Dec 23, 2002 By Patty Shultz 6 min read

The KC 135E revved its engines and within a matter of seconds we were off the ground en route to Germany. Several months ago, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard invited the Herald-Standard to visit the Keystone state soldiers providing security at military installations in Germany, along with those keeping the peace in Bosnia. After a few postponements of our departure date, photographer Dave Rafferty and I were on our way. The National Guard Public Affairs Office cautioned that it would be a whirlwind tour and it was, without a doubt. Several thousand of miles in the sky, a few hundred on the road, two countries, five cities plus short nights and long days composed our schedule.

In addition to numerous military personnel, including the 28th Division commander, Maj. Gen. Walter F. Pudlowski Jr., a Fayette County native, the passenger list included business executives, a Harrisburg television news reporter and cameraman, along with a writer from a National Guard publication.

After a briefing in Harrisburg, we boarded the Allegheny Warrior, a refueling aircraft piloted by members of the Pittsburgh-based 171st Air Refueling Wing.

Those who have served in the military have probably flown these huge birds to various destinations; this, however, was my first trip. My surroundings came as quite a surprise. The interior was stark. A drab, gray vinyl padding covered the walls, with electrical wires and heating ducts traversing the ceiling from front to back. Lighting was minimal; windows were few and limited to portholes. Seating consisted of unmatched castoffs from commercial airliners arranged between large containers and areas set aside for equipment.

Our hosts distributed box lunches and olive green blankets. It was readily apparent that there were no flight attendants on board – and little heat.

I tried to follow the briefing instructions that suggested getting some sleep because as soon as we landed we would be visiting our first military base. With my assigned blanket wrapped tightly around me, I closed my eyes, but the excitement of making my first trip abroad limited sleep to intervals of dozing off.

Just as the noise of the engines was becoming tolerable, a bright light pierced my closed eyes. The aircraft, which had been dimly lit for several hours, suddenly became very bright. Leaning toward the aisle, I traced the light to the front of the plane and into the cockpit.

We were given free access to the pilots, so I followed the light beam to the front where I was pleasantly startled to witness the sun rising over the horizon. It was 2:30 a.m. by my watch (and my body clock), but our trek eastward accelerated time by six hours.

Shortly afterwards, the airplane landed at Ramstein Air Base, the largest NATO facility on the continent.

With passports and other credentials checked and double-checked, we moved on to Germershiem Army Depot, a central supply base where military equipment and materials are shipped and then distributed to other locations.

There, we visited with several local soldiers, including specialists Aaron Trincia, Earl Pritts and David Spano. The trio is attached to HHC, 1st Battalion, 101st Infantry, based in Mount Pleasant. They shared with us what they had been doing at the base since their arrival in July.

Within an hour, we were on to an overnight location in Speyer, some miles north of the Germershiem base, an hour or so by rented van.

The following day, several members of our party departed for Heidelberg for a tour of the American military residence Patrick Henry Village, as well as other locations where members of Pennsylvania’s 28th Division guarded gated residential sites, the military hospital and the compound’s entrances and exits.

Day Three in Europe began before 3 a.m., as we departed for Eagle Base in Tuzla, Bosnia/Herzegovina, where additional troops from southwestern Pennsylvania are assisting in the NATO peacekeeping effort in the war-torn country.

The flight was via a C-130 cargo aircraft, another huge plane used primarily to transport all sorts of military equipment. The 30-plus passengers on this leg of the journey sat side by side in “jump seats,” in front of the cargo area, where pallets of unidentified equipment sat strapped to the floor.

Again, we were able to walk along the open, but narrow aisles and pathways to peer out the two windows, catching glimpses of the Austrian Alps below. The high, snow-capped peaks towering above the clouds provided a breathtaking view.

Once on the ground, armed soldiers at Eagle Base quickly removed the plane’s cargo while we waited to exit the aircraft.

We were all instructed to keep bags close to our bodies while the men were advised to remove their hats as we hustled single file across the flight line to the welcome center. As circumstance would have it, it appeared that I would be the first to exit. A sergeant sitting across from me sensed my apprehension and gallantly moved to the head of the line.

It was rare to see anyone on the base without a weapon. Off-duty soldiers, even in their “civvies”, still carried M-16s from the mess hall to the barracks.

In the midst of a six-month activation are Sgt. Shane Pulig and 1st Sgt. Brian Tasker, two members of Connellsville’s Company D, 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor, which is taking part in the international peacekeeping force.

Our short stay in the war zone provided a brief perspective of the devastation caused by centuries of civil strife that has spawned poor living conditions, rampant corruption and overwhelming unemployment.

It also gave us the opportunity to meet with one of the country’s residents, Zijad Lugavic, who is optimistic the intervention by the U.S. and other nations will bring peace to the region and revitalization of its people.

As night fell, our party returned to Ramstein.

The 171st Air Refueling Wing pilots that brought us to Europe were again on duty to return us to U.S. soil the following day.

The sunrise viewed through the cockpit days earlier was not to be outdone on our return with a view from the refueling boom pod.

The pod is a restrictive area, geared for those without any claustrophobic notions. Three people are able to squeeze belly-down onto pads that allow a view from the rear of the aircraft.

Master Sgt. Craig Smith explained that the KC-135E is similar to an airborne giant gas station where fighter jets and “heavies” are refueled while on their missions.

With instructions not to touch any of the levers or gauges, I entered the pod and watched from our 31,000-foot altitude as the clouds cleared to show a vista that included a cargo ship afloat on the Atlantic Ocean and the coastline of Newfoundland.

Five days after our departure, we touched down at Harrisburg International Airport.

Over the next several days and weeks we hope to share with you, our readers, the stories of the brave men and women who are serving overseas. As Pudlowski reinforced many times throughout our trip, they are the heroes.