ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 5, 1995 TAG: 9512050083
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina
NOTE: Lede
In a near-freezing drizzle that hinted at the winter ahead, the first NATO troops landed in the Balkans on Monday to begin setting up a peace mission that will bring 20,000 American soldiers into the Bosnian conflict.
Three British C-130 Hercules transport planes touched down in Sarajevo carrying 28 NATO soldiers: French, British, Belgians and the first two Americans.
``We'll be setting up the headquarters for the bigger force to come down,'' said Sgt. Matthew Chipman, of Beardstown, Ill., who arrived with Sgt. Todd Eichmann, of Kansas City, Mo.
In Croatia, 56 British communication experts arrived in the port city of Split.
Defense Secretary William Perry ordered 3,800 American reservists Monday to prepare for duty in Bosnia. U.S. troops already in Germany prepared to move into Hungary and set up staging bases.
The U.S. force will include the Army's 54th Quartermaster Company, based at Fort Lee, Va.
The 2,600-soldier multinational ``enabling troops'' moving into Bosnia and Croatia will set up communications, plan transportation and arrange supplies in the 10 days before the signing of the peace agreement.
After Balkan leaders sign that accord, NATO will start dispatching its 60,000 peace-enforcing troops, one-third of whom will be Americans.
Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., in a presidential campaign appearance in Pittsburgh, said he expects few U.S. casualties as long as the Clinton administration limits the military's role to enforcing the deal reached in Dayton, Ohio, last month.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said the Senate might pass a resolution this week supporting U.S. participation.
Perry said the entire enabling force would be in Bosnia or on its way by the end of the week. He said that he expects the U.S. force to be at full strength in February. Withdrawal would begin by October, and perhaps as early as August, he said.
``There is a very real prospect'' that if the war does not stop now, it could spread north into Croatia, threatening Hungary and Slovenia, and south into Macedonia and Albania, eventually threatening Greece, Perry said.
One soldier, part of a seven-member British logistics team in Sarajevo, said that serving with the NATO force would be better than his previous work as a U.N. peacekeeper in Split because he is now authorized to use force.
``It's the same job,'' Sgt. Eric Johnson said. ``But it's easier this way.''
Hearst Newspapers and The Washington Post contributed to this story.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. U.S. Army Sgt. Todd Eichmann and Sgt. Matthewby CNBChipman (from right) follow British troops off a plane Monday in
Sarajevo. color.