Following a devastating cyclone (29-30 April 1991), the Amphibious Group Three task force carrying 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) elements returning from Operation Desert Storm provided the major US contribution to relief operations in Bangladesh. The III MEF provided the command element. Operation Sea Angel began on 10 May and involved over 7,000 US soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen.

FIERY VIGIL - PHILIPPINES

(JUNE 1991)

Following the 12 June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, US forces evacuated Clark Air Force Base and most personnel from Subic Bay Naval Base. The commanding general, 13th USAF, was in command of the JTF.

GUANTANAMO HAITIAN REFUGEES

(NOVEMBER 1991 - MAY 1993)

USMC forces assumed primary responsibility for emergency HA to Haitian refugees at Naval Base Guantanamo. The commanding general, 2d Force Service Support Group (FSSG) BG G.H. Walls, Jr., USMC) was the CJTF. The 2d FSSG provided the nucleus for the JTF HQ, and the total force exceeded 1,200 personnel (300 Marines, over 700 Army, 150 Air Force, and local personnel from the Navy Base and Marine Barracks). With interdiction by the US Navy and with Coast Guard assistance, Haitians began to flow into Guantanamo Bay and were housed in a tent city. On 16 December 1991, 300 Marines from the 8th Marine Regiment deployed from Camp LeJeune to Guantanamo to join 400 other military personnel. At peak, the temporary camps at Guantanamo held over 12,500 Haitians.

OPERATION PROVIDE HOPE
FORMER SOVIET UNION

(FEBRUARY 1992)

The Commander in Chief, Europe (CINCEUR) formed a JTF to command US airlifts to provide relief in the nations formed from the former Soviet Union.

OPERATION PROVIDE RELIEF
KENYA-SOMALIA

(AUGUST 1992 - FEBRUARY 1993)

In late August 1992, the Operation Provide Relief JTF under the command of BG Libutti (USMC) arrived in Mombasa, Kenya. Besides the command element, Provide Relief involved US Army SOF and USAF transport aircraft airlifting relief supplies in remote areas of Kenya and into some Somali towns. In September, the CJCS positioned the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (special-operations-capable) [MEU( SOC)] aboard Phibron One) off the coast of Mogadishu to provide assistance to the 500-man Pakistani UN contingent. On 15 September, the ships (including LHA-1 Tarawa) arrived off Mogadishu. In February 1993, Operation Provide Relief became part of Operation Restore Hope.

HURRICANE ANDREW FLORIDA/LOUISIANA

(AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1992)

Hurricane Andrew hit on 16 August 1992, causing extensive damage in both Florida and Louisiana. On C-Day, 18 August 1992, JTF Miami began deploying forces from all services to aid disaster-relief operations. Units provided shelter, food, and water and assisted in relief operations. The commanding general, 2d Continental US Army, was the CJTF.

TYPHOON OMAR

(AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1992)

On 28 August 1992, Typhoon Omar hit the north end of Guam. That day, CINCPAC established JTF Marianas to support disaster relief with the commanding general, 13th USAF, as CJTF. The following day, 1st MEB Marines departed Hickam APB, Hawaii, to assist the JTF. The Marines off-loaded maritime pre-positioned equipment to aid in the relief operations. Initial relief efforts concentrated on power restoration and water services. Navy and Marine engineers constructed a tent city, repaired schools, and assisted in the general cleanup of Guam. The operations ended on 19 September.

TYPHOON INIKI
HAWAII

(SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 1992)

Typhoon Iniki hit Kauai on 12 September and damaged an estimated 30 to 90 percent of the island's housing. That day, CINCPAC formed JTF Hawaii, with LTG Corns, commanding general, 25th Light Infantry Division, in command, to assist with relief operations. Army forces from the 25th Light Infantry Division provided most of the military support. 1st MEB prepared generators, bulldozers, forklifts, trucks, water purifiers, meals ready-to-eat (MREs), and Marines for deployment. The USS Belleau Wood transported Marine and Army heavy equipment from Oahu to Kauai and provided command and control capability and medical augmentation to the relief effort. CINCPAC ended the JTF on 6 October.

OPERATION RESTORE HOPE
SOMALIA

(DECEMBER 1992 - MAY 1993)

On 2 December 1992, an amphibious task force arrived off Mogadishu. Marines from the 15th MEU landed on 9 December 1992 to initiate Operation Restore Hope. Restore Hope involved more than 28,000 US servicemen and women from all the services, with more than 10,000 coalition forces from 24 nations participating in this operation to create a secure environment for relief operations. On 4 May 1993, CJTF, Lt Gen Johnston, USMC, formally ended Restore Hope with the transition to a UN operation.

OPERATION PROVIDE PROMISE
FORMER REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA AND
BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA

(FEBRUARY 1993 TO DATE)

USCINCEUR activated Joint Task Force Provide Promise (JTF PP) on 23 February 1993 to support the execution of humanitarian airdrop operations in Former Yugoslavia as directed by the UNHCR. On 26 February 1993, emergency supplies were airdropped in Bosnia-Hercegovina (central Yugoslavia). As 1993 progressed, USCINCEUR expanded the mission of JTF PP to include other tasks such as humanitarian airlift and peacekeeping missions. A forward-deployed task force was established using personnel and equipment assigned to 502D Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). USCINCEUR further directed peacekeeping missions in the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia (FYRM) known as operation Able Sentry, as well as enforcement of a no-fly zone known as Operation Deny Flight. As of January 1994, US and allied forces performed over 2,000 airdrop sorties, including over 12K metric tons of food and 170 metric tons of medical supplies. Airland operations delivered another 83K metric tons of humanitarian aid.