WI - MARINES IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                             53


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                                         Painting by Co Peter M. "Mike~ Gisi', USMCR
A young Marine sergeant converses with a Kurdish elder in nordie~i Iraq. Kurdish elders, known
as `mullahs, " are revered for their wisdom and their opinions carry much weight.

the Reserve 4th Civil Affairs Group (4th CAG). Originally, civil affairs teams
were sent to the mountain camps to assess the living conditions and future needs.
Later, civil affairs teams at Silopi, Yuksekova, and Incirlik assisted civilian relief
agencies. Civil affairs personnel played major roles at Zakho and Dohuk as well.
   The 4th CAG was a Selected Marine Corps Reserve unit from Washington,
D.C. It was activated for Operation Desert Storm and served with the I Marine
Expeditionary Force at Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia. The group returned to Camp
Lejeune for demobilization on 16 April 1991. While at Lejeune, Colonel Easton
was informed that 10 members of the unit were needed to support Operation
Provide Comfort. This detachment flew from Cherry Point, North Carolina, on
20 April, arrived at Incirlik on 21 April, and moved to Silopi on 22 April. At
Zakho, the group was divided into two sections and assigned to existing joint
civil affairs teams 63
   When Joint Task Force Encourage Hope was formed the civil affairs mission
expanded. In order to smooth the way, civil affairs teams planned to control,
supervise, and look out for the welfare of the displaced civilians as they moved
south. Civilian relief agencies, international private voluntary organizations, and
the United Nations also assisted during this phase of the operation. A secondary
effort was to drum up Kurdish and civilian support for the movement south.~
   The U.S. Army's Company A, 6th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th
Psychological Warfare Group provided teams to support Operation Encourage