Date: Fri 23-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Stephen-Demand-Kuwait

Full Text:

Staff Sgt. Demand Is Deployed To Kuwait

Staff Sgt Stephen Demand, the son of Brigid and Colonel Dana Demand of Sandy

Hook, was deployed to Kuwait last week with the Connecticut Air National

Guard's 103rd Fighter Wing.

The 1993 graduate of Newtown High School is an A-10A aircraft crew chief in

the 103rd Maintenance Squadron at the wing headquarters in East Granby. He is

part of an ongoing 400-member, 30-day deployment by the fighter wing to Kuwait

which began at the end of March.

The deployment of Connecticut Air National Guard personnel and aircraft, along

with those of two other Air Guard units, are providing a 90-day relief period

for active duty Air Force units stationed in Kuwait. The three Guard units are

providing support for 30 days each, in two 15-day phases.

The deployment is in support of Operation Southern Watch, an ongoing

multi-national military operation instituted by the United Nations in the wake

of the Gulf War to prevent Iraqi aircraft from operating south of the 33rd

parallel.

Staff Sgt Demand, 23, is a student at the University of Connecticut where he

is majoring in business. He joined the Air National Guard after high school

six years ago to take advantage of its college tuition program.

Col Demand, commander at Stewart (NY) Air Force base, said his son was

deployed to Italy three years ago and also was sent to Arizona. Generally,

however, he serves one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer on active

duty with the Guard.

The Demands have four children, three of whom, like Staff Sgt Stephen Demand,

are in college. The fourth, Phillip, will graduate from Newtown High School in

June.

Friends of Staff Sgt Demand can contact him in Kuwait via e-mail at

stephen.demand@aljaber.aorcentaf.af.mil. In response to a message sent from

The Bee, Staff Sgt Demand responded that he hopes a few friends and former

school mates might remember him and send him a line.

"Please mention that there is no better fighter wing in the United States Air

force than the 103rd Flying Yankees and Connecticut has a lot to be proud of,"

he said. "I'm working with the most competent and professional group of men

and women in the military."

Staff Sgt Demand said that if readers know of anyone else in the unit

currently being deployed, the e-mail address would be

firstname.lastname@aljaber.aorcentaf.af.mil.