Insid

e COMPUTER NEWBIES. . 2GRAVESITE . . . . . 3BREAD TESTING. . . . 4TOYS . . . . . 5MP’S ON PATROL . 6-7DAVEYS. . . . . . 8MARRIAGE MINES . . 11

Talonthe

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

Volume 3, No. 11 Friday, March 14, 1997

Cohen visits soldiers

By Spc. Susanne Aspley, Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

U.S. forces have accomplished their implemen-tation mission and will be out of Bosnia by June,1998, said Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen

March 6 during a visit with troopsboth at Camp Dobol and McGovernBase on.

Cohen said U.S. forces are stayingin Bosnia for another year to help thepeace process become self-sustaining.

“I think the time has been longenough to allow the people to decidefor themselves as to whether or notthe benefits of peace outweigh the ag-onies of war,” said Cohen.

Cohen visited soldiers of TaskForce 1-26 at Camp Dobol and TaskForce 1-18 at McGovern Base on hisfirst trip abroad as secretary of de-fense.

The secretary of defense praisedthe soldiers of Task Force Eagle andsaid he appreciated the tense and dan-

gerous situation they faced in theBrcko area.

“We followed it (the Brcko situ-ation) every day in Washington, butit’s nothing quite like getting outhere and seeing the kind of teststhat you have to meet every day,”he said. “I want you to know whata great contribution you are mak-ing. It’s a tremendous sacrifice foryou, for your families, for yourloved ones, and I know you’re anx-ious to get back and rejoin them.”

Cohen also praised all soldiersserving in Bosnia. “The more indi-vidual soldiers I meet, the moreinspired I am. They are bright, they

are dedicated, and they are high-

See SECDEF visit page 12

Photo by Spc. David Boe

Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen shakes the handof a Task Force 1-18 soldier while Lt. Col. StephenLayfield, commander of the task force looks on.

The Talon Friday, March 14, 1997

THE TALON is produced in the interest of the servicemembers of Task ForceEagle, headquartered at Eagle Base. THE TALON is an Army-funded newspaperauthorized for members of the U.S. Army overseas, under the provision of AR 360-81. Contents of THE TALON are not necessarily the official views of, nor endorsedby, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or TaskForce Eagle. THE TALON is published weekly by the 1st Infantry Division (TaskForce Eagle) Public Affairs Office, Eagle Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina APOAE 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

By Command Sgt. Maj. James W. Laws1st Infantry Division (Forward)

Before conducting any operation, conduct operational risk assess-ments. Minimize risks to the lowest possible level.

Phase two of the redeployment process consists of convoy move-ment from Base Camp to RSB & ISB and convoy movement fromRailhead to Home Station.

During the planning stage the following must be accomplished.····· Conduct risk assessment of convoy for specific route.····· Identify hazards, and apply appropriate countermeasures.····· Mark strip maps with hazards from route reconnaissance.····· Mark rest stops on strip maps.····· Identify properly trained and licensed drivers.····· Conduct detailed convoy briefing prior to movement.During the convoy stage the following must be accomplished.····· Ensure all vehicles are in working order prior to movement.····· Post convoy signs front, rear, and as necessary.····· Equip vehicles with emergency equipment.····· Ensure assigned drivers do not operate any vehicle for more

than eight continuous hours. Nor will the combined duty period of adriving team exceed 12 hours in any 24-hour period without at leasteight consecutive hours of rest.

····· Wear available seatbelts and kevlar helmets. Conduct pre-ventative maintenance checks and services at rest stops.

By Lt. Col. Troy Vincent, Division Safety Office

Redeployment II

Compaq may change the commandwhich reads “Press Any Key” to “PressReturn Key” because of the flood ofcalls asking where the “Any” key is.

AST technical support had a callercomplain that her mouse was hard tocontrol with the dust cover on. Turnedout, the “dust cover” was the plasticbag the mouse came in.

A man called complaining that thesystem wouldn’t read files from his old5-inch diskettes. After trouble-shoot-ing, it was found that the customer hadlabeled the diskettes and then rolledthem into a typewriter to make the la-bels.

A customer was asked to send acopy of her defective diskettes. A fewdays later, a letter arrived from the cus-tomer along with Xeroxed copies of thefloppies.

A technician advised his customerto put his troubled floppy back in thedrive and close the door. The custom-er asked the tech to wait and was heardputting the phone down, crossing theroom, and closing his office door.

Another customer called to say hecouldn’t get his computer to fax anything. Af-ter 40 minutes of troubleshooting, the techfound that the man was trying to fax a pieceof paper by holding it in front of the monitorscreen and hitting the “Send” key.

A technician received a call from a cus-tomer who was enraged because his comput-er had told him he was “bad and invalid.” Thetech explained he shouldn’t take the respons-es personally.

A caller couldn’t get her new computerturned on. When asked what happened whenthe power button was pushed, she said, “Ipushed and pushed on this foot pedal andnothing happens.” The “foot pedal” turned outto be the computer’s mouse.

The visit of U.S. Sec-retary of Defense Will-iam Cohen last week toBosnia was great. Hethanked the Americantroops here and reaf-firmed how important weare to the nation’s secu-rity. My congratulationsand thanks to everyonewho made preparations for the vis-it and coordinated the event.

However, his visit was short andhe was not able to visit all of thebase camps. To all of the soldiershe did not visit, don’t feel slighted,you are equally important. Hewanted to see as many of the troopsas possible, but due to his scheduleand the amount of time allowed forhis trip here, he was not able to visiteveryone.

Cohen flew in and out of Tuzlabut did not spend any time here. He

traveled to Camp Dobol,spoke there and had lunchwith soldiers in their diningfacility. Then he flew overthe village of Gajevi and vis-ited Camp McGovern.

For the soldiers in thoseareas, it was convenient tosee him and hear him speak.

Mr. Cohen was scheduledto visit soldiers in Vilseek, Germa-ny, but had to cancel because of poorweather conditions in the area.

Many soldiers worked hard tomake his visit here a good one,whether it was directing traffic, pro-viding security, driving the vehiclesor setting up the areas where hespoke. Even if you did not see him,your work here is very important.Our peacekeeping mission here is ajoint one, so thanks to all.

Bewa

re c

ompu

ter

newb

ies.

..

The TalonFriday, March 14, 1997 Page 3

News briefs

March 1 marked the traditional Day ofthe Dead for Serbians of the OrthodoxChristian faith. It also marked a day ofcooperation between Serbs in the Brckomunicipality and the Federation of Bos-nian-Herzegovina residents of Orasje.

The village of Vucilovac was a Serbianarea before the war and is now on the Fed-eration side of the Inter-Entity BoundaryLine. What remains are skeletons offormer homes, a pile of bricks which wasonce their church and a small graveyardwith toppled headstones and covered byweeds and brush.

According to the Dayton Peace Accord,an application to visit a grave site mustbe given seven days in advance of the vis-it. In this case only 24 hours notice wasgiven of the desire of the former residentsto visit their grave sites.

“There is a rather ironclad seven daynotification process which in this case, forwhatever reason, did not occur. Butthrough cooperation from both Brcko au-thorities and the Orasje authorities, thiscross-IEBL grave site visit was able to takeplace,” said Maj. John Czarnecki, 478thCivil Affairs Battalion of Miami, Fla. “Thisis the third attempt in this area to visitgrave sites and the only one to actuallyhappen. It’s the largest gathering to take

Spc. Paul Hougdahl129th MPAD

place in this area in over a year and itposed no problems.”

“This grave site visit was a first becausethe Croatian police from the area actuallyprovided security for the Serbs when theyentered the area,” said Thomas Felgate ofthe International Police Task Force inOrasje. “The 120 people who showed upjust needed to provide us with a list of whois here with personal information.”

“It was a positive gesture from ourside,” said Marijan Pejic, Croatian chiefof police, Orasje.

The 293rd Military Police Companyfrom Camp Colt provided perimeter secu-rity for the event. Capt. John Perron, 293rdcommander, said that the Croatian andIPTF police were the first line of defenseand that the 293rd was a backup for aworst case scenario which might have beenprotests, the throwing of sticks and rocksand even the possibility of firearms. For-tunately, nothing happened.

“It was a beautiful day, a successfulmission and everyone worked the planwell. It showed a lot of cooperation be-tween the entities, which is difficult to getthem to do, but it makes them work to-gether,” said Perron. “It is good for theSerbs because they haven’t seen this sitefor four to five years and they are very tra-ditional about keeping up gravesites offamily members.”

Villagers visit gravesite

Staff Sgt. Steve Burkette, 413th CA Bn, Lubbock, Texas, stationed at Camp Colt, watches as Serbians return to thegravesites of deceased family members. The gravesite visit was allowed by Federation leaders who now occupythe area for the Day of the Dead observance. Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl

BONN, GERMANY--U.S., Britishand German defense officials arecommitted to pulling out of Bos-nia at the end of NATO’s 18-monthstabiliazation force mission. “Thepresident said the mission will endin June 1998, and I intend to see toit that directive is carried out,” U.S.Defense Secretary William Cohensaid.

Bosnia Deadline

DFAS answersWASHINGTON--More than 175,000Defense Finance and AccountingService Customers a month arefinding answers to their pay ques-tions and other DFAS-related ques-tions right at their fingertips.In January 1996, the DFAS Lane(www.dfas.mil) was launched.

Visit the official Task Force Ea-gle website where you can down-load the Talon: www.1id.army.mil

Eagle website

The Talon Friday, March 14, 1997Page 4

UGLJEVIK, Bosnia – Every day, thousands of bread loavesare produced by five bakeries in northern Bosnia. These loavesare then shipped to SFOR mess halls and consumed by hungrysoldiers at every meal.

To ensure the bread is safe for consumption, members of the72nd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services) at Tuzla EagleBase inspect the bakeries periodically.

“Because of the war, the infrastructure of this country hasbeen damaged, so the environment is sometimes unsafe for foodpreparation,” said Warrant Officer Roman I. Chyla, a food spe-cialist for the 72nd. “We look at the facilities, how the food ishandled, how clean the trucks are that move the food and sever-al other factors which determine whether the food is safe.”

A team of specialists from the 72nd recently convoyed to theZlatni Klas bakery in Ugljevik, northeast of Eagle Base. Thebakery, operated by Vasilic Milovan, produces bread for Ameri-can and Russian troops at nearby base camps. It employees sev-en people, which includes three bakers. It is the only bakery inthe Ugljevic area.

“This bakery was not bad at all,” said Capt. Robin K. King,veterinarian for the unit. “We were not there during productionhours, though. Most of the bakeries operate during the eveninghours and then ship the bread in the morning.”

One problem facing the team is the lack of established qual-ity standards in the bakery, said King, a native of Rhinebeck,N.Y. In the United States or Western European countries, bak-ers follow strict procedures for baking temperatures and times.In Bosnia, however, bakers “bake until it is done, or bake ituntil it is hot. Not very scientific and potentially very unsafe,”she said.

“Food inspection is only one mission for the 72nd , said King.As the only veterinarian in Bosnia, King provides medical careto medical working dogs at all base camps, including those ofother SFOR nations. She also educates soldiers on avoiding thedangers of local stray dogs and cats. Food inspection gives herand her teammates the opportunity to get out and meet locals.

Bread �for the troops�By Sgt. Steven S. Collins129th MPAD

Above, Warrant Officer Roman I. Chyla, a food inspection technician conducts an inspection. Soldiers samplefresh baked bread in front of the Zlatni Klas bakery in Ugljevik, Bosnia. The soldiers are (from left): Spc. MatthewP. Knetchel, an MP of the 53rd Area Support Group; Spc. Jay A. Braun, of the 72nd Medical Detachment (VeterinaryServices); Cpl. Aaron E. Michaelian, also a member of the 72nd; and Sgt. 1st Class Don J. Lamprecht, a memberof the 26th Area Support Group. Photos by Pfc. Wendy Tokach

The TalonFriday, March 14, 1997 Page 5

Special Agent in Charge, Chief WarrantOfficer, Gregory Gransback said that it’snice to be the good guys once in a while.

“We deal with a lot of dark stuff. Itseems like every day, day in and day out,we’re dealing with the bad side of life.When we’re interviewing a subject or avictim or a witness, it’s always about some-thing bad; a larceny, a theft, a death, acrime. It’s nice for us to get out and dosomething nice for a change, somethingthat brings a smile to someone’s face,”Gransback said.

According to O’Neal, the home that re-ceived the toys and supplies houses 18 wid-ows and 31 orphans, ages two to fifteen,and they enjoyed the gifts they received. “We’ve been out there two or three timessince the toys were delivered and they areplaying with them, smiling and laughing,”said O’Neal.

“I think it’s a very good deed. Doing thismakes a difference, helping people out andpromoting good will between the peoplehere and the U.S. Army,” said McGee.

O’Neal said that demonstrations likethis, show that Americans are willing tohelp.

“It shows that we’re not just a bunchof heartless soldiers coming in here. Wecare about what we’re doing. American sol-diers, for the majority, love children. Ifthey have something to give, they’ll giveit. They want to do nice things for the chil-dren,” said O’Neil.

Doyle and her children, Catherine, age6, and Michael, age 3, collected toys fromtheir house to be sent to children in Bos-nia.

“They went through their toys andpicked which ones would be sent. They de-liberately picked some of their favoritetoys. They felt good knowing that their toyswould go to other children who didn’t havemuch,” said Doyle.

Catherine sent some her favorite Bar-bie dolls knowing that some children maynot have even seen a Barbie before.

“The kids felt good, and understoodwhat they were doing. They know thatthere are a lot of children who do with-out.” said Doyle.

The current commander of the 286th,Chief Warrant Officer Paul Pierce, contact-ed CIMIC (Civil Military Cooperation) whoin turn contacted Civil Affairs looking fora good place for the toys and supplies togo.

“CID contacted Sgt. Tim Banker atCIMIC. He knew that we dealt with thiskind of thing and asked us if we knew of agood place for the toys to go. I knew therewere a lot of small children at this home.There weren’t enough gifts to go to one ofthe larger refugee centers. This center wasabout the right size,” said Major MichaelO’Neal, Civil Affairs, Camp Bedrock.

“CID gets all the credit though. Theydid all the work. All I did was make a fewphone calls,” said O’Neal.

CID armed with toys not gunsBy Spc.Gary Bailey129th MPAD

The imposing figure silhouetted by thesun looks around through sunglass-shield-ed eyes. In the place where rank shouldbe, sits the emblem “SA.” The soldiersfrom CID are usually intimidating, but notwhen their arms are full of toys.

Most people aren’t especially excitedwhen CID (now known as the criminal in-vestigation command, formally known ascriminal investigating division) visits, butthat wasn’t the case for the Bosnians liv-ing at the womens and children’s home inVisca, near Camp Bedrock, when theybrought them toys and school supplies.

The 286th Military Police Detachment,CID, delivered ten boxes, full of toys suchas dolls, Lincoln logs, trucks, pencils andmore in the name of good will.

“I think a lot of Americans take thingsfor granted. You come down here and seewhat these people have and the littlethings make them happy. We didn’t givestuff that costs a lot, we gave them dona-tions, but they were very pleased withwhat we gave,” said Special Agent, JoeyY. McGee.

The previous commander, Lt. Col. Dor-thy Doyle, now deputy commander of 2ndRegion CID, which includes all of Europe,sent donations from Europe to the 286thand asked them to distribute them. Doylewas the commander of the 286th beforeher current assignment. She saw firsthand what conditions were like here, andwhen she went home she asked her kidswhat they thought about sending some oftheir stuff to kids down here. They thoughtit was a great idea.

Chief Warrent Officer Paul Pierce, commander of the 286 Military PoliceDetachment, hands a toy to a child at the Widow’s and Children's home inVisca.

A young girl from the Widow’s andChildren’s home enjoys her new toy.

Photo by Spc. Gary Bailey

Photo by Spc. Gary Bailey

The Talon Friday, March 14, 1997Page 6

The 984th Military Police Company is a sturdy, pillar of support within Task Force 1-26. Their mis-sions are synchronized with hot issues and significant events throughout Bosnia. After upholding peaceand security for nearly nine months, the soldiers will be home in April.

The Colorado MPs are wherever the action may be. Recently, they provided 24 hour presence in thevillages of Gajevi and Mahala during the introduction of Serbian Police. Joint patrols with the Russiansnear Jusici were also successful. As the unpredictable Brcko Arbitration unfolded, the MPs were assignedto observe, detect, and detour any mass movement headed toward the city.

“The atmosphere now is definitely less hostile and tense than it was when we first arrived. Originally,the Serbs did not like us. Then we proved to them that we are here to help,” said Staff Sgt. Marko J.Hakama, 2nd squad leader, 4th Platoon. Hakama, 30, is from Boynton Beach, Fla.

Initially, the MPs were tasked to assist, set up and monitor the national elections in Srebrenica, RS.They patrolled mass grave sites to ensure the Serbs abided by the Dayton Peace Agreement. Also accom-plished were numerous storage site inspections, security patrols near Sarajevo and gate duty at TuzlaMain.

Pfc. Jeanene DeMarc, MP, 4th Plt., now usually participates in three patrols daily near Camp Dobol.Her squad stays alert for unusual movement or activities. Reflecting on the validity of U.S. involvement inBosnia, she said, “I’m glad we are here. God forbid, there may be a time when we may be in a similarsituation, in need of help. Someone else might have to step in for us.”

DeMarc mentally prepared for the devastating sights she sees from the turret before she came toBosnia. “I believe the real casualties are the children. No one deserves this. I can’t image what it was likehere when these houses were blown up...the screaming, crying, no where to run.” DeMarc said. “But thebiggest thrill is seeing the children wave and smile, lining the road as our trucks roll past.” DeMarc, 30, isfrom Syracuse New York.

“Pfc. DeMarc never complains and does exactly what is expected of her. In fact, I’m astounded at thegreat attitude and high morale of everyone in 4th Platoon,” Hakama said.

When needed, MStory and Photos by Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

Above, Pfc. Jeanene DeMarc a member of the 984th Military Police Company on convoy duty.A 984th MP Co. convoy rolls through the backroads near the village of Mahala. Above right,Spc. Jonathan Hickman consults a map while on patrol near Mahala.

The TalonFriday, March 14, 1997 Page 7

, MPs are ready

The Talon Friday, March 14, 1997Page 8

For most soldiers, leaving their lovedones behind is the hardest part of deploy-ment. However, being apart is no prob-lem for one couple at Eagle Base, sincethey came to Bosnia together.

Specialists Susan M. and Clifton D.Davey, Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 1st Infantry Division, haveworked together since 1994 in Wurezburg,Germany, where they met and marriedJune 25, 1995. Last October, the couplewas deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina towork in the company motor pool at EagleBase. Clifton is a light-wheeled vehiclemechanic and Susan works in utilitiesequipment repair.

“I’m glad we came at the same time,”Clifton said. “At least we have got eachother here.”

When a married couple works togetherthere is bound to be some tension betweennot only each other but also between co-workers. However, the Daveys keep it allon a professional level.

“Everybody does give us a hard time,but we all get along pretty good,” Susansaid.

If and when problems arise the Dav-ey’s often turn to their supervisor, StaffSgt. Charles E. McIver.

“His wife is also in the military so heknows how we feel,” Susan said. “If wehave a fight we talk it out. He helps usout a lot.”

“We usually will work it out,” Cliftonsaid. “We are like best friends. We do ev-erything together.”

These battle buddies are also studypartners while taking classes through theUniversity of Maryland and Central Tex-as College. In addition, both studied to-gether for the recent promotion board.Both scored high on the board.

The Daveys are also looking forwardto redeployment. They can get back intotheir routine, where their lives are likemany married couples. “She pretty muchtakes care of the house and I take care ofthe car,” Clifton said. “And he cleans therefrigerator. I hate cleaning that and Itake care of our plants,” Susan said.

Private space at Eagle Base is a pre-mium, because the Daveys share their tentwith other members in their unit. Susan,being the only female in the tent, sleepsbehind a small divider.

Both agree its hard to find anytimealone together, although they say that oth-ers are usually respectful when the twohave time off.

“As long as we have our Sundays to-gether, we’re OK,” Clifton said. “We go tothe cappuccino shop and talk about howthings are going.”

Daveys: Working togetherBy Pfc. Wendy R. Tokach129th MPAD

Spc. Clifton D. Davey and Spc. Susan M. Davey, both with HeadquartersHeadquarters Company, 1st Infantry Division, prepare for the promotion boardabove and check for leaks on a HMMWV.

Photos by Pfc. Wendy R. Tokach

The TalonFriday, March 14, 1997 Page 9

EAGLE BASE, Tuzla — Soldiers going to the motor pool todispatch vehicles may have noticed a few changes in the proce-dure recently.

Due to an increase in incidents of poor maintenance and im-proper Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services on vehi-cles, soldiers will no longer get a quick approval for a dispatch.

“When the operator signs the dispatch he is saying, ‘Yes, Iperformed all the safety checks properly.’ We used to let theNCOIC take responsibility,” said Staff Sgt. Charles E. McIver,Headquarters and Headquar-ters Company, 1st Infantry Di-vision motor sergeant. “After awhile, we did a few randomchecks on those vehicles thatwere signed off as mission capa-ble and we would go out and finda deadline on all of them.”

Now the system has changed.Before a soldier is allowed to sign off on a dispatch, he or shemust have the mechanic do a quick check on the vehicle to en-sure that the vehicle was fully and properly serviced. Althoughthere are faults mechanics find because of their knowledge,McIver said too many faults found by the mechanics are listedin the PMCS manual.

“In order for us to do our job, we had to start doing the checks,”McIver said. “I wanted to make sure that when people go out ondispatches that their trucks are fully mission capable.”

“PMCS is an operator and supervisor responsibility, that’s allit is,” said Sgt. Mark A. Valdez, dispatch sergeant for HHC 1ID.“We are finding discrepancies that they overlooked. I know thatthere is a lack of manuals for those trucks and that some peoplejust don’t know what they are looking for when they PMCS with-out them. But supervisors need to get more involved in the pro-cedure.”

With only two light-wheeled mechanics in the motor pool, theworkload is becoming overwhelming for those soldiers. It is dif-ficult to schedule maintenance with only two mechanics, said

McIver.“If the supervisor would

teach a soldier to do a cor-rect PMCS, it would cut myproblems in half,” McIversaid. “They should not justassume that the soldier dida correct check and sign itoff.”

Doing correct PMCS will solve many problems before theyoccur.

“It’s good that we are preventing things with these checks.This system is working,” Valdez said. “We should have been do-ing this from the start.”

“If the supervisor would teach a soldier todo a correct PMCS it would cut myproblems in half.”

-Staff Sgt. Charles E. McIver, HHC Company, 1st Inf. Div.

New dispatch procedures at Eagle BaseBy Pfc. Wendy R. Tokach129th MPAD

Light wheeled mechanic Spc. Steven B. Glasscock, Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st Inf. Div., fromBarrackville, W. Va. repairs a HMMWV at the Eagle Base motor pool. Photo by Pfc. Wendy R. Tokach

The Talon Friday, March 14, 1997Page 10

Being in a foreign country, simplethings like saying “Thank You” to a foodservice worker or asking one of the clean-ing personnel for more paper towels, cre-ates a problem for many. For soldiersand civilians on Eagle Base, or anyonejust passing through, all that is neededis one hour a week.

Once a week for the past threemonths Chaplain (Capt.) Patrick J.Fletcher, 4100 Group Chapel, U.S. AirForce, has been instructing a Bosnianlanguage class in the Base Chapel, Build-ing 14. “I felt the interest and the needfrom the start,” said Fletcher.

Teaching a foreign language is noth-ing new to Fletcher, He has certificatesin twelve languages and has studied nu-merous others. “The most difficult one(foreign language) to learn is the firstone. Once you break the language barri-er the first time you are not as con-strained,” said Fletcher. ”If you candream in a different language you havebroken that barrier.”

Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. theChapel comes alive with the sounds ofnative Bosnian music and dialect. Ac-cording to Fletcher you may even get to

witness or participate in a festive dance.This sets the tone for the rest of the class,an easy going enjoyable learning experi-ence.

“This is only my second class. I havelearned the basic stuff. I find myself prac-ticing at the chow hall, laundry and withthe cleaning ladies,” said Staff Sgt. LuisRodriguez of Headquarters and Head-quarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th FieldArtillery. “Father (Fletcher) is very knowl-edgeable.”

Staff Sgt. Rodriguez rides the shuttlebus from West Tuzla each week to attendthe classes.

“If you can only attend one class it canbe beneficial,” said Fletcher. “I have hada few students that were only on Tuzlamain for one night and then had to returnto their base camp.

An eight year veteran of the Air Force,Fletcher has been teaching foreign tonguefor more than 19 years, 16 of those in Eu-rope. “I once had a student that taughtme a lot more than I taught him. His namewas Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. He laterchanged his name to Pope John Paul II,”said Fletcher, who is also a Priest for theDiocese of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

“In 1978 he told me that one day hewould ordain me as a priest, seven yearslater he did,” said Fletcher. “He knew I

would be ordained before I did.”One thing Fletcher has learned is a

great respect for someone else’s homeland.“I am a guest in their country, I want toknow their language and culture. You cansee a lot of Bosnia just in the language,”said Fletcher.

“I also want to help the soldiers be goodambassadors of America,” said Fletcher.“Taking the time to learn how to say ‘GoodMorning’ to one of the workers in the din-ing facility is easy, and it will mean a greatdeal to that worker.”

“I was blessed in that I was able tospeak Bosnian to one of the Chapels jani-torial staff, French to one of the Frenchsoldiers on post and English and Spanishto U.S. troops today,” said Fletcher whenasked how often he uses his dossier of lan-guages. “On occasion, at Midnight Mass, Ihave been able to address Russian soldiersin Russian. You can tell by their responsethat it touches their heart.”

The Bosnian language classes are opento all and Fletcher invites any interpret-ers that would like to help instruct thecourse. “The more the merrier. If we canhave a few interpreters present, we canbreak up into groups according to the in-dividuals knowledge of the language. May-be we can even have a little more danc-ing,” said Fletcher.

Teaching more than the GospelBy Spc Todd Surdez129th MPAD

Photo by Spc. Todd Surdez

Chaplain (Capt.)Patrick Fletcher visitswith Zineta Focic and Amira Fehric,two local Bosnians that work at theEagle Base chapel.

The TalonFriday, March 14, 1997 Page 11

Reed This By Sgt. Corwin L. Reed

From the Chaplain’s OfficeFor those re-deploying, it will be a joy-

ous time of reuniting with families andloved ones. Our chaplains are conductingmany reunion classes. These classes aredesigned to assist everyone in establish-ing happy reunions. May God richly blessall who will be leaving us in the comingdays.

While in Bosnia, the number one rulehas been: STAY ON THE ROAD! Thishas been the best way to avoid the mis-fortune of finding something we did notwant - land mines. Let us identify afew marital mines which are placedaround redeployments. These minescan blow up in our faces and destroymarriages, if given the opportunity.However, anticipating them will allowus to negotiate around them. Watchfor these mines!

Mine #1 - Romanticism. This is anatural coping mechanism which ac-companies deployment. When couplesare separated for a long while, we tendto highlight the positive and minimizethe negative memories. This is good,because it helps us to stay focused andenables us to hold the hope that thingswill be even better after the deploy-ment. Those annoying habits of yourspouse are “out of sight, out of mind”.The truth is, sooner or later, the “oldproblems” will return. Things left un-resolved in the past will creep up again.Solution: Keep the communication chan-nels open and arrive at a win/win resolu-tion of the problem. If you need a neutralcounselor to facilitate your problem-solv-ing efforts, do not let pride get in the way.

Mine #2 - Change. Life is like a flow-ing river. You can not put your feet in atthe same spot where you put them sixmonths ago. Your spouse back at home

Marriage Minefieldshas shouldered the responsibilities of run-ning the household. They have discoveredthat they can do those things, which for-merly you have done. The children haveadjusted to having only one parent to re-spond to, answer to, and keep informed.For social outlet, your spouse may havediscovered the support of new friends. Allof this brings change to your former rou-tine. While deployed you have also adjust-

ed to not having your spouse around. Allthese changes could breed more indepen-dence. Sometimes the readjustment willbring some friction and misunderstand-ings. Solution: Reunion will be a slowprocess of forming a new routine. Themark of emotional maturity is our abilityto understand these changes, incorporatethem into our lives, and become stronger

for the experiences. Take the time to re-tell your story of “Life During Deploy-ment.” Be sure to take the time to listento your partner’s story (chapter by chap-ter). Grow together in mutual respect foreach other. With patience the feelings ofbeing in sync will return.

Mine #3 - Finances. You have earnedextra money during our stay here. Unex-pected surprises about how the money has

been spent may unsettle that perfect-ly planned grand reunion. The $800car repair, the $500 phone bill, and the$300 dress may spawn financial con-cerns. Solution: Be understandingwhen your spouse explains how thebudget may have gotten stretched orbent. Approach all financial talk withan open mind set; it is far better tospeak of “our money,” rather than “mymoney.” Possessive talk about com-mon finances will likely produce feel-ings of resentment.

Remember, that debts are tempo-rary and marriages are for keeps. Forcouples who have financial problems,it is wise to set aside a designatednight and time for discussion over thebills. This could be done in a calm fash-ion around a table (perhaps after a nicedinner). This is to be preferred overthe free-fire complaining throughoutthe week. Remember also, that theArmy Community Services have a fi-nancial counselor who can assist you.

When we return home, we will close outthis chapter here in our military lives. Wewill celebrate the reunion, and write a newchapter.

Remember to, “STAY ON THE ROAD!”You can build healthy marriages and fam-ilies by avoiding the marriage mines. MayGod bless us all!

American Forces NetworkAmerican Forces Network

SFOR NEWS0630 Hrs. 0805 Hrs. 1005 Hrs. 1505 Hrs.

InfoGraph by the 300th MPAD

“The Geezer”

The Talon Friday, March 14, 1997Page 12

ly trained. Obviously those who have beenhere five months are eager to go home. Butthey are doing so with a sense of greatpersonal success and accomplishment.They are very proud of what they havedone,” Cohen said during a press confer-ence.

“In the last 14 months, the UnitedStates and allied troops haveovercome many challenges.They stopped the killing andturned despair into hope. Theyhave created a secure environ-ment to allow economic and po-litical reforms to take hold,” hesaid. “As secretary of defense, Iam extremely proud of the pro-fessionalism and success of our forces.Peacekeeping, as we all know, is not aneasy job. But they have performed this ex-tremely well.”

Cohen emphasized that despite the mil-itary accomplishments, many challengesremain before the mission ends in June1998.

“There is still much to be done... includ-ing having an adequate police force, elec-

tions, having the economic infrastructurebuilt, and also a change of heart. We can-not mandate or impose that. All we cando is give those individuals here andparties involved an opportunity to dothat,” he said. “But we will have com-pleted our mission and will be leavingat that time.”

Regarding the extension of U.S. in-volvement in Bosnia, Cohen made it veryclear that the military mission was ac-complished and the military did it’s job.

However, he said “it was determinedby the NATO countries that more timewas needed to allow the civilian author-ities to complete their mission. Under thecircumstances, I supported that decision.But I have also indicated that this is thelast extension that I think is warranted.I do not believe that the American peo-ple will support nor will the Congresssupport an extension beyond 1998.”

Cohen agreed that the recent postpone-ment on municipal elections indicates a slowchange of civilian reform. This is due to alack of resources and commitment on thepart of civilian authorities to carry out whatthey are obligated to do.

“The mission of SFOR is not to serve as apolice force. I believe we need a more activelocal police force that is able to carry outthose functions,” he said.

What will happen after the U.S. departsBosnia, “is on the parties (former warring

factions) themselves. They need tounderstand that we are leaving atthe end of June 1998,said Cohen.”

During his visit, the secretary ofdefense promoted soldiers fromCamp Dobol, McGovern Base, CampColt and Tuzla Main.

“You’ve made all of us proud,America proud, Europe proud, and, I wouldsay, the world proud,” said Cohen. “I’mproud of you, and I’m proud to be your sec-retary of defense.”

This was Cohen’s first visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina since becoming Secretary ofDefense on Jan. 24.

Secretary William Cohen is welcomed to the Tuzla Airbase.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Geiger

SECDEF Visitfrom page 1

I’m proud of you, and I’m proud tobe your Secretary of Defense.”

-Secretary of Defense William Cohen