From: CMSgt Mike Bergman <bergman@afpan.pa.af.mil>
Subject: Army News 01/05/92
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:43:47 GMT


From CMSgt Mike Bergman <bergman@afpan.pa.af.mil>

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* Restore Hope marks major's 2nd Somalian visit
* Mountain Division assaults airfield, by Spc. Alexander C. White
* Soldiers quell food riot, by Staff Sgt. Cindy Killion

====================================================================

Restore Hope marks major's 2nd Somalian visit
by Air Force Sgt. David 
Rogers

      MOGADISHU, Somalia (ARNEWS) -- The soldier tries to bring order 
to his makeshift office, a small, single-window room in the U.S. 
Embassy. Everything in the office -- indeed throughout and around the 
decimated building -- seems chaotic. But he's got a plan.
      Maj. John Mott Jr., chief operations planner for the 10th 
Mountain Division (Light Infantry), has been helping organize 
logistics for Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. Having spent a year 
in-country three years ago, he draws upon a rich store of experience 
to aid the devastated nation.
      In 1988, Somalia was much different. With a government just 
beginning to experience problems, and with a new peace accord with 
Ethiopia, rebels took over the city of Hargeza. Fighting broke out in 
the north.
      In Mogadishu, however, things were still pretty normal when Mott 
and his 15-man team arrived.
      "In 1988, there was a government, 40 embassies," he said. "There 
was a social life, commercial life and a political life. There were 
hotels and restaurants. There was a big souvenir business with 
beautiful things and a big sports program."
      The team's original goal was to set up equipment and train the 
Somali military how to maintain it. However, among several other 
tasks, they performed a special humanitarian mission to erect a 
hospital in Baraawe.
      "We used a C-141 to fly gear into Baraawe," Mott said. "Then, 
about 100 to 150 Somalis helped to put it all together. This was 
strictly a humanitarian mission then, too."
      Only a few years later, Mott's back, and his first look at the 
country came as quite a shock, he said.
      "I got here the day after the Marines landed, and the roads were 
a mess," he explained. "The people were obviously very unhappy; their 
whole way of life had been disrupted."
      But, after only a week, things began looking better.
      "Most of the barricades are gone now," Mott said. "Some streets 
are opening, and commerce is coming back as a whole."
      But there's still a long way to go.
      "Everything's disrupted. However, it will probably all come 
back," he said. "The Somalis are intelligent, hard-working people. 
They just need some stability, and that's what we're here for. We 
can't solve their problems for them, however. We can only present the 
environment necessary for discussion."
      (Rogers is assigned to the Operation Restore Hope Joint 
Information Bureau in Mogadishu, Somalia.)


Mountain Division assaults airfield, by Spc. Alexander C. White

      BALEDOGLE, Somalia (ARNEWS) -- Troops of the 10th Mountain 
Division (Light Infantry) assaulted an airfield near Beledweyne, Dec. 
28, as part of a United Nations effort to secure that area and allow 
Canadian forces to set up operations. The division's 2nd Battalion, 
87th Infantry Regiment and supporting elements conducted the air 
assault.
      "Once we secured Beledweyne, the Canadians were allowed to 
follow," said Maj. David Wood, 2nd Brigade operations officer. He said 
the 10th Mountain soldiers and the Canadians were sent to Beledweyne 
"because this was the last area in Somalia the United Nations didn't 
have a presence."
      Only 20 kilometers from the Ethiopian border, this dusty, arid 
area was vital to the relief effort. By bringing in the Canadians, a 
humanitarian relief sector could be established, and the United 
Nations could reach all parts of the country.
      The troops secured the airfield in minutes and set up 
communications. Shortly afterward, the first C-130 transport plane 
touched down, bringing in the first wave of Canadian troops. Twelve 
more such flights followed throughout the day.
      "This was an extremely unusual operation, because the air 
assault took place 132 miles away from the initial starting point," 
Wood said.
      The operation was risky at first because of the lack of support 
and protection, which were impractical to provide at that distance. It 
was vital to the mission's success that the area be secured, so 
equipment and men could start filtering in.
      The first priority was to set up communications with outlying 
support liaisons, Wood explained.
      "If support was needed, an airmobile operation could quickly be 
augmented," said Capt. Tim Armel, U.S. Air Force air liaison officer 
for 2nd Brigade. "Through close contact on the radio, ordnance could 
be designated to a location. By keeping in close contact with the 
tactical aid party (located with the unit's scouts), they in turn 
could direct where to drop the bombs."
      During the assault, the troops were professional and proved that 
they could take an unknown objective, according to Staff Sgt. David 
Potter, technical security NCO. But there were still concerns for 
safety.
      At first, Potter was concerned because the area lacked cover. If 
the operation had gone sour, Somali bandits could have had an 
advantage.
      "From a security standpoint, it was not a very good situation 
because of the wide-open area," Potter said. "The battalion landing 
went well because they got in and got to their points fast."
      The Americans pulled out the next day, leaving the Canadians in 
charge of the area. The initial assault "was a good test for later 
missions," Wood said.
      "This will be our main mission" while in Somalia, he said. "With 
32 nations having signed up to send forces over here, the joint task 
force is assigning them sectors, which we will have to assist in."
      Wood said that, until the United Nations is satisfied with 
Somalia's security, the Mountain Division will probably spend most of 
its time on jobs like this one -- providing escort services for other 
nations to set up their armies.
      (White is in Somalia with the 27th Public Affairs Team, from 
Fort Drum, N.Y.)


Soldiers quell food riot, by Staff Sgt. Cindy Killion

      BALEDOGLE, Somalia (ARNEWS) -- Shots were fired and bayonets 
fixed in Wanlaweyn, Somalia, during a riot at a food distribution 
site, Dec. 29.     About 150 soldiers from the 1st and 2nd Battalion, 
87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) were 
called in during the early afternoon to disperse the crowd and restore 
order. The riot in Wanlaweyn, about 20 miles southeast of Baledogle, 
started over a perceived unequal distribution of food. The food was 
being distributed by Somalis hired by the International Committee of 
the Red Cross (ICRC).
      One soldier received a minor cut during the incident.
      Order was restored only after the wind from a UH-60 helicopter 
was used to push the crowd of about 600 away from the site, according 
to Lt. Col. James E. Sikes, commander of the 2nd Battalion.
      The ICRC food distribution site is a warehouse stocked with bags 
of rice and beans. At the time of the riot, the warehouse was guarded 
by members of a local clan. The guards were hired by ICRC.
      Apparently, said Sikes, the Somali guard at the site was either 
overwhelmed or not present when several trucks driven by members of a 
second clan entered the center and began taking bags of food.
      "When they filled their truck and left, that opened the door for 
the local population to come in and start looting," Sikes said.
      When the riot began, there were no U.S. soldiers present. 
Shortly afterward, the ICRC brought a message to Baledogle asking for 
help to restore order at the distribution site.
      First to respond were platoons from Companies A and E, 2-87 
Infantry. When they arrived, the looting had escalated to an exchange 
of gunfire between the two clans. But the arrival of the troops 
temporarily calmed the crowd enough for the soldiers to establish a 
perimeter and try to reestablish the orderly distribution of food.
      A call went out for reinforcements as the crowd again surged 
toward the warehouse. Eelements of the battalion's Company B, scouts 
and a psychological operations team then arrived at the scene.
      The order was given to fix bayonets and use rifle butts to push 
back the crowd. Shortly thereafter, Sikes arrived with additional 
reinforcements.
      Sikes said the soldiers tried to move the crowd by firing shots 
in the air. When that didn't work, the infantrymen followed Sikes' 
lead and began firing into the ground in front of the crowd.
      That slowed the press of the rioters enough for a helicopter to 
hover overhead and "sandblast the crowd," driving the people away with 
its rotor wash. The soldiers then drove trucks between the crowd and 
the warehouse to form a barrier.
      When control was again established, U.S. forces, with permission 
from the ICRC and village elders, handed out the remaining bags of 
food to prevent any further looting.
      Before 2nd Brigade forces left Wanlaweyn, the village elders, 
members of the two clans and the ICRC director agreed to meet with 2nd 
Brigade Commander Col. William E. Ward the next morning to discuss the 
incident.
      Once food was distributed and soldiers left the town, minor 
skirmishes continued as the villagers fought among themselves over the 
food.
      (Killion is in Somalia with the 14th Public Affairs Team, from 
Fort Carson, Colo.)
-- 
         
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