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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 in port in jubail when it started. Collecting our equipment to move to the desert. 2AD(FWD) 1/41 Infantry. Attached to 3d brigade First ID. 7th Corps.
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I was on the USS John F Kennedy. We were in the Red Sea. we had been there since Desert Shield had started in late August of 90
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PO3 (Join to see)
I found you in the cruise book. That's pretty cool. Your the first JFK shipmate I've run across on RP. Nice to see you here!
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PO3 (Join to see)
PO3 Mark Streit Here's a link to the DS cruise book. But the site has all of them. Pretty cool. My actual cruise book is in storage somewhere.
http://navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv67-91/index.html
http://navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv67-91/index.html
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SSgt Jill E.
If you want to march in the 2016 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC, please get in touch. For Veterans who were deployed (in theater) during Desert Storm. http://www.desertstormreunion.com/#!2016-memorial-day-parade-in-washington/chq2
Reunion for Desert Storm
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I was in Saudi Arabia at King Fahd International Airport aka KFIA. This was a major airport that was still under construction. I was assigned to the 511 TFS "The Vultures", an A-10 squadron from RAF Alconbury in the UK. Some of us had been briefed a few hours before that we were going to make history tomorrow. My job that evening was to walk through our tent city about midnight, in blackout conditions, and wake everyone up, get them into MOPP gear, have them take their P-tabs (a nerve agent pre-treatment pill), and report to their duty stations....quietly. The aircraft starting taking off shortly after that...and the jet noise never stopped for the next several weeks.
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CWO3 (Join to see)
With the G-6, 1st Marine Division, about 30 miles south of Kafaji, Saudi Arabia, monitoring our Comm Sites and unit's on the berms.
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SSG Marc Roger
KFIA..... my home for 6 plus months..!!! and yes the jet noise never stopped for the next several weeks.
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I was on my BFV B32 SSG Myers BC PFC Costellanos driver and I was the gunner a young E-5 and we also had dismount led by SGT Rosario in back,and the reason I remember this day so well is because when the ground war started we wasn't even 30 minutes into our advancement towards the republican guard when we threw track...lmao ,we never fixed a vehicle so fast, and on my first engagement I was firing at a what I believe was a BRDM and I had a misfire with my 25mm AP and I will never forget how all my training in the motorpool and individual training from SFC Duncan came back to me in a flash and I fixed that sonofabitch in record time and continued to engage, I was a member of Bco4/7 infantry 3rd id attached to Ist armored division,will never forget how motivated and proud I was to serve..smh such a great time in my life.
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SSG Terrence Griffin
my apologies, my thoughts was when the groundwar started lol,when desert storm started it was a damn wait game
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Sitting in the desert waiting for the word "go", eating sand, showering with dust, baking in the heat. 2-liter bottles of water rationed out and never enough to cure the thirst. Not knowing what was ahead, cross-country rides to phone banks and shower points. Trying to scrounge repair parts to keep the tanks, bradleys and apc's running. Fun times..., awesome memories...., scared, excited, anxious, ready, willing, yet at same time, bored, disgusted, irritated.., a mix of emotions. Motivating troops without knowing anything. Leadership wasn't telling us anything because they weren't being told either. Best guess, do your best. Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Provide Comfort.
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SGT. John Hauschildt,
Your photo of those oil wells burning just got my memory thinking back to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I remember that night very well. During my CDO watch that I had at our Division HQ that evening, I was told by one of the staff officers that the Air campaign might begin in the early morning and just be ready for Scuds and get our Marines in our recently dug out sand berm. At that time our FOB was at Manifa Bay, not far from Khafaghi, the border town on Saudi Arabia. About 0300 zulu time on January 16, 1991, Desert Storm began. From there our Task Forces from 1st MarDiv started moving into their positions near the sand berms. We were able to get one of our Task Force into Kuwait two days prior to G-Day on Feb. 24, 1991. Our unit followed our Task Force into Kuwait on Feb. 25, 1991. We finally made it to the airport in the early morning on Feb. 27. By then we had the Iraqi Army running into our 2nd Marine Division. They tried to take what available vehicles and items that they stole from the Kuwaiti's but got caught by our Cobra's, A-10's and what ever air component that was available to destroy them. We called this the Highway of Death. Our unit returned back to Manifa Bay on March 2, and I finally left Saudi Arabia from Jubial Airport on an Air Force C-141 back to Camp Pendleton, California on April 4. I was there from August 26, 1990 till April 4, 1991. SGT. You brought back a ton of memories for me. Thanks very much. And to all who served in Theater those crucial days.
Semper Fi,
J.K. Kaupe, Jr., CWO3, USMC, (Ret) 1972-1994.
Your photo of those oil wells burning just got my memory thinking back to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I remember that night very well. During my CDO watch that I had at our Division HQ that evening, I was told by one of the staff officers that the Air campaign might begin in the early morning and just be ready for Scuds and get our Marines in our recently dug out sand berm. At that time our FOB was at Manifa Bay, not far from Khafaghi, the border town on Saudi Arabia. About 0300 zulu time on January 16, 1991, Desert Storm began. From there our Task Forces from 1st MarDiv started moving into their positions near the sand berms. We were able to get one of our Task Force into Kuwait two days prior to G-Day on Feb. 24, 1991. Our unit followed our Task Force into Kuwait on Feb. 25, 1991. We finally made it to the airport in the early morning on Feb. 27. By then we had the Iraqi Army running into our 2nd Marine Division. They tried to take what available vehicles and items that they stole from the Kuwaiti's but got caught by our Cobra's, A-10's and what ever air component that was available to destroy them. We called this the Highway of Death. Our unit returned back to Manifa Bay on March 2, and I finally left Saudi Arabia from Jubial Airport on an Air Force C-141 back to Camp Pendleton, California on April 4. I was there from August 26, 1990 till April 4, 1991. SGT. You brought back a ton of memories for me. Thanks very much. And to all who served in Theater those crucial days.
Semper Fi,
J.K. Kaupe, Jr., CWO3, USMC, (Ret) 1972-1994.
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SSgt Jill E.
If you want to march in the 2016 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC, please get in touch. This is for Desert Storm Vets who were deployed (in theater) during DS. The Army is wait listed right now, but we have openings in all other branches. The unit is marching in honor of the 25th Anniversary of Desert Storm. http://www.desertstormreunion.com/#!2016-memorial-day-parade-in-washington/chq2
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Somewhere in that godforsaken place coughing up oil and doing what I was told ! Here is a picture from that era I think we were getting ready to head home
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I was Parked on Iraq's southern border, just west of Kuwait waiting for what seemed like forever to hear the word "go"
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SGT Michael Epstein
Thanks Rich, in fact Rich and I share credit for a T-62 Kill using the 25mm! I swear I was looking down the barrel when I saw his rounds hitting it as well and it paused...... then the turret went spinning off like a rocket.... thanks for the Invite Brother... now I need to be verified lol
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