14 Aug Advanced elements of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and the 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) arrive Saudi Arabia. Elements of 1st MEF, which includes units from the 1st Marine Division, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) and the 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, depart for region. Hospital Ship USNS COMFORT deploys for Middle East. 15 Aug USS SARATOGA Carrier Battle Group transits Strait of Gibraltar enroute to Mediterranean Sea. USS JOHN F. KENNEDY Carrier Battle Group departs East coast ports enroute to Mediterranean Sea. 1st MEB departs Hawaii. Ships from Maritime Prepositioned Squadron 2 (Diego Garcia) begin unloading in Saudi Arabia. Hospital Ship USNS MERCY deploys for Middle East. 16 Aug Multi-national maritime intercept operation began intercepting ships going.to or from Iraq and Kuwait, consistent with U.N. Security Council Resolution 661. Thirteen amphibious ships announced to be deploying with the 4th MEB embarked. 17 Aug USS WISCONSIN transits Suez Canal en route Persian Gulf. MSC Fast Sealift Cargo Ships (T-AKRs) ALTMR and CAPELLA depart Savan- nah, GA carrying the 24th (Mechanized) Infantry Division. Stage one of the Civil Air Reserve Fleet plan is activated to meet mounting airlift requirements. 18 Aug In separate incidents, USS REID and USS BRADLEY fire warning shots across the bows of two Iraqi oil tankers leaving the Persian Gulf. Also, USS ENG- LAND and USS SCOTT divert freighters in the Arabian Gulf and N. Red Sea, the first diversions by Navy ships. 19 Aug Secretary of Defense Cheney announced that VADM Henry H. Mauz, Jr., USN, Commander U.S. SEVENTH Fleet assumed new duties as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT). He will control all U.S. naval forces assigned to the U.S. Central Command, to include the maritime intercept force. 21 Aug Command of Operation SHARP EDGE shifted from COMSIXTHFLT to CO USS WHIDBEY ISLAND (LSD-41), joined by USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY (LST-1 197), off Liberia. 22 Aug The President of the United States authorized the "call up" of members of the Selected Reserve to active duty in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD, or by filling critical military support vacancies in the United States or else where. USS SARATOGA Carrier Battle Group transits Suez Canal en route Red Sea. A-3
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