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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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Climb to Glory SGT (Join to see):
I wasn't even two years out of the National Guard when this happened. I remember sitting in the living room of my house watching it begin. And like you was watching ABC news. My initial reaction was, sorry to say, glad I'm not in on that, and immediately wished I hadn't had that particular thought.
I make no excuses for my thoughts or lack of action, and I am happy to admit that I am ashamed of those feelings. In retrospect I wish I had re-enlisted then.
I wasn't even two years out of the National Guard when this happened. I remember sitting in the living room of my house watching it begin. And like you was watching ABC news. My initial reaction was, sorry to say, glad I'm not in on that, and immediately wished I hadn't had that particular thought.
I make no excuses for my thoughts or lack of action, and I am happy to admit that I am ashamed of those feelings. In retrospect I wish I had re-enlisted then.
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I was with the 82nd Airborne Division, 82nd Combat Aviation BDE, 35P Avionic Maintenance Supervisor for an Avionics shop. We had just got back from Operation Hawkeye Hurricane Hugo Relief Effort for US. Virgin Islands. We left for the Desert in Aug of 1990 and were there until April 1991. We had 35R's LOL Full MTOE, the thing was once the war began in Jan. There was no work to repair anything. Pilots wouldn't report any deficiency in their equipment because they might miss out on the fighting. We rarely had any work orders.
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I was asleep in the back of an AAV in Saudi Arabia, not too far from the Kuwaiti boarder. "Speedbump, 3/9."
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CWO3 (Join to see)
Yep Cpl Robert Clark, that's exactly what 3/9 was, the Speedbump for the Division.
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Was with the 249th Engineering Bn. Karlsrue, Germany. Deployed to the desert in Dec.1990 with the same unit.
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I was at Sheppard AFB in tech school as a Medical Technician! The best job I didn't even realize I had until years after I stopped doing it. :)
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I was assigned to the 14th Engineer Bn stationed at Ft. Ord California. Our unit was called up multiple times to go to DS but we ended up acting as OP4 at Ft. Irwin Ca (NTC) for units training to go. When the first air strikes happened I was sleeping in the back of a truck and someone came by and woke me up to watch it on TV. Spent the rest of the war there at NTC.
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I was with the 1st Armored Division HHC G-3 operations. And it was my anniversary and my wife was back in Nuremberg Germany being evacuated from government leased quarters due to a bomb threat with my 1 and 8 year old boys..
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I was 16 glued to the TV as my dad was being deployed to Saudi. Worried for him but damn proud
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