Combat· Libya Intervention (Op ODYSSEY DAWN/UNIFIED PROTECTOR)
Op ODYSSEY DAWN
Operation Odyssey Dawn was the opening American-led phase of the 2011 intervention in Libya, mounted to enforce a United Nations resolution protecting civilians and establishing a no-fly zone against the forces of Muammar Gaddafi.
Marine aviation contributed to the operation, with Harrier jets flying from an amphibious assault ship offshore to strike regime targets in support of the coalition campaign. The most dramatic Marine action of the operation came when an Air Force fighter went down over Libya and the Marines launched a recovery mission to extract the downed crew from hostile territory. Odyssey Dawn applied air and missile power to ground Gaddafi's air force, halt his offensive against the rebels, and protect the civilian population, before the campaign transitioned to NATO command. The Marine role was centered on aviation and the personnel recovery, the projection of air power and expeditionary capability from the sea in support of the broader coalition intervention.
Record no. 50