the Friday, August 1, 1997Volume 3, No. 31

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

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

Volume 3, No. 31 Friday, August 1, 1997

Insid

e DO YOU KNOW? . . . . 2CONNECTION . . . . . 3EAGLE’S NEST . . . . . 4MISSION . . . . . . 5-7DENTIST . . . . . . 8SOLDIERS . . . . . . . 8QUIZ . . . . . . . . 11

Staff Sgt. Scott Wood, an ExplosiveOrdnance Disposal team leaderwith the 754th Ordnance Company(EOD), guides a Soviet-built seamine into a crater at a demo sitenear McGovern Base where it willbe destroyed.

Staff Sgt. Scott Wood, an ExplosiveOrdnance Disposal team leaderwith the 754th Ordnance Company(EOD), guides a Soviet-built seamine into a crater at a demo sitenear McGovern Base where it willbe destroyed.

Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl

SeaminesgroundedSee SEA MINES page 12

The Talon Friday, August 1, 1997

THE TALON is produced in the interest of the servicemembers of TaskForce Eagle. THE TALON is an Army-funded newspaper authorized for membersof the U.S. Army overseas, under the provision of AR 360-81. Contents of THETALON are not necessarily the official views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or Task ForceEagle. THE TALON is published weekly by the 1st Infantry Division (Task ForceEagle) Public Affairs Office, Eagle Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina APO AE09789, Telephone MSE 551-5230, Sprint 762-5233. E-mail: talon@email-tc3.5sigcmd.army.mil. Acquire the Talon and other Bonia-Herzegovina relateditems from theTFE homepage: www.1id.army.mil Printed by PrintComTuzla.Circulation: 6,500.

The TalonTask Force Eagle Commander . . . Maj. Gen. David L. GrangeEditor in Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. William L. Du Pont364th MPAD Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. Frank PartykaOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1st Lt. Robert M. InouyeEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. William L. Geddes1st Infantry Division PA NCOIC . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. Gregory W. BinfordTranslator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mirela Zunic

Read and pass along -- a Talon is a terrible thing to waste

Page 2

UP FRONT -- RISK MANAGEMENT CONT�DWe�re still talking about risk

management.What can go wrong in this leg of

the convoy? Rain is rolling in. Wind-ing, hilly roads. It�s worse out herethan we figured. What are my op-tions?

Anticipating problems. That�srisk management; that�s thinkingon the go. It�s the hazards and con-trols. What can go wrong? Whatcan I do about it? You need riskmanagement so you can anticipatethe hazards, and if they develop,you�re ready to deal with them.You take a different route. Slow

your speed andgear down.Turn on thelights. You putout groundguides. Adjust-ing your actionsto stay wellwithin the�band of safe-ty� is whatshould beyour goal. More next week. See youup front!Command Sgt. Maj. S. L. Kaminski1st Infantry Division (Forward)

The longest word in the Englishlanguage, according to the OxfordEngl ish Dic t ionary , is pneu-m o n o u l t r a m i c r o s c o p i c s i l i c o -volcanoconiosis. The only otherword with the same amount of let-ters is pneumonoultramicroscop-icsilicovolcanoconioses, its plu-ral. Hydroxydesoxycorticosteroneand hydroxydeoxycort icoster-ones are the largest anagrams.

The cruise liner, Queen ElizabethII, moves only six inches for eachgallon of diesel it burns.

Maine is the only state that borders on onlyone state.

The word �byte� is a contraction of �by eight.�

The average ear of corn has eight-hundredkernels arranged in sixteen rows.

The famous split-fingered Vulcan salute isactually intended to represent the first let-ter (�shin,� pronounced �sheen�) of the word�shalom.� As a small boy, Leonard Nimoyobserved his rabbi using it in a benedictionand never forgot it; eventually he was ableto add it to �Star Trek� lore.

The term �the whole nine yards� came fromWorld War II fighter pilots in the South Pa-cific. When arming their airplanes on theground, the .50 caliber machine gun ammobelts measured exactly 27 feet, before be-ing loaded. If the pilots fired all their ammoat a target, it got �the whole nine yards.�

The term the �Boogey Man will get you�comes from the Boogey people, who still in-habit an area of Indonesia. These people stillact as pirates today and attack ships thatpass. Thus the term spread �if you don�twatch out, the Boogey man will get you.�

The longest U.S. highway is Route 6 start-ing in Cape Cod, Mass., going through 14states, and ending in Bishop, Calif.

�Underground� is the only word in the En-glish language that begins and ends with theletters �und.�

Did

you kn

ow?

The peace we�ve stabilized has increased the road hazards inBosnia-Herzegovina.

The condition of the roads was enough to deal with! We coulddeal with the narrow roads, no berms, the poor drainage, the pot-holes, the lack of road signs, the lack of lines on the road, thebridges and don�t forget the mines. Let�s throw in weather for alittle excitement. We had it made, but peace has resulted in theonslaught of everything that Bosnia could pull, push, drag, or moveto join our oversized vehicles. It gets worse. It�s harvest season,probably the first time in years that some fields can be worked. No,I didn�t forget the horses and cattle, nor the pedestrians (both sidesof the road). This isn�t Germany. This isn�t anything we�ve ever seenbefore!

To combat (that�s what we get combat pay for, right?) this cir-cus, you now must become a professional road warrior. We knowhow to deal with an offensive driver? We drive defensively!

Let�s deal with our own personal protection first. Our vehicleshave seatbelts, you�ve got your Kevlar with chin strap tightened,and your body armor on.

Next let�s deal with operations. How about speed? I know therehave been a lot of FRAGO�s but how about FRAGO 28 which says,�Max speed on Main Supply Routes 30 mph.� Or FRAGO 2948 onconvoy operations. Dust them off and read them.

How about leadership and supervision? In 1970 when I was aprivate (yeah, I�m that old) I knew I had to train to standard, andwhen I did that there was always leadership and supervision thatlet me know when I had done it right and corrected me when I did itwrong. Sometimes the corrective process was noteworthy, but itmade me remember.

Today in Bosnia-Herzegovina we are challenged by a peacefulthreat -- ourselves! Let�s do it right and protect the force.

Threat of peace

Lt. Col. A. Wm. Ramer, 1st Infantry Division (Forward) Safety Office

The TalonFriday, August 1, 1997 Page 3

Info briefs

CAMP DEMI -- The morning sun isbreaking over the mountainridge that surrounds Camp Demi.

The soldiers are gathered at the corner ofthe boardwalk, duffel bags packed andrucksacks filled. Some are going on leaveor to appointments in Tuzla, others havemeetings at Camp Dobol.

Reliable and on time, the LOGPAC (lo-gistical package) convoy, organized andcarried out by members of TF 1-41 Sup-port Platoon, loads up the waiting soldiersand gets them where they need to go. �Weare one of those things that everyone de-pends on,� said Sgt. Robert Panico Sr.,heavy vehicle operator. �Our LOGPAC isthe connection between the base camps.�

The task force is split between the twocamps of Demi and Dobol, so people anddistribution are constantly moving backand forth, with many stops in Tuzla. Thisschedule can add up to 160 miles per day,according to Sgt. Troy Cottle, SupportPlatoon. �It�s a big job but we have itdown to a science,� said Cottle, a Dan-ville, Ill. resident.

Aside from driving the roads of Bos-nia-Herzegovina and ensuring personneland cargo are delivered, the coordinationto keep the wheels turning sometimesgoes late into the night in preparationfor the next morning. A nightly convoybriefing is held to organize the missionfor the upcoming day. On average, thereare five to eight vehicles lined up withat least 20 people.

A vital part of their mission also includesreporting unusual activities that they mayspot during their convoys through the coun-tryside, said Panico. �We know the road sowell that if there is something strange, weare the first to pick it out,� said Panico. �Ourtrips vary in both route and SP (start point)times, because we don�t like to be predict-able.� The Gulf War vet gained much of hisexperience in Saudi, where he participat-ed in LOGPAC missions �except on a muchlarger scale,� he said. And Panico�s experi-ence, and that of his coworkers, is valued.

�My soldiers will go out of their way toaccommodate people as long as they coor-dinate with us,� said Sgt. 1st Class FelixQuinones, Support Platoon. �I�m proud oftheir hard work and appreciate the longhours that they put in.�

Camp connection

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

Wash your handsWhy are you sick? It may be due

to your own personal hygiene. Everpass the hand washing facilities inthe dining hall without washing yourhands? Remember your motherasking if you had washed yourhands before coming to the dinnertable? Well, as usual mom wasright. The spread of infectious dis-ease can be greatly reduced withproper personal hygiene, to includewashing hands prior to eating. Thisis especially important while in a de-ployed environment such as Bos-nia-Herzegovina.

Multinational Division (North)soldiers have had low rates of gas-trointestinal disease to this point.These low rates did not come aboutby accident. Soldiers received uni-versal vaccination for hepatitis Aand Typhoid prior to arriving in the-ater. Soldiers are restricted fromeating unapproved food sources,and the approved sources are in-spected regularly to ensure foodsafety. In addition, soldiers are pro-vided bottled water and PreventiveMedicine works in concert withBrown and Root Services Corp. toensure the soldiers have water sup-plies which meet U.S. Army andE.P.A. standards, are chlorinatedappropriately, and tested regularly.

While deployed, soldiers canplay an active roll in preventing thespread of gastrointestinal diseaseas well. The hand washing stationsnext to the dining facilities are therefor a reason. Use them. Soldiersshould wash their hands after us-ing the latrine, prior to eating, aftercontact with others, and before andafter smoking. Studies have shownthat many diseases are spreadwhen we touch our fingers to oureyes, nose, and mouth. Not onlydoes hand washing prevent thespread of diarrheal disease, but itcan also help prevent the spread ofrespiratory disease, an importantfactor as the cold and flu seasonarrives. Take an active roll in pre-serving your health, protectingthose around you and preventingthe spread of disease. Keep fingersaway from your nose, mouth, andeyes and WASH YOUR HANDSREGULARLY, ESPECIALLY BE-FORE YOU EAT!Maj. Mark Kortepeter, PreventiveMedicine, Task Force 61Lt. Col. David Krieger, 1st InfantryDivision Surgeon

Sgt. Robert Panico, Headquartersand Headquarters Company, TaskForce 1-41, doublechecks hisitinerary before leaving Camp Dobol.Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

The Talon Friday, August 1, 1997

Eagle�sEagle�sNestNest

Page 4

HILL 1326, Bosnia-Herzegovina-- Getting there is one wild trip.The crowd of trees nearly push the

tiny road off the mountain. The convoy fromCamp Dobol climbs up the rocky path aswind and hail hammer down. The 5-tontruck rims the edge of the cliff, and chunksof the road break off and fall into the forestfar below. Hilltop 1326, otherwise knownas the Eagle�s Nest, stands at theend of the journey, a valuable re-transmission site for Task ForceEagle.

Platoons from Company D, TaskForce 1-41 rotate up to the Eagle�sNest to staff the remote site pok-ing through the clouds. They pro-vide security for the elements work-ing at the location and the multi-tude of antennas that keep commu-nications flowing throughout Bos-nia-Herzegovina.

Spc. John Lewis, mechanized in-fantryman, 3rd Platoon, Co. D, said thatalthough it is nice to get away from thegrind at Camp Dobol, they stay more thanbusy on the remote hilltop. �After threeweeks, we were ready to come back down.�

In addition to being the guard force onthe mountain, which means constant guard

duty in moody weather and heaps -o-mud,the soldiers from Fort Riley, Kan. focusedon upgrading the site. �We added more de-fensive positions, widened the roads, andwere out there everyday clearing the wood-line with chainsaws,� said Lewis, 22, a SanBernadino, Calif. resident. �My platoon al-ways manages to have a good time. If yougive us the worst mission in the world, wewill make good of it somehow.�

Even getting up there can be a chal-lenge. On a recent trip to the remote camp,

the �Delta Dawgs� of Co. D were stoppedmomentarily by a large tree which had fall-en across the road. Refusing to say die, the�Dawgs� leapt out of their vehicle, choppedthe tree in half, and were on their way inrecord time. The work didn�t stop there.

�We walked into a difficult situation,�

said 1st Lt. Steven Bower, 3rd Platoon lead-er. �On the third day we were there, theBase Camp Assessment Team (BCAT)came and assessed the camp and gave uspoor ratings. Our guys worked nonstop forthree weeks to improve the place. Then theBCAT returned and we got all greens oneverything they check for.�

The Bosnia-Herzegovina army has itsown retransmission site just down the roadfrom the American camp. Mines can beseen nudging out of the ground around

their perimeter. The Americans havelittle contact with them however �They spend most of their time confinedto the camp.

Despite an impressive view of theforest below and the swirls of clouds,Bower said, it is the confinement tothe camp that offers the biggest chal-lenge for the troops. The soldiersstay within the wire, unlike thecountless dismounted patrols con-ducted out of the other small basecamp staffed by the Delta Dawgs,location Sierra Ten. But they don�t

let that get them down.�My platoon has walked a lot of miles

together and will walk a lot more,� saidSgt. Richard Ross, 3rd Platoon teamleader from Kingman, Kansas. �Despitesome of the missions we are tasked todo, we do our best.�

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MPAD

�Our guys worked nonstop forthree weeks to improve theplace. Then the BCAT returnedand we got all greens oneverything they check for.�---- 1st Lt. Steven Bower

Spc. Mathew McGalliard, Company D, Task Force 1-41, chops a tree in half to clear the road to Eagle's Nest.

Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

The TalonFriday, August 1, 1997 Page 5

MCGOVERN BASE -- It�s early. The sun, an orange diskoutlined against a gray sky, is poking out of an easternhorizon still hazy from morning fog. McGovern Base is

still silent, still asleep - except for a group of soldiers and vehicleslined up just inside the rear gate.

Nothing special about the soldiers. There are about a dozen ofthem, all dressed in battle-dress uniforms and clad in their �bat-tlerattle.� They stand casually in a semi-circle, listening to theirplatoon leader give a briefing. Some are young, some not so young,but all are veterans of Bosnia-Herzegovina. They�re members of2nd Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry - the �Dou-ble Deuce� platoon.

Today is no different than yesterday, or the day before that. Morn-ing patrol - roll out in the morning, return in the afternoon. It�s allpart of the 24-hour-a-day operations that Task Force 1-77 has beendoing for the past five weeks. Today, the mission continues.

�We�ll go and set up temporary observation points at differentplaces, then run dismounted patrols from them,� said the platoonleader, 2nd Lt. Damon M. McDonald, 24. A graduate of the Uni-versity of Alabama, McDonald was a National Guardsman for a

few years before getting hiscommission and joining the ac-tive duty Army in December1995. After a stint at the Schoolof the Americas at Fort Ben-ning, Ga., the New Market, Ala.native joined the Double Deucein Bosnia-Herzegovina threemonths ago.

�It�s good stuff,� said Mc-Donald. �I�d much rather be de-ployed with an infantry unitthan be back at home station.We get to do a lot of things downhere that we�ve never been ableto do before.�

The briefing finished, thesoldiers climb into the Bradleysand HMMWVs and roll out thegate. They�re on their way.

Not quite.About a kilometer down the

road, the trail vehicle, a Brad-ley develops a problem. Burn-ing oil in the engine. Not adeadline problem, says Mc-Donald, but he isn�t going totake any chances with a Brad-ley losing its transmissionsomewhere down the road.The patrol returned toMcGovern and replaced theBradley with the platoon�stwo-seater HMMWV. �The ElCamino,� said McDonald.

�Twenty-four-hour opera-tions kind of hurt our mainte-nance, because we always haveour Bradleys out in sector,� saidMcDonald. �We don�t reallyhave a lot of down time to workon them. Right now we haveanother track that�s burning oilpretty bad, and another trackthat�s waiting on a new trans-mission.�

With a Bradley leading theway, the patrol started back down the muddy road.

The mission continues.Brcko

First stop, a temporary observation point just outside of Brc-ko, at a crossroads in the suburb of Dizdarusa.

Sgt. Dennis H. Karns, 25, the dismount squad leader, leads apatrol into Brcko. After crossing several tracks lined with rustyand abandoned train cars and partially hidden by overgrownweeds, the patrol enters the south side of the Bosnian city in astandard staggered formation. A native of the small town of Scio,N.Y., Karns is suspicious of the pock-marked high-rise buildingsthat towers around them.

�Keep an eye on those windows up there,� says Karns. A half adozen pair of eyes look upward.

�I think that when we�re in Brcko, the major threat - with allthe high-rises around - would be contact from a sniper,� says Karns.�And when we�re walking down the street it doesn�t take much forsomeone to toss a grenade out a building. I don�t want my guysgetting complacent.�

As a noncommissioned officer, Karns takes his responsibili-ties seriously. It�s his job, he says, to make sure his men are readyfor whatever comes up. �We�re in a real-world mission,� he says.

Photos and story by Spc. David Boe364th MPAD

MissioncontinuesMissioncontinues

See MISSION page 6

Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion,2nd Infantry, patrol down a side street in Brcko. Photo by Spc. David Boe

The Talon Friday, August 1, 1997

from page 5from page 5

From top right, clockwise, Pfc. AdamJohnson mans a Squad Assault Weaponan observation point in Dizdarusa durinday patrol...Stickers supporting indicted wcriminal Radovan Karadzic have appearin the area...2nd Lt. Damon McDonald(foreground) and Sgt. DennisKarns, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 2Infantry, check out a soccer field durinpatrol through the outskirts Brcko...Background, Two Bradleys frCompany C, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infanstand guard at an observation post

Page 6

�It�s peacekeeping, but if somethingdoes happen, they need to know howto maneuver and fight as a team. I owethat to them as a sergeant in the Unit-ed States Army.�

In a way, says Karns, he and hissoldiers are a family. They live togeth-er, eat together and work together,day in and day out. It helps, he says,when separated from his wife andnewly-born daughter.

�My wife and I, we just had our firstbaby, and she�s two- months old now,�says Karns. �And I�ve been down herefor the two months she�s been alive,and I think everyday about my life,and getting back to my wife and child.

�So, it always sits in your mindwhen you go out on a mission,� hesays. �You never know what�s goingto happen. Every time you talk to yourfamily, it might be the last time. Itgoes through your mind; it�s a prettytouchy situation.�

After reaching the Office of the HighRepresentative headquarters, the pa-trol turns around and retraces its stepsback through the city and over the traintracks. Pointing to an overhead pedes-trian bridge, Karns says that on nightpatrols they would bring Bradleys upand check out the bridge and otherspots with thermal sights for force pro-tection. That�s how the secret of thebridge was inadvertently discovered.

�Local hangout for nighttime plea-sures,� he says, without elaborating.Dizdasusa

Pfc. Adam D. Johnson didn�t go onthe patrol into Brcko. Sitting atop theplatoon leader�s HMMWV, the 20-year-old soldier mans a Squad AssaultWeapon and monitors traffic at the

crossroads. �Just guarding these areas of higspeed approaches,� he says.

A native of Fairport, N.Y., Johnson enlied in the Army right out of high school. �Acally, I graduated on the 24th (May 1996) aI came into the Army on the 25th,� he saIt�s the first time in Europe for Johnson, wsays the worst thing so far about BosnHerzegovina is probably the weather.

�It�s hot, and it�s cold, and it�s wet; it judoesn�t want to make up it�s mind,� saJohnson. �But everyone said it (Bosnwould be harder, but it isn�t. Actually, ikind of relaxing.�

To Johnson, Bosnia-Herzegovinadangerous only to people who don�t knwhat they�re doing. His unit, he saknows what it�s doing. �Roger. In the dmount squad we have classes all t

MISSIONMISSION

The TalonFriday, August 1, 1997 Page 7

time,� he says. �We do walk-through and run-through rehearsalsall the time, to keep ourselves trained.�

Over the radio, the platoon leader orders the squad to preparefor movement to the village of Omerbegovaca.

�This is probably about as close to combat as we�re ever goingto see,� says Johnson.

The mission continues.Omerbegovaca

The patrol drives into Omerbegovaca. Passing a wrecked house,McDonald points to a man and woman camped out in what wasprobably the house�s living room.

�He was a big cattle farmer before the war,� says McDonald.�Had like, about 300 head of cattle. Now he has nothing. Evident-ly he had a lot of money before the war.�

The patrol sets up a temporary observation point in town. Aroundthem, Bosniacs are busy repairing homes gutted during the war �throwing up roofs, patching holes. An old man comes up to Mc-Donald and complains that the people rebuilding the homes are

taking all the power from generator and he can�t watchTV. Go tell it to the mayor,

says McDonald.Another man comes

up and says there is aland mine down theroad. McDonald andseveral soldiers go downand investigate. Nomine. After questioningsome people, the soldiershead back to the observa-tion point. Sitting downin the front seat of hisHMMWV, McDonaldgrabs a ham sandwich andunwraps it.

�It�s good experiencecoming down here to Bos-nia,� says McDonald. �Butit�s not exactly what youtrained for.� McDonaldpoints to his driver, Pvt.Ricardo Perez Jr. �I bet

when Perez went to basic training, he envisioned hordes of Iraqischarging across the desert at him, not his biggest threat beingsome dog in Dizdarusa trying to attack us, or land mines, or drunkdrivers, or accidental discharges.�

� ...or celebratory fire,� says Perez, a 22-year-old Houston na-tive.

�Yeah, celebratory fire,� says McDonald.Omerbegovaca, afternoon

A message comes over the radio. The Bradley that broke downin the morning is fixed. �We give our mechanics a lot of crap,�says McDonald, �but they do work miracles.� The patrol headsback to McGovern Base, picks up the repaired Bradley, and con-tinues on toward Ulice, a town west of McGovern Base, and thelast stop on their patrol.

The mission continues.Ulice

�Stop!� yells McDonald. �That was a mine back there in a ditch,I think.� The four vehicles stop and the soldiers get out. Falsealarm. All it was, says Karns, is an old gas mask filter. They pileback into their vehicles and head into town.

Ulice is a sharp contrast to the bustling scenes of rebuilding inOmerbegovaca. No one is in sight. The blasted skeletons of build-ings line the streets in silence.

�Ulice is a pocket that has been approved for Croatian reset-tlement,� says McDonald. �They think there could be some vio-lence toward resettlement, but as of yet, people have only comeout here to look at their houses. There are no solid plans to reset-tle them out here.�

The town, says McDonald, had a lot of money before the war.Most of the people were rich, or at least upper-middle class.

�The Croatians from here are not like the Muslims,� says Mc-Donald. �The Muslims will resettle without creature comforts -electricity and running water, and things like that. That�s themain thing keeping the Croatians from resettling here; there�s noelectricity. There�s not even a water point out in this area.�Brod

McGovern Base is in sight. It is 10 hours since the patrol rolledout of the base at 5:30 a.m. When they arrive the patrol will splitup. McDonald will go to the security office and give a situationreport. The squad will wash their dust-covered vehicles, conductpreventive maintenance checks, clean their weapons, and do anafter-action review with Karns. Afterwards they�ll conduct PT.

A few hours later the sun will settle into the west and anotherday will be done. The men of Double Deuce will hit the sack, snaga few hours of sleep, then get up tomorrow for another patrol. Themission continues.

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The Talon Friday, August 1, 1997Page 8

CAMP SAVA NORTH -- The office appearsto be a display at a local museum. The pa-tient�s chair is simple looking, almost ar-

chaic. The one portable light is basic, and difficultto bend. A small container houses all the supplies.The remaining area is open, creating an image ofminiature equipment.

The equipment here is not as high-tech as thatfound in the United States, but that is not stoppingthe two-person dental team here.

�We can treat any problem that the soldiers have,just like in the States,� said Maj. Jennifer E. Ellef-son, the dentist for the 61st Area Support MedicalBattalion from Fort Hood, Texas.

Emergency dental sick call is the main respon-sibility of the dental clinic. Sick call includes crackedfillings, toothaches, cavities, sore wisdom teeth andgum disease. The clinic usually treats 20 to 25 pa-tients every week.

�Our equipment here is a little different, so weare doing basic, routine care,� said Ellefson, anEdina, Minn. resident.

For more extensive dental care, such as crowns,finished root canals and elective oral surgeries, sol-diers must wait to be treated until they return totheir home station, said Ellefson.

�We will stabilize the individual, and then fin-ish the procedure when we get back,� said Ellefson,a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

�Common problems are fillings falling out, sol-diers with cavities, a few root canals,� said Sgt. Ozzie Smith, Ellef-son�s dental assistant. �To prevent problems is partly the soldiers�job and partly the duty stations�. Soldiers need to take more timecleaning their teeth - brushing, flossing, and rinsing. The dutystations need to put more effort into preventing the problem bymaking sure soldiers� teeth are in good shape before deployment.�

Ellefson agreed. �The best thing (for soldiers) to do is to getthings taken care of before they go on deployment,� she said. �Gettheir cavities filled, their teeth cleaned, broken fillings repaired -they�re supposed to have a checkup before they come over. Havetheir third molars removed before deployment if their dentist hasadvised them that the molars will need to come out.�

�We have a dental kit that we hand out whenever anyone comesto the dental clinic. On the back it has instructions on angles ofbrushing, and so on,� said Smith.

The kit contains a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste withfluoride, and a small container of dental floss.

And using the kit may help prevent problems. �During deploy-ment, the best thing to do is to keep teeth clean,� said Ellefson.�Brush three times a day. They (soldiers) can help prevent futuredecay and gum problems. They can watch their diet - cut back onsugar sodas they�re drinking. Some drink Coke or Mountain Dewwith every meal and don�t brush, which leads to decay and soreteeth. If they find they have a problem, a toothache, a cracked tooth,get to the dentist right away rather than wait until it gets real bad.

If playing sports, wear mouth protectors if they can get them.�Not using the kits may cause problems � but the team hasn�t

seen anything too unusual yet.�To me they�ve (patients� problems) all been the same - pretty

routine - you see a lot of the stuff here that you�ll see in the States,�said Smith. �We probably do tooth extractions once a week. We dosimple extractions - if it�s something serious we�ll send them tothe Blue Factory.�

Treating the patients isn�t the only job the team has. Everytwo weeks, Ellefson and Smith must pack up all the dental equip-ment and move to Camp Colt.

It takes about a half of a day just to disassemble the equip-ment, said Smith. Then a convoy must escort the team to the newlocation. Within 24 hours of their arrival at the new location, theclinic is operational, said Smith.

�It is nice to be in the two different places,� said Ellefson. �Ihave the opportunity to see different people and live in differentplaces.�

And the different people she comes in contact with appreciatethe opportunity to meet her as well.

�I had a tooth that cracked and she completely rebuilt the tooth,�said Sgt. Ronald TenEyck, 36, of Laurel, Md., movement controlsergeant for the 804th Tansportation Detachment, Tacoma, Wash.�Man, I didn�t feel a thing. She�s probably the best dentist I everhad. Shame I can�t use her all the time.�

By Spc. Janel R. George and Sgt. Ann Knudson129th MPAD

Openwide

Sgt. Ozzie S. Smith, a dentalassistant with 61st Area SupportMedical Company, cleans Spc.Javon R. River�s, 61st ASMC, teeth.

Photo by Spc. Janel R. George

The TalonFriday, August 1, 1997 Page 9

CAMP DOBOL -- On his birthday,Pvt. Mike Lindgren, tail gunnerwith the Swedish Battalion, re-

ceived an unusual present from CompanyD, Task Force 1-41. First he got a brief blockof instruction on the M60 machine gun fromSgt. Alan Eslinger. Then, the young Swedewas put in the turret of Eslinger�s HMMWVto man the machine gun on a joint patrolnear Camp Dobol.

Joint patrols between SFOR countriesbuilds confidence between the internation-al collection of soldiers. The mechanizedinfantrymen from Fort Riley, Kan. showedthe Swedes significant areas in the east-ern part of their sector. They pointed outseveral weapon storage sites, the resettle-ment progress in Mahala and location Si-erra Ten, a former checkpoint now staffedby the �Delta Dawgs� of Co. D.

Eslinger said the biggest difference hesaw during the joint patrol with his Swed-ish counterparts was that �although we (theU.S. Army) are an all-volunteer force, peo-ple are not necessarily volunteering to comeover to Bosnia. The unit receives the or-ders and we come. American soldiers don�thave a problem with that, but with theSwedes, they all volunteered to specifical-ly come to Bosnia for six months.�

The Swedes who volunteer are hand-

picked to participate in Operation JointGuard as part of the NORDPOL Brigade,said Pvt. Bjorn Citron, Swedish Bn. Since1992, eight Swedish battalions have rotat-ed in to Bosnia-Herzegovina for six-monthdeployments. �We finish one year of man-datory service to our country, then we gointo the reserves. We have no standing (ac-tive) army,� Citron said. �After our oneyear, we then have duty maybe one or twomonths every few years. One advantage isthat many people bring their civilian skillsinto the army, like their electrician or car-pentry knowledge.�

The ranking structure in the Swedishmilitary is also set up a bit differently said2nd Lt. Nathanial Edwards, fire supportofficer with Co. D. �The company command-er I met was a major, and the platoon lead-ers were either lieutenants or captains,�

said Edwards. �I also had a chance to meeta female Swedish soldier who was a squadleader in the infantry unit. They were verydisciplined and focused on their job. I hopewe have the chance to go up to their sectorand see what they do.�

Although Russian troops occasionallypass through TF 1-41�s area of responsibil-ity, this is the first time the Americans hadthe opportunity to meet the Swedes face toface.

Citron, a machine gunner from Vaxjo insouthern Sweden, explains his missionhere in the Balkans. �We are a versatile

unit, and do much thesame missions as theAmericans � mobilecheckpoints, quick reac-tion drills, and many dis-mounted patrols � be-cause in our sector (nearMcGovern Base), many ofthe villages are out of theway in the mountains. Weare always impressedwith the American sol-diers.�

The benefit of SFOR al-lies seeing where each other lives, trainsand operates is the simple understandingthat maintaining peace is the common goalin Bosnia-Herzegovina, said 1st Lt. SeanHunter, Co. D. executive officer. �We areall soldiers, just from different countries.�

By Spc. Susanne Aspley364th MAD

�We are a versatile unit, and domany of the same missions as theAmericans -- mobile checkpoints,quick reaction drills, and manydismounted patrols.�---- Pvt. Bjorn Citron

All soldiers;different countries

Pvt. Mike Lindgren, tail gunner with the Swedish Battalion,and Spc. Michael Lindsey, Company D, Task Force 1-41,checks out the machine gun on the Swedish SISU.Photo by Spc. Susanne Aspley

The Talon Friday, August 1, 1997

all ambassadorsBasketball ambassadorsPage 10

CAMP SAVA NORTH�Withinhours of Michael Jordan�s assistto Steve Kerr, who made the last-

second, game-winning basket, almost thewhole world knew that the Chicago Bullswon the World Championship for the fifthtime in the last seven years.

The city of Nasice, Croatia was no ex-ception. �We love basketball here,� saidTihomir Ljiljak, a resident of Nasice. �Wewill get up at all hours of the night, just towatch the NBA.�

Most of the residents of Nasice will nev-er have the opportunity to meet an NBAplayer or see a game live. However, theyfeel watching a U.S. Stabilization Force(SFOR) team play is close enough, saidLjiljak.

The Task Force Pershing Gatekeeperswere invited to play in the Nasice City DayBasketball Tournament June 15.

Eight teams competed in the tourna-ment. They included four Croatian teams,two Hungarian teams, a Command Sup-port SFOR team from Zagreb and theGatekeepers.

The Croatian Noncommissioned Offic-er Military Academy cadre team, whichhanded the Gatekeepers their only loss,won the tournament. The Gatekeeperstook home the third place trophy.

�More important than winning everygame is the morale building for the troopsand the camaraderie we share with the lo-cals,� said Spc. Terry B. Winston, 82ndRear Tactical Operations Center (RTOC).

Building camaraderie is an importantlink to the affiliation between the localsand SFOR said Col. Dennis C. Merrill, TFPershing commander.

�My intent is to foster improved rela-tionships with Croatia and the city of Na-sice,� he said.

According to Ljiljak, the relationship is off to a good start. �Wehave good cooperation with the Americans, and that is why wewanted to invite them.�

TF Pershing is hoping to meet two goals, said Command Sgt.Maj. Mike R. Kalberg, TF Pershing sergeant major. �We want toshow the people in our area of operations that we are here aspeople and are trying to improve relationships,� he said. �Thegames also give soldiers and locals the opportunity to participatein activities that are subject to common rules, enabling us to crosscultural barriers that would otherwise divide us.�

�We want to show that we all think in the same way. We alllove basketball,� said Ljiljak.

�The only time the locals see us is when we�re sporting full�battle rattle�, guarding the bridge or supporting convoys,� saidWinston, the Gatekeepers coach. �When they see us playing bas-ketball they realize that we want the same things they want; abetter way of life.�

�We are being ambassadors for all Americans and the U.S. Army,�

said Winston. �The players enjoy the fact they are able to play offpost and happy to display our sportsmanship to the community.�

The Gatekeepers� first shoot-out was in early May when theyplayed the Croatian National Team, falling 152 - 113.

The team was very good, said Sgt. Richard H. Baker, a playerassigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment.�They had all kinds of plays drawn up, and they even had someAmericans on the team.�

�When I saw the way their point guard was floating above therim in warm-ups, I knew we had a big challenge in front of us,�said Winston.

�The Nasice tournament helped us realize there is still room forimprovement,� said Baker. �We need to play together more, devel-op plays, press, and be able to play both man-to-man and zone.�

With practice and experience, the Gatekeepers will be preparedfor future games.

�We have been invited to play more basketball,� said Kalburg.�We are even trying to put together a tournament here in Slavon-ski Brod.�

By Spc. Janel R. George129th MPAD

Sgt. Richard Baker, right, blocks a shot by Sgt. Eddie Jackson during practice.

Photo by Sgt. Ann Knudson

The TalonFriday, August 1, 1997

101.1 FM101.1 FMSFOR News onSFOR News on

Page 11

Monday - Friday

6:30 a.m.8:05 a.m.10:05 a.m.3:05 p.m.9:00 p.m.Saturday week in review

8:04 a.m.10:05 a.m.

AFN RADIOAFN RADIO

WithSpc. Lloyd PhelpsBy the 364th MPAD

1) What state is known as the EmpireState?

2) In Internet documents and e-mail, whatdo the initials HHOK usually mean?

3) Lenny Wilkins, Phil Jackson and DelHarris have all won what National Basket-ball Association honor?

4) In what arena did Winston Churchill wina 1953 Nobel Peace Prize?

5) What is the average cost of a year of col-lege � tuition, fees, room and board � ata private U.S. institution?

6) Tallinn is the capital of what country?

7) The 1819 McCullough vs. Maryland Su-preme Court decision ruled Congress haswhat authority?

8) Blanca Peak (14,345 feet), Grays Peak(14,270 feet) and Longs Peak (14,255 feet)are located in what state?

9) What is the largest city in Ecuador?

10) How often is the World Lacrosse cham-pionship held?

11) Which Great Lake is the longest?

12) Who won the first James E. SullivanMemorial Trophy honoring amateur ath-letes in 1930?

13) What state is known for having �over10,000 lakes?�

14) Each team in an outdoor soccer gamenormally has how many players on the field

Turtles in the Box by Capt. P. J. Buottefeaturing Muddy and Dusty

Linguists(No cover)

European Military(T-shirts)

Civilians(No nothing)

Why does it feel likewe�re the only ones in

uniform?

How much do you know?

1) New York 2) Ha, ha � only kidding 3) Coach of the Year 4) Literature 5) $15,880 6)Estonia 7) To charter a national bank 8) Colorado 9) Guayaquil (2 million) 10) Everyfour years 11) Lake Superior (350 miles) 12) Bobby Jones (golfer) 13) Minnesota 14) 11Compiled from American Forces PressInformation

The Talon Friday, August 1, 1997Page 12

CAMP COLT -- Stabilization Forcesoldiers performing missions in-volving the destruction of unex-

ploded mines and ordnance see many dif-ferent types of weapons. Most of the timethese weapons are recognizable to thosetrained to deal with them and are employedin typical fashions.

But sometimes, because the factionswere short of weapons or were lacking ad-vanced technology, they were forced to im-provise and come up with homemade weap-ons or employ traditional weapons in in-novative fashions.

A common weapon used in an uncommonfashion was the case on Route Cody, nearCamp Colt recently. Some sea mines wereput in place by Federation soldiers and usedas anti-tank mines to keep the advancingSerb army from using Route Cody to travelfurther east into federation territory.

These mines are normally anchored tothe bottom of a body of water by a cable,and float just below the surface waiting foran unsuspecting ship.

�I have never seen or heard of using seamines for this, but a lack of technology andweapons breeds ingenuity,� said Navy Avi-ation Ordnanceman 2nd Class StevenSchaper, an explosive ordnance specialistwith the 754th Ordnance Company (EOD).�It�s an old type of weapon, but it�s practi-cal, so it is still used today. An anti-tankmine weighs around 14 pounds and the ex-

plosives in these weigh 250 pounds � I canonly imagine what they would take out.�

�When we first got there I was thinkingit would be a typical mine rigged for water,and then I saw it was the stereotypical seamine, a round ball with rods sticking out ofit,� said Sgt. Tom Hewitt, an EOD specialistwith the 754th Ord. Co. �I can understandwhy they did it, but I never thought I�d seeit. They approached it the same way wewould a bunker full of explosives. They hadthem sitting there, and they probably said�how could we use these things�.�

The three-man EOD team that travelsto different base camps to lend their ex-pertise in explosives worked side by sidewith soldiers from the 11th Military CivilRelations Battalion out of Camp Colt to dis-cover who had placed the mines. They trav-eled the area talking to people, trying tofind anyone with information regarding themines and how to safely remove them.

After much searching, they located thesoldier who had placed the mines, and hehelped them by explaining the site and howthe two mines could be removed.

�We talked to members of the Interna-tional Police Task Force, various local lead-ers and local civilians,� said Sgt. 1st ClassAlberto Willingham, noncommissioned of-ficer in charge of the 11th MCR Bn. Mili-tary Information Support Team at CampColt. �Our mission was to notify the peoplethat we were going to take the mines, andto stay away from them. We�ll also let themknow when the mines were going to be de-stroyed, because it will be a loud explosion.�

One of the mines removed was next tothe road, lying in a ditch, partially coveredby dirt and brush. The other was in a clear-ing between homes and near a playground.Using information obtained from the sol-dier who had placed the mine, as well asinformation gathered by EOD soldiers us-ing remote techniques, it was determinedthe mines were not armed or boobytrappedin any way, and had been left in positionfor future use by Federation soldiers.

Schaper said he learned that the area hasa lot of history and was the site of some heavyfighting because of the strategic location. Theother eight mines that remain are in a fieldbetween the road and a levee along the SavaRiver. The mines are fused and are sur-rounded by hundreds of anti-personnelmines, and will be removed in the future bythe faction that put them there.

Staff Sgt. Scott Wood, the EOD teamleader, said that the mines were taken toprevent them from being used again in thefuture, and to make Route Cody safer forpossible use by SFOR convoys. The mineswill be destroyed by a controlled explosionat a heavy detonation area near McGov-ern Base when approval is given by SFORleaders. The mines could not be blown inplace because of their size and close prox-imity to homes and other buildings.

�We were not only helping SFOR to gaina new route, we were helping the local ci-vilians,� said Wood. �You could see by thelooks on their faces they were happy and itwas satisfying to see how much they ap-preciated it.�

By Spc. Paul Hougdahl129th MPAD

Sgt. John Ravanelli, 1st Military Police Company,and Staff Sgt. Scott Wood, 754th OrdnanceCompany (EOD), attach a sea mine to a wrecker.

Photo by Spc. Paul Hougdahl

SEA MINESfrom page 1