Amid wait for U.S. response, Europe
bases work to get back to normal
By Keith Boydston,
Stars and Stripes
Keith Boydston / Stars and Stripes
Navy Chief Petty Officer Vernon Rosich gets
his blood pressure checked by Navy Hospitalman Ricardo Sequeira, assigned to
the Capodichino medical clinic, during a Men’s Health Fair at the Naples, Italy, Navy
base last week. Despite heightened security measures, many military commands around Europe
are trying to settle back into a “normal routine” after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks in the United States. |
While the world awaits a U.S. military response to the Sept. 11 attacks,
servicemembers, civilians and family members in Europe are trying to return to a normal
routine.
In the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, military bases in
Europe immediately went to the highest of security states — schools closed, retail
facilities shut down, the American Forces Network preempted local programming for
around-the-clock news from the States, and in many areas, it took hours to enter and exit
military posts.
Now, two weeks after the attacks, some signs of normalcy are returning to bases around
Europe.
In England, after a week’s closure, on-base retail stores at RAF Lakenheath and
RAF Mildenhall reopened Friday.
The Lakenheath exchange resumed business at 6 p.m. Friday and remained open —
straight through — until 9 p.m. on Sunday.
"It was absolutely packed in here from Friday until Sunday," said Mike
Deerhake, the store’s manager.
Shoppers filled the aisles until 3 a.m. on both days and returned about 6 a.m. on
Saturday and Sunday.
"It was just humming," he said.
By the end of the weekend, however, officials decided to return the store to regular
hours.
Meanwhile, outlying bases in England are finding their way back to something close to
normal.
"We are still doing some of the force protection measures," said Capt. Tim
Davis, the spokesman for RAF Fairford in west England. "The obvious thing is, we have
an armed presence on our gates, which is different for us."
And U.S. Air Force security personnel have joined local Ministry of Defence police at
the gates. Once inside the gates, life is close to normal, Davis said. Facilities are back
to regular hours.
The base is used in contingencies that require additional aircraft in the theater. It
was last used for that purpose during Operation Allied Force in 1999 and is now undergoing
a major flightline renovation.
At RAF Croughton, north of Oxford, life is returning to its pre-attack mode.
"Things are moving in that direction," said Tech Sgt. Art Webb, the public
affairs spokesman for the 422nd Air Base Squadron. "The security awareness is still
in a heightened state."
While most bases in Europe downgraded the threat condition level to Bravo over the
weekend, Navy bases in Italy remained at Charlie — the second highest alert status.
"What we have to fight is complacency," said Navy Capt. Brendan Gray, the
Naples, Italy, Navy base commander. "There’s still a threat out there, and we
don’t see that changing anytime soon."
But there are signs of normalcy returning to Naples area bases. Dozens of sailors
attended a health fair at the Capodichino Navy base last week.
"This [health fair] is great, it shows we’re going to continue on with our
business as usual," said Navy Chief Petty Officer Vernon Rosich, assigned to the
Naples Navy base. "I think it’s real important. We need to send the message that
they can't disrupt us."
And health counselors agreed.
"You need to do what you know best and what you’re familiar with," said
Naomi Lau, the chief of clinical services at the Naples Fleet and Family Support Center.
"Normal is what you’ve always done and the things you did before [the terrorist
attacks]. That’s going to make you feel better."
For some, small things signaled a return to normal.
"The first sign for me was when AFN started showing ‘Sesame Street’
again," said Navy Capt. Fanancy Anzalone, commander of the U.S. Naval Hospital in
Naples. "But something that trivial plays a big role in getting back to normal."
In Würzburg, Germany, where soldiers are still pulling security, some aspects of life
are returning to normal too.
"Things involving family members seem to be back on track, like after-school
activities," said Capt. Scott Gibson, an assistant public affairs officer for 1st
Infantry Division in Würzburg, Germany.
"[Leisure activities] that involve specifically soldiers may not spin up as fast.
The soldiers are a little busy right now."
And like other Americans across the globe, the 1st Infantry Division is trying to
return to a normal routine.
"We’re trying to return normalcy to our business days. But, the amount of
vigilance we’re putting into force protection is different than it’s been in the
past we're working through it."
Gibson said his own job is falling back into its familiar stead.
"I haven’t taken any extra steps to return to normalcy; I just take things
one day at a time," he said. "For what I do, for my job in the Army, things are
getting back to normal."
But life won't return to normal for another month for Sgt. James Link of Company B,
32nd Signal Battalion in Darmstadt, Germany, whose wife and child are stuck in the States.
A few days before the terrorist attack, Link’s family flew from Germany to Tampa,
Fla., to visit relatives he said.
"Now the airline changed her flight, so she has to wait another 30 days,"
Link said.
While Link tries to get back to normal without family support, family time has helped
fellow guard Sgt. Mark Plotner. After long hours talking about the attacks, Plotner said
he often has a hard time forgetting about the tragedy as he plays with his 2-year-old son,
Cody.
"I appreciate my family more, when I reflect on the attack," Plotner said.
"But I try not to get too wrapped up in it."
And as Americans around the world try to cope, what was once normal may never be the
same.
"Security awareness has certainly increased and that’s a part of life
now," Anzalone said. "But [Sept. 11] has changed our lives forever."
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