CRISIS IN THE CARIBBEAN : Anxious Troops Watched, Waited to Learn Their Fate

First came cheers, then an uncertain silence.

In anxious barracks and day rooms at the base for the military units that would have borne the brunt of an invasion of Haiti, officers and enlisted personnel watched President Clinton’s speech Sunday night to learn what their future would be.

When Clinton singled out Ft. Bragg and the 82nd Airborne Division for praise, the headquarters of the 327th Battalion of the 35th Signal Corps here erupted with cheers and youthful woofing.

But when the speech was over, confusion replaced elation.

Commanders of units of the 18th Airborne Corps, the umbrella organization for the land forces that were scheduled to lead the invasion, scrambled to find out whether they were still going to Haiti.

Col. James David Bryan, commander of the 35th Signal Brigade, was to have overall command of communications in Haiti if the invasion had occurred but now didn’t know which of his units would move and which would stay.

“I’m just sitting here watching CNN,” said Lt. Col. James Thomas, Bryan’s deputy.

A big problem for the Army, officers said, was that so much equipment was already on cargo ships at sea that it would be difficult to reorganize for a peaceful entry into the country. Some officers were told Sunday afternoon to prepare contingency plans for a peaceful landing requiring a smaller force, but most were in the dark until the speech.

Throughout the day, troops made it clear that they were ready for the invasion and eager for a final decision from the White House. In fact, officers here said they had been planning the invasion for months, and allowed reporters into last-minute briefings to see the level of detail that had gone into the invasion plan.

“I’ve been ready to go for two weeks,” said Cpl. Mark Anthony Bolden, a communications operator in the 35th Signal Brigade, which was scheduled to land in Haiti an hour after the initial assault by the 82nd Airborne.

Still, some were willing to question whether the invasion was worthwhile. “I don’t understand how our national security is at stake, but I guess in an economic sense when we see boatloads of Haitians coming over, it is good to stop that,” said Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Painter. “But is that reason enough to invade? Probably not.”