CRISIS IN THE CARIBBEAN : First Steps Into Haiti

At dawn Monday, U.S. helicopters began the huge task of moving personnel and supplies into Haiti. Here is a look at the operation’s initial steps:

MONDAY’S MISSION

1. Two U.S. warships and a Coast Guard cutter glide into Port-au-Prince and secure the main harbor.

2. At 9:30 a.m. EDT, Major Gen. David Meade leads first wave of helicopters into Port-au-Prince airport.

3. Wave after wave of troops from the 10th Mountain Division begin to flow in from the Dwight D. Eisenhower aboard Blackhawk helicopters. Several Blackhawks are left at the airport in case the 10th is called into action.

4. Military police and other members of the 10th fan out in front of the airport and instruct a crowd of Haitians to stay back.

5. Lt. Gen. Henry Hugh Shelton, field commander of the Haiti operation, arrives. Under a heavy U.S. guard, he heads off to meet military leader Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras at Haitian army headquarters.

6. Transport planes, including C141s and C5s, begin bringing in supplies to the airport.

Key Staging Point

Until sufficient facilities are established ashore, the 10th Mountain’s 50-odd helicopters will use the Eisenhower for refueling and major maintenance, a novel pairing of Army and Navy assets.

Troops and Equipment in Monday’s Operation

* 3 battalions (battalions vary in size but could number as many as 900 personnel)

* 22 Blackhawks

* 14 AH-1 Cobra attack gunship

* 12 OH-51 Scout helicopters

Time Frame

It will take up to 375 trips by the 10 Mountain Division’s Blackhawk helicopters to get all of the men and equipment ashore, something that will take two or three days.

Potential Trouble Spots

Plans call for Haitian soldiers to accompany U.S. forces into areas where there could be trouble. Helicopter-carried light infantry forces of the 10th Mountain Division are considered best suited to secure such areas. Possible flash points include:

Gonaives: Population 40,000, including an estimated 40 U.S. civilians.

Jeremie: Population 21,000; Aristide’s birthplace.

Mountain areas: Treacherous terrain exists throughout the country, where some elevations exceed 7,000 feet.

Sources: Times staff and wire reports

ABOUT “OPERATION UPHOLD DEMOCRACY”

* 1,500 U.S. troops had entered Port-au-Prince by midafternoon Monday and 3,000 to 4,000 were expected to be there by the end of the day, a senior U.S. official said.

* The troops are fully armed, a requirement given the threat of sniper fire and guerrilla attacks.

* One of the troops’ primary missions will be to disarm Haiti’s civilians who threaten U.S. troops. There will be a gun buyback program and troops will disarm any hostile paramilitary forces.

* After American troops secure key entry points, other forces of the 25-nation coalition will enter Haiti to help police the country.

* The Pentagon has already called 1,600 reserve and National Guard forces to duty to support the regular troops in Haiti in areas ranging from air traffic control to military police.