80                         HUMANiTARIAN OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 1991:

Regiment, Royal Artillery, had a headquarters battery and three firing batteries
armed   with 105mm   lightweight towed howitzers. The 59th   Independent
Commando Squadron, Royal Engineers, was collocated with 3d Commando
Brigade Headquarters. The British deployed three helicopter squadrons. The
Chinook Force (Royal Air Force) and 846th Naval Air Squadron (Royal Navy)
operated from Silopi. The 3d Brigade Air Squadron flew out of Sirsenk. The
Commando Logistics Regiment (Royal Marines) operated from Silopi, where it
worked closely wifl~ the Combined Support Command.96 The Dutd~ sent about
1,000 troops to support Provide Comfort. About 400 were Marines and the rest
were aviation, service support, or medical personnel.
    The French contingent was the "Cougar Force" comprised of a light infantry
brigade, a field hospital, and part of a helicopter regiment. The ground combat
force was drawn from the French Rapid Action Force's 11th Airborne Brigade.
This task force included headquarters, an infantry regiment, an Alpine company,
a medical detachment, and support personnel. The main ground force was the 8th
Marine Parachute Regiment.97 French terminology differed from American
usage, and French Marine units were not "soldiers of the sea" as were the
American, British, and Dutch Marines, rather, they were expeditionary units
made up of professional soldiers formerly called "colonial infantry."98   The
French were assigned the far eastern sector of the security zone.
    Italy sent elements of the famous Folgore Parachute Brigade, an Alpine
special forces company, a helicopter detadmient, and a field medical unit. The
Folgore Brigade had previously served beside the American Marines as part of
the Multinational Force in Beirut from 1982-84. The Italians were given the east-
central sector.
    The Spanish Expeditionary Force was the first large military unit deployed
outside of Spain since 1898. Its ground combat element was three rifle companies
from the 1st Airborne Brigade, "Roger De Flor." The Spanish also sent engineer,
medical, and helicopter detachments. The Spanish guarded Habur crossing and
Zakho's western lines of communication. Germany, Canada, Denmark, Australia,
and Luxembourg also sent small military units, usually medical detachments
which were attached to larger allied forces.99
    By mid-May, the allied security zone spread from the Turkish border about
three-quarters of the way across Iraq toward . the Iranian border. The 3d
Commando Brigade pushed west and nudged the Iraqi 36th Iifantrt' Division out
of Batufa. From there the brigade moved on to Sirsenk where it occupied a vital
airstrip that was capable of landing C-i 30 transport airplanes, but had been
damaged during Desert Storm. Six days of around-the-clock repairs put it back
into action. The airstrip was reopened on 14 May and was operated by an
Arriving/Departing Air Control Group from Contingency MAGTF 1-91. Sirsenk
soon became a major humanitarian service support base replacing Yuksekova in
Turkey.
    The 526-man Spanish airborne battalion was assigned route security from
Habur to Zakho. The French "Cougar Force" moved east toward Suri. Battalion
Landing  Team 2/8 continued local patrolling, manned three  checkpoints,