During my second cup of coffee this morning I looked at the calendar to see what was lined up for the coming week. What I saw kinda stunned me for a moment. Thirty years ago... seems like a lifetime.
Thirty years ago today... Jan. 16, 1991, the assault to take Kuwait back from Iraq was put into action. Desert Storm had begun.
A little background... On Aug. 2nd, 1990, Hussein's Iraqi army invaded and occupied Kuwait. The next day, Aug 3rd, I was (previously) scheduled to take my last Oath of Enlistment... the swearing of loyalty to the Constitution. I raised my right hand, said the oath and was duly sworn in as a Master Sgt for another 4 yrs. My Captain shook my hand, chuckled and said "Congratulations. By the way... you're on load 1... go draw your gear." We were part of the Rapid Deployment Force... on 24hr notice at any time. The next day we saddled up on a KC-10 for the longest ride of my life... from climbing the ladder to deplaning was 23 hrs. Almost a full day of sitting in a web seat, in full gear, shoulder to shoulder with a hundred other troops. First class on Delta it wasn't. We landed at a bare base in the middle of the desert. Three kc-10's, 300 troops with 26 F-111's in tow for an air armada that went from Mt. Home Idaho to Saudi Arabia in just under a day. Not an easy feat if I do say so....
We were the first in. Over the next few months we would make several moves and eventually grow to over 4000 troops and 106 aircraft. But those first few days we were only 300 strong, facing an army of over a million. No one knew what Hussein was planning. He had Kuwait and there was speculation and a real possibility he would continue his conquest into oil rich Saudi Arabia. We called ourselves "speed bumps." About all we could accomplish in that event was slow him down. I hadn't had a cigarette in over 2 yrs. That night I walked over to the BX tent and bought a pack. It would be another 20 yrs before I put 'em down again.
We trained and waited for five and a half months... in a sweltering desert. 16 hr days with no days off... for five and a half months. To say that we were ready to get on with it would be an understatement.
The night of the 16th we launched all of our aircraft... loaded for bear. For the first time in five and a half months it was deathly quiet on the ramp. We hunkered down and waited for the counter-strike... that thankfully didn't come, at least not that first night.
The next 6 weeks were a blur... something I've still not completely sorted out in my mind. We'd launch a strike package and waiting on the ramp was a previous one. We'd marshal 'em in, reload, refuel... fix what was broke, and send 'em back out... and another package would taxi in. 48 to 60 hr stints was the norm. You'd work 'till you couldn't, then find a dark corner to shut your eyes for a while.... get up and do it again. The noise was constant. You learned to sleep through it.
Somewhere in that blur was a few Scud missile strikes... and 2 dead mates. I remember pausing long enough to say a prayer... someone sang Amazing Grace, then we went right back at it.
Then as suddenly as it started, it was over.... we won. Going home would wait another 3 months.... there was a half a million of us to sort through.
This is the short version of a story I've been meaning to write for 20 yrs now. When I saw that notation on the calendar this morning it all came flooding back in one big rush. I had to sit down, as it was almost overwhelming.
Thirty years ago.... how time has flown.
Thirty years ago today... Jan. 16, 1991, the assault to take Kuwait back from Iraq was put into action. Desert Storm had begun.
A little background... On Aug. 2nd, 1990, Hussein's Iraqi army invaded and occupied Kuwait. The next day, Aug 3rd, I was (previously) scheduled to take my last Oath of Enlistment... the swearing of loyalty to the Constitution. I raised my right hand, said the oath and was duly sworn in as a Master Sgt for another 4 yrs. My Captain shook my hand, chuckled and said "Congratulations. By the way... you're on load 1... go draw your gear." We were part of the Rapid Deployment Force... on 24hr notice at any time. The next day we saddled up on a KC-10 for the longest ride of my life... from climbing the ladder to deplaning was 23 hrs. Almost a full day of sitting in a web seat, in full gear, shoulder to shoulder with a hundred other troops. First class on Delta it wasn't. We landed at a bare base in the middle of the desert. Three kc-10's, 300 troops with 26 F-111's in tow for an air armada that went from Mt. Home Idaho to Saudi Arabia in just under a day. Not an easy feat if I do say so....
We were the first in. Over the next few months we would make several moves and eventually grow to over 4000 troops and 106 aircraft. But those first few days we were only 300 strong, facing an army of over a million. No one knew what Hussein was planning. He had Kuwait and there was speculation and a real possibility he would continue his conquest into oil rich Saudi Arabia. We called ourselves "speed bumps." About all we could accomplish in that event was slow him down. I hadn't had a cigarette in over 2 yrs. That night I walked over to the BX tent and bought a pack. It would be another 20 yrs before I put 'em down again.
We trained and waited for five and a half months... in a sweltering desert. 16 hr days with no days off... for five and a half months. To say that we were ready to get on with it would be an understatement.
The night of the 16th we launched all of our aircraft... loaded for bear. For the first time in five and a half months it was deathly quiet on the ramp. We hunkered down and waited for the counter-strike... that thankfully didn't come, at least not that first night.
The next 6 weeks were a blur... something I've still not completely sorted out in my mind. We'd launch a strike package and waiting on the ramp was a previous one. We'd marshal 'em in, reload, refuel... fix what was broke, and send 'em back out... and another package would taxi in. 48 to 60 hr stints was the norm. You'd work 'till you couldn't, then find a dark corner to shut your eyes for a while.... get up and do it again. The noise was constant. You learned to sleep through it.
Somewhere in that blur was a few Scud missile strikes... and 2 dead mates. I remember pausing long enough to say a prayer... someone sang Amazing Grace, then we went right back at it.
Then as suddenly as it started, it was over.... we won. Going home would wait another 3 months.... there was a half a million of us to sort through.
This is the short version of a story I've been meaning to write for 20 yrs now. When I saw that notation on the calendar this morning it all came flooding back in one big rush. I had to sit down, as it was almost overwhelming.
Thirty years ago.... how time has flown.
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