Jones brought an impressive operational background to the job, including combat tours in Vietnam as a platoon and company commander where he earned the Silver Star. He commanded the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 1990 when it entered northern Iraq during Operation Provide Comfort to protect thousands of Kurdish refugees from cold, starvation, and the Iraqi army. As chief of staff for Joint Task Force Provide Promise in 1993, Jones coordinated relief airdrops into Bosnia. He also supported the placement of the United Nations protective force there. Jones took command of the 2nd Marine Division in 1994 and later served as director of expeditionary warfare for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, as well as deputy chief of staff for Plans, Policies, and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps.
Modernization is uppermost.
We made some progress in the year 2000 budget. It allows for a slight upturn. We need to sustain that. Another challenge is making sure we have enough Marines. Krulak put the figure at about 5,000.