THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9412200328
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS
DATELINE: EASTERN SAUDI ARABIA LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
When U.S. military officials warn personnel how easy it is to clash with the strict Islamic culture of their Saudi hosts, Airman 1st Class Angela J. La Marca understands.
Her mistake was just trying to enter the country. Before being rescued by her squadron's first sergeant, the airman was detained for 17 hours by Saudi immigration officers, questioned repeatedly about why she was traveling without a husband, and threatened with deportation.
La Marca, an intelligence specialist with the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, deployed to Saudi Arabia with her squadron in August. She returned to the states for a family emergency and was booked on a commercial flight to rejoin her squadron, a common practice when military transportation is not available.
But this would be anything but a common assignment.
In areas where the U.S. military has a continuing presence, the United States has an agreement that allows its personnel to come and go without a passport, just military identification. As a temporary guest of Saudi Arabia, the United States has no such agreement.
When La Marca, alone, stepped off a plane on the commercial side of the same airport where her squadron was flying missions daily, she carried only her orders and her military ID. An immigration officer asked for her passport. She told him she had only the military ID.
He asked where her husband was. She said she didn't have one. She was taken to the head immigration officer. ``They asked me five or six times, `Where's your husband?' ''
Meantime, Master Sgt. Ed Hughes, the 27th Fighter Squadron's first sergeant, arrived at the military passenger terminal to pick up La Marca.
When she didn't show up on time, Hughes realized she may have mistakenly been put on a commercial flight. He raced over to the commercial terminal.
There, Saudi officials were preparing to put La Marca on the first flight out. They agreed to a delay, and later put La Marca on a plane for Bahrain - a nearby island country and popular recreation spot for U.S. military personnel.
After 17 hours, La Marca's ordeal ended with a 10-minute flight to Bahrain, where she was met by Hughes and driven back across the border. by CNB