Joe Kagann faces the possibility of going back to the Persian Gulf
for the third time in five years because of recent developments in the region.
9 September 1996
Joe Kagann faces the possibility of going back to the Persian Gulf
for the third time in five years because of recent developments in the region.
There is a strong possibility he may be sent there again because his position as satellite signal technician is critical to troop movement in such an operation, Kagann, a member of the Army Reserves and a sophomore in history from Woodridge who served in Dessert Storm, said Kagann
He said he was sent to Saudi Arabia twice before -- in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War and in 1994 in response to an Iraqi troop buildup near the Kuwaiti border. Kagann said although he is not looking forward to going to Iraq, he is prepared for the possibility that he may be deployed. "In the event it does happen, I have a plan," he said.
Kagann said at the beginning of every semester, he notifies his teachers of the possibility that military orders may conflict with classes. He said if his duties prevent him from finishing the semester, he will be reimbursed for tuition. He said his previous deployments already have set him back at least a year in school.
Despite the apparent easing of tensions in the Gulf during the past few days, President Bill Clinton ordered 3,500 troops to Kuwait Tuesday to reinforce the 1,200 already there.
Some media wire services reported that U.S. troops are being deployed from Fort Hood, Texas in response to an Iraqi attempt to shoot down U.S. planes patrolling no-fly zones over Iraq as well as action by Saddam Hussein's forces in protected areas in the northern part of the country. "Operation Southern Watch," the name given to this military activity, is flying with limited support of allies from the 1991 Gulf War, according to media reports. The war, which liberated Kuwait, established the no-fly zones over Iraq and Kuwait. Kagann said he would try to view his possible deployment to the Gulf as something positive. "I need a vacation from school anyway," he said.
Kagann said the only thing he worries about when thinking about his possible deployment is the uncertainty of what will happen. "The unexpected is always a worry," he said. "But what am I going to do about it?"