STORIES FROM THE DESERT

File: 970529_sep96_sagwi1_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 9
Subject = STORIES FROM THE DESERT                                         

Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS 

Unit = 101ST ID    

Folder Title = ANNODOTES OF THE WAR                                                                            

Document Number =          2

Box ID = BX001611







                                  Stories from the Desert
             Spc. Stuart C. Suchland
             C. Co. 1/187th INF
             798-670

                  One of the first guard missions I pulled after deploying
             to the desert was at FOB Bastogne. One particular experience
             at Bastogne taught me a valueable lesson about the difference
             between training and the real world.
                  I was pulling guard at a service gate entrance. This en-
             trance, called Gate 15, allowed direct access to the flight
             line. There were only four soldiers, including myself, that
             manned Gate 15. We broke our shifts down to 12 hours apiece
             two men at a time. I was pulling the noon to six shift and
             the midnight to six shift.
                  Several vehicles of all types used the service entrance
             during the day. Most of the vehicles were fuel trucks or
             MP Humvees. It was at six o'clock on my second day that the
             incident occured. we were pulling stand-down. only one of
             the two times during the day when all four of us were at the
             bunker altogether. I was outside the bunker sitting down
             when I saw a set of headlights turn off the highway onto the
             service entrance road. It was nothing out of the ordinary
             so I turned around to put on my Kevlar. I was really
             surprised when I turned back around and saw that the vehicle
             had covered over half the distance to the gate in just those
             few seconds. I immediately ran for the gate while the others
             quickly locked and loaded. The truck went over the speed
             bumps like they weren't even there. The driver hit the brakes
             and skidded to a halt about ten feet from our concertina wire.
             I made it to the gate about the same time. The truck went
             dark. I could not see inside, but I could hear the occupants
             talking in arabic. The lesson I learned was here. The smart
             thing to do would have been to stay behind the wire. I did
             what peace-time conditioning said to do. I left the wire and
             went up to the vehicle. At the driver's side window I could
             see three arabs in military uniforms. I leaned a little
             closer. Then, in a movement I never saw, the driver-s right
             hand materialized at my throat. It scared me to death. So
             much that it took me a second or two to understand that all he
             wanted to do was shake my hand. I shook it and tried to ex-
             plain in English that they could not go through our gate.
             Finally, the driver started his engine and backed up the road.
                  What did I learn ? I realized that this guard was by no
             means training. Guard missions during peacetime had condi-
             tioned me to think nothing could happen. Fortunately, I learned
             my lesson without harm. I never made that mistake again.
             My friends and I often joke about what would happened if
             those men had actually been the enemy. I-m glad I-m still
             here to joke with them about it.






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