an average serving isthree to four ounces so in one serving, asoldier could consume one third of the dai-ly recommended amount of cholesterol.However, an egg contains approximately250mg of cholesterol so an omelet wouldbe double that amount.

An active soldier eating breakfast con-sisting of an omelet, sliced potatoes, bacon,French toast with syrup, grits, a roll, or-ange juice and milk consumes approxi-mately 911 mg of cholesterol and 144 gramsof fat with 39 grams of that fat being satu-rated fat.

�The best way to lower cholesterol isthrough diet and exercise,� McCoy said.Eating healthy foods; a variety of fruits andvegetables, whole grains and high fiberfoods and low fat is important. Focus onthe pyramid food guide, a healthy guide foreating. �Moderation is the key,� she said.

By Staff Sgt. Vonny Rohloff364th MPAD

The TalonFriday, Februry 28, 1997

Reed This By Sgt. Corwin L. Reed

Page 11

As Black History Month draws to a close,here is a short quiz to test how much youreally know about black history. Answersare at the end of the quiz -- but don�t cheat.

1. Who was the first person to die in theAmerican Revolutionary War in 1770?

a. Dred Scottb. Crispus Attucksc. William Grant Stilld. Prince Hall

2. Who is called the father of Black Histo-ry Month?

a. George Washington Carverb. W.E.B. DuBoisc. Carter G. Woodsond. Sojourner Truth

3. Elijah McCoy was a noted:a. Pilotb. Athletec. Inventord. Singer

4. W.E.B. DuBois was which of these:a. Scholarb. Authorc. A founder of the NAACPd. All of the above

5. The Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycottbegan in December of what year?

a. 1945b. 1950c. 1955d. 1965

6. Who was the catalyst of the Montgom-ery Bus Boycott?

a. Autherine J. Lucyb. Jesse Jacksonc. Rosa Parksd. Mary McLeod Bethune

7. When was the Urban League founded?a. 1910b. 1911c. 1921d. 1932

8. Who was the first African-Americanawarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

a. Ralph Bunchb. Gwendolyn Brooksc. Martin Luther King Jr.d. Roy Wilkins

9. Who performed the world�s first success-ful open heart surgery on July 9, 1893?

a. Dr. Charles Drewb. P.B.S. Pinchbackc. Dr. Daniel Hale Williamsd. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune

10. Who was the first man to reach theNorth Pole?

a. Matthew Hensonb. Lt. Col. Guidon S. Bluford Jr.c. Marcus Garveyd. James Weldon Johnson

11. Who was the first African-American towin a Pulitzer Prize?

a. Edith Sampsonb. Gwendolyn S. Kingc. Gwendolyn Brooksd. Maggie Lena Walker

12. L. Douglas Wilder, the first African-American elected governor, served whatstate?

a. Georgiab. North Carolinac. Virginiad. New Hampshire

13. Who was the first African-Americanplayer to enter baseball�s AmericanLeague?

a. Jackie Robinsonb. Larry Dobyc. Satchel Paiged. Willie Mays

14. Langston Hughes was a noted:a. Playwrightb. Authorc. Poetd. All of the above

15. The first African-American in the

Answers: 1)b, 2)c, 3)c, 4)d, 5)c, 6)c, 7)a,8)a, 9)c, 10)a, 11)c. 12)c, 13)b, 14)d, 15)b16)c, 17)b, 18)c, 19)b, 20)a, 21)b, 22)c

House of Representatives was:a. Adam Clayton Powellb. Joseph H. Raineyc. Shirley Chisholm

16. The first African-American judge was:a. William Hastieb. Clarence Thomasc. Jonathan Jasper Wright

17. The first African-American who wasnamed to the U.S. Supreme Court was:

a. Claence Thomasb. Thurgood Marshallc. Constance Baker Motley

18. What was the name of the first Afri-can-American newspaper?

a. The Atlanta Daily Worldb. Chicago Defenderc. Freedom�s Journal

19. Who was the first African-Americansenator?

a. Edward Brooksb. Hiram R. Revelsc. Frederick Douglas

20. Was there ever an observation calledNegro History Week?

a. Yesb. No

21. The first African-American womannominated for an Academy Award in thecategory of Best Actress was:

a. Diahann Carrollb. Hattie McDanielc. Whoopi Goldbergd. Dorthy Dandridge

22. Who was the first African-Americannamed to the cabinet of U.S. president?

a. Ronald H. Brownb. Mike Espyc. Robert Weaver

What have you learned?

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1500-1800 Top 40

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1500-1800 Top 40

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0800-1200 Oldies (50�s-60�s)

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Coffee: Fuel for the force

The Talon Friday, February 28, 1997Page 12

task force has conducted more than 200 ofthese inspections since arriving sevenmonths ago, and it is unusual to confiscateweapons. �They are so unorganized and arein the process of reorganizing so we try toresolve why there is a discrepancy beforethe weapons are taken,� said Ward.

Once the weapons are seized, the formerwarring faction is given the opportunity toappeal the decision. In this case, an ap-

peal was made, was denied by SFOR offi-cials, and the weapons were destroyed.

The task of destroying these weaponswas given to members of Company A, 9thEng. Bn., 1st I.D., who drove over themwith the track of a combat engineer vehi-cle and smashed them with the blade onthe front of the vehicle.

�It was like taking a part of history fromthe former warring factions,� said Spc.Shawn Seals, equipment operator for Com-pany A. �They (the weapons) were proba-bly used during the war. We also destroyedsomething that kills.�

The destroyed weapons will be storedat Camp Colt and the VRS officials theweapons were seized from will be given theopportunity to pick them up. If not claimedwithin 14 days, the destroyed weapons willgo to Camp McGovern where they will be-come scrap metal.

GUNSfrom page 1

Carter and Spc. Ralph T. Brady have both noticed the changes inthe Army�s communications since enlisting.

�The military has changed a lot,� said Brady, a native of Edge-water, Md. �Everything we do now is high speed. The Army iskeeping itself technologically up to date.�

Moran said it was technology in the first place that got himhooked on signal back in 1986.

�At Fort Bragg at advance camp, it was about 105 degrees oneday, just sweltering,� he said. �The signal guys had air condition-ing in their shelters so I spent a lot of time in the signal sectionlistening to what they had to say.�

Moran said he liked what he heard. �Plus, signal is all overthe world so there are plenty of duty assignments,� he said. �Also,I can make a phone call whenever I want.�

Not that working in telecommunications doesn�t have its down-sides. �I�ve been shocked so many times picking up a LAN (LocalArea Network),� said Moran. �Someone will plug it in while I�m

working on it and I get a good 220 volts running through me.That�s always good to wake you up in the morning.�

Moran said it�s been an ongoing battle with the LAN ever sincehe arrived in Bosnia. �The LAN around here is my personal nem-esis,� said Moran. �I spend probably 85 percent of my time deal-ing with the LAN or configuring computers.�

Carter and Brady agree that the hours can be long and unpre-dictable.

�Out here, they can come and get you at any time,� said Brady.�Like last night, they came and got me at four o�clock in the morn-ing because they had a problem with one of the radios.�

Sometimes the stress can be made fun of, said Cabrera. Hence,the �Fun Meter.�

�That�s something we put together, and when you go in there(the TOC), you look at the meter, and that will tell you if youwant to ask a stupid question or not,� said Cabrera. �If it�s in thered or the black, you might want to regroup.�

However, all said that for the most part, their tour in Bosniahas been satisfying.

�It�s been OK,� said Carter. �Except for the mud.�

COMMOfrom page 5

Spc. Shawn Seals, Company A, 9thEngineer Battalion, 1st InfantryDivision, inspects the M-72machine guns he placed under thetrack of a combat engineer vehicle.

Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl

�It was like taking a partof history from theformer warring factions.They (the weapons)were probably used

during the war�

------ Spc. Shawn Seals