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Show Thursday, September 27, 1990 THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, - Page E3 Women Marines are ready for any challenge in desert Editor's Note: Pentagon operations in Saudi Arabia pro- hibit disclosing the precise location of U.S. military -- d''T .iA V) 1 Arabia was. Now she lives in a tent on the edge of its vast desert, as close to the front line as women are allowed to be. "I never knew it existed, to tell the truth," Brautigam, 22, of Clearwater, Fla., said of the desert kingdom by the Persian Gulf she is helping to defend. She and fellow female Marines are among the tens of thousands of U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia after Iraq's Aug. 2 takeover of Kuwait. Those interviewed at their base were uniformly proud of tasks they perform. Although the U.S. military restricts the combat roles of the women, they still come in for their share of difficult and even dangerous work. Lance Cpl. Melanie Roberts, 20, of Richmond, Va., a crew member on a crash rescue truck, was on duty Sept. 12 when a big CH-5- 3 Sea Stallion helicopter crashed on takeoff. She helped to pull out the five injured crew members and control the fire. After a month in Saudi Arabia, she says she prefers it to boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. "No sand fleas here," she said. Brautigam, who weighs in at 105 pounds, is a truck driver. "Eighteen wheelers, you name it," she said. "I can haul anything from tanks to supplies to buses." She said she joined the Marines "because they ask the most. You have to to work harder physically and mentally." By RICHARD PYLE Associated Press Writer A MARINE BASE, Saudi AraWhen Marine Cpl. bia (AP) Janice Brautigam joined up, she didn't even know where Saudi rules on coverage of I, ' V AP Laserphoto U.S. Marine MP, Lance Cpl. Stephanie Bowlin of Modesto, Calif., stands behind an maching gun mounted ou a HUMVEE vehicle at a naval base in Saudi Arabia. M-6- 0 Sgt. Susan Ritter, 26, of Weiner, Ark., agreed. "You might as well go for the gusto," she said. Lance Cpl. Stephanie Bowlin, 20, of Modesto, Calif., a military policewoman assigned to base security, said she joined the Marines "for the challenge." AP Laserphoto Women Marines share duties with the men in Saudi Arabia. Front row from left: Sgt Melanie Roberts, Pittsburgh, Pa.; British Sgt. Katherine Lambert, Durham County, Wales; Lance Cpl. Kit Truxillo, Richmond, Va. Rear: Lance Cpl. Stephanie Bowlin, Modesto, Calif.; Cpl. Coe Hart, Binghamton, N.Y.; Sgt. Susan Ritter, Weiner, Ark.; Cpl. Janice Brautigam, Clearwater, Fla. She was in a patrol vehicle perhaps 50 yards from the Sea Stallion helicopter when it crashed. She was among the first to reach the blazing wreck and helped one of the burned crewmen to safety. Nothing quite that dramatic has happened to Brautigam or Cpl. Coe Hart, 26, of Binghamton, whenever possible. Hart and her husband, Staff Sgt. Doug Willey, a combat engineer, were scheduled to be married in Hawaii on Sept. 1, but had to move up the date after both got orders to ship out for the Persian N.Y., but they say they're ready for whatever comes up. Both Brautigam and Hart have Marine husbands, who are also in Saudi Arabia and stationed several miles from their base. Brautigam and her husband, Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Buday, were married seven months ago. Now they meet for a few minutes Gulf. ".We'll have our honeymoon here," she said. Women reporters work in male dominated Saudi Arabia By JOAN MOWER Associated Press Writer Saudi Arabia (AP) DHAHRAN, Women reporters covering the U.S. military buildup in Saudi Arabia exulted when tne invitation came to join female 'soldiers in their exercise classes. Exclusive! We gloated. But the chance to swim and sweat with the U.S. women in uniform nearly backfired when the three reporters myself included walked through the front door of the $80 million gymnasium at a Saudi air base. male-domi-.nat- Several Saudi custodians, all men, leapt up and followed us to the registration desk, complaining loudly that we had violated custom by using the front entrance. Women, they said, must enter through the rear door. Our timing, it appeared, couldn't have been worse: we had committed this faux pas on a Friday Islam's holy day during Moslem prayer time. The Saudis were not the only ones who were annoyed. 'You nearly ruined it for all of us," one angry Air Force nurse told the sheepish reporters. "They almost kicked us out." The military women had fought hard for the privilege of using the gym three tiiries a week, and they dreaded the idea of losing it. The culture clash was an example of the hidden challenges that American women encountered in Saudi Arabia, a country where females don't vote, don't drive, don't go out in public without covering their faces and heads with veils, don't socialize in meeting places and rarely hold jobs that bring them in contact with the general public. Most Saudi women seem to accept the social structure that is based on the laws of Islam. They say they are put on a pedestal in their homes and treated generously by their men. The female reporters writers, television and radio correspondents, photographers and television have been treated camera crews fairly by both Saudi and American officials in terms of access to events and opportunities to cover the U.S.-le- d military deployment. We have slept on cots in the desert with the 82nd Airborne out of Fort .Bragg, N.C. We have visited Egyptian paratroopers near the ti border; interviewed the powerful Saudi petroleum minister; and toured the strategic petroleum refinery at Ras Tanura. Saudi-Kuwai- States: eating in restaurants, sipping coffee in the hotel lobbies. But we remain oddities on the social scene, the only women attending an Arabian nights dinner under a big tent hosted by Saudi prince, for example. United The culture clash was an example of the hidden challenges that American women encountered in Saudi Arabia, a country where females don't vote, don't drive, don't go out in public without covering their faces and heads with veils, don't socialize in meeting places and rarely hold jobs that bring them in contact with the general public. Horoscope For September 28 By Joyce Jillson This will be a generally upbeat and rewarding day. The early evening is especially good for romance; you could get big news that you've been expecting. Financial affairs go well; there are no surprises things should turn out as planned. Today's Birthday iSept. 28). You'll be singing a new tune next year. October helps you get your financial act together. Prime investment possibilities exist. Traveling in November is refreshing. Make new business contacts in one of them could lead to the January emotional tie you've been looking for. Personal matters need attention in February and June. April and May bring entrepreneurial possibilities. Celebrations and romance come your way in July. 19). Profits from inAries (March vestments may show a sudden increase. A new source of income can be found on Saturday. Dealing with too many things at once gets you in over your head on Sunday. 20). Use common sense Taurus (April when it comes to prioritizing tasks. Saturday, you may be wondering just who you can rely on. A V.I.P. is more cooperative than usual on Sunday. 21). A more flexible Gemini (May approach is needed. Business demands increase and may take you away from your family on Saturday. Try to relax on Sunday. Spend time with those you don't see often. 22). Helping others puts Cancer (June a happy face on this day. Something's bothering a friend on Saturday. Sunday evening should be spent in the company of someone special. 22). Be ready to improvise Leo (July and implement novel ideas if you want to win on the day. Someone will expect the Saturday. A Sunday date may have to be postponed. 22). More major deci- -' - Virgo l Aug. sions must be made. The focus Saturday is on partnerships. Don't force a situation: be willing to wait. Let a close friend know your mind on Sunday. 23 1. You could end up Libra (Sept. with more than your share of rewards. A sexy new friend has a Saturday rendezvous in mind. You may have to let a business engagement slide to take part. 21 ). Make good use of Scorpio (Oct. an expert's advice. Saturday moon in Aquarius brings out your best. Spend Sunday with friends; being alone is depressing. 21). Gains come in Sagittarius (Nov. the financial and legal fields today. You'll win an argument on Saturday. Powers of logic are good. Take in a matinee on Sunday. 19). You may be Capricorn Dec. expecting too much from someone you don't clause will be know that well. A hidden revealed on Saturday. Keep your options open on Sunday. 18). Try to leave work , Aquarius (Jan. behind you tonight. Happiness on Sunday comes from knowing you have friends who care. Delving into a lover's past brings surprises. 20). Early morning Plseei (Feb. upsets can be overcome without too much - effort. A friend may ask more than you want to give on Saturday. Sunday afternoon is perfect for a romantic picnic. We were warned about the TO UP IK A SHE'S SHE 15 SET AFTER NOT RECVCUN& vou, AFTER HELP SYSTEM. CflTHN. a, religious police dress code and insist conservative standards are upheld. But ar informal survey indicated none of the reporters has been accosted by the muttawa, who have the power to make arrests. who enforce the Islamic ti tal status, for instance, when I flew to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, in the company of an American male reporter. Female reporters benefit from the famed Saudi hospitality and generosity. When one reporter mentioned she had lost a contact lens, her host insisted on having his driver take her the next day to the, clinic for a replacement. At Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd's a combination of a daily Majlis town meeting and a magistrate's court Saudi citizens ask the governor of the Eastern Province to resolve problems ranging from land disputes to homelessness. After meeting the prince, I jokingly told him I had some problems he could solve. Pressed on what theywere, I assured him I was only kidding. That night, I received a call from the prince's worried press officer. "You mentioned you had some problems and the prince wanted to know if there was anything he could do," the press officer said. "A car to take you shopping? Some interviews? Anything?" Joan EDITOR'S NOTE Mower, a Washington reporter for The Associated Press, reported from Saudi Arabia for four weeks. - fcy Cathy Guisewite JU5T MWED 3ULIA mut-taw- the cathy dis, but the incredulous looks did not interfere with work. The major complaint and the is the ban on biggest frustration driving. We must hire taxis, drivers or rely on male colleagues to ferry us around, an expensive inconvenience in a country with a modern system of interstate highways. The U.S. Embassy also advised women not to sit next to a man to whom she was not married. In one case, I drove to a remote border post on the with a male colleague, 300 miles from the coastal city of Dhahran, to meet with the governor of the province. The trip would have been impossible' without a male escort. Air travel was potentially a problem because Saudi custom dictates women must be accompanied by a male relative. Expatriate women have to obtain a letter approving their travel from their sponsoring company. Airports have check-i- n lines designated for "males" and "families." Saudi officials seemed to ignore the rules for the foreign reporters. I was never asked about my mari Saudi-Kuwai- ' In deference to Saudi custom, we cover our arms, wear longer skirts and keep bare skin to a minimum. But none of us wear the black cloaks known as abayas or head coverings. The heat argues against wearing stockings. We act generally as we do in the streets or in the souks (markets), our small cadre of female reporters has grown accustomed to stares from curious SauOn the , OH. ES SHE UJAMTS SHE SHE .HISSES TRUING SHE'S I5f V0U Y0U A WOflWM f ? UlSTiMO AFTER VOSi CALL AFTER FOUR O06S NOT VEAR5 UNLESS SHE'S DESPERATE TO BE IN V0UR ARfflS ...AND APPAR- DESPERATE?? REALLY ?? 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