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dangerous foreign organisms into host nations.  Then, in March, he was called
into action to evaluate the vectorborne disease threat at a forward operating 
location (FOL) where a SAC tanker unit was deployed in support of Operation 
DESERT STORM. His on-site survey at  Andravida, Greece, determined there were 
significant disease threats at the location, and he implemented protective
measures and self-help pest management.  He also liaised with local medical 
authorities to gain support for the deployed medical function, and recommended 
other actions that would improve health and safety for deployed members over 
the length of their deployment.

the ABO directorate was called upon early in DESERT SHIELD operations to 
bolster the SWA chemical warfare defense posture.  USCENTAF urgently requested 
additional chemical agent monitoring equipment within the first two weeks of 
operations.  Captains Victor Harrel and Ralph Hensley located 60 M8A1 
automatic chemical agent  alarm detectors within the command and deployed them
into the area of operations. Staff Sergeant Frank Radis of Hahn AB deployed 
with the detectors and taught receiving personnel how to effectively employ 
them in  a desert environment.  Within one month, several more automatic 
chemical agent alarm detectors were sent into the theater of operations to 
provide a sublethal nerve agent detector capability.  In January 1991, USAFE
was called upon again to provide urgent chemical warfare defense training to  
the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). Military Airlift Command (MAC) was unable 
to provide individual chemical warfare defense equipment and training to CRAF 
aircrew members flying in and out of SWA.  Chief Master Sergeant Steve Schubbe 
and Master Sergeant  Mike Ashley located the needed equipment, arranged 
transportation, and deployed one Disaster Preparedness technician to the four
CRAF dispersal sites in Europe.  Their actions enabled CRAF aircrews to 
receive the necessary equipment and training to safety conduct flight 
operations in a high chemical warfare agent threat area.

Considering the current atmosphere of budgetary restraint, money was a 
critical consideration during operation during operations in SWA. Our HQ USAFE programmers 
ensured operations were funded properly and quickly.  They were involved 
throughout the buildup and subsequent war, ensuring that documentation was 
developed to audit expenditures required for the support.  They developed a 
method of refinancing, coordinated with accounting and finance, that allowed 
the quickest possible funding for contingency requirements. A critical 
contribution they made was their expeditious review of funding requests for 
validity and proper fund source, ensuring there were no violations of public 
law.

At bases throughout USAFE, many critical requirements were worked, including 
billeting for the thousands of aircrews, troops and support people transiting 
USAFE bases on their way to SWA, electrical power and water supply for the 
additional demands placed on base systems, and many, many others. Always 
coming out of the clinch with a working solution is characteristics of the 
USAFE troops.

17 January 1991; Air War Erupts

When Opertaions DESERT SHIELD became DESERT STORM on 17 January 1991, Operation 
PROVEN FORCE commenced, pinning the Iraqi military down from the north so 
coalition forces could chew them up.  PROVEN FORCE was the first test of the

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