MULTINATIONAL FORCE & OBSERVERS (MFO)1-17 Infantry 1990

4 1/2" HIGHLY DETAILED EMBROIDERED PATCH

MERROWED EDGE - WAX BACKING

ISRAEL - SINAI PENINSULA - EGYPT

March 1990 to November 1990

17th Infantry Regiment THE BUFFALOES

 

 

While the 17th Infantry Regiment was organized on January 11th, 1812, it was  consolidated with the 3rd Infantry and lost it's identity two years later  until May 3rd, 1861, when it was reorganized.

The 17th Infantry  Regiment was in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War in Sykes'  Division of the 5th Army Corps, the badge of which was a white cross patee,  which is embodied in the coat of arms and shown on the blue field above and  to the left of the stone wall.

At Fredericksburg the 17th suffered  heavy losses in the assault on the famous stone wall, "For one entire day,  (December 14th) the men of the 17th lay flat on their faces eighty yards in  front of the famous stone wall, behind which the enemy was posted in large  numbers and any movement on their part was sure to draw the fire of rebel  sharpshooters.

The five-bastioned fort, shown on the blue shield  above and to the right of the stone wall, was the badge of the 5th Army  Corps in Cuba in 1898.

The buffalo, shown on the blue shield bellow  the stone wall represents the Regiment's glorious history in the Korean war.  The "Buffalo" nick name was adopted after one of the Regiments Commanding  Officers in the Korean war, Col. William W. "Buffalo Bill" Quinn.

The  shield is blue, being the color representing the infantry.

The Crest  is a sea lion taken from the Spanish Arms of Manila for the fighting around  that city in 1899.

The two arrows represent the Indian campaigns in  which the 17th Regiment participated. Battle Honors

Civil War

Peninsula

Manassas

Antietam

Fredericksburg

Chancellorsville

Gettysburg

Wilderness

Spotsylvania

Cold Harbor

Petersburg

Virginia 1862

Virginia 1863

Indian Wars

Little Big Horn

Pine Ridge

North Dakota 1872

War with Spain

Santiago

Philippine Insurrection

Manila

Malolos

San Isidro

Tarlac

Mindanao

Luzon 1899

Luzon 1900

Mexican Expedition

Mexico  1916-1917

World War II

Aleutian Islands (with arrowhead)

Eastern Mandates (with arrowhead)

Leyte Ryukyus (with arrowhead)

Korean War

UN Defensive

UN Offensive

CCF Intervention

First  UN Counteroffensive

CCF Spring Offensive

UN Summer-Fall Offensive

Second Korean Winter

Korea, Summer-Fall 1952

Third Korean Winter

Korea, Summer 1953

Vietnam

Counteroffensive

Phase VII

Consolidation I

Consolidation II

Cease-Fire

Armed Forces  Expeditions

Panama (with arrowhead)

Operation Just Cause:  1989-1990

Iraq

Operation Iraqi Freedom: August 2005 to  December 2006 Mosul and Baghdad

Afghanistan

Operation  Enduring Freedom: July 2009 to July 2010

Operation Enduring Freedom: May  2012 to May 2013

Decorations

A Company 1-17 received the Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) for actions  in support of Operation Helmand Spider in Marjah during OEF 09-11.

Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered LEYTE

Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944  TO 4 JULY 1945

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer  embroidered INCHON

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation,  Streamer embroidered KOREA 1950-1953

Republic of Korea Presidential  Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1952-1953

Republic of Korea  Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1945-1948; 1953-1957

The Multinational Force and  Observers (MFO) is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the  terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The MFO generally  operates in and around the Sinai peninsula.

BACKGROUND

On September 17, 1978, the Camp David Accords  were signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian  President Anwar Sadat under the sponsorship of United States President  Jimmy Carter. The accords provided for a full Israeli withdrawal from  Sinai.

Following the signing of the Egypt–Israel  Peace Treaty on March 26, 1979, the United Nations was asked to provide  the peacekeeping forces for the Sinai Peninsula mandated in the treaty.  The terms of the treaty required the presence of international  peacekeepers to ensure that both Israel and Egypt kept to the provisions  regarding military build-up along the border.

Initially, the peacekeeping force was  provided by the U.S. Sinai Field Mission, while efforts were made to  create a UN force.

On May 18, 1981, the President of the UN  Security Council indicated that the UN would be unable to provide the  force, due to the threat of a veto of the motion by the USSR at the  request of Syria.

As a result of the UN Security Council  impasse, Egypt, Israel and the United States opened negotiations to set  up a peacekeeping organization outside the framework of the UN. On  August 3, 1981, the Protocol to the Treaty of Peace was signed,  establishing the Multinational Force and Observers.

MISSION

The mission of the MFO is:

"... to supervise the implementation of the  security provisions of the Egyptian–Israeli Treaty of Peace and employ  best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms."

This is accomplished by carrying out four  tasks:

Operating checkpoints, observation posts and  conducting reconnaissance patrols on the international border as well as  within Zone C,

Verification of the terms of the peace treaty  not less than twice a month,

Verification of the terms of the peace treaty  within 48 hours, upon the request of either party,

Ensuring freedom of international marine  navigation in the Strait of Tiran and access to the Gulf of Aqaba

Over the three decades that the MFO has  carried out its mission it has proven a highly successful force. The  desire for peace on the part of both Egypt and Israel, combined with the  effectiveness of the MFO, has resulted in a durable and lasting state of  peace between these two nations.

ORGANIZATION

The MFO has its main headquarters in Rome,  where it is headed by the Director-General. It also has two regional  offices, in Tel Aviv and Cairo, while the Force itself is based in Zone  C on the Sinai Peninsula, under the command of the Force Commander.

The Force Commander is responsible for the  military elements of the MFO, which comprise:

Headquarters

Three infantry battalions (FIJIBATT, COLBATT  and USBATT)

Support Battalion (Formerly the Logistical  Support Unit)

Coastal Patrol Unit (CPU)

Rotary Wing Aviation Unit (AVCO)

Fixed Wing Aviation Unit (FWAU)

Transport and Engineering Unit (TREU)

Military Police Unit (FMPU)

Flight Following (Air Traffic control) Unit

The Observer contingent of the MFO is made up  entirely of US civilians. The observers are either seconded from the US  State Department or retired US military personnel.

NATIONS INVOLVED

The personnel for these come from twelve  states:

Australia – From 1982 until 1985 the majority  of the Australian contingent was made up of 100 personnel mainly from  the RAAF to support 8 RAAF Iroquois helicopters. 25 Australian Army  personnel based at Force HQ (departing in 1986 and returning in 1993  replaced in the interim by a contingent from the United Kingdom) An  Australian Army Officer, Major General David B. Ferguson, AM, also  commanded the Force from 21 April 94 to 10 April 97.

Canada – 28 personnel within the Force and  Contingent HQs in addition to the Operations, Liaison, V.I.P. Visit  Office, Air Traffic Control, Transport, Support and Personnel Branches.

Netherlands

Colombia – Infantry battalion (COLBATT) – 358  personnel (Batallón Colombia No. 3)

Czech Republic – 3 personnel based at Force  HQ

Fiji – Infantry battalion (FIJIBATT) – 329  personnel

France – 15 personnel based at Force HQ and  with the fixed wing unit

Hungary – Military Police Unit – 41 personnel

Italy – Coastal Patrol Unit with 75 personnel  and 4 ships: P-405 Esploratore, P-406 Sentinella, P-407 Vedetta and  P-408 Staffetta

New Zealand – 27 personnel

Norway – 6 personnel based at the Force HQ  including the Force Commander as of 12 October 2007 – Major General  Kjell Narve 

Ludvigsen

United States – The United States contributes  three units collectively known as Task Force Sinai:

Force HQ – 40 personnel

Infantry Battalion 

Support Battalion 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment (EOD)

Aviation Company

Uruguay – 87 personnel with Transport and  Engineering Unit

UNIFORMS

MILITARY

Military personnel serving with the MFO wear  national military dress appropriate to the climatic conditions of the  Sinai. In the case of the U.S. Army, the Sinai saw the first use of the  desert version of the Battle Dress Uniform, the six-color Desert Battle  Dress Uniform which would later be worn during Operations Desert Shield  and Desert Storm, then the three-color Desert Combat Uniform—currently  the U.S. Army wears the standard Army Combat Uniform (ACUs). Australia,  Canada, Colombia, France, Hungary, New Zealand and Norway have all  developed or adopted their own desert uniform for use in the Sinai and  elsewhere. All contingents wear national flags or crests to identify  their country of origin.

MFO crests are sewn on uniforms to identify  the wearer as a member of the force. All military members of the force  wear a terracotta-colored beret or bush hat. Terracotta-colored helmet  covers are provided for soldiers wearing field gear and/or body armor.  Some contingents, such as that of Colombia, also wear terracotta neck  scarves when on parade. During the 1980s a terracotta-colored "ranger"  patrol hat was also in use, but was discontinued by the 1990s.

The terracotta beret is unique to the MFO and  was selected to show that the force is not a United Nations peacekeeping  force. UN peacekeeping forces wear a distinctive light blue beret. An  MFO badge is also worn on the beret, a metal badge for commissioned  officers, and cloth badge for enlisted soldiers.

CIVILIAN OBSERVERS

The 15 civilian observers employed by the MFO  originally wore uniforms of highly visible orange (a relic of the Sinai  Field Mission, whose personnel wore such uniforms) while carrying out  their treaty verification duties. In 2002, a change was made to a bright  orange shirt worn with khaki trousers. The orange shirts have since been  replaced by black polo shirts.

DECORATIONS

Peacekeepers who complete a tour of service  in the Sinai of six months are authorized their first Multinational  Force and Observers Medal. These are commonly presented at contingent  medal parades. Each six-month tour after that authorizes the wearer to  place a number on their ribbon (beginning with the number "2").  Civilians employees of the Force are authorized to wear the MFO Civilian  Medal for the same terms of service as peacekeepers. Finally there is  the Director General's Award, which is presented to both peacekeepers  and civilians for outstanding service or action on behalf of the MFO.  Other awards for service or merit are in accordance with the practices  and traditions of the individual contingents.

CHRONOLOGY

January 1982

Approximately 160 U.S. soldiers from Fort  Bragg, North Carolina, were deployed to the Sinai. The mission of this  augmented company size unit was to establish support facilities in  preparation for the upcoming arrival of the infantry battalions to  monitor the peace. This was not a typical U.S. Army logistical company.  Initially those who deployed were required to wear civilian clothing,  due to the security threat. They arrived in the middle of the night and  were bussed to Etam Air Base in Israel, which would later be renamed El  Gorah after the April 25, 1982 transfer of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.  These soldiers were to prepare to assume the mission of the Sinai Field  Mission. The goal was to establish a command structure, fixed and rotary  aircraft support, parts support, water and petroleum supply, medical,  logistics for the MFO, which would later assume the mission.

Upon arrival they were initially housed in  several buildings which were in existence as part of Etam Airbase. It  was several months before permanent buildings were in place.

March 1982

Australian and New Zealand military aviation  units assemble and are deployed into the region on March 20, 1982, as  the Rotary Wing Aviation Unit.

April 1982

The MFO assumed its mandate on April 25,  1982, the day Israel handed over sovereignty of the Sinai Peninsula to  Egypt. In 1995 the United States experimented with a composite battalion  consisting of National Guard soldiers from Virginia and Maryland, and  Regular Army soldiers from the 82d Airborne Division and the 101st  Airborne Division (Air Assault). In April 2006, the U.S. Third Army, in  its role as Central Command's Coalition Forces Land Component Command  (CFLCC) assumed command of the 1st Corps Support Command (1st COSCOM)  from the XVIII Airborne Corps. Under U.S. Army reorganization, the 1st  COSCOM has been re-designated as the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater).  Since January 2002, the United States has been supplying National Guard  Infantry battalions.

April  1983

Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka was appointed as  Commanding Officer of the Fijian MFO contingent. After serving a two  year posting in the Sinai Colonel Rabuka returned to Fiji in 1985 to  plan and stage a bloodless military coup which toppled the elected  Fijian government on 14 May 1987.

February 1984

MFO Director-General Leamon Hunt was  assassinated in Rome, Italy, while sitting in his chauffeur-driven  armored car, outside the gates of his private residence. The assassins  poured automatic weapon fire into the reinforced rear window until they  were able to penetrate the glass and strike the director-general in the  head. Credit for the assassination was claimed by Lebanese Armed  Revolutionary Faction the Red Brigade.

March 1985

Due to the imminent end of the four-year  Australian MFO commitment in April 1986, the governments of Israel,  Egypt, and the United States invited Canada to provide a contingent.  Canada agreed to replace Australia in the MFO and to supply a helicopter  squadron, staff officers and a flight-following section of air traffic  controllers totalling 136 military personnel. The Canadian Contingent  (CCMFO) was brought on strength of the Canadian Forces on September 26,  1985.

December 1985

Main article: Arrow Air Flight 1285

On December 12, 1985, a chartered Arrow Air  DC-8 with 248 returning members of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and  eight flight crew crashed into the cold, damp landscape at the end of  runway 22 at Gander International Airport in Gander, Newfoundland, with  no survivors. The 101st was rotating home from a tour of duty with the  MFO. The accepted theory is that the crash was caused by ice  accumulation on the leading surfaces of the wings, but debate and  speculation still rages that the crash may have resulted from some type  of incendiary device placed on the plane.

April 1986

The Australian contingent, consisting of  staff officers and a helicopter squadron who were members of the initial  deployment, withdrew in the course of their government's reduction of  its peacekeeping commitments. They were replaced by the CCMFO Canadian  Rotary Wing Aviation Unit, equipped with nine CH135 Twin Hueys, staff  officers and flight following. The CCMFO was operational at El Gorah on  March 31, 1986. Canadian tactical helicopter units rotated to El Gorah  for six-month tours of duty. The primary units providing military  personnel were 408, 427 and 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadrons and 403  Squadron Helicopter Operational Training Squadron.

December 1989

A Canadian CH-135 helicopter on a maintenance  test flight crashes one mile north of El Gorah. Both crew members are  injured, one seriously.

March 1990

After four years with the MFO, the Canadian  helicopter squadron was withdrawn. This was due primarily to Canada  accepting a new commitment to send a helicopter squadron to Central  America with a UN peacekeeping force. This left 28 Canadian Staff and  Air Traffic Controllers in the flight following role with the MFO, a  commitment which continues to the present day. Due to the Canadians'  departure, the United States split their rotary wing unit between South  and North camps.

January 1993

The Australians, who had been replaced by a  British contingent, returned to the mission, and the British contingent  withdrew. Lieutenant Colonel Martin Hamilton-Smith was the first  contingent commander of the returning Australians. He went on to become  a South Australian politician after his military career.

August 1994

Australian MFO contingent members were  involved in a hit-and-run accident that they failed to report. The  incident came to light when one of the vehicle passengers, army Staff  Sergeant David Hartshorn, reported it after he'd been returned to  Australia. Prima facie evidence of the incident was established and  included in a formal inquiry by the Australian government. In an article  by News Limited Network journalist Ian McPhedran on 30 August 2012,  former Staff Sergeant David Hartshorn has received an apology from  Australian Army Chief Lieutenant General David Morrison and Inspector  General of the Australian Defence Force Mr Geoff Earley for being  ordered not to report the hit and run accident.

January 1995

The 4-505 PIR assume duties as USBATT. This  battalion is composed of Reservists and National Guardsmen in addition  to active duty soldiers. The U.S. Army used this group as a test to see  if reservists could take over the mission in the future.

September 1995

A Hungarian contingent arrived to serve as  the Force Military Police Unit. The Hungarians replaced the Dutch  contingent, and as well as military police include two members of the  Force staff, a doctor and a liaison officer.

January 2002

The 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment of  the Arkansas National Guard become the first National Guard unit to  deploy to Task Force Sinai as part of Operation Noble Eagle. They  relieved the 2-87th Infantry of the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort  Drum, NY.

July 2002

The Oregon National Guard assumed duties at  South Camp from the Arkansas National Guard.

January 2003

The 180th Infantry Regiment of the Oklahoma  National Guard assumed duties as the U.S. Batt at South Camp (MFO 44) as  the first unit assigned under Operation Enduring Freedom.

July  2003

The Iowa National Guard assumed duties at as  the U.S. Batt at South Camp (MFO 45).

August  2005

An MFO  vehicle carrying two members of the Canadian contingent was badly  damaged, the results of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack. The  Canadians were only slightly injured.

January 2006

The 1-124th Cavalry assumed duties as the  USBATT contingent. The 1-124th CAV is part of the 36th Infantry Division  of the Texas Army National Guard. Units that were pulled together to  complete the manning for the mission include elements of the 1-112th  Armor and 3-112th Armor.

May 2007

A French Air Force de Havilland Canada DHC-6  Twin Otter aircraft on duty with the MFO Fixed Wing Aviation Unit  crashed in the middle of the peninsula, 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of  the town of Nakhl. Eight French and one Canadian passengers and crew  were killed. The aircraft reported trouble with one engine and was  attempting an emergency landing on a highway when it struck a truck. It  crashed and exploded moments later. The driver of the truck escaped  unharmed.

The aircraft was operated by the French Air  Force as their contribution to the MFO. It made regular flights between  the two main MFO bases at El Gorah and Sharm el-Sheik, as well as  conducting observation missions as part of the MFO's mandate.

December 2008

The Czech Republic and the MFO announced that  the Czechs have entered negotiations to contribute three staff officers  to the Force as part of a new, permanent Czech Contingent. This proposed  addition to the MFO is part of the Czech Republic's strategic plan to  become more involved in foreign operations and is subject to  parliamentary approval.

November 2009

The Czech Contingent (CZECHCON) is the newest  member of the MFO family of troop-contributing nations. The first  soldiers arrived in the Sinai on 17 November 2009. Contingent members  consist of three staff officers in the following key positions:  Assistant Chief of Staff (Lieutenant Colonel), Deputy Force Protection  Information Officer (Major) and Force Engineering Staff Officer (Major).  All officers will serve a voluntary one-year tour of duty with the MFO.

September 2012

Dozens of armed militants attacked North Camp  on Friday 14 September 2012, breaking down a wall of the facility  housing the MFO headquarters, setting fire to vehicles and facilities.  MFO soldiers defended the base and there was an exchange of fire. Four  MFO members were reportedly wounded.

October 2013

Parts of the MFO view cutbacks of the  military aid from United States to Egypt as negative for the stability  in Sinai, as the military government had hit militants hard.

March 2014

MFO held a swearing-in ceremony to welcome  the new Force Commander of MFO, Major-General Denis Thompson of Canada,  formerly the Commander of CANSOFCOM.

PEACEKEEPING ZONES

Article 2 of Annex I of the Peace Treaty  called for the Sinai Peninsula to be divided into zones. Within these  zones, Egypt and Israel were permitted varying degrees of military  buildup:

Zone A: Between the Suez Canal and Line A.  Egypt is permitted a mechanized infantry division with a total of 22,000  troops in Zone A.

Zone B: Between Line A and Line B. Egypt is  permitted four border security battalions to support the civilian police  in Zone B.

Zone C: Between Line B and the Egypt–Israel  border. Only the MFO and the Egyptian civilian police are permitted  within Zone C.

Zone D: Between the Egypt–Israel border and  Line D. Israel is permitted four infantry battalions in Zone D.

Within Zone C there are two main  installations:

North Camp is at El Gorah, 37 km southeast of  El Arish and is the location of the military Force HQ.

South Camp is located between the towns of  Sharm el Sheikh and Naama Bay.

In addition there are thirty smaller sites at  various points within Zone C. One remote observation post (OP 3-11) is  located offshore on Tiran Island, requiring resupply by air or sea.

Zone C

Zone C is subdivided into sectors, each  controlled by a Sector Control Center. The sectors are numbered from  north to south and assigned:

Sectors 1 and 2 – FijiBatt

Sectors 3 and 4 – ColBatt

Sectors 5 and 7 – USBatt (The 3 original  sectors were reorganized into 2 sectors)

LIFE IN THE SINAI

Maintaining a good quality of life for MFO  members in the Sinai is difficult, due to the remoteness and desolation  of the region as well as more recent security concerns. Gym facilities,  clubs, medical facilities, libraries and exchanges are provided at both  North Camp and South Camp. In addition, North Camp possesses a pool  while South Camp boasts Herb's Beach, a section of the Red Sea coastline  where it is possible to snorkel just a few feet into the water and see a  variety of tropical fish.

The Force has its own magazine, the bimonthly  and bilingual Sandpaper. Published in English and Spanish it is produced  by the Press and Visits Office. Sporting events are held at both camps.  Members are encouraged to take trips to Israel and Egypt, usually in  organized trips. In the Sinai there are also trips to Mount Sinai,  Luxor, Cairo, Jerusalem, and other various sites within Egypt and  Israel. A television and radio system also service North Camp and South  Camp.

There are venues for live shows at both camps  and the U.S. organization Armed Forces Entertainment provides a variety  of bands, dancers and other acts to keep the troops entertained.

At remote observation sites, which might  house only a dozen peacekeepers, the quality of life is harder to  maintain. During tours at remote sites peacekeepers have limited access  to the internet, are provided with workout equipment, and are permitted  mascots. Mascots are not allowed at the main camps, even though a  veterinarian is available to maintain the health of the animals, which  are almost always dogs.

After the original inception of the MFO,  routine travel to al-Arish, Sharm el Sheikh and a beach facility near  the Gaza Strip were restful getaways but recent security concerns over  possible Hamas activity has changed that. Similarly, a bicycle  competition known as the Tour de Sinai which had begun in 1985 had gone  by the wayside in recent years.

The Multinational Force & Observers (MFO),  headquartered in Rome, is an independent international organization,  created by agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of  Israel, with peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai.

The origins of the MFO lie in Annex I to the  1979 Treaty of Peace between Egypt and Israel, in which the parties  undertook to request the United Nations to provide a force and observers  to supervise the implementation of the Treaty. When it did not prove  possible to obtain Security Council approval for the stationing of a UN  peacekeeping force in the Sinai, the parties negotiated a Protocol in  1981 establishing the MFO “as an alternative” to the envisioned UN  force.

The Protocol defines the MFO’s mission,  provides for the appointment of a Director General to be responsible for  the direction of the MFO, and stipulates that the expenses of the MFO  “which are not covered by other sources shall be borne equally by the  Parties.” The United States, which was instrumental in assisting the  Parties in setting up the MFO, has formally pledged to provide one-third  of the annual operating expenses of the organization, subject to  Congressional authorization and appropriations. In addition to the equal  funding provided by Egypt, Israel and the United States, the MFO also  presently receives contributions from the Governments of Australia,  Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,  Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Fourteen States  -- Australia, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Fiji, France,  Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United  Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay -- currently provide the MFO  with military personnel that make up the Force and perform specific and  specialized tasks. 

The Director General exercises his authority  through his staff at the Headquarters in Rome, the Force Commander and  his staff in the Sinai, and the Director General's Representatives and  their staffs in Cairo and Tel Aviv.