
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 20, 1991                   TAG: 9102200532
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORTHERN SAUDI ARABIA                                LENGTH: Short

WARM, DRY BODIES

A U.S. Army M1-A1 tank crew was enjoying extra protection from bone-chilling desert weather - until their sergeant decided it wasn't a good idea to sleep in body bags.

For two weeks, three of the four crew members put their sleeping bags inside the forest-green nylon bags.

Spc. Shane Batten, 21, of Washougal, Wash., said the body bag kept him dry in rainstorms and shielded from cold night winds.

Only Spc. Jerry Keymon balked at the idea.

"Body bags are meant for people who don't get up," said Keymon, 29, of Brown County, Ind.

"I was raised that you don't get into no body bag unless you're dead," he added with a laugh.

The tank crew members said they had to give up their bags several days ago.

"The first sergeant had bad feelings about us sleeping in them," Sgt. Bobby Martin, the tank's commander. "So he took them back. I understand, but if I could use them again, I would."

Martin said he had misgivings about the bags at first, but was converted after waking up wet during a rainstorm.

"After that, I saw the light, you could say."

by CNB