Tech Orders,

File: aacep_19.txt
Page: 19
Total Pages: 59

conditioned and all were extremely crowded. Many timed personnel
were "hot bunking," where two or sometimes three people were using
the same bunk at different times of the day and night. Shower and latrine facilities were woefully inadequate and resulted in long lines (a condition made worse by stomach viruses many troops
suffered in the first few days).35
At a few locations, the first non-engineers at a site erected
tents, if available. These were usually not constructed correctly
or in the best location. When the engineers arrived' and proposed
moving tent city to another area, the population was reluctant to
undergo the disruption this would cause. The engineers then worked
with and around the existing structures. Before the engineers
arrived at Masirah, the AIRCREWS used prepositioned assets at the
site to construct a handful of TEMPER tents--some with four
sections, some with six--in one of the lower points in the area.
A heavy rainfall weeks later left the tents standing in more than
18 inches of water. Unplanned site layouts also usually meant
increased power requirements and inefficient distribution
system.
Only a handful of Prime BEEF teams were able to send ADVON
teams to the deployed sites to evaluate the base and make
preparations to receive the entire deployment. There just was not
enough time. Sometimes an AUVON team would get off a day or two in
advance of the full team, only to have mechanical problems with
their aircraft and not arrive until just hours before the remainder
of the E & S personnel. When an ADVON team was able to arrive with
sufficient time to make preparations and establish contact with
local officials, the beddown went smoothly. The RAF Lakenheath
team was a good example of this.
Lt Col Patrick Burns' commander' 48th CES' lead a twenty-
person ADVON team to Taif AB, Saudi Arabia, in preparation for an
F-111 deployment. After flights on a C-5, C-141, and C-130, the
team arrived at Taif AB. U.S. Air Force officers in the embassy
mission housed them and introduced them to their Saudi
counterparts. After fourteen cups of tea, Lieutenant Colonel Burns
finally met the base commander who was also a prince in the royal
family. Cultural sensitivity was important and adhered to in all
dealings with the host nation. Because the team had adequate time
to build relationships with the host nation, the F-111 were given
access to new shelters that rivaled anything in Europe. Some had
never been used before.
Since the E & S forces were not due in until a day after the
first squadron of aircraft' the ADVON team went to work locating
housing and dining facilities The personnel had a place to sleep
and eat when they arrived. Sources for materials and supplies
were identified downtown and were available when the engineers
needed them. The team also chose a site for tent city and other
facilities. Eventually, Prime BEEF and RIBS teams from Cannon AFB,
New Mexico' deployed to Taif rather than the RAF [Lakenheath teams,
but the RAE Lakenheath ADVON team had smoothed the way for them.
Services personnel faced many of the same obstacles as the
engineers. When they arrived at a base, a number of Air Force