THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602190029
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY
STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ABOARD THE GEORGE WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Patrolling along a 50-mile-long corridor in the Adriatic Sea, the aviators and crew of this Norfolk-based carrier await developments among warring Baltic regions.
Officially, said Capt. Malcolm P. Branch of Norfolk, commanding officer of the George Washington, his tiny part of this world is called the ``Lion Box.'' It is a maritime sliver - midway between Bosnia and the Italian city of Bari on the sea's western side - designed to separate and control the various NATO navies from accidentally interfering with one another's operations.
The British, French, Italians, even the Russians, have brought their carriers here in a show of apparent solidarity designed to keep the Baltic crisis in check.
Unofficially, said one chief petty officer, ``We call it Ground Hog Station: We pop our head up to let them know we're here, ready if they want to start any trouble.''
Except for the air crews, who are airborne six of every eight days, the days are a bit boring for the carrier's crew and its single escort, the Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer Barry, also from Norfolk.
The George Washington battle group, including the amphibious ready group led by the assault ship Guam, is a 15-ship, 12,000-member, mostly Norfolk-based force that left Jan. 26 for the six-month deployment.
The ships arrived in the eastern Mediterranean on Feb. 13. And many crew members note, smiling, that their first month at sea is nearly complete, their July homecoming that much closer.
The past week has brought an increased sense of alertness, said Branch, because of the arrest Feb. 15 of Bosnian and Iranian personnel involved in what U.S. and NATO officials said was a terrorist training and explosives manufacturing activity.
Meetings Saturday and Sunday between the three most prominent warring factions in Bosnia also have been unsettling, said Branch.
But that uncertainty is more prevalent for the ground forces ashore, he said, because the ``GW's'' mission hasn't changed.
``They haven't really changed the mission, but they have beefed up the number of sorties we are providing to support the implementation force,'' said Branch. ``There obviously is a little increased concern for those on the ground, and as a consequence, we want to make sure we are prepared to support the forces that are out there.
``But the ground forces certainly are well-prepared to take care of most eventualities.''
Roughly 17,000 Americans now are ashore in Bosnia. The entire 20,000-member U.S. contribution to NATO's peacekeeping effort should arrive within the next two months.
Air crews flying some of the 50 tactical jets aboard the carrier have had cloudy, cold and windy weather to contend with during the past few days, said Branch. Flying high above the clouds, the pilots are using their electronic sensors mainly to ``listen,'' and have seen little of the ground area below, he said.
Sunday's midday launch of Oceana-based F-14 Tomcat fighters, A-6 intruder medium-attack bombers, Norfolk-based E-2C Hawkeye radar planes and F/A-18 hornet fighter/light attack jets took place in remarkably improved weather, with a bright sun, cool breezes and calm seas.
They fly fully armed, carrying laser-guided bombs and missiles that could be needed to protect ground forces. Ordnance men haul the olive-green weapons up to the ship's hangar bay from deep below the ship, turning them over to squadron members who hang them from the bellies and wings of their planes.
``Except for having a few more aircraft airborne, it is really not a whole lot different than what it was,'' said Branch.
The biggest challenge facing the crews is trying to determine what the future holds for the ship's whereabouts, said Branch.
For now, the days unfold in the ``box.''
``It's easier if you have a set schedule,'' said Branch. ``It's easier for the crew, easier to gauge how you are doing. Keeping the crew in a high state of readiness - ready to go on a moment's notice - is tough.'' by CNB