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Desert Storm began 24 years ago on the evening of January 16 (US)/ the early morning January 17 (Middle East), where were you at?
January 16, 1991 began as a normal day, the operation in the Middle East was still called "Desert Shield", but turned out to be very hectic at the end of the day.
I was stationed with the 10th Mountain Division up at Ft. Drum, NY. Any military history buff knows that, save for one support battalion, no other units left for Saudi Arabia. There were, however, "onesies and twosies" picked from different units to fill the gaps of the of the units already over there.
As an Avionics Radar Repairer (35R), I didn't even think that I would go over there, until my squad leader called me during lunchtime. I was at the CQ desk, when he called asking for three 35R volunteers to deploy with a Reserve unit to the Middle East. Without hesitation, I told my squad leader that I would be the first volunteer. The other two "Romeos" volunteered later on.
After lunch, it was a mad dash to get the three of us through the whole deployment readiness process. This was completed later in the afternoon.
I was calling up different family members, letting them know that I'll be leaving for Ft. Rucker and, a few weeks later, to Saudi Arabia. I remember that I had the TV on in my barracks room, watching ABC News with Peter Jennings, and being on the phone with my oldest brother. I was probably about five minutes into our conversation when breaking news came on from Baghdad- Operation Desert Storm had begun.
I was a bit shocked, but after I got over the initial shock, I knew that I had a job to do- serving my country.
So where were you when Desert Storm began? I'd like to hear your stories.
January 16, 1991 began as a normal day, the operation in the Middle East was still called "Desert Shield", but turned out to be very hectic at the end of the day.
I was stationed with the 10th Mountain Division up at Ft. Drum, NY. Any military history buff knows that, save for one support battalion, no other units left for Saudi Arabia. There were, however, "onesies and twosies" picked from different units to fill the gaps of the of the units already over there.
As an Avionics Radar Repairer (35R), I didn't even think that I would go over there, until my squad leader called me during lunchtime. I was at the CQ desk, when he called asking for three 35R volunteers to deploy with a Reserve unit to the Middle East. Without hesitation, I told my squad leader that I would be the first volunteer. The other two "Romeos" volunteered later on.
After lunch, it was a mad dash to get the three of us through the whole deployment readiness process. This was completed later in the afternoon.
I was calling up different family members, letting them know that I'll be leaving for Ft. Rucker and, a few weeks later, to Saudi Arabia. I remember that I had the TV on in my barracks room, watching ABC News with Peter Jennings, and being on the phone with my oldest brother. I was probably about five minutes into our conversation when breaking news came on from Baghdad- Operation Desert Storm had begun.
I was a bit shocked, but after I got over the initial shock, I knew that I had a job to do- serving my country.
So where were you when Desert Storm began? I'd like to hear your stories.
Posted in these groups: 
Operation Desert Shield/Storm
Operation Desert Shield/Storm
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 371
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I was there...we deployed in early AUg, for desert shield...as a matter of fact we were the first in country of heavy equipment, after the RDF from 18th corps...so I was already in country when this kicked off..
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CPT Aaron Kletzing
Awesome! Thanks for being there when it kicked off. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say we'd be interested in hearing some reflections/takeaway from your experience there, as long as you're comfortable with it.
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I was chilling at home. I had just gotten out June of the previous year. I get home and see this blue western union telegraph. It told me to get my ass on a plane and report to Ft. Lost in the woods, I had be re-called.
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I was at Log Base Alpha (just outside Hafir al Batin, KSA) in MOPP 3 as the aircraft, bombs and missles were being fired into Iraq. Suddenly we went from Desert Shield to Desert Storm.
CPT Ray de Lugo
CPT Ray de Lugo
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Rolling through the desert in a BFV hoping the mine fields were accurately marked..
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In my deuce-and-a-half trying to keep up with the 2/16 Task Force ripping up the desert.
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Well, I was on board the USS John F. Kennedy in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia where we had been since some time in September of 1990. We had left port in Norfolk, VA with a 5 day notice on August 15th, 1990. That's extremely short notice to get an aircraft carrier deployed and ready for a war. So I was on the flight deck for flight ops that night when we began the first bombing missions.
There was a very huge crowd to greet us when we came home. I remember thinking that it was so distinctly different from my childhood memories of Vietnam vets coming home and how they were treated. It felt like we were living in one of those old WWII news reels about the ticker tape parades and celebrations that occurred after the victory over Germany and Japan.
There was a very huge crowd to greet us when we came home. I remember thinking that it was so distinctly different from my childhood memories of Vietnam vets coming home and how they were treated. It felt like we were living in one of those old WWII news reels about the ticker tape parades and celebrations that occurred after the victory over Germany and Japan.
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PO3 (Join to see)
Thank you SGT (Join to see) I stole them from our cruise book for that deployment. I don't know if the Army has anything similar but ships will usually make a sort of "year book" for the cruise. It is nice to look back and reminisce.
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I was in Riyadh as the Dayshift Chief of Operations for 3rd Army Main Headquarters in Riyadh. On the last day of the Ground portion of the war i flew up to Safwan, Iraq to help setup the peace talk site. Returned to Riyadh a few days later and left the Middle East on the 9th of April, my son's 6th birthday, arriving back in the States on the 10th of April.
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