This Day in CENTCOM History – 28 years ago, CENTCOM announced Operation United Shield. The mission: conduct operations to assist in the final withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops from Somalia. The decision came in response to a UN request for American protection of its peacekeeping forces serving in the war-torn African nation.

Led by the United States, two ships of the Pakistan Navy, five ships of the Italian Navy and six from the U.S. Navy formed a Combined Task Force ensuring the safe evacuation of all UN Peacekeeping Forces from Somalia.

CENTCOM announced that 4,000 personnel (including 2,600 U.S. Marines) would be deployed to Somalia to assist with Operation United Shield. At that time, 2,500 troops from Pakistan and Bangladesh comprised the UN peacekeeping forces in Somalia. 

Lt Gen Zinni (Commanding General, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force) was given command of the operation, which was to ensure the safe execution of an amphibious withdrawal. A future CENTCOM commander, General Zinni had previously served in Somalia during Operation Restore hope two years earlier and knew most of the top Somali leaders at the time of Operation United Shield.