Bright Star exercise in Egypt
carries new meaning in wake of attacks
By David Josar,
Stuttgart bureau
David Josar / Stars and Stripes
More than 70,000 troops from 10 countries — including 23,000 from the United States
— are taking part in Bright Star. The exercise, which takes place every two years,
allows servicemembers from different countries to work together, testing equipment and
interoperability. The exercise concludes Nov. 1. |
MUBARAK CITY, Egypt — Behind the helicopter flights, security duties and
amphibious landings, many U.S. military personnel taking part in Bright Star are haunted
by the Sept. 11 attacks.
Security is tighter than normal, limiting leisure activities.
There is the concern that some of the soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen taking part
in Bright Star won’t return home but instead will be deployed to an active role in
the war on terrorism.
Others say the attacks and subsequent bombings of Afghanistan have hammered home the
point that being in the military is much more than just rehearsals.
"We train, train, train, train, train, and now we are reminded about the
possibility of war," said Lt. Col. Robert Haynie, 45. "Everything now takes on a
new perspective."
Haynie is one of about 23,000 U.S. military personnel participating in Bright Star, a
joint coalition training exercise led by the U.S. Central Command held with nine other
countries.
The exercise began in the early 1980s and is held every two years in Egypt. More than
50,000 military personnel will participate this year, making it the largest Bright Star in
its history.
The distraction of an ongoing war and nightly CNN reports about anthrax killing
Americans so far has not affected Staff Sgt. Carl Nite.
He said he has remained focused on what he’s here to do, which is to keep the
telecommunications systems running.
"It hasn’t changed our mission," said Nite, 31. He said he’s been
told to expect to return to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., when the exercise concludes next week.
Townsend |
Swatting flies at Mubarak Military City, a desert compound being used as a base for
U.S. forces, Sgt. 1st Class Margie Crawford said the training exercise has taken on more
urgency in the shadow of the Sept. 11 attacks and the start of the bombing campaign in
Afghanistan.
"It makes everything more real," said Crawford, 39, a specialist when she
deployed in 1991 for Desert Storm. "This is important for us and our country —
this is preparing for a real war."
Participating in Bright Star now in the capacity of an inspector general, Crawford said
her "heart has been warmed" at the outpouring of support from military personnel
from other countries participating in the exercise.
"It made me feel good," she said, recalling when several British soldiers
told her they sympathized with Americans who have newfound fear in their Stateside
hometowns. "It’s like they felt it happened to their country too."
Spec. Richard Townsend, 22, has been e-mailing and calling his family in the Boston,
Mass., area since being deployed to Egypt.
"I feel safer here than at Fort Huachuca in Arizona," he said. What he does
worry about, though, are his relatives in the United States.
"They keep wanting to know if I’m going to go Afghanistan. I tell them
I’m going to be OK," he said.
However, no one is exactly sure what is going to happen next for the military personnel
participating in the exercise. At the start of Bright Star, Lt. Gen. Paul T. Mikolashek,
commanding general of the 3rd U.S. Army, U.S. Army Central Command, said there was the
possibility some participating forces could be diverted to play a more active role in the
war on terrorism.
David Josar / Stars and Stripes
Sgt. 1st Class Margie Crawford said the Sept. 11 attacks and subsequent war on terrorism
has made Bright Star, all the “more real.” |
Bright Star was to be a fun, interesting training exercise for Capt. Vincent Carter, an
air traffic controller, but the increased security wrinkled his plans.
"We’re all pretty sheltered here," said Carter, 27, who is also a
helicopter pilot. "Originally I thought this would be an enjoyable road trip —
but I’m just staying put."
Carter, whose father fought in Vietnam, said friends who had been on past Bright Stars
told him they had down time to explore the pyramids and Egypt. That hasn’t happened
to him.
New security measures implemented since the Sept. 11 attacks and the U.S.-led war on
terrorism are more stringent than those of past Bright Stars, said Sgt. 1st Class Scott
Lawrence, a 3rd Army spokesman. Previous Bright Stars had been run with a threat condition
level of Bravo, and troops easily were able to explore parts of Egypt.
This year the threat condition had been at Delta but has since been lowered to Charlie.
A nearby hotel where some military personnel are stationed has bomb-sniffing dogs, and
passengers are dropped off at the front-gate and taken by a hotel shuttle bus to their
rooms.
This week, however, Lawrence said the morale, welfare and recreation program has
started day trips to the pyramids outside Cairo and additional leisure events are in the
works.
Despite the awe-inspiring images of the pyramids, Pfc. Jonathan Lurenz, 19, said it is
recent world events that have captivated him.
"It’s all unreal," said Lurenz, who helps keep the telephones running at
Mubarak Military City.
He said he worries about being deployed as part of the on-going bombing campaign in
Afghanistan and that he keeps in touch with his family and girlfriend to reassure them he
is safe.
"I just try to keep my mind busy and focus on the mission," he said.
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