Task Force Provide Comfort transforms into ONW

Published Aug. 2, 2007
By 39th Air Base Wing
History Office

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- For the remainder of the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s, Joint Task Force Proven Force conducted two to three missions per day, attacking nuclear, chemical, biological and missile production facilities, in addition to command and control, war production and airfield targets in northern Iraq (for the full chronology of JTF Proven Force click here).

Iraq ultimately accepted the allied cease-fire terms March 3, 1991, and units began redeploying from Incirlik six days later. The United Nations officially announced the formal end to the Persian Gulf War April 11, even as a new crisis developed in the region.

In fact, the UN passed a resolution April 5 condemning Iraqi oppression, requesting member states provide the Kurds living in Northern Iraq with humanitarian relief and demanding Iraq cooperate with the relief effort. President George W. Bush, Sr., immediately ordered European Command to assist the Kurds and other minorities in the mountains of northern Iraq.

A new organization, JTF Proven Comfort activated at Incirlik Air Base the next day and when Maj. Gen. James Jamerson returned to Incirlik to assume command of the JTF, he renamed his organization Combined Task Force Provide Comfort. Many nations contributed to the operation; however, the primary countries involved were the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Turkey.

When it became apparent that a ground presence in northern Iraq was necessary, Army Lt. Gen. John Shalikashvili replaced General Jamerson as commander April 17. Air units continued operating from Incirlik enforced a no-fly zone above the 36th parallel while providing air cover for friendly forces on the ground.

Once a forward airstrip opened in Iraq in late April 1991, airdrops were no longer necessary.

Operation Provide Comfort I ended July 24 and Operation Provide Comfort II began. During the operation, the JTF had airdropped 6,153.8 short tons of supplies, flown in another 6,251.4 tons by helicopter and delivered 4,416.6 tons by truck.

Operation Provide Comfort II eventually settled into a routine with personnel arriving at Incirlik and villages in Iraq and departing in 90- to 120-day cycles. The mission may have become routine, but the threat in Iraq was very real.

In 1996, CTF Provide Comfort II assisted the U.S. Department of State in evacuating Kurds from northern Iraq. The task force brought the Kurds to Incirlik where refugees boarded airliners destined for Guam.

Operation Provide Comfort II ended Dec. 31, 1996, with the U.S. Air Force completing more than 42,000 fixed-wing sorties in conjunction with the entire task forces 20,000 additional fixed- and rotary-wing sorties.

After the Turkish Grand National Assembly agreed on a smaller operation based out of Turkey, Operation Northern Watch began Jan. 1, 1997, to enforce the no-fly zone over northern Iraq. Operating from Incirlik, ONW consisted of U.S., Turkish and British forces.

ONW enforced the northern no-fly zone and monitored the Iraqis to determine their compliance with UN Security Council resolutions. The U.S., UK and Turkey rotated approximately 50 aircraft and more than 1,400 personnel in support of ONW. Of the coalition forces, some 1,100 were U.S. personnel from all four branches of the U.S. military.

The original mandate from the Turkish government allowed the operation to continue for six months. Turkey subsequently approved six-month extensions for the operation.

To Be Continued...

(Editor's note: For the last two months leading up to the Air Force's 60th Anniversary, monumental milestones in Incirlik's history will be uncovered. You can read about Incirlik's coming of age in the printed newsletter, Incirlik Express, or online at www.incirlik.af.mil)