WITH MARINES IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                              69

                            Camp Sommers

    The 24fl~ MEU (SOC) Headquarters was located just outside Zakho. The
MEU's first tasks after moving in were to secure the area and to improve
habitability. This former Iraqi army post was a shambles when the Marines first
occupied it. The place had been thoroughly looted. There was no electricity.
Every wooden door and table had been used for fire wood. There were no
unbroken windows. Debris and filth littered the entire compound. Work parties
began cleaning up, but major improvements at the site were provided by the
SeaBees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB-133). Although
attached to the 18th Engineer Brigade, the SeaBees observed naval tradition and
went out of their way to take care of "their" Marines. Latrines, showers,
hardback tents, a mess hall, and volleyball courts sprouted up.
    A six-foot wall ran along the roadway to protect the camp. Inside there was
a  hard-surfaced helicopter landing pad  and  an athletic field. Helicopters
constantly droned overhead and the concrete landing pad was busy most of the
time. The athletic field soon sprouted tents housing the Army engineers, the
Seabees, and other assorted support units. The 24th MEU (SOC) headquarters
was located inside a small central building. This command post housed a busy
combat operations center (COC) and a combined personnel and logistics office.
A "U" -shaped outer building housed the communications center, various staff
sections, living spaces, and liaison offices. British and American engineers,
military police, and logistics offices were also located there. A civil affairs office
was located on the compound's northwest corner. The back entrance, gateway
to Joint Task Force Bravo Headquarters, was in the southwest corner. This
compound was named Camp      Sommers to honor David W.      Sommers,  the
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, on 5 May.

                   24th MEU Command and Control

    During Operation Provide Comfort the 24th MEU (SOC) staff faced many
problems. As previously mentioned, the command which was configured to
control a battalion-size ground combat element and a composite helicopter
squadron, was actually controlling a 3,600-man international brigade with very
little outside assistance. Although all went smoothly, this strained command,
combat support, and service support capabilities to the limit.82
    The personnel officer, Captain Dewey G. Jordan, was responsible for
personnel reporting and mail, both of which were major issues for the Marines
at Zakho and each problem had the same rQot cause, the wide dispersal of MEU
personnel. Daily reporting was a chore because communications between Zakho,
Silopi, Incirlik, and Phibron 8 sometimes broke down. Unexpected personnel
frequently showed up at one of these places, often needing food, equipment, and
transportation. Marine units were scattered across northern Iraq and Turkey so
it was difficult to deliver mail in a tln~ly fashion. Mail delivery was further
complicated because of the sheer volume of incoming letters and packages.