67 COMBAT SUPPORT GROUP TRIP REPORT

File: aacad_12.txt
Page: 12
Total Pages: 14
         


          The equipment I had obtained such as m-2 burners, tag, vcrs,
          microwave oven, refrigerators etc...was all transferred to our
          equipment account at homestation . The dining hall equipment was
          all packed with the 9-1's for storage. Our vehicles which we
          literally had to fight to obtain and keep, started with a mini
          van for postal, 6 PAX pick up for billeting, and a Suburban for
          Mortuary Affairs...all were used extensively. The refer truck
          arrived the week before we left for Egypt..doing us no good at
          all. We had begged for one from Centaf but once again we were
          ignored, King Fahd had 4 and we had O, just an example of inequal
          distribution.  After the tear down began and we settled into a
          permanent poulation of 1000, I searched out the full food service
          contract and it was in full swing before we left for Egypt. A few
          Services people remained to perform billeting locator and QAE of
          the contract. I left for Cairo West with three of my Bergstrom
          folks and the Mountain Home team minus Major Larsen who went to
          Al Karge. We left via C-130 to Riyadh, stayed over night at Cabin
          Village and took off the next via C-141 to Egypt landing at 0400
          local.
         
          II. CAIRO WEST - Lessons learned/positive-negative experiences
         
          (See Attacbed Memo for Record)
         
          A. Arrival at this location was a major relief and a sense of
          safety was felt by all of us, morale increased dramatically and
          our first beer in four months was outstanding. I arrived to
          become operations officer again according to Centaf, however I
          found out from the SVS Commander Capt Jones who was departing
          that I was really going to be the MWR Chief. However the Major
          projected in to take Captain Jones place never showed up and thus
          I was the Chief of Services and MWR for this refueling wing of
          850 people. The facilities were temper tents as usual but things
          were dramatically and noticeably different here. Services
          consisted of a 9-1 dining hall with local purchased linoleum
          floors, a walk in freezer, stereo system, Bunn Automatic Coffee
          maker, micrwave oven, and air doors. It was a sharp facility.
          Four hot meals were served a day here with A-rations from Germany
          and few B-rations. Water was controlled by CES. Baked goods were
          contracted from the Ramada, and the Army Commissary in Cairo
          provided us with anything we needed for the dining hall and TFE.
          Liquor was available at the Csiro PX which was rationed to each
          squadron of which we controlled. A long strip of pavement in this
          tent city made alot of difference in blowing sand and cleanliness
          until the monster sand storms struck. The laundry exchange was
          based out of contract service with the Ramada Renaissance Hotel,
          they did an excellent job of dry cleaning uniforms and cleaning
          civilian clothes, an excellent change from Saudi, the tent also
          had two field laundrys for large items. Water was not a problem
          here. The Tactical Field Exchange was pretty much the same  except
          for the additional sale of American beer from Germany. The