SEEN - Vonnie Peterson got a news clip forwarded from her son Erik who was pleased that his unit made the Stars and Stripes. Erik is currently stationed in Friedberg, Germany, but he/they will be on their way to Kuwait as soon as their equipment is ready to move. By the way, his wife, Kelly (nee Ton) Peterson, also from Chesterton, is the 284th BSB Installation Volunteer Coordinator and Army Family Team Building Program Manager at the army base in Friedberg.

“I made the stars and stripes! Check it out,” he wrote. His address is: Erik Peterson

1LT, AR

1BDE Movement Officer

DSN: 324-3826

Peterson was quoted in Stars and Stripes European edition, Monday, April 21 in an article about how the military transports its machinery. Tanks were being shipped via flatbed rail cars. The machinery was on its way to Iraq.

To move the division which received orders to go to Kuwait to support U.S. Central Command operations in the Middle East, the Army is using about 80 trains, plus some 200 commercial trucks, 130 river barges and 500 shipping containers.

After the equipment reaches the deep-water ports, it goes by sea to the Persian Gulf, while the troops that will use it are flown down. In the article Peterson’s crew was described as a NASCAR pit crew to handle problems loading the ships.

1st Lt. Erik Peterson of Chesterton was described as the officer in charge of “rolling out the division’s 1st Brigade.” Peterson said it is important to record data on the brigade’s various vehicles and forward that information to movement planners and to identified sensitive cargo such as hazardous materials, weapons and petroleum products.

Posted 5/6/2003