WITIl MARINE& IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                              25


                                                         Photograph by the author
Helicopters ofHMM-264 arrayed in "LZLeatherneck on the southeast side of HSSB Silopi. HMM-
264 established the Silopi base in April 1991. A detachtnentfrotn AL4CG-28 operated the landing
zones for the first month of Operation Provide Comfort.


included two teaching stints at Quantico, a headquarters tour in Washington,
D.C., and joint-service duty with the USEUCOM.26
   Joint Task Force Provide Comfofl was to conduct multinational humanitarian
relief operations in northern Iraq until international relief agencies and private
voluntary organizations could assume overall supervision of such operations. The
basic concept of operations included the following tenets: 1) meet life-sustaining
requirements immediately; 2) establish a manageable relief process that could be
easily transferred;  3) promote the role  of non-military organizations and
maximize the participation of international agencies; 4) seek active refugee
participation during site development operations; and 5) ensure security of allied
troops and dislocated civilians. The priorities established were: 1) to stop the
dying and the suffering; 2) to resettle the population at temporary sites while
establishing a stable, secure, sustainable environment in northern Iraq; and 3) to
return the displaced civilians to their former homes.27
   The MEU FCE carefully read and dissected the operations order, flew a
relief supply mission, discussed the situation, then sent a staff estimate to Colonel
Jones. His highest priority was to get aircraft ashore and into operation as soon
as possible. The rest of the MEU was scheduled remain on board ship. Phibron
8 would remain near the coast at a modified offshore deployment location to
provide logistic support.
   This concept changed on 14 April when Combined Task Force Provide
Comfort received a message from the American Ambassador to Turkey, Morton
I. Abramowitz, that outlined a plan for the return of dislocated Iraqi citizens