To set the scene for this story which takes place at the main entrance to Kuwait International Airport you first have to read "You didn’t see a thing....and thank you for saving Kuwait" 2 March 1991.

        While I was standing guard over the shooting scene and covered body of the Iraqi soldier, two large dark colord suburbans with tinted windows appeared at the entrance to the airport. The two MP teams of SGT’s Garwood and Olsen were still on hold at the gate and we were all tired, hungry, looking less than stract and not in a very sociable mood.

        An American female exited the lead surburban and approached the gate, SGT’s Garwood and Olson blended into the shadows, by that time they had been up 24 hours and were not interested in fielding any questions. She then approached me. The woman informed me they were a news team assigned to take a scheduled overflight of the city and had permission to enter the airport. I informed her of the standing orders, “if you are not on the list, no entrance granted without being personally vouched for,” and she appeared agitated. She insisted on the two vehicles being allowed to pass and I stood by the standing orders.

        The woman turned and went back to her vehicle. Shortly there after the door of the rear surburban opened and a male passenger approached me. I imediately recognized him as Ted Koppel (Nightline, ABC Television News).

        The first words out of his mouth were "do you know who I am?" I informed Mr. Koppel I was familiar with him but orders were orders, no one passed without being personally vouched for. From the expresion on his face you could tell he wasn’t happy either.

        The last thing I needed at this time was for him to spot the blood trail and wander around until he saw the body turning the area into a news scene. I quickly pointed out to Mr. Koppel all the red boundary tape put up by the Expended Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit around the outside of the gate and one particular 'live' mortar round sticking in the ground not 15 feet from where he was standing. All the time I was hopeing he wouldn’t notice the Iraqi soldiers body under the tarp in the background. After he glanced at the mortar round he quickly turned and beat feet back to his surburban. I sweated out the 30 minute wait until a Captain from the Public Affairs Office arrived at the gate and we passed the news crew through.

        The shooting incident did eventually make the Army Times Newspaper but beyond that I didn’t hear of any other outlets running it.

SSG (Retired) Ralph E. Jeffries, Assistant Operations Sergeant, 411th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion,1975-1976 and 1990-1993.