Operating checkpoints and observation posts and conducting reconnaissance patrols of the international border and Zone C, Verifying not less than twice a month that the terms of the peace treaty are being implemented, Verifying peace treaty compliance within 48 hours of a request by either party, Ensuring freedom of international marine navigation in the Strait of Tiran and access to the Gulf of Aqaba Over the four decades that the MFO has carried out its mission, it has proven a highly successful force. The desire for peace on the part of both Egypt and Israel, combined with the effectiveness of the MFO, has resulted in a durable and lasting state of peace between these two nations. Organization The MFO has its main headquarters in Rome, where it is headed by the Director-General. It also has two regional offices, in Tel Aviv and Cairo, while the Force itself is based in Zone C on the Sinai Peninsula, under the command of the Force Commander. The Force Commander is responsible for the military elements of the MFO, which comprise: Headquarters Three infantry battalions (FIJIBATT, COLBATT and USBATT) 1st US Support Battalion (Formerly the Logistical Support Unit) Coastal Patrol Unit (CPU) Rotary Wing Aviation Unit (AVCO) Fixed Wing Aviation Unit (FWAU) Transport and Engineering Unit (TREU) Military Police Unit (FMPU) Flight Following (Air Traffic control) Unit The Observer contingent of the MFO is made up entirely of US civilians. The observers are either seconded from the US State Department or retired US military personnel. Contributing states As of December 2022, 13 states are contributing troops. Chronology April 1983 Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka was appointed as Commanding Officer of the Fijian MFO contingent. After serving a two-year posting in the Sinai Colonel Rabuka returned to Fiji in 1985 to plan and stage a bloodless military coup which toppled the elected Fijian government on 14 May 1987. February 1984 MFO Director-General Leamon Hunt was assassinated in Rome, Italy, while sitting in his chauffeur-driven armored car, outside the gates of his private residence. The assassins poured automatic weapon fire into the reinforced rear window until they were able to penetrate the glass and strike the director-general in the head. Responsibility for the assassination was claimed by Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction the Red Brigade. March 1985 Due to the imminent end of the four-year Australian MFO commitment in April 1986, the governments of Israel, Egypt, and the United