THE FLAG has been waved, and Americans have been told how happy Somalis are to see U.S. servicemembers helping deliver food to the starving masses.

In the midst of all the hoopla, though, the scene is turning sour. The daily grind of serving in Somalia is made even worse by gunfire, unrelenting heat and sun, and thievery and rock throwing by youngsters living in a society robbed of its structure and rules.

There are several military staging areas and secure areas, called compounds, in Mogadishu. Several convoys are driven each day between these areas to transport people, supplies or equipment, or to pick up such necessary items as drinking water and Meals, Ready to Eat. Each day, people in the compounds or one or more of these convoys face the dangers of flying rocks, theft, sunburn or gunshots from warring factions.

''We were driving along (a convoy route) and I don't know who hit us," said Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Evans of the 10th Mountain Div (Light) from Fort Drum, N.Y. "A round went off behind us. I accelerated and the guy behind us took four in the tailpipe," meaning they were shot at as they were leaving.

Evans looked at the ground and shook his head.

This all happened before the fatal shooting of Marine Pfc. Domingo Arroyo, 21, of Elizabeth, N.J., during a patrol on Tuesday night, and the wounding of a Navy medic the following day.

GIs based in Somalia are briefed on the use of force to protect themselves and their property. They're also given some basic instructions:

No vehicle goes outside a secured area alone. There will be a minimum "convoy" of two vehicles. Wear flak vests and Kevlar helmets outside a secure area. Weapons will be loaded and a round in the chamber whenever outside a secure area. Each vehicle will have a minimum of an armed driver, someone riding shotgun and a gunner. Never split up a convoy.Troops are told they can fire their weapon to defend themselves if they can clearly identify their target. The trick is defining what constitutes being fired upon, the Marines say.

A shot rings out and ricochets off the road beside a military member. Was he fired upon or was it a random shot that happened to land nearby? That's where the gray area lies.

The Marines treat the gunfire as a normal part of Somalian life. They hear it, try to determine if they are a target, then ignore and accept it. Several Marines and soldiers described being fired, upon, but said they didn't return fire because they couldn't tell who was shooting at them.

"We were driving along (a shuttle route in Mogadishu) when (Somalis) fired four shots at us," said Lance Cpl." Johnnie Traughber, a motor transport specialist with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

"When they shot, all the Somalis along the side of the road dropped to the ground," making it impossible to spot the culprit, he said.

"Luckily they didn't hit us," said Traughber, who arrived in Somalia Dec. 15. "They're terrible shots."

U.S. troops in Somalia also are directed to use the minimum amount of force necessary to protect their cargo and "sensitive items," such as night vision goggles. That minimum force includes striking people with the butt of their weapons.

"Butt stroke them if you have to, but don't shoot them to protect your MREs," 1st Sgt. Daniel Mace of Giebelstadt, Germany, briefed members of Task Force 5-158 early one morning. "Use a stick, punch them, push them, slap them, but keep them from getting your stuff."

The Canadians take a different approach. One commander said on a CNN television report that if a weapon displayed by a Somali comes parallel with the ground, Canadian soldiers can shoot.

U.S. drivers are told to "stomp on the gas" to speed away from a situation if they perceive a threat. That happened on a Humvee convoy of two vehicles when one Humvee became mired in traffic and was surrounded by curious Somalis. Both Humvees drove away quickly.

A Marine master gunnery sergeant who was in a second convoy passing by promptly pulled over the trailing U.S. vehicle in the first and chewed out the driver for speeding. He was perhaps the only individual in Mogadishu enforcing traffic laws. The master gunnery sergeant later was chewed out for splitting up a convoy.

Thievery Is widespread. Convoys must travel through heavily populated portions of the city, where the streets are packed with pedestrians, donkey carts, overloaded Toyota trucks, buses, camels and Humvees. Somalis scan the vehicles as the military vehicles move through Mogadishu. According to several Marines and soldiers who take these convoys every day, anything that isn't fastened down is in danger of being stolen.

"They'll snatch anything that isn't tied down, so watch things hanging off your belts," said 1st Lt. Shawn Jones, a pilot in Giebelstadt.

"Hold on' to everything you have," Sgt. 1st Class Terry Duffey from Giebelstadt told several Task Force 5-158 soldiers before taking a two-vehicle convoy through Mogadishu earlier this month. "They'll take what isn't secure."

Duffey's been on hundreds of convoys through this famine-torn African nation since he arrived with the advance team in mid-December.

Several Marines and soldiers have had their glasses, mostly wire-rimmed, taken right off their faces, presumably to be sold for the small amount of scrap wire they provide.

Somalis, often children, create a diversion to slow down the convoys, then someone comes up and quickly snatches the glasses from the unsuspecting Marines and soldiers.

Some Somalis have fashioned a hook out of strands of metal a little thicker than a coat hanger. The hook has about a 4- to 5-foot handle. That way they can snatch glasses from people on moving vehicles.

One Marine said his glasses disappeared before he knew what had happened. He said it wouldn't have been safe to leave the vehicle and chase them.

Other items frequently taken are MREs, water bottles and other containers, and wood or any loose pieces of metal on the vehicles.

The stealing isn't limited to moving targets. Somalis are constantly getting into the Mogadishu air and sea ports and stealing anything they can carry.

Those on the convoys face the constant danger of being hit by rocks, especially near the port. As the vehicles move by, Somalis, including children, hurl large rocks at the vehicles. The Somalis aren't intimidated by the size of the vehicles, either. They'll pitch rocks at HEMTTs (pronounced HEM-its) full of armed soldiers. HEMTTs are Mack-size trucks used to haul cargo and equipment.

"We'll be moving pretty fast so hold on," Duffey said before taking a two-vehicle HEMTT convoy from a secured area in western Mogadishu to the port. "You need to hold on, too, because I may have to tromp it to get out of a bad situation, I'm doing it to protect your butts. They've thrown rocks at us before."

Servicemembers aren't safe inside a compound, either. Soldiers have been hit by rocks as they're using their makeshift latrines or burning trash. Somalis have heaved rocks over 10-foot walls to hit unsuspecting GIs.

One Marine was stringing razor wire at the port to keep people from illegally entering the area when about 70 children started throwing rocks at him. He was hit a dozen times, suffering a 3-inch gash above his right eye.

Then there's the ever-present danger of being shot at or caught in a firefight between warring factions. It's not unusual to be driving through Mogadishu and hear gunfire and see young children point to the weapons stashed under their shirts.

"The people chew the khat and show their power," said Capt. Bill Morris, operations officer for the 10th Mountain Div. (Light) from Fort Drum, N.Y. Khat is an amphetamine-like drug used by many Somalis.

Morris said the shooting usually begins in early afternoon and continues until well after midnight.

All the danger and thievery has put some soldiers on edge. Often when drivers see a Somali, even a child, in the road who looks like he might approach a vehicle, they will speed up and head toward the person. That way, one driver said, it won't be possible for the person to cause harm or steal anything from the vehicle.

"We have to move fast on convoys," Duffey said. "This country has turned these kids into little thieves."

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