thedrifter
02-22-07, 08:46 AM
State Department, Marines practice civilian evacuation
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON -- A trio of giant CH-53 helicopters landed in an enormous cloud of dust while Marines 100 yards away struggled to control a small, angry crowd, all as part of an exercise Wednesday to help prepare the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit for its next overseas deployment in early April.
A group of five State Department officials joined 40 or so Marines near a helicopter landing site to serve as both participants and spectators in a drill intended to help the military learn how to pluck civilians endangered by violence to safer locations. The exercise required some of the Marines to play the part of sullen, excitable Iraqi civilians, some of them desperate to join a group of Americans escaping by helicopter from an unspecified threat in a nearby Iraqi city.
A similar scene played out on a much larger scale in real life last summer when American forces were called upon to help thousands of civilians leave Lebanon after fighting broke out between the Israeli military and thousands of heavily armed Hezbollah terrorists. American forces in recent years have also been summoned to help in the aftermath of a massive earthquake in Pakistan and tsunami in Southeast Asia.
State Department officials met with Navy and Marine officers aboard a ship off the coast earlier this week. Although no one is talking about where the Marines will be sent in April, Wednesday's training and the meeting on board the ship both involved Iraq.
"We had a good lengthy discussion about the political situation and how it was developing," said David Foley, a press spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
Foley, who was at the base for the exercise, said the State Department tries to send representatives to Marine expeditionary units on the East and West coasts before they deploy.
Marines and State Department officials need to practice working together on a variety of factors that can determine the success or failure of an evacuation mission, he said. For example, the mock evacuation demonstrated to the Marines how the State Department makes evaluations on the spot about who is eligible to be transported to safety, who is left behind and the potentially volatile aftermath of such life and death decisions.
"In the real world, there's close cooperation, and we try to duplicate that in these operations as much as possible," said Ken Durkin, a counselor officer with the State Department.
A group of Marines-turned-Iraqis crowded around an open air table where Durkin sat helping those eligible for evacuation fill out forms. Durkin told the simulated Iraqis, dressed in jeans, sneakers, T-shirts and sweat shirts, that the evacuation was only for Americans and some foreign relief workers. "Not today, maybe in the future. If you want to apply for a visa, you can apply at the U.S. embassy during working hours," he told them.
The Iraqis turned hostile after leaving the table and gathered in a group a few yards away. Several of them spread the word in broken English to others who were waiting for them. "No good, no take us," one of them snarled.
Another member of the crowd approached Sgt. Jennifer Tosh, a real-life Marine playing herself. Another Marine, playing the part of an Iraqi translator, told Tosh what the man wants.
"He was wondering if you can stay here until his wife comes," the translator said.
"We're not leaving anytime soon," Tosh replied.
The Marine playing the part of the translator was also trying to be evacuated and join family members in Chicago, a role he created for himself based upon his own family's real life story.
Lance Cpl. Matt Medhat of Chicago said his own father was sent to live in Chicago years ago by his father, who remained behind with the rest of the family in Iran.
Ellie
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON -- A trio of giant CH-53 helicopters landed in an enormous cloud of dust while Marines 100 yards away struggled to control a small, angry crowd, all as part of an exercise Wednesday to help prepare the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit for its next overseas deployment in early April.
A group of five State Department officials joined 40 or so Marines near a helicopter landing site to serve as both participants and spectators in a drill intended to help the military learn how to pluck civilians endangered by violence to safer locations. The exercise required some of the Marines to play the part of sullen, excitable Iraqi civilians, some of them desperate to join a group of Americans escaping by helicopter from an unspecified threat in a nearby Iraqi city.
A similar scene played out on a much larger scale in real life last summer when American forces were called upon to help thousands of civilians leave Lebanon after fighting broke out between the Israeli military and thousands of heavily armed Hezbollah terrorists. American forces in recent years have also been summoned to help in the aftermath of a massive earthquake in Pakistan and tsunami in Southeast Asia.
State Department officials met with Navy and Marine officers aboard a ship off the coast earlier this week. Although no one is talking about where the Marines will be sent in April, Wednesday's training and the meeting on board the ship both involved Iraq.
"We had a good lengthy discussion about the political situation and how it was developing," said David Foley, a press spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
Foley, who was at the base for the exercise, said the State Department tries to send representatives to Marine expeditionary units on the East and West coasts before they deploy.
Marines and State Department officials need to practice working together on a variety of factors that can determine the success or failure of an evacuation mission, he said. For example, the mock evacuation demonstrated to the Marines how the State Department makes evaluations on the spot about who is eligible to be transported to safety, who is left behind and the potentially volatile aftermath of such life and death decisions.
"In the real world, there's close cooperation, and we try to duplicate that in these operations as much as possible," said Ken Durkin, a counselor officer with the State Department.
A group of Marines-turned-Iraqis crowded around an open air table where Durkin sat helping those eligible for evacuation fill out forms. Durkin told the simulated Iraqis, dressed in jeans, sneakers, T-shirts and sweat shirts, that the evacuation was only for Americans and some foreign relief workers. "Not today, maybe in the future. If you want to apply for a visa, you can apply at the U.S. embassy during working hours," he told them.
The Iraqis turned hostile after leaving the table and gathered in a group a few yards away. Several of them spread the word in broken English to others who were waiting for them. "No good, no take us," one of them snarled.
Another member of the crowd approached Sgt. Jennifer Tosh, a real-life Marine playing herself. Another Marine, playing the part of an Iraqi translator, told Tosh what the man wants.
"He was wondering if you can stay here until his wife comes," the translator said.
"We're not leaving anytime soon," Tosh replied.
The Marine playing the part of the translator was also trying to be evacuated and join family members in Chicago, a role he created for himself based upon his own family's real life story.
Lance Cpl. Matt Medhat of Chicago said his own father was sent to live in Chicago years ago by his father, who remained behind with the rest of the family in Iran.
Ellie