10                        hUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 1991:


                                  Photograph courtesy of MajGen Jay M. Garner, USA
Marine Cols James L. Jones, Jr., and John 0. Easton meet `vith MajGen Jay M. Gauzer at JTF-
Bravo Headquarters in Zakho. Co! Easton, a Manne Reservist, was conznianding ofticer of the 4th
Civil Affairs Grnup before becoming JTF-B Chief of Staff

areas. An important function was to involve the Kurdish leaders in the selection
and development of the camps.
   The initial ground force assigned to JTF-B was the 24th MEU (SOC). Its
mission was to build the resettlement camps while providing security and relief
assistance. It did not take the Marines long to go into action. A platoon from
Company E, 2d Battalion, 8th Marines was flown to Silopi and became the
Marine forward security element on 16 April. The rest of Company IS, as well
as a combat engineer platoon, a combat service support detachment (CSSD), and
additional aviation support personnel were bused to Silopi the same day, but did
not arrive for almost 36 hours. On 17 April, MlEU Service Support Group
(MSSG) 24 began unloading the ships of Amphibious Squadron 8 at Iskenderun
Harbor while moving combat power inland as rapidly as possible. By 19 April
1991, most of the 24th MEU (SOC) had moved to Silopi and the Marines
prepared for the next phase of Operation Provide Comfort, the movement into
Kurdistan.10