in the Philippines June 1991; Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia from December 1992 to March 1994. III MEF elements have also had a significant impact on the Iraq War's Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as the Global War on Terrorism's Enduring Freedom. One of the biggest roles III MEF plays in the Asia-Pacific region is humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR). III MEF elements participated in Operation Unified Assistance in response to the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia from December 2004 to February 2005. III MEF has also assisted with the 2005 Kashmir earthquake response from October 2005 to March 2006; Philippine mudslide response in March and April 2006; 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake response in May and June 2006; Legazpi typhoon recovery in March 2007; 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake and tsunami response in April 2007; Operation Sea Angel II in Bangladesh from November to December 2007; Operation Caring Response in Burma from May and June 2008; Taiwan typhoon relief in August 2009; Philippine typhoon and Indonesian earthquake relief in October 2009; Philippine typhoon relief in October 2010; Operation Tomodachi in May 2011; Thailand flood relief from October through November 2011; and Philippine typhoon relief in December 2012 and again in November 2013. Structure III Marine Expeditionary Force, together with I Marine Expeditionary Force, makes up Marine Forces, Pacific. Units Ground combat element: 3rd Marine Division Aviation combat element: 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Logistics combat element: 3rd Marine Logistics Group Command element: III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group (MIG) III MEF Support Battalion 3rd Intelligence Battalion 3rd Radio Battalion 7th Communication Battalion 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit III MEF Band As the Eastern Hemisphere’s sole musical representative of the United States Marine Corps, the III MEF Band enjoys a busy schedule filled with performances across Okinawa and throughout the Far East each year. The band capitalizes on this unique position by making it a priority to present community outreach performances and participating in international military band festivals in South Korea, Tokyo, and Kumamoto, Japan. Consisting of musicians trained in a variety of musical styles, the III MEF Band is able to provide a number of small ensembles for civilian events, including brass and woodwind quintets, jazz combo, rock band, and brass band. The band was awarded the title of 2018 Marine Corps Band of the Year in February