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CHAPTER 5: Operation Support Hope
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130 | CHAPTER 5 Operation Support Hope B rigadierGeneralNix’sbriefsignaledthetruebeginningofOp- erationSupportHope.Stanarrivedjustintimetogetthemain bodyofJTF-Aontheground.TothisdayIamgratefulIhad asergeantlikeStanReberworkingforme.NooneknewZaireand Zairiansbetter.Stanjustseemedtosensewhattheymighttry.Stan didnotlikeZairians,andhewasrapidlyburningoutonthecountry. Tenyearsinthesameplaceisjusttoolong,buttheknowledgehehad athisfingertipsworkedmiracles.Oneofhisgiftswasthathecould stillgetalongwithZairiansandbuildasenseofcamaraderie.He understoodhowtheyfelttowardtheWestingeneralandtheFrench inparticular.Thatunderstandingserveduswell.French-Zairian relationsaroundtheairfieldweretense.TheimminentarrivalofU.S. forcesmeantStanhadhisworkcutoutforhim. TheFrenchassumptionofairtrafficcontrolhadcertainlymade theGomaairportasaferplace.TheFrench,afterall,hadtheonly functioningradarthatwouldallownightoperations.Yetthemanner inwhichtheysimplytookcontrolangeredtheZairianofficials nominallyinchargeofthefield.Italsoreducedtheiraccesstothe bribesthatkeptthemafloat.Theywererarelypaid,andwhenthey wereitwasinZairiancurrency,hardlyworththeinkittooktoprint it.ThetensionhadbecomesobadtheZairianshadthreatenedtogo onstrike—notthatthetowerofficialsdidanywork.Butastoppage wouldaffectaircrafthandling,andtherewasanunstatedthreatof sabotageoffuelandcriticallyshortcargo-handlingequipment. TheotherbitofinternationalfrictionwasbetweentheUnited StatesandtheFrench.WhenIhadfirstarrivedtheFrenchprovidedus asmallareawithintheircompound.Davisbroughtinnearlytwenty- fiveplannersonhisassessmentteam,allofwhomneededaplace tospreadtheirsleepingbags.Theirnumbersbegantocreepupward, operationsupporthope | 131 andsodidFrenchimpatience.Afterseveraldayswenoticedatrend. EachmorningtheFrenchheadquarterscommandantwouldcomeover andgetaheadcount.Everytimeitincreased,hecomplainedwewere encroachingonhislimitedoperationalspace.Eachtimewehadone ofthesevisits,oneofthePumaswouldspoolupontheflightlineone hundredyardsaway.Thepilotwouldputitinalowhoveranddrift overtoburyusinasandstormofreddirt.Fivetotenminutesofthis andbackthebirdwouldgototheflightlinetoshutdown.TheU.S. troopslearnedquicklytohavetheirbreakfasteatenandtheirgear securedeachmorningbeforethecommandantcametocall. Cleared Hot to Land: JTF-A Comes to Goma WeknewtheJTFwascoming,andNixhadgivenusagoodideaof whatitwasbringing.Awatertransportandreverseosmosiswater purificationunit(ROWPU)weredeployingfromEurope.Abattalion ofthe325thAirborneInfantrywascomingfromItalyassecurity, althoughwewouldonlygetaplatooninGoma.TheUSAFwasdeploying afullairfieldcommandelement,andtherewouldbeadditional intelligence,medical,andsupportaswell.IputStanongettingusa placetosetup.Hearrangedafour-wayconferencewiththeUNHCR airboss,theFrench,theZairians,andourUSAFrepresentative.Stan’s firstbreakthroughwasgettingallpartiestoagreetoapoolapproach inhandlingaircraft.Astheplanesarrived,allwouldworkunderthe coordinationoftheUNHCRairboss.Thateliminatedthefriction betweentheFrenchandtheZairians.Thelatterweresopleasedwith Stan’smediationtheyofferedaone-totwo-acreplotimmediatelyin frontoftheairportterminalfortheAmericans’use.Theoffersnubbed theFrench;theyhadwantedtheareaforsometime.Thepricewasa coupleofhundredthousand,andthesitewouldhavetobebulldozed toclearfecesandbodiesoffit,butspacewasatapremium.JTF-A nowhadahomecourtesyofaU.S.Armysergeantfirstclass.Wecould escapeourdailydirtbathfromtheFrenchhelicopter. Unitsbegantoflowintotheairfield.TF51,the...