WITH MARINES IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                              41

Service Support Group (3d FSSG); the ground combat element was from the 3d
Marine Division; the aviation combat element was from the 1st Marine Aircraft
Wing; the combat service support element was Company B, 3d Landing Support
Battalion, 3d FSSG. Company B was reinforced by service support detachments
from the 3d FSSG. Detachments came from the 3d Supply Battalion, two dump-
site  sections and repair personnel out of the 3d  Maintenance Battalion,
administrative personnel  from Headquarters and  Service Battalion, and a
detadnnent from the 9th Engineer Support Battalion. The commanding officer
was Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Bailey. Major Robert E. IBob~? Milstead, Jr.,
doubled as executive officer and air officer. The personnel chief was Gunnery
Sergeant Michael J. Campbell, the intelligence officer was Captain Charles R.
Sontag, the operations officer was Captain Gregory M. Ferketish, and the
logistics officer was Captain Bruce G. Montgomery.46
     Contingency MAGTF 1-91 formed very quickly. The 3d FSSG was alerted
on 25 April. Lieutenant Colonel Bailey was notified on 26 April that he would
command the unit. He quickly formed a staff and began analyzing the unit's
mission. Bailey contacted the Marine liaison at Incirlik to find out details, then
briefed Major General Henry C. Stackpole III (Commanding General, III MEF)
about possible courses of action.
     Combined Task Force Provide Comfort wanted two support companies or
their equivalent. Bailey suggested that one reinforced support company could do
the job. This concept was approved on 27 April. Contingency MAGTF 1-91 built
up from zero strength to 186 Marines in less than 72 hours. At 0140 on 30
April, CMAGTF 1-91 was at the airhead with all its equipment and cargo.
However, because of problems with aircraft assignment the unit didn't depart
Okinawa until 6 May. That interval was used to complete follow-on training, to
do additional maintenance for equipment and vehicles, and to publish Operation
Order 1-91.
     The CMAGTF departed Kadena Air Base in Military Airlift Command
heavy-lift Lockheed C-5A Galaxy transports, but it took more than two and a
half days to get to Incirlik. The specified route went from Okinawa to Clark Air
Force Base in the Philippine Islands; however, some aircraft were rerouted to
Utapao, Thailand, due to bad weather. From Thailand, they flew to the U.S.
base at Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean. The airfield at Dhahran, Saudi
Arabia, was the final stop before arriving at Incirlik. This change of plans
resulted in a two-day echelon of arrival, 7 to 9 May 1991. The first plane to
arrive at Incirlik carried the CMAGTF command element and Company B's
advance party.
     Lieutenant Colonel Bailey reported to Combined Task Force Provide
Comfort Headquarters. The original plan was for CMAGTF 1-91 to operate two
forward cargo transition shipment points,  one at Silopi and the other at
Yuksekova. An Arriving-Departing Air Control Group (A/DACG) was needed
at Yuksekova because C-130 transports were using the airstrip. The CMAGTF's
specified tasks were to maintain command and control of widely scattered support
teams, provide landing support (helicopter support teams and A/DACG), manage