Conference repair::reserve_forces

One of the addresses for the US Army force is

Rank Name
Unit
Operation Desert Shield
APO NY 09616-0006

If you care to send a note to "any soldier" at the
above address, leave out the unit designation. The
post office will distribute them.

    I listen daily to BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Services)
    In the last week or so there has been a lot of mention to the 
    reinforcements being sent to the Gulf.
    The majority of the British and American forces are coming out of 
    Germany.
    It was in the newspapers recently (Dutch) that the Americans are 
    sending 1000 Tanks and 3000 other vehicles via Rotterdam,
    Bremehaven and Antwerpen. Also pictures of "the first of 600 
    helicopters". 150 trains are being used for the Americans alone!
    they run daily. However a group of party_poopers set a bomb by
    one of the rail bridges in Holland. (no damage it didn't go off)
    I also heard on the radio that a number of T.A. soldiers from
    the R.R.F. (5th and 6th Batt) were being sent to bring the 
    Regiment up to strength. A number of twenty was quoted, some
    of which were interviewed on the air and were all volunteers.
    The majority of which want to stay on as regular soldiers after
    the Gulf, interesting I thought, has anyone any other information?
    Iknow the Americans have called up a lot of Reservists but I
    haven't heard anything of the British doing that.
    
    Paul

    
    The British have called up "a few" reservists in key specialties - but
    since they don't need any enabling legislation to do it it hasn't
    received any great publicity.
    
    As for the TA: this isn't a call-up yet - they have asked for
    volunteers - mainly medical, but others may apparently volunteer. They
    will serve under 6 months short term enlistment papers, but may convert
    to longer enlistments if they wish, on completion. "as far as possible"
    such short term enlistments will be served on home stations (including
    Germany and Gibraltar).
    
    It would however require enabling legislation to officially call-up TA
    units and with Parliament going into recess from the 20th of December
    until after the deadline in January, I doubt we'll see any call up
    until the action starts (assuming it does start).
    
    /. Ian .\

    re:  Volunteering.
    
    My husband is in the USAR and he has phone number he can call anytime
    to volunteer.  He was thinking of doing it so the waiting game would be
    over.  But then we found out what the deal was:
    
    They are looking for prior service people.  My husband would go from an
    E-7 (SFC) to an E-5 (SGT) and he would be committed for 2 years!!!  If
    they want volunteers - they are not going to get them that way!!!  My
    husband left the Regular Army and E-6 and they wanted to drop him.  So
    he said he'd wait until he was called.  And luckily he's still waiting.
    
    bk
    

REF .4

This sounds as if your husband's enlistment expired over six months
ago instead of being a reservist within a Troop Program Unit or control 
group. This sounds like an army recruiter's telephone number; if 
it is then this story becomes congruent.

Both the drilling and control group reservist come in at current rank.
Dates of rank are often computed and in some cases promotions happen.
None of my friends, currently activated, had to take an administrative
reduction to go. Captains would die (& take others with them) rather 
than revert to Second Lieutenant.

    re: 4-5
    
    My husband is enlisted until 1994.  But if he wanted to leave his unit
    and volunteer he would lose his rank and be enlisted full time for 2
    years.
    
    If he waits and gets called up with his unit he doesn't lose anything.
    
    bk
    

    re - .2 
    
    What frequency is used for BFBS? Is it AM or FM ?  I'ld like to
    listen in at home..
    
    Dave

    Dave, BFBS can be found on 96.5 (FM) it can also be found on other
    frequencies but I don't know them. I listen to BFBS every day so
    I'll listen for the other frequencies.
    
    {BFBS - British Forces Broadcasting Service, the Radio Division
    of SSVC ( sounds like an advert!)}

    You know what else I forgot to ask, when is it broadcast.?
    
    Ho hum

    Anybody know if it has a HF/SSB or shortwave transmission schedule?
    
    Does the BBC still operate shortwave?
    
    If anybody can post the frequencies here, I'd appreciate it.
    
    Thanks.
    
    John B. 

    John,
    
    I rang the BBC and they said it's only on SW!
    
    The times etc are:
    
    01.50 hours on 13.745 Mhz for 40 minutes
    09.20 hours on 21.735 Mhz for 40 minutes
    13.30 hours on 21.735 Mhz for 30 minutes.
     
    London time by the way.
    
    
    If your interested the telephone number is 071-724-1234 for BFBS
    service and 071-580-4468 for BBC Radio.
    
    Dave
    

    re -1
    
    I guess the times they gave me are specifically for the Gulf forces.
    
    Dave

    Re: .11 and .12
    
    Thanks!
    
    Too bad my only SW receiver is at home!
    
    John B.

    BFBS is broadcasted in Germany 24 hours a day, transmitted from London
    or within several locations in Germany itself.
    I think the times listed earlier are especialy for the Gulf.
    
    At this moment in time it makes very interesting listening!
    
    Paul

The following note arrived the other day and I'm posting it here
    as I suspect Karen is American and therefore someone over there might
    like to contact her.
    
    Dave
    
    
                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date:     18-Jan-1991 01:04pm GMT
                                        From:     TERNULLO
                                                  TERNULLO@LEVLS5@PEKING@MRGATE@SUBURB@REO
                                        Dept:      
                                        Tel No:     

TO:  NASHD@A1_PEKING


Subject: Care packages for those in the Middle east


	
	Hello,
	
	I got your mail address from the easynotes.lis file, I was 
	trying to look for a note that had something to do with the 
	crisis in the middle east, so I could maybe find an address 
	to send a care package to any service person in the Middle 
	East.  Do you know of an address?

    	Thanks,
	Karen Ternullo

    
    My local newspaper prints address' for local service men and women
    stationed in the Gulf...
    
    	I'd like to write to some of them specifically....Navy address' are
    easy to figure out..
    
    	Army and Marine??????? How do you figure out the difference???
    
    	Could some one give me a quick and dirty of the easiest way to
    distinguish which is which??  I know the 82nd Airborne is
    Army...but....
    
    	Any help would be appreciated...Please either answer here or
    directly to my mail node...JUPITR::Whynot....
    
    	
    thanks again...
    
    		sk2
    
    

    Any comments on the "World In Action" programme about gulf war illness
    last night.
     Frankly I think the way our government treats our soldiers in these
    circumstances is disgusting.And as for the revelation that the Iraqi's
    used chemical weapons on the coalition forces.....
     What can we do....?
    
    Tyrone