This article is provided courtesy of Stars & Stripes, which got its start as a newspaper for Union troops during the Civil War, and has been published continuously since 1942 in Europe and 1945 in the Pacific. Stripes reporters have been in the field with American soldiers, sailors and airmen in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo, and are now on assignment in the Middle East.
Stars and Stripes has one of the widest distribution ranges of any newspaper in the world. Between the Pacific and European editions, Stars & Stripes services over 50 countries where there are bases, posts, service members, ships, or embassies.
Related Links:
Current Archive
Stars & Stripes Website
Sound off in our Discussion Boards
Have an opinion on the issues discussed in this article? Sound off.
Get Breaking Military News Alerts
|
|
|
|
|
Your Two Cents
Submit your stories, news items, or a benefits update -- and help Military.com bring the best, most important stories to your fellow servicemembers, veterans, and family members. Contribute here |
|
|
May 27, 2005
[Have an opinion about the issues discussed in this article?
Sound
off in our Discussion Boards.]
By Jason Chudy
Stars and Stripes European edition
NAPLES, Italy — Scores of Naples residents are out nearly $250 after the Navy canceled two United Service Organizations trips to Egypt over the Memorial Day weekend because of security concerns.
“The bottom line was the safety of personnel and families,” said Capt. Stephen Hoefel, Navy Region Europe's public safety director.
The cancellation ended up costing the 92 prospective travelers 192 euros each in last-minute cancellation fees imposed by Egypt Air and travel agencies.
Each person had paid at least 849 euros for the trip.
“We gave back [to the participants] everything we got back from the agencies,” said Naples USO director Simona Keeler. She said she understands people's frustration over the cancellation and monetary loss.
Stars and Stripes has been unable to contact any of the people affected by the decision to cancel the trip.
The USO has since offered the participants a Memorial Day trip to Corfu, Greece, which they're getting at a discounted fare, Keeler said. Of the 92 people scheduled to go to Egypt, 25 took the USO up on the offer.
Some of the travelers also approached the base's Navy Legal Service Office to request a reimbursement from the Navy for the 192 euros, but officials say they're not obliged to make up the difference.
“Unfortunately, the Navy has no authority for reimbursing the expenses incurred when personal travel, as opposed to official travel, is interrupted or cancelled,” Navy Region Europe public affairs officer Lt. Cmdr. Lisa Braun wrote in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
The Navy canceled the trip after the Naval Forces Europe Flag Officer Protection Board of Directors was given specific intelligence warning of the possibility of upcoming terrorist attacks in Egypt, Hoefel said.
“The information was that terrorists were targeting tourists and tourist venues,” Hoefel said, adding that he was standing in as a voting board member when the USO trip was being discussed.
“From the total information available, we advised them not to go to Egypt at this time,” he said.
The board made the decision on May 11 and Hoefel called Naples commanding officer Capt. Dave Frederick that afternoon to tell him of the board's decision.
The USO, according to Keeler, found out from Frederick's office on May 13 and immediately started notifying people and canceling the reservations, which had been in place for months.
“We want people to be able to travel, but when a decision is made [to cancel] not by the USO, but someone else, people need to understand that,” said Keeler. “Everyone should know this could happen with places like [Egypt].”
Hoefel said that this isn't the first trip ordered cancelled by Navy officials for security concerns. He said that as commanding officer of Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete, on Sept. 11, 2001, he ordered the annual Morale, Welfare and Recreation trips to Egypt cancelled for at least two years.
 Email
this page to friends RSS feed
©2005 Stars & Stripes. All opinions
expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily
reflect those of Military.com. |
