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MSSG-22 builds camp for 'displaced' persons during PMINT

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 10/24/2003

Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Oct. 24, 2003) -- One of the many missions a deployed Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) may be assigned is to provide humanitarian assistance (HA) to those in need. Recent examples where MEUs have conducted large-scale humanitarian missions are in Iraq after both Operations DESERT STORM (1991) and IRAQI FREEDOM (2002), earthquake-ravaged Turkey in 1999, and East Timor.

In order to keep its skills in this arena sharp, MEU Service Support Group 22 (MSSG-22), the combat service support element of the 22d MEU, recently established a humanitarian assistance camp aboard Camp Lejeune.

Executed in the midst of the MEU's recent Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON)/MEU Integration Training (PMINT), the training gave MSSG-22 the opportunity to not only set up the camp, but do so from ships off shore as they would in a real-world situation.

"The scenario called for us to build a 500 to 600-person HA camp," said 1st Lt. Edward Orillion, of Lottie, Louisiana, the commander of MSSG-22's engineer platoon.

However, before the first tent could be erected, the area had to be secured, and that task fell to Golf Battery, the artillery battery assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the MEU's ground combat element. After securing the area, Golf Battery remained for the duration of the mission, providing external security for the camp.

At the camp site itself, the Marines of MSSG-22 fell into their mission quickly, with groups of Marines assigned to specific tasks.

"We organized the Marines into teams and each had their priority," said Orillion, who was responsible for the overall set-up of the camp. "Some Marines were assigned to lay the perimeter of concertina wire and other Marines had to put up the GP [general purpose] tents."

By multi-tasking the Marines, the camp fell together much more quickly.

"Once the Marines got their part of the camp established, they all pitched in on the areas that still needed work," Orillion continued.

Complicating the situation was the fact that the bulk of the camp was built at night and during scattered rainstorms.

"Even though it was dark we were able to lay the concertina wire, get up seven GP tents and set up four floodlights. The Marines did a great job."

One of these Marines was Cpl. Henry L. McNeill, an electrician assigned to Orillion's Engineer Platoon.

"We had a hard time because it was dark," said the Laurinburg, N.C. native, "but were able to work through it all."

Once established, the camp had the means to screen, process, feed, shelter, and provide medical aid to displaced persons. However, doing so entails more than passing out MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and assigning people a cot.

Military policemen from MSSG-22 would be tasked with screening the displaced persons, and corpsmen from MSSG-22 would provide each person with a cursory medical examination.

"We check to make sure the people are okay," said Petty Officer 2d Class Shannon Browdy, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, MSSG-22's preventive medicine technician. "We look for obvious injuries but also screen for communicable diseases like small pox, cholera, and yellow fever. Those people would still be taken care of, but quarantined."

Browdy and his fellow corpsmen would also continually scour the camp ensuring the refugees had fresh water, that there were no insect infestations, and that the camp maintained a high sanitation standard.

Once 'inside the wire,' the displaced persons would be sent into 'neighborhoods' set up by the MSSG; families into one section, and unaccompanied males and females into their own area of the camp. A big contributor to such a camp's success is providing the people with more than basic sustenance, and MSSG-22 accomplishes this by doing such things as ensuring the proper types of food are on hand (i.e. no pork-product MREs for Muslims) and establishing areas for religious worship and recreation.

Ideally, a MEU would manage such a camp for a short period, and provide a vital stop-gap until international and local relief agencies could establish themselves and take over the mission. With this exercise under its belt, and others scheduled for later in the MEU's work-up, MSSG-22 has firmly planted the seeds for success during the unit's upcoming deployment.

In addition to MSSG-22 and BLT 1/6, the 22d MEU consists of its Command Element and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced). The unit is scheduled to deploy early next year aboard the amphibious assault ships WASP, WHIDBEY ISLAND, and SHREVEPORT as part of the WASP Expeditionary Strike Group/22d MEU.