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https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-persian-gulf-war-begins?cmpid=email-hist-tdih-2023-0 [login to see] 3&om_rid=
At midnight in Iraq, the United Nations deadline for the Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait expires, and the Pentagon prepares to commence offensive operations to forcibly eject Iraq from its five-month occupation of its oil-rich neighbor.
At 4:30 p.m. EST, the first fighter aircraft were launched from Saudi Arabia and off U.S. and British aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf on bombing missions over Iraq. All evening, aircraft from the U.S.-led military coalition pounded targets in and around Baghdad as the world watched the events transpire in television footage transmitted live via satellite from Baghdad and elsewhere. At 7:00 p.m., Operation Desert Storm, the code-name for the massive U.S.-led offensive against Iraq, was formally announced at the White House.
At midnight in Iraq, the United Nations deadline for the Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait expires, and the Pentagon prepares to commence offensive operations to forcibly eject Iraq from its five-month occupation of its oil-rich neighbor.
At 4:30 p.m. EST, the first fighter aircraft were launched from Saudi Arabia and off U.S. and British aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf on bombing missions over Iraq. All evening, aircraft from the U.S.-led military coalition pounded targets in and around Baghdad as the world watched the events transpire in television footage transmitted live via satellite from Baghdad and elsewhere. At 7:00 p.m., Operation Desert Storm, the code-name for the massive U.S.-led offensive against Iraq, was formally announced at the White House.
The Persian Gulf War begins
Posted from history.com
Operation Desert Shield/Storm
Kuwait
Iraq
World History
American History
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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When I got to work at the Control Tower at 7 AM I knew the shit was gonna hit the fan, every operational B52 on the Ramp at Barksdale had Cruise Missiles on all their wingpoints. We launched the fleet from Barksdale AFB before all those mentioned. Our Buffs and refueling tankers left hours earlier, flew across the Gulf, across the Atlantic, across the Mediterranean before launching their ALCMs and returned to Spain.
I found it amusing that for OPSEC we issued Air Traffic Clearances to "Destination" to well over 30 "Heavy" KC135s.
I found it amusing that for OPSEC we issued Air Traffic Clearances to "Destination" to well over 30 "Heavy" KC135s.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
I was in the ATOC at Ramstein when the word came down... I had people start planning for where we were going to park all those extra airplanes...
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Remember it well. Our B-1s were grounded so weren't deployed but our tankers and a good chunk of support staff were there.
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