The detachment then conducted a non-combatant evacuation (NEO) in Sierra Leone as part of HMM-261(Rein) which was named Operation Noble Obelisk.
These detachments supported numerous contingency operations to include: Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia, Operation Silver Wake in Albania and Operation Guardian Retrieval and Operation Noble Obelisk in Africa.
During the deployment, the main body of the 22nd MEU participated in two major operations: Operation Guardian Retrieval, operating out of Brazzaville, Congo; and Operation Noble Obelisk, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, which resulted in the evacuation of more than 2,500 American citizens and foreign nationals.
Operation Overlord | Operation Enduring Freedom | Operation Barbarossa | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | Barnes & Noble | Operation Market Garden | noble | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | obelisk | Operation Torch | Operation Vistula | operation | Operation Provide Comfort | Operation Anaconda | Adrian Noble | Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters | Operation Weserübung | Operation Shingle | Operation Ivy | Operation Highjump | Operation Blue Star | Operation Anthropoid | Operation Paperclip | Operation Downfall | Operation Deny Flight | Operation Thunderbolt | Operation Southern Watch | Operation Michael | Operation Entebbe | Operation Condor |
Padrick has covered some of the Navy's most important events, from the rescue of downed Air Force pilot Capt. Scott O'Grady, to the rescue of thousands of refugees in then-Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in what was called Operation Noble Obelisk.