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CNN Sunday Morning

A Look at U.S. Marines in Kuwait

Aired February 16, 2003 - 10:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: From battleground in '91 to staging ground today, that's how Kuwait's role has changed in the latest Gulf War scenario. And the U.S. Marines are in the Kuwaiti Desert right now practicing day and night for a possible war with Iraq. CNN's Ryan Chilcote went along on a training mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Runner five's rolling in, negative spot.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a bit like bird watching.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred five to (UNINTELLIGIBLE), no drop.

CHILCOTE: Only the game here could be Hornets, carriers or Tomcats.

CAPT. MIKE SHAYNE, U.S. MARINE: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) every day, but you can't see them. And other days, you can see them just fine. But it takes a little practice, that it's kind of a fine art. And once you get used to doing it, because you know, kind of like your pie in the sky where they're coming from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

CHILCOTE: Captain Mike Shayne knows where they're coming from. As a helicopter pilot, Crusty -- that's his call sign -- he's had to rely on his own forward air controllers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Target area's coming off your nose and then a little bit more and you'll be on OP-10.

CHILCOTE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on the ground guidance, pilots in the air to their targets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put this safety up. The yellow laser on and pay your target.

CHILCOTE: Targeting done with high tech tools, like the module universal laser.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, what it is is a big laser, just like playing laser tag.

CHILCOTE: Anything but a toy, it sends out a beam that the aircraft smart bombs use to lock on to their targets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Left, five point eight.

CHILCOTE: Should there be a war in Iraq, the forward controllers will be called to the front to work day and night.

(on camera): Many of the aircraft would likely fly at night when it's much more difficult for Saddam's forces to shoot them down. And while it's safer for the planes, it makes the job of the forward air controllers on the ground that much more difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Southeast, 2600.

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Both controllers and pilots have night vision goggles to help see the laser beams pointing at targets.

Captain Aaron Locher learned in Afghanistan that sometimes what you don't do is more important than what you do.

CAPT. AARON LOCHER, U.S. MARINE: You have to bomb indiscriminately. You do not take out civilians, you know. Rest assured, we'll do everything in our power and we have a lot of power. With that one radio handset, we have so much power to do right and wrong.

CHILCOTE: An awesome power that may soon be tested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's coming in.

CHILCOTE: Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Kuwaiti Desert with the U.S. Marines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 16, 2003 - 10:24   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: From battleground in '91 to staging ground today, that's how Kuwait's role has changed in the latest Gulf War scenario. And the U.S. Marines are in the Kuwaiti Desert right now practicing day and night for a possible war with Iraq. CNN's Ryan Chilcote went along on a training mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Runner five's rolling in, negative spot.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a bit like bird watching.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred five to (UNINTELLIGIBLE), no drop.

CHILCOTE: Only the game here could be Hornets, carriers or Tomcats.

CAPT. MIKE SHAYNE, U.S. MARINE: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) every day, but you can't see them. And other days, you can see them just fine. But it takes a little practice, that it's kind of a fine art. And once you get used to doing it, because you know, kind of like your pie in the sky where they're coming from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

CHILCOTE: Captain Mike Shayne knows where they're coming from. As a helicopter pilot, Crusty -- that's his call sign -- he's had to rely on his own forward air controllers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Target area's coming off your nose and then a little bit more and you'll be on OP-10.

CHILCOTE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on the ground guidance, pilots in the air to their targets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put this safety up. The yellow laser on and pay your target.

CHILCOTE: Targeting done with high tech tools, like the module universal laser.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, what it is is a big laser, just like playing laser tag.

CHILCOTE: Anything but a toy, it sends out a beam that the aircraft smart bombs use to lock on to their targets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Left, five point eight.

CHILCOTE: Should there be a war in Iraq, the forward controllers will be called to the front to work day and night.

(on camera): Many of the aircraft would likely fly at night when it's much more difficult for Saddam's forces to shoot them down. And while it's safer for the planes, it makes the job of the forward air controllers on the ground that much more difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Southeast, 2600.

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Both controllers and pilots have night vision goggles to help see the laser beams pointing at targets.

Captain Aaron Locher learned in Afghanistan that sometimes what you don't do is more important than what you do.

CAPT. AARON LOCHER, U.S. MARINE: You have to bomb indiscriminately. You do not take out civilians, you know. Rest assured, we'll do everything in our power and we have a lot of power. With that one radio handset, we have so much power to do right and wrong.

CHILCOTE: An awesome power that may soon be tested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's coming in.

CHILCOTE: Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Kuwaiti Desert with the U.S. Marines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com