HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 1991:

camps, housing more than 80,000 Kurds. It was located above the 5,000-foot
mark on the slopes of snow-capped mountains.
   At first glance, every square foot of level ground seemed to be occupied. A
careful search located an area that was relatively uninhabited, uncluttered by
refuse, fairly flat, and free of flight obstacles. Purple smoke from a landing
marker pinpointed the exact spot. Unfortunately, there was only room for one
helicopter to land at a time. The first Super Stallion to arrive at this minuscule
landing zone parted what was described as "a sea of refugees" who ran from the
winds created by its rotor wash. A great cloud of dust billowed up and pelted the
waiting crowd with pebbles, sand, and broken twigs, causing them to move back.
Blankets, an assortment of loose items, and even a few tents were picked up by
the whirlwind and blown across the camp. The pilot alertly used this temporary
opening to set down. The aircrew hustled to unload the cargo quickly, however,
the impatient crowd swarmed fl~e landing zone. Ignoring the pleas of relief
workers and oblivious to the danger of the whirling rotor blades, refugees
charged toward the idling helicopter. The hungry, thirsty crowd rushed forward
to get desperately needed food and water. Afraid for the safety of those on the
ground, the aircraft commander popped up into a low hover and began to taxi
forward very slowly. This tactic worked. The rotor wash cleared away the mob
and created a lane so the remaining pallets could be shoved off the rear ramp.
The other two aircraft followed this procedure as well .~
  After the drop the helicopters departed the refugee camp for Silopi to pick
up Lieutenant Colonel Byrtus for the return flight to the Guadalcanat, which


Harried Marines try to bring order from choas as starving Kurds charge a CH-46E Sea Knight
helicopter carrying food. LtCol Joseph A. Byrtus, Jr., HMM-264 commander, described these
initial relief flights as "trying to land into a sea of refi~ees."