W-b City Finances 
Mayor's Plans Upset Union 
Proposal To Pay Part Of Health Care Tab, Other Measures Would Put Pinch On
Teamsters Members, Official Says

Alice Wallace

By JERRY LYNOTT jlynott@leader.net
 Monday, January 19, 2004 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





FORT DIX, N.J. - Rank mattered little in this drill. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pfc. Matthew Eddy had eight seconds to put on his gas mask. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So did Sgt. First Class Charles Boyer - and on and on for the more than 100
soldiers of the 109th Field Artillery's Alpha Battery. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was only a training exercise, but once the instructor barked ``Gas,''
those not breathing through their masks at the end of the drill would not be
breathing on the battlefield. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Eddy, of Wilkes-Barre, and Boyer, of Plains Township, took the task
seriously inside the cinder-block building where their unit huddled away from
the deep freeze outdoors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Neither man has been on a mission like the one they're preparing for. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Boyer had to wait 14 years for his call-up. Eddy's call came after just
three years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The saying, ``You fight as you train,'' stuck in their heads. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Over and over again they drilled to the point of reflex. Close your eyes,
hold your breath, grab the tab of the mask, pull it over your head, open your
eyes and exhale. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``When you're in this situation, you don't think that much,'' said Eddy, a
19-year-old showing the beginnings of a mustache. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thought dragged out the time - and for Eddy time can't move fast enough to
get him to Iraq where the 109th will serve at least a yearlong military police
mission. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The sooner we get this done, the sooner we get home,'' said Eddy, who
drives a tank for the field artillery unit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Not that he intended to bail after his first tour of active duty. ``I plan
on putting a lot of years in,'' said the Meyers High School graduate. He cut
short a mechanics program at Luzerne County Community College to serve. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Eddy has been in the unit almost three years. His parents signed the
paperwork for their only child to join when he was 17. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mom is OK with him being away. Dad is starting to come around. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His girlfriend - well, you know how girlfriends are, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I joined up a month after Sept. 11,'' he said. The possibility of being
called up was in the back of his mind. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Iraq is front and center now - dangerous and distant. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the past three weeks, he's been training inside and out. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During last Friday morning's class, an arctic wind blew snow drifts over
the sprawling military base in central New Jersey. A warning against frostbite
seemed so out of place for their mission and just added to the anticipation of
shipping out. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A long time coming for veteran &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Boyer shows none of Eddy's restlessness. Instead, the platoon sergeant and
father of three focuses on his squad of 36 soldiers. If his men don't learn it
here, they won't apply it over there. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's not something they don't know, but it's something they don't
practice all the time,'' said Boyer of the nuclear, biological and chemical
training. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Back at the barracks that night, the platoon would drill some more on the
day's lessons. About 8 or 9 p.m. they'd start to clean up. Wake-up call comes
early at 4:45 a.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Back at the Wilkes-Barre armory, Boyer works full time as the readiness
noncommissioned officer and battalion master gunner. He belongs to the unit's
Headquarters Battery but joined Alpha Battery on this mission. In all his time
with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, this is his first deployment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``You expect it's going to happen. You don't know when,'' he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Back at home, Boyer, 32, leaves a wife, Kelly, a son, Charles, 8, daughter
Samantha, 6, and toddler Kevin, 2. He worries about them - and the families of
the other soldiers. Staying in touch with a call or a letter let's them know
what's going on. He encourages platoon members to keep in contact with their
loved ones. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Taking his cue from Boyer, Sgt. Gordon Simerson said he wishes his wife,
Valerie, a happy wedding anniversary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We know how we're doing here,'' Boyer added. ``The training is good. I
think the morale is high.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The soldiers are eager to do their jobs and they want to bring back all
members of the unit at the end of the tour. That's motivation enough for Boyer
to ensure they're ready. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's like these are all my kids now,'' beamed Boyer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jerry Lynott, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7237. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER STAFF PHOTOS S. JOHN WILKIN &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 single soldier adjusting gas mask &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pfc. Matthew Eddy of Wilkes-Barre adjusts his gas mask during the nuclear,
biological and chemical training session for soldiers of the 109th Field
Artillery at Fort Dix, N.J. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 two soldiers talking &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sgt. First Class Charles Boyer, left, of Plains Township talks with fellow
109th Field Artillery soldier John Bilski as the unit trains at Fort Dix,
N.J., before heading to Iraq. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 group shot of soldiers snugging up gas masks &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Among the gear soldiers from the 109th Field Artillery will take to Iraq
are gas masks. The unit trained on the proper way of assembling, cleaning and
wearing the masks during a classroom session at Fort Dix, N.J. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

1 Private, 1 Sergeant, 1 Of Many Key Drills Two Local Men Stay Positive As They Train To Respond To Attacks Before Going To Iraq.