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  OPERATION JUST CAUSE -- KEY EVENTS - Summary                                     [p2 of 2]  

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AMERICA'S LEGACY IN PANAMA

PANAMA CANAL TREATY TRANSITION

END OF AN ERA

U.S. MILITARY IN PANAMA

U.S. MILITARY IN REGION-History

LIFE AFTER SOUTHCOM

SOUTHCOM TODAY

PANAMA

COMMENTARY

By WHO / By Others
OTHER TOPICS
BASES-LIST/MAP

U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN PANAMA (1903-1999)

HISTORY

SENIOR MILITARY COMMANDS AND COMMANDERS 

MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMANDS 

FORCES / UNITS

CHANGING MISSIONS AND STRATEGIES

MAJOR EVENTS

-- Panama Canal Treaty Implementation (1979-1999)

ã Operation Just Cause (Dec 20, 1989 - Jan 12, 1990)

-- Operation Promote Liberty (Jan 12, 1990 - mid-1994)

-- Operation Safe Haven (Sept 1994-Feb 1995)

EXERCISES / OPERATIONS

-- Engineering Exercises (Fuertes Caminos;  New Horizons)

-- Other Exercises

MAJOR INSTITUTIONS

-- U.S. Army School of the Americas

-- Inter-American Air Forces Academy

-- Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS)

-- Army Jungle Operations Training Center

-- Army Tropic Test Center

-- Inter-American Geodetic Survey

MILITARY STEWARDSHIP OF ENVIRONMENT

VIGNETTES

  

OPERATION JUST CAUSE AND AFTERMATH

KEY EVENTS -- SUMMARY

 

1989 / Dec 20 starting 0045 a.m. (D Day): 
    (LIST OF ALL THE 27 TARGETS ON DEC 20 GO TO)
(TEXT OF ALL PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS OF INITIATION OF JUST CAUSE GO TO)
  Task Force Atlantic secured Colon, Madden Dam, Gamboa, PDF Renacer Prison (neaer Gamboa) and Cerro Tigre.
  Task Force Bayonet secured Fort Amador, Commandancia, and other PDF sites throughout Panama City.
  Task Force Red secured Torrijos International Airport and PDF base at Rio Hato.
  Task Force Pacific secured PDF facilities at Panama Viejo, Tinijitas, Fort  Cimmarron.
  Task Force Black secured communications nodes and Pacora River Bridge.
  Task Force Semper Fi secured Bridge of the Americas and  Howard AFB.
  2d Bde, 7th Inf Div (Light) closes in Panama.
1989 / Dec 21  (D + 1):
  Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) directed execution of PLAN BLIND LOGIC (renamed Promote Liberty).
  Panama Canal reopened for daylight operations. (Closed at the initiation of the invasion.)
  Refugee situation became critical.
  Task Force Bayonet began civil-military operations (CMO) in Panama City.
  Marriott Hotel in Panama City was secured by unit of 82d Airborne Division and hostages evacuated.
1989 / Dec 22  (D + 2):
  Panama Public Forces (Fuerzas Publicas de Panama FPP) established to replace the PDF.
  Civil-military operations (CMO) and stability operations become primary focus.
  2d Bde, 7th Inf Div (Light) deployed to PDF base at Rio Hato.
  1st Bde, 7th Inf Div (L), alerted for deployment.
1989 / Dec 23  (D + 3):
  Torrijos International airport reopened by U.S. Forces and renamed Tocumen by new Panamanian government (the airport's original name) 
  2d Bde, 7th Inf Div (L) and Special Forces elements began operations in western part of Panama.
  96th CA Bn assumed responsibility for DC Camp from Army South (USARSO).
  1st Bde 7th Inf Div (L) closes in Panama.
1989 / Dec 24  (D + 4):
  Manuel Antonio Noriega (who had been on the run/in hiding) entered the Papal Nunciatura at Paitilla Panama City.
  U.S. Forces initiated Money for Weapons program.
  Combined U.S. Forces/Panama National Police (part of new Panama Public Security Forces - FPP) patrols begin.
1989 / Dec 25  (D + 5):
  Army Rangers secured David (in far western Chiriqui Province, the third largest Panamanian city).
  Operations by U.S. Forces in western Panama continud successfully.
1990 / Jan 3  (D + 14):
  Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces outside the Papal Nunciatura at Paitilla; immediately transported to Howard AFB where custody was transferred to DEA agents and flown on C-130 aircraft to Homestead, Florida.
1990 / Jan 12  (D + 23):
  Operation JUST CAUSE ended (at JCS) and PROMOTE LIBERTY began.
 FOR OPERATION PROMOTE LIBERTY GO TO

 

Sources:  Several including:

Operation JUST CAUSE Historical Summary  at:

http://web.archive.org/web/20001109102900/call.army.mil/call/ctc_bull/90-9/9091his.htm  and

http://web.archive.org/web/20001212203900/call.army.mil/call/ctc_bull/90-9/9092key.htm

 

 

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