Navy Nurse Lt. Joyce Siler examines the first Kurdish evacuee to become a U.S. citizen. The first Kurdish evacuee to become a U.S. citizen is given a basic pediatric examination by Navy Nurse Corps Lt. Joyce Siler on Sept. 21, 1996, at Naval Hospital Guam. The 8 lb. 13 oz. girl was named Helan, which means "in Arabic, in the context of leaving for a new life. Because of her birth on U.S. soil, Helan will avoid the immigration processing required for the other Kurdish evacuees of Operation Pacific Haven currently being housed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The operation, a joint humanitarian effort conducted by the U.S. military, involves the evacuation of approximately 2400 foreign service nationals and their families who were associated with the United States government's humanitarian efforts in Northern Iraq. They will be sheltered and fed at Andersen Air Force Base and processed on a case-by-case basis for entry into the continental United States as quickly as possible. SHARE: Download: Full Size (0.06 MB) Credit: VIRIN: 935599-Y-VPI98-887.jpg Photo Gallery