WITH MARINES IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                              17

105mm towed howitzers (range 11,000 meters); 4 M198 155mm towed howitzers
(range 23,000 meters);  13 assault amphibious vehicles; and 8 light armored
vehicles (LAVs) 22
   The commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Tony L. Corwin, a veteran
infantry officer. He had been with BLT 2/8 for more than a year and had been
executive officer during its 1989 Mediterranean cruise. Colonel Corwin assumed
command of the 2d Battalion, 8th Marines at Camp Lejeune on 12 January 1990.
The executive officer was Lieutenant Colonel John J. Hogan III. The senior
enlisted Marine was Sergeant Major William 0. Creech. The personnel officer
was First Lieutenant James W. Bierman, the intelligence officer was Captain
Peter II. Devlin, the operations officer was Captain Deni~is M. McNulty, and the
logistics officer was Captain Raymond B. Joseph. Headquarters and Service
Company was initially commanded by First Lieutenant Demetrius Bellizaire, then
later by Captain Charles J. Lesko, Jr. Company E was commanded by Captain
Peter J. Streng, Company F by Captain William F. McEvoy, Company 0 by
Captain Christopher U. Mulholland, and Company H by First Lieutenant Allie
A. Hutchinson, Jr. The BLT artillery was Battery H, 3d Battalion, 10th Marines
(Reinforced), commanded by Captain William P. Holowecki; the 3d Platoon,
Company  D,   2d  Assault  Amphibian Battalion  was  commanded   by  First
Lieutenant Michael L.   Kuhn; Detachment 24,   2d Light Armored Infantry
Battalion was led by First Lieutenant James F. Desy; the 2d Platoon, Company
C, 2d Combat Engineer Battalion was led by First Lieutenant Joel B. Baker; and
the 1st Platoon, Company C, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion was commanded by
Captain Peter F. Owen.

                    The Black Knights of HMM-264

   The aviation combat element, appropriately called the ACE, was Marine
Medium Helicopter Squadron 264 (Reinforced), known as HMM-264.       The
squadron was nicknamed the Black Knights, its emblem was a black chess piece
superimposed on a red and gold checkerboard, its motto was "Checkmate," and
its mascot was a cartoon horse--a spinoff of the squadron's chess knight symbol--
called "Mr. Ed."
   The squadron deployed as a composite unit, merging organic and outside
assets under a single commander. This task organization allowed HMM-264 to
best utilize its aircraft and enhanced its ability to perform a wide variety of
missions. In July 1990, the squadron joined utility, attack, heavy-lift, and ground
support assets to become the aviation combat element for Landing Force Sixth
Fleet Deployment 1-91. In addition to the assets of HMM-264, the composite
squadron also  incorporated  Marines and  equipment  from  Marine Heavy
Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461), Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron
167 (HMLA-167), Marine Air Control Group 28 (MACG-28), 2d Low Altitude
Antiaircraft Defense Battalion (2d LAAD), and Marine Wing Service Support
Squadron 272 (MWSS-272).