The White Falcon - 16.04.1999, Blaðsíða 8

Armed Forces News Briefs
DOD orders more air power to
Europe in support of Allied Force
Washington, D.C. (AFPN) - More aircraft are deploying to Europe
at the request of the U.S. European Command commander in chief.
The 82 aircraft will help prosecute the air campaign over the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as part of Operation Allied Force.
This new order includes the deployment of 24 additional F-16CJ
fighters, four additional OA-IO close-air-support aircraft, six EA-6B
Prowlers, 39 KC-135 tankers, two KC-10 tankers and seven C-130
transport aircraft.
The F-16CJs, OA-lOs and two EA-6B aircraft will come from the
U.S. Atlantic Command. U.S. Pacific Command will supply four
EA-6Bs, and U.S. Transportation Command will provide the KC-
135s and C-130s.
These aircraft will join about 400 U.S. aircraft already in support
of Allied Force.
Cohen praises service members for
Allied Force performance
WASHINGTON (NNS) — U.S. service members are doing an out-
standing job in both the military and humanitarian missions of
Operation Allied Force, said Defense Secretary William S. Cohen.
Cohen said morale is high even though military personnel are being
stretched by the effort.
During an interview with Armed Forces Radio and Television
Service, Cohen attributed the high morale to the fact that U.S forces
are performing the missions they have trained for and because they
“understand what the consequences are of not taking action, with
those hundreds of thousands of refugees just pouring out of Kosovo
after being assaulted, degraded, humiliated and murdered by |Serb
President Slobodan] Milosevic’s troops.”
Cohen also said the abduction and apparent mistreatment of the
three U.S. Army cavalry scouts while they were on a peacekeeping
mission in Macedonia has also increased support for Operation Allied
Force. It “solidified their determination to see the mission through,”
said Cohen. Cohen said the U.S has sent a strong message that “if any
harm comes to those three soldiers, [Milosevic] is going to pay a very
substantial penalty.” Cohen said since the warning, the Serbs indicat-
ed they will treat the three U.S. soldiers as prisoners of war entitled
to all the protections of the Geneva Convention.
“They’ll be returned safely to the United States following the end
of this conflict,” Cohen said. “We will hold them to that.” Cohen said
Allied Force may temporarily create some operational stress for
the military. The United States has committed roughly 30,000 men
and women to the operation in both combat and support roles. He
said this commitment will place some strain on the 1.4 million-per-
son force, but that adjustments will be made “to get back to that pre-
dictability and optempo that will provide for that solid family life as
well.”
Cohen said other missions will not be affected by the ongoing air
campaign. “We’re able to keep up operations in Bosnia and Iraq,” he
said. “I would say to Saddam Hussein that he’d be making a big mis-
take to try and challenge the United States at this point. We have
more than enough force to deal with him.”
Cohen said the U.S. investment in high-tech weaponry has paid
off. U.S. smart bombs, cruise missiles, B-2 bombers, AEGIS destroy-
ers, and submarines have worked “magnificently” so far. The NATO
military command has also worked well. “So far we’ve learned a
great deal about the interoperability we have among the allied
forces,” he said. “We have good command, control and communica-
tions. We have a seamless planning effort underway and an execution
plan that again confirms that this alliance is the strongest in the his-
tory of the world.”
But it all comes down to people, he said. “They’re doing an out-
standing job,” Cohen said. “All of the damage assessment reports I
see assure me that we are number one for all the right reasons. We
have the best people in the world in our military and they are per-
forming magnificently.”
USS Inchon Task Group delivers
supplies to refugees in Albania
At Sea Aboard USS INCHON (NNS) — Thousands of Kosovar
refugees had a meal to eat April 11 courtesy of the U.S. Navy and the
USS Inchon (MCS 12) Task Group. MH-53E helicopters from
Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) FIFTEEN and
FOURTEEN embarked in Inchon, delivered 6,000 pounds of relief
supplies to the refugee camp in Kukes, Albania.
An estimated 200,000 refugees are encamped at the site in the
northern mountains of Albania. Sunday’s delivery, which included
nearly 4,000 daily rations, marked the beginning of the Navy’s con-
tribution to Operation Shining Hope, the joint, combined NATO
humanitarian relief effort in conjunction with civilian relief agencies.
The helicopter airlift operation will continue with up to 18 MH-
53E sorties per day to the numerous refugee camps in Albania. When
fully operational, Inchon’s heavy helicopter airlift will be capable of
delivering more than 100 tons of aid per day. The Inchon Task
Group was on the second leg of a routine, five-month deployment to
the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf to participate in mine counter-
measures exercises with NATO and coalition allies when it was redi-
rected to help with Operation Shining Hope.
Ice-Tales By Mike C. Jones
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e-mail: jonesms@mwr.is
Pa8e 8 The White Falcon April 16, 1999