Operation Joint Guard, Bosnia-Herzegovina Serving the ... are some safety tips for painting: ......

Talonthe Friday, January 31, 1997Volume 3, No 5

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

COMMENTARY . . . . 2TOC . . . . . . 3READINESS . . . . 5BENCH PRESS . . . . 8FLIGHT MEDICS . . 9TAX ADVICE . . . . . 10SSN SECURITY . . 11

Inside

McGOVERN FIRE... Afterhelping fight the flames thatengulfed McGovern Base'sBrown and Root livingquarters, soldiers move outof the way to make way forfire-fighting vehicles thateventually put out the firebefore it could spread.

Photo by Capt. James Billings

McGOVERN BASE—Firefighters fromthe Republika Srpska and the BosnianFederation joined forces with Stabliza-tion Force soldiers late in the evening onJan. 22 to help extinguish a fire ragingout of control at McGovern Base’s Brownand Root living quarters.

McGovern Base came face to face withthe realities of fire hazards when flames

McGovern fire unites forcesBy Spc. David S. Boe364th MPAD

destroyed three tents and damagedseveral offices in an adjacent building.

Three soldiers were treated for mildsmoke inhalation at the base aid stationand released. No Brown and Rootemployees were injured.

It could have been much worse.Spreading quickly through the wood

and canvas, the fire might have claimedmore damage had it not been for thequick reaction of U.S. soldiers and

civilian firefighters, said Capt. WadeFoote, Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 1st Battalion., 18th Infantry,and McGovern Base Mayor.

“The alarm and reaction were excellent,”said Foote. “The civilian firefighters fromBrcko and Gorni Rahic should be applaud-ed for a fast reaction to the fire with theirvehicles. They helped us keep the building

See McGOVERN page 12

The Talon Friday, January 31, 1997

SFORAs vehicle markings change from Implementation Force to Stabilization

Force (completion deadline is Feb. 3), soldiers need to remember safety andbe aware of the risks associated with the task. Chemical agent resistant

coating is the standard paint for Army tactical equipment. It lasts four times longerthan ordinary paints and doesn’t soak up chemical agents.

CARC and other paints have certain hazards. They are flammable, can beinhaled or absorbed through the skin, can irritate eyes and skin, and cause head-aches, dizziness and intoxication. Large doses can lead to unconsciousness anddeath. Continual overexposure can permanently damage vital organs.

Here are some safety tips for painting:Flammability —Don’t paint near flame, heat or spark producers.Ventilation —Handle paint only in well-ventilated areas or outdoors. Use

spray booths and ventilation systems designed for paints, but painting operationsmust be kept away from other ventilation systems and air intakes. Vehicles shouldbe parked away from painting structures to ensure vapors aren’t trapped.

Personal protective equipment — Wear eye splash protection, clothing thatfully covers the skin and appropriate gloves. Shower after painting.

Outdoor painting — Spot painting is highly encouraged and may not requirerespiratory protection when natural ventilation is adequate and confined spaceconditions do not exist.

Indoor painting — Highly discouraged given our tactical environment setup.CARC users will need a respirator. If a respirator is required for a particular

chemical, that information is on the material safety data sheet which providesguidelines on respirator type and ventilation requirements. Respirators must fitproperly and be in good condition, must be inspected monthly and never be alteredor modified. Finally, respirators should be used in well ventilated areas, properlyfitted with no leaks, and cleaned after each day’s use.-- R.A. Mente, Safety Director

seling of soldiers and never lose fo-cus on NCO evaluation reports. They

must give theirsoldiers that paton the back whenearned and de-served. The offic-ers as well, mustcontinue to focuson officer evalua-tion reports.

The success ofthe SFOR mis-sion is not luck. Itis due to the sus-

tained efforts and professionalismthroughout the ranks from the high-est ranking general to lowest rank-ing private. Their dedication to dutyis working to ensure the peace.

I commend the troops for continu-ing the tradition of excellence.

LAYING DOWN THE LAWSCo

hen

said

it.

..As our soldiers in Bosnia are mov-

ing from NATO’s peace implementa-tion phase into the stabalizationphase. I would like to thank the sol-diers, airmen, sailors and Marines fortheir contributions which have broughtus to this point.

I also extend thanks to the multi-national soldiers whose expertise hascontributed to the success of the en-deavor. Through their joint efforts andhard work, we reached this point.

The United States has the mostsuccessful military in the world andthe reason for this success is leader-ship. It is the strong leadership of theofficers and noncommissioned officersthat has brought about the success ofthe IFOR mission.

As the operation continues, so mustthe leadership roles. Senior NCOs aretasked to continue the normal coun-

CARC HAZARDS

Quotes from thenew Secretary of De-fense William Cohen,confirmed by Con-gress January 22.

“While we are not and cannot bethe world’s policeman, neither canwe become a prisoner of worldevents, isolated and tucked safelyaway in a continental cocoon.”

“The courage, loyalty and willing-ness of our men and women in uni-form to put their lives at stake is anational treasure that should neverbe taken for granted,” he said.“When our forces are sent to fight,

clear objectives must be set to which we arefirmly committed and which we have the meansto achieve decisively.”

“When our ships patrol strategic waters, ouraircraft fly distant skies and our soldiers de-ploy on exercises, they are not merely on call inthe event something happens. By those veryactions, something is happening; they are in-fluencing the views and decisions of foreigncountries, be they friends in need of assuranceor foes in need of deterrence. Our forces intheir daily operations are shaping the world,not merely waiting to respond to the crisis ofthe moment.”

(To President Bill Clinton) “We share a con-viction that America can best defend her na-tional security interests abroad by uniting be-hind a bipartisan security policy at home. Andyour decision to reach across party lines forthis appointment respects the desires of theAmerican people for an approach to public pol-icy that is free of political rancor.

“I expect the SFOR mission will be terminat-ed at the end of 18 months, and I plan for ourforces to be out by the end of that period.”

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 theofficial views 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:[email protected]. Printed by Print Com Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Circulation: 4,500.

The Talon1st Infantry Division Commander . . . Maj. Gen. Montgomery C. MeigsEditor in Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. William L. DuPont364th MPAD Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maj. Frank A. PartykaOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1st Lt. Robert M InouyeNCOIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. 1st Class Daniel M. WareEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. William L. GeddesDesign Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. Mark L. GeigerFeatures Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Sgt. Lavonna A. Rohloff1st Infantry Division PA NCOIC . . . . . . . . . Sgt. Gregory W. BinfordTranslator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arijana SabanovicIllustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sgt. Corwin Reed

Command Sgt. Maj.

James W. Laws

1st Infantry Div.

The TalonFriday, January 31, 1997

News briefs

EAGLE BASE — Since arriving threemonths ago, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artil-lery, has filled some mighty large shoes.Although just one battalion, these soldiershave assumed the previous mission of anentire division and two battalions. This haspresented unique challenges for all sol-diers—from the Tactical Operations Cen-ter to the firing points out in the field.

The demands of the daily operation haveincreased, keeping the TOC staff busy col-lecting and positioning pieces of the overallfield artillery puzzle.

Capt. Brent M. Parker, 30, of Gardner,Kan., a battle captain and the assistantoperations officer, is confident of his bat-talion’s abilities under this expanded role.

“We have an interesting challenge here,”Parker said. “This is a battalion sized TOC,but we are providing fire support to thesame coverage area as previously coveredby those before us. We’ve assumed all theirsectors of responsibilities and have thesame mission as the artillery units underthe 1st Armored Division. Our TOC is nowacting as the division artillery headquar-ters for the entire Task Force.”

The main function of the TOC is to bethe center of all incoming information. Datais collected from the fire support element,then plans for allocation of assets to sup-port contingency missions are developed. Aconstant influx of information also comes

from the soldiers out in the field.“Basically, we can be thought of as an

information hub,” Parker said.“We collect information regarding reset-

tlements, protests, weapons storage sites,and celebratory fire,” said intelligenceNCOIC, Staff Sgt. Ray W. Trent, 34, ofLynchburg, Va. “We must keep our unitsinformed of activities in their areas. Situa-tional awareness is critical. Our soldierscollect information while they’re at fire po-sitions, on convoys; constantly keeping theireyes open.

We don’t actively go out with the soleintent of searching for intelligence informa-tion. Our mission is to provide indirect firesupport.”

Through all collected intelligence infor-mation, the TOC controls all the guns andtheir movements.

“We place them around the theater tosupport specific missions while still cover-ing the base camps,” Parker said.

Due to the expanded mission, all por-tions of daily operations are magnified.Commonplace tasks such as resupply, andmail runs have a new twist.

“We must stay very focused on every-thing that happens in the entire theater.Everyone has risen to the challenges,” Park-er said. “There’s something new happeningall the time, so we continue to learn. We’vebeen successful in coming in and perform-ing much bigger than we really are. All ofour soldiers are doing a great job.”

Staff Sgt. Brenda Benner100th MPAD

Staff Sgt. Ray W. Trent, intelligence NCOIC for 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery,updates the mission map at the battalion's tactical operations center.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Brenda Benner

Big shoes to fill

Stepping into a mission previouslyfilled by an entire division left 1stBn. 7th Field Artillery with...

State Tax BenefitsWhile troops assigned in Bosnia-

Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedoniareceived federal tax benefits fortheir time in those countries, servicemembers from six states must stillfile state income tax returns.

Unless state legislatures adoptchanges retroactive to the beginningof Operation Joint Endeavor, de-ployed residents of Alabama, Ha-waii, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ore-gon and Pennsylvania are subject tostate tax.

Service members should contacttheir unit tax or legal assistance of-ficers if they have questions aboutstate tax requirements.

SFOR Nears CeilingAbout 8,900 U.S. troops are now

in Bosnia, including two engineerbattalions dismantling IFOR basecamps.

Operation Joint Endeavor gaveway to Operation Joint Guard Dec.20. NATO’s 60,000-member imple-mentation force completed its mis-sion, and a 31,000-strong stabiliza-tion force is deployed for the nextphase of the alliance peace effort.

The United States committed8,500 troops to the 18-month stabili-zation mission. “Our forces in Bos-nia are part of a 32-nation coalitioncontinuing to provide security andstability in Bosnia as work on civilreconstruction and other rebuildingcontinues,” said Ken Bacon, Penta-gon spokesman.

The SFOR mission is to preventresumption of hostilities, maintain asecure environment and provideselective support to civilian organi-zations. SFOR troops are patrollingzones of separation, inspectingweapon storage sites, manningcheckpoints and conducting liaisonmeetings with local government of-ficials and other civil affairs mis-sions, officials said. SFOR troopshave conducted 120 inspectionssince Dec. 20, Bacon said.

During the year-long IFOR mis-sion, NATO forces seized 758 tonsof weapons and ammunition, Penta-gon officials said. To date, SFOR sei-zures have been minimal, averagingless than three small arms per dayand limited ammunition.

Compiled from Armed ForcesInformation Service


McGOVERN BASE – Being an infantrysoldier in Bosnia-Herzegovina means lotsof guard duty and patrols, even in cold andrainy weather. For many, the living condi-tions are cramped and the hours are long.

Given the hardships of deployment, itmight be reasonable to think a re-enlist-ment noncommissioned officer would havea hard time meeting his goals. However,the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry led the 2ndBrigade, 1st Infantry Division in re-enlist-ments for the first fiscal quarter of 1997.

According to Staff Sgt. Klaus A. Lowry,1st Battalion re-enlistment NCO, he met133 percent of his goal for the quarter forfirst-term re-enlistments and 153 percentof his goal for mid-career re-enlistments.

The battalion made 100 percent of itsgoal for 1996, said Lowry, with the highquarters balancing out the low quarters.

“I have to attribute it to the leadershipinvolved,” said Lowry. “There are good peo-ple out there who care about their troops.Commanders are always following up onthe status of re-enlistment.”

Lowry, 32, who was born in Rosenheim,Germany, and is a naturalized U.S. citi-zen, also re-enlists soldiers from units inthe task force attached to the 1st Bn., whichdo not count toward meeting his goal.

Lowry said if re-enlistment objectives

years and have two children: Cassandra, 7,and Cody, 4. Jennifer is pregnant with theirthird child, which is due Feb. 24.

“Now with the new baby coming alongand my wife in a difficult pregnancy, if anymedical care is needed I have the govern-ment behind me,” said Helm.

Spc. Justin A. Bishop, 20, is an auto-matic rifleman in Company C, 1-18 Inf. The

Lackawanna, N.Y soldierre-enlisted Jan. 4 at theBrcko Bridge, which cross-es the Sava River betweenCroatia and the BosnianSerb-held city of Brcko. Here-enlisted for four yearswith the stipulation he besent to Fort Lewis, Wash.He is engaged to be mar-ried to Manuela Schullwhen he returns to Sch-weinfurt, Germany.

Spc. Christopher L. Sharp, 21, is a Bra-dley driver in Company A, 1-18 Inf. He re-enlisted for four years on Oct. 7, 1996, inSchweinfurt for present duty assignment,so he will be able to spend an extra year inGermany. He has been married for twoyears to his wife, Tanja, and they have adaughter, Celina, 1.

“I joined the Army to make a career ofit,” Sharp said. “You can’t do things likethis in the civilian world. You can’t drive aBradley down the street.”

are not met, it could eventually result in aunit being short-handed or a Bradley beingwithout a crew.

Soldiers have different reasons why theychoose to stay in or get out of the Army.Lowry is not only a re-enlistment NCO, butalso a career counselor. He talks to eachsoldier and tries to find out what they wantto do and what is best for them. Some sol-diers are eligi-ble for bonus-es upon re-en-l i s t m e n t ,while otherscan changetheir militaryoccupationalspecialty ifthey desire. Hediscusses op-tions with sol-diers to helpthem determine if their best path is to stayin the Army or return to civilian life.

Despite the difficulties and dangers ofthis Bosnian deployment, many eligible sol-diers are choosing to remain Vanguards.

Spc. Darren K. Helm, 26, is a HMMWVdriver in Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 1-18 Inf. He re-enlisted Jan. 6 atthe McGovern Base chapel. A leading fac-tor in his decision to re-up was the medicalbenefits provided for his family. He and hiswife, Jennifer, have been married eight

Re-enlisting on the Brcko Bridge, Spc.Justin A. Bishop, at right with arm raised,repeats the oath of enlistment spoken byhis platoon leader, 2nd Lt. Greg J.Battles, at left with arm raised. Holdingthe American flag is Sgt. Corey M.McFadden, while Capt. John W.Reynolds, commander of C Company,Task Force 1-18, stands next to Bishop.

Photo by Sgt. Tim Pinkham

Reup goals met

By Sgt. TIM PINKHAM350th MPAD

“You can’t do things likethis in the civilian world.You can’t drive aBradley down thestreet.”

------ Spc. Christopher L. Sharp

Soldiersreap

rewards


PROTECT THE FORCE

*Keep your troops informed*Identify risks and apply countermea-sures*Make sure you and your people get crewrest*Plan and tailor operations to avoid therisk of Cold Weather Operation*Execute like we trained you*Make sure the troops have abuddy…..who’s yours?*Don’t let a trooper operate gear w/o prop-er training and a license*Do fire prevention rehearsals*Ensure weapons safety, security ofweapons and sensitive items*Ensure proper planning and execution ofRail Operations*Do convoys the right way - by the book

Canarios’ readiness, R.O.E., changes tide

An attack on Muslim construction work-ers by Serbian protestors forced Staff Sgt.Rob S. Canarios, a Bradley Fighting vehi-cle section leader with Company B, 1st Bat-talion 26 Infantry, to react within the rulesof engagement on Sunday afternoon.

Canarios used the threat of deadly forceto change the tide in an increasingly dan-gerous situation.

The workers were attacked by nearly200 Serbs while building prefabricatedhomes near Gajevi. Canarios was moni-toring the situation from his Bradley whenSerbs began to beat a Muslim with 2 x 4’suntil he was knocked down.

Canarios dismounted and went to as-sist soldiers trying to separate the twogroups when he saw that Serbs were stillhitting the man laying on the ground.

“There was one guy on the ground beingbeat up and I was yelling ‘Stop! Stop! Stani!,but they kept hitting the guy. I pulled mypistol and fired a warning shot. The Serbs

stopped and all eyes were on me. Theybacked up and said OK,” said Canarios.

Knowing the rules of engagement helpedCanarios deal with the violent situation.“R.O.E. works. It works in all situations,”Canarios said.

Firing the warning shot helped the sol-diers of the 1-26 Inf. and the Russian bri-gade regain control of the mob. Walkingthrough the situation with his soldiers im-mediately after the incident, Canarios re-affirmed that R.O.E. works.

“After the situation I reviewed with mysoldiers what had happened,” Canariossaid. “They were concerned that I was goingto get in trouble. But I said no, because noone had gotten hurt. I had all of them pullout their cards and look at the guidelineswe follow. By the same token knowing andusing the R.O.E. gave me a lot more confi-dence.”

Advice Canarios would share with oth-ers is know R.O.E., rehearse battle drillsand stay calm.

“Be calm, follow the steps of R.O.E. and

rehearse,” said Canarios. “That morning wekept receiving updates on the developingsituation and we kept rehearsing scenari-os. Know your battle drills.”

By 1st Lt. Robert M. Inouye364th MPAD

Photo by 55th Combat Camara

Maj. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs,commanding general of the US sec-tor, approved a plan to upgrade basecamp standards by providing shelfunits to all personnel. The units aredesigned to be used in pairs so theyform a partition between living areas.

The plan calls for troops to ex-change 1 ½ sheets of on-hand ply-wood for a finished shelf unit.

Soldiers should dismantle non-standard partitions or other struc-tures and use the salvaged plywoodfor the exchange program. The ply-wood must be serviceable, clean, freeof nails and excessive wear, and notwarped, cracked, or discolored by pe-troleum products. Sheets with paintor with holes no larger than two inch-es are acceptable.

Shelves may be obtained in one oftwo ways:

The camp mayor can contact basecamp coordination agency at mobilesubscriber system 557-4608 and ar-range for a drop-off and pick-up pointindicating the number of units re-quested.

The camp mayor can turn in theplywood to their Brown & Root campmanager who will then arrange forpick-up and delivery of shelf units andexchanged plywood.

The exchange will continue untilall soldiers have new shelf units.Point of contact at the BCCA is Capt.Clyborne at 577-4608.

Shelf unit plan

A Serbian protestor wielding a 2x4 chases a Muslim construction worker.The disturbance continued until Staff Sgt. Rob S. Canarios fired a warningshot into the air and dispersed the mob.


Cleanup

timeBosnia styleSoldiers from the 1st ID, 2nd Bde., and 258th MP Company got upearly Tuesday morning to get their convoy vehicles clean and ready togo at Task Force Eagle Base. From top left clockwise: A soldier openshis HMMWV door... Pfc. Justin D. Fordice, 20, 2nd Bde, 1st ID, fromEnterprise, Ore. cleans the wheel on a vehicle... Pfc. David L. Nowlin,23, 258th MP Co., from Frankfort, Ky. hoses off the mud... Spc. QuincyM. Brown, 20, 258th MP Co., from Summerville, S.C. gets the wind-shield clean.

Cleanup

time


Photos by Staff Sgt. Mark L. Geiger, 300th MPAD


Photo by Sgt. Ken Robinson

CAMP DOBOL — Theyoung medic picked up thescalpel and made her firstincision. She was nervous. Itwas her first time handlingthe sharp knife and slicinghuman skin.

“The skin isn’t that hard tocut, it’s real easy actually,”said Plymouth, Mass. nativeSpc. Amy M. Liddell, whoperformed her first minorsurgery at Camp Dobol.

“We performed two taskstoday,” said Liddell, a 20-year-old medic serving withthe 299th Forward AreaSupport Team. “We did amolectomy, which is theremoval of a mole, and acystectomy, which is theremoval of a cyst.”

From the cleaning of thearea, to suturing the incision,Capt. Phillip L. Ramsey, fromTucson, Ariz., was on hand toassist and offer advice ifneeded.

“She (Liddell) was actuallyable to do all the steps withme standing right there,” saidRamsey, the physician’sassistant with HeadquartersCompany, 1st Battalion, 26thInfantry. “That increases her

confidence in herself and herskills.”

Normally, medics do notperform this type of operation,but on this deployment theopportunity has presenteditself and the medics aregaining a lot of experience andfirst-hand knowledge. Classeson surgical techniques areconducted twice a week, alongwith hip-pocket training.

Along with training, sickcall is a daily activity. Due tomissions and varying sched-ules there are no specific hoursfor sick call. The majority ofcomplaints are sore throats,coughs and colds. There is alsothe frequently pulled musclesfrom overexertion in theweight room.

Their doors are open 24hours a day to handle anymisfortune. Two medicalofficers sleep in the back of thetent, while the medics are onlytwo tents away. This easyaccessibility ensures that theteam can handle an emergencyanytime, day or night.

Troops from the 299thFAST and the 1st Battalion.,26th Infantry run the aidstation. “All the medics haveintegrated well,” Ramsey said.

Spc. Hunter Y. Carwile,said, “I’m enjoying the deploy-

Minorsurgery

By Spc. J. CRAIG PICKETT350th MPAD

Spc. Amy M. Liddell, 20, from Plymouth, Mass., administersnumbing agent to a patient undergoing a molectomy whileCapt. Phillip L. Ramsey, 40, from Tucson, Ariz., stands byto give advice to the young medic.

ment and am learning a lot.”Carwile, from Lynchburg, Va.,plans on attending physiciansassistant school soon andfeels the training and practi-cal exercises here are benefi-cial. “The most interestingthing I’ve done is the minorsurgery,” he said.

Patients requiring moremedical attention than theCamp Dobol facilities canprovide are sent to the 212thCombat Support Hospital atthe Blue Factory. When that

occurs, Spc. Claudia J.Simkins might be the one totake them there.

The 20-year-old fromHuntsville, Mo., is an evacua-tion medic who drives anambulance. “I like it betterhere than in the rear. Here weget to do our job. I feel morevital,” she said.

Whether it’s cutting skin forthe first time or treating thecommon cold, the medics atCamp Dobol are keeping thetroops in good repair.

no major event for 299th

S pc. Jaime Kinell, 38, Personal SupportBattalion, of San Diego, attempts a clean liftin the Morale, Welfare and Recreation

sponsored Bench Press Competition held at the FestTent Sunday. Kinell and teammates Pfc. ElijahHolliday, Torrington, Conn., Jalacy Hawkins,Fayetteville, N.C., Spc. Kris Pabotoy, Fairfax, Va., andAir Force Staff Sgt. Marshall Richardson ofHenderson Ky., made up the combined team thatcaptured a slim victory over two other Air Forceteams. The days best lift was pumped out by 1st Lt.Bull Ternus, USAF, of College Station, Texas, with alift of 370 pounds.

Uuhhnnuuhh...

Photo by Spc. Todd L. Surdez 129th MPAD


Flight medics meet challenge of higher training

GUARDIAN BASE — Flight medics ofthe 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance)en route to a trauma site have training tofall back on. And with a mission vital to allsoldiers, they need every bit of it.

They provide life saving medical help atthe scene of an emergency and are constant-ly challenged with knowing, memorizing, andperforming an endless multitude of medicaland aviation crew member tasks.

Staff Sgt. Ian D. Gosling, approaching hissixth year as a flight medic, has passed themental rigors of these constant training de-mands.

“To become a flight medic, one needs tobe a regular medic, or emergency medicaltechnician qualified,” Gosling, 30, of Irvine,Calif. said. “There’s the additional aircrafttraining to become a crew member. You’renot guaranteed to make it as a flight medicjust because you’re assigned as one. Thereare numerous tests to pass, and the trainingtakes an extra six months.”

Company commander Maj. John P. Cook,has an appreciation for the high level of ex-pertise demonstrated by all the soldiers ofhis company.

“Flight medics require a lot of training,”Cook said. “It’s much more extensive thanbeing a regular medic. Flight medics are go-ing directly to the trauma scene. We don’tcarry doctors with us, so a flight medic reallyhas to be prepared for anything. They mustbe familiar with flight operations and workin tandem with the crew chief and pilots.Flight medics use some of the latest, ad-vanced medical equipment that many regu-lar medics will never see.”

Pfc. Todd Foxworth, 26, of Foxworth,Miss., is a qualified flight medic. Immedi-ately after training as aregular medic, he was of-fered a waiver into a ser-geants slot.

“It was the luck of thedraw,” Foxworth said.“There’s a lot of extra train-ing requirements for me.I’m expected to know whatthe higher enlisted flightmedics know. I earned mycertification two monthsago, while here on deploy-ment. It took me a few months to train onthe aircraft, learn hoist techniques, surveil-lance, and operations with night vision gog-gles.”

Teaching classes helps Foxworth stay ontop of all the information regarding medicaltreatments and medical equipment PMCS.

“It helps reinforce my learning,” Foxworthsaid. “I also spend all of my spare time read-

ing medical training manuals and equip-ment procedures. I’ve got to know mystuff.”

“As a Pfc., Foxworth has a lot of re-sponsibility riding on his shoulders,”Cook said. “Getting flight medics to thescene to stabilize patients is the focus ofeverything we’re doing. The pilots’ andcrew’s mission revolves around the flight

medics, re-gardless ofrank,” Cooksaid.

Throughyears of re-sponding toemergencies,Gosling haslearned notto channelall of hismental pre-

paredness during medevac flights to-wards one anticipated medical proce-dure.

“While in transit to a trauma scene, Iwonder about the safety of the scene andif I’ll have access to the patients,” Gos-ling said. “We never know what we’ll en-counter. The medical situation at thescene is usually different from the ini-

tial information we receive from the mede-vac request. I’d mentally go through proce-dures for a certain type of injury and encoun-ter something completely different. Instead,we have to be prepared for all possibilities.”

Besides knowing what to do in pre-re-hearsed scenarios, many medics possess aninstinct of resourcefulness during a challeng-ing and stressful crisis.

One of Gosling’s most recent rescues in-volved an overturned Danish Battalion tankin which a crew member was trapped in frig-id water up to his chest for six hours.

“The Norwegian ground ambulance crewsused heating blankets and the heating pack-ets from the MREs to keep his core tempera-ture as close to normal as possible,” Goslingsaid. “They covered him from the water levelup and their field expedient method worked.He suffered hypothermia, but recovered OK.Doctors said it was amazing they kept hiscore temperature as warm as they did.”

Life as a flight medic is highly demand-ing, Gosling can’t imagine doing anythingelse.

“I get an adrenaline rush when we bringin a patient and the doctors say that theywill make it,” Gosling said. “I get satisfac-tion knowing that I’ve helped someone. That’swhat it’s all about.”

Flight medics meet challenge of higher trainingStaff Sgt. Brenda Benner100th MPAD

Staff Sgt. Ian Gosling,flight medic with the 45thMed. Co. prepares toreconfigure his aircraft forhoist operating

“I get an adrenalinerush when we bring ina patient and thedoctors say that theywill make it.”

------ Staff Sgt. Ian Gosling

Photo by Spc. Todd L. Surdez


Q&As onMilitary Tax

ReliefAct

Q&As onMilitary Tax

ReliefAct

Tax timeadvice

Armed Forces InformationService

Tax timeadvice

Just knowing the answers to basicquestions will help troops deployedto Operation Joint Endeavor prepare

for their income taxes.DoD’s Office of Compensation and Inter-

nal Revenue Service have compiled ques-tions and answers about the Military TaxRelief Act.

The act provides tax benefits to servicemembers deployed to Operations Joint En-deavor and Able Sentry. Some aspects ap-ply to military and civilian personnel sup-porting the peacekeeping mission from Ita-ly, Hungary and aboard ships in the Adri-atic Sea.

Defense officials said these questionsand answers should provide those deployedmost of the information they need when fil-ing their 1995 and 1996 federal incometaxes.

Those having further questions can callIRS tax hotlines. In the United States, callIRS at (800) 829-1040. This number is goodinside the United States. E-mail questionsto [email protected].

IRS also has offices in Rome and Bonn,Germany, to assist overseas taxpayers withfederal income tax questions. Contact theRome office by calling 39 6 4674-2560 orvia fax at 39 6 4674-2223. The IRS-Bonnbranch is at 49 228 339-2119 or via fax at49 228 339-2810.

Q Which geographic areas are quali-fied hazardous duty areas in the new law?

A Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, andMacedonia.

Q I am a member of the U.S. armedforces assigned to perform peacekeepingservices in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Is any partof my 1996 military pay for serving in thisqualified hazardous duty area excludedfrom gross income?

A Yes. If you serve in a qualified haz-ardous duty area as an enlisted person forany part of a month, all your military payreceived for military service that month istax-free. A similar exclusion for commis-sioned officers limits their monthly exemp-tion to the highest enlisted pay rate (cur-rently about $4,250). Exclusions are notsubject to federal income tax.

Q My spouse and I are both enlistedpersonnel serving with the armed forces inthe qualified hazardous duty area. Are weboth entitled to the income tax exclusionfor military pay?

A Yes.

Q If I become injured and hospitalizedwhile serving in the military in the quali-fied hazardous duty area, is any of my mil-itary pay exempt from gross income?

A Yes. Military pay received by hospi-talized enlisted personnel as a result of

injuries sustained while serving in the qual-ified hazardous duty area is excluded fromgross income. Commissioned officers havea similar exclusion.

Q My wife is on active duty in the qual-ified hazardous duty area. She will be eli-gible for discharge when she returns home.If she separates upon her return, will thepayment for the annual leave she accruedduring her service in the qualified hazard-ous duty area be excluded from gross in-come?

A Yes. Annual leave payments to en-listed members at separation are not partof the gross income — provided the leaveearned was while the member served in thequalified hazardous duty area.

If your wife is a commissioned officer,only a portion of the annual leave paymentshe receives for time in the qualified haz-ardous duty area may be exempt. The leavepayment cannot be exempt if the amountexceeds the maximum enlisted amount forthe month of service.

Q My husband is a service membersupporting Operation Joint Endeavor fromGermany. He is not receiving hostile fire orimminent danger pay. Is he eligible for themilitary pay exclusion?

A No. U.S. armed forces personnel serv-ing outside the qualified hazardous dutyare not eligible for the military pay exclu-sion. The only exception is if they serve indirect support of military operations in thequalified hazardous duty area. For a moredetailed discussion of the tax treatment ofmilitary personnel, see Publication 3 — TaxInformation for Military Personnel (Includ-ing Reservists Called to Active Duty).


Several things according toCapt. Jon Howard, assistantstaff judge advocate for the1st Infantry Division.

“Use only the last fourdigits of your social securitynumber unless absolutelynecessary,” Howard said.“And keep it off the internet.There are many corporationswhere the only thing used toverify your identity is a social se-curity number.”

“I don’t give it out to just anybody,”said Jasper, Ala., native Pvt. MatthewE. Abbott, a bradley driver with Deltacompany, 1/18th Infantry. “I only give itout to someone who asks for it for a goodreason.”

Determining whether someone is ask-ing for it for a good reason, and whetherthe whole social security number is nec-essary is key. Most know to put just thelast four when signing for chow, but manypeople put their whole social security num-ber down when signing for laundry (only thelast four are required.)

Most people wouldn’t give their socialsecurity number to just anybody, yet thinknothing of writing or having the numberprinted on their checks. While some storesdo require you write the number on thecheck, remember that the check passes

Last fourUsed for everything from signing for your

chow to signing for a credit report, from iden-tifying the laundry you turned in for wash-ing to identification for a credit card appli-cation, the social security number is a pow-erful tool.

And like any powerful tool, in the wronghands, your social security number canbreak your life into pieces.

Once someone has your social securitynumber it is possible for them to steal yourwhole identity. They can obtain and run up

credit card bills in your name, obtain checksin your name, order merchandise in yourname, and access personal records aboutyour life.

So what can be done to protect yourself?

through many hands on the way back to thebank and consider whether the purchase isworth the risk, however remote that maybe.

“The best advice I can give is to followthese two rules when using you social secu-rity number,” Howard said. “One, only givethe last four digits unless absolutely nec-essary and two, don’t give the number outto friends or people you don’t know well.”

Sgt. William Geddes364th MPAD

“There are manycorporations where theonly thing used to verifyyour identity is a socialsecurity number.”

------ Capt. Jon Howard

Reed This

You crazy? Since you get the danger pay, you sniff out the bomb!

Sgt. Corwin Reed


FIRE

next to the TOC (Tactical Operations Cen-ter) from burning.”

The fire, which Foote said was thoughtto have started in the center of threetents comprising the Brown and Rootcompound, was first spotted around 11p.m. by Observation Post #6, locatedacross the street. The resulting alarmand red glow in the sky were for many thefirst indications something was wrong.

“I was in my tent sleeping,” said Sgt.Chad C. Cave, Company B, 121st SignalBattalion. “I heard bells ringing andeverybody woke up. Someone said,‘there’s a fire,’ and we evacuated the tent”

“I was in my tent laying down to sleepwhen I heard the bell,” said Spc. HaroldLanson, Company A, 9th EngineerBattalion. “I jumped up and that’s whenan NCO came in and said we had a fire. Ithen headed to the motor pool – ourrendezvous point. There they asked forvolunteers to help.”

Sgt. Edward A. Duke, HHC, 1-18 Inf.,said he was on his way back to his tentwith the hope of turning in early for theevening. Instead, he and another NCOfound themselves battling the initialonslaught of the blaze with five-poundfire extinguishers. These, he said, soonproved ineffective against the wall offlame, which sometimes swirled farabove the compound walls. “We thenstarted a bucket brigade,” Duke said.“The main thing we were trying to do waskeep the AAFES (Army and Air ForceExchange Service) building from going up.We did as much as we could.”

What the soldiers did do, Foote said,was keep the potentially disastrous firefrom spreading long enough for equip-ment to be evacuated and the civilian firetrucks to arrive. The Serb firefightersfrom Brcko and the Muslim firefightersfrom Gorni Rahic worked side by side insnuffing out the fire by 2 a.m.

“The civil affairs guys should bespecifically noted for their fast reaction tocoordinate with the civilian authorities toget help,” Foote said. “The end result wasthat fast moving people, initiative,aggressiveness and organization proba-bly saved the day.”

FIREMcGOVERNfrom page 1

Soldiers battle flames atMcGovern Base’s Brownand Root employee livingquarters.

Photo by Combat Camera


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