Operation Desert Storm

[richhodg66]

Been seeing a little bit recognizing the 25th anniversary. Seems it's been largely overshadowed by things since and forgotten about. Even though I did longer deployments back over there since, it's still kind of a big deal to me and though I'm authorized a few, the combat patch I wear is from that one.

I was with the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment which was stationed at Fort Bliss at the time. Got in country (Dharan, Saudi Arabia) October 2nd, 1990 and set foot back at Bliss March 18th 1991.

How many others do we have here? I'm sure there's quite a few.

[Tackleberry41]

2nd marines/2nd BA, we were the first vehicles thru the holes engineers cut thru the minefields. The war was a victory, but it was close. They keep saying they ended the war for political reasons. In reality we were running out of ammo. Had they put up a fight it would not have ended so well.

I was issued 4 belts of ammo for the M249, and 2 US grenades. We had no resupply on grenades, once we used em up we went to captured stuff. I burned up 600rds, they issued me another 400. Our corpsmen were originally issued 1911s, but guess somebody figured out they are only rocks without ammo, so gave them M9s, and one mag of ammo. I was down to 1 belt for the M249 when they stopped everything. Carrying the spare barrel was pointless as I didn't have enough ammo to get it hot enough to change.

Lets see we had no showers or any way to bath for 2 mo. Guess nobody considered it. There were no batteries, or any way to get any. So nobody had a working flashlight after the first couple weeks we were there, long before we went in. No laundry of course, we were told what to put in our packs, 2 pair of underwear will not last 60 days, nor will 3 pair of socks. And then when I went to check out of my unit, I had to cough up $640 for stuff lost over there, even tho paperwork had been done in triplicate, it was all lost. Went thru a circular argument that they had a $8000 severance check, I could cash it, give them what I 'owed'. Nope money first then your check.

[BrassMagnet]

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, Avionics Division (AIMD/IM-3) Radar Work Center.

[Blackwater]

Just want to intervene here and let you guys know that what you did over there brought a LOT of old, jaded Viet Nam vets back to life. Sincerely, when they saw what you guys did, it was like watching life being breathed back into them. It was if they were thinking, "Oh! NOW I get it! We were just building a bridge to all THIS!" It was amazing seeing some pride and appreciation for what they did, or tried to do, soak back into them. They were almost totally different people after watching what you guys did. Thanks. It meant more than you know, and WAS more than "just a mission" to a lot of great guys.

[AnthonyB]

Fire Support Officer, Charlie Company, 2/18 Infantry. 197th Infantry Brigade from Ft. Benning. We were the only M113 equipped unit to deploy, and we got there early - I'd have to check my journal for dates, but while we were unloading in port CNN was showing videos of the 82nd and 101st in the desert. They came in after we were already in the desert.
Our brigade was issued MK19 grenade launchers to replace the M2 .50 calibers on the 113s. After the issue and training cycle, I went to the supply sergeant and signed for an M2 and a couple extra barrels. He thought I was crazy, but it turned out that an M2 could be mounted on the M981 Fire Support Vehicle. We had to learn a whole new crew drill with the raising head that carried our optics, but my FSNCO felt much better protected. I was always co-located with the CO.

[richhodg66]

How in the world did you mount a .50 on a FISTV and still work the targeting head?

By the way, that was my job too, Troop (Company) FSO.

[Friends call me Pac]

Out of a shop of 23 people I was one of three that did not deploy. I loaded all manner of aircraft with gear and personnel heading over. I constantly volunteered to go but it was not to be. About 6 months after everyone else left I received orders to the Aleutians.

[RKJ]

I was there on USS John F. Kennedy CV-67 August to March. We had it easy compared to you guys that were on the beach. I still remember the Doonesbury cartoons that made fun of us. I appreciate you guys. Thanks!

[Blammer]

DD-969 USS Peterson.

50% of my reserve unit got called up and all of the CB's went. I was one of the few left behind.

Would have gladly gone if they called. Guess they had enough cooks at the time.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I was in Doha Qatar. Ducking into sandbag bunkers when Scuds were headed our way was the most excitement I had. Well... as long as you don't count the F-16s that didn't make it back. Or the ones that came back with holes and/or pieces missing.

[AnthonyB]

richhodg66:
It was all about where the .50 was pointing when we traversed the head. Antennas got in the way. The head and .50 had to be pointing in the same general direction. We could not cover 360 with the .50, but felt a survival improvement over the .308.
Tony

[richhodg66]

The good ol' M981... What a ***! I think those things came off the assembly line deadlined.

[scarry scarney]

I was "deployed" from Spangdahlem GE to Ramstein GE for Shield/Storm, working as a depot repair and teaching some advanced electronic warfare equipment stuff. Only time I ever went to war, and got to drive home on weekends!

[DanWalker]

2ND Tank BN 2ND MarDiv. We went through the minefields and wound up just outside Kuwait city when it was all over.

[Omega]

My unit 612th QM Co out of Ft Bragg, NC., provided MHE support, we were located in an old firestone plant; after being moved from the warehouse that got hit with a scud. We were there to push everyone out of Green Ramp on Pope AFB, and receive them in country, then at Wilmington, NC to receive and push everyone home. Operated everything that came or went, convoyed everything to Ft Bragg for distribution via rail or truck depending on distance. Some of us drove supplies all over Saudi, then recovered parachutes from Iraq and manned detention camps; so we were pretty busy most of the time.

[bullet maker 57]

I would like to say: Thank you to every vet, no matter what conflict we talk about.

[Lloyd Smale]

doesn't seem like 25 years! Thanks to all that served!!!

[square butte]

Gratitude to all who served - for me and mine

[timspawn]

On the 20th anniversary of the events that occurred 3 Oct 1993 in Mogadishu, I could find no mention of it anywhere which was surprising considering the popularity of the movie. Damn shame, but not surprising considering "most" of todays generation.

[Omega]

On the 20th anniversary of the events that occurred 3 Oct 1993 in Mogadishu, I could find no mention of it anywhere which was surprising considering the popularity of the movie. Damn shame, but not surprising considering "most" of todays generation.
We have a ceremony every year. Not only for Mogadishu, but for every operation we lose soldiers on (http://www.nsa160.com/memorial-wall/). Most other units do this as well.
162294
162299
Gold Star Families and local groups attend some ceremonies but its usually not open to the public per se.

162293

Every soldier we lose from our unit is engraved on the wall, most of our buildings on the compound are named after fallen Night Stalkers. We celebrate their life on the anniversary of their passing. They will not be forgotten!
162300

[Ole Joe Clarke]

God bless everyone of you. It's not often I get to walk among Heroes. A lot of the folks I grew up with wound up in Vietnam and some didn't come back. I had a Brother in Law that served in the Pacific during WWII. I knew an old gentleman that was on Iwo Jima, but wouldn't talk about it. He and my B-n-L are gone now.

Freedom is not free, but you guys paid a lot of the price.

Leon

[nannyhammer]

Deployed from Little Rock AFB as the Life Support Section Assistant NCOIC. Left wife and two month at home and spent the majority of my 7 1/2 months working out of the condemned airport catering facility in Abu Dhabi. Hope to never with those toasty temps and humidity again.

[264 Win Mag]

Deployed from Spangdahlem AB Germany with the 23rd Fighter Squadron to Incilick AB Turkey as an F-16 maintenance technician. In all my years in the Air Force I had never seen so many planes at one time. Was great to see the young airman step up and do what we had trained to do. I was blessed to serve with an outstanding unit. Thanks to all who have served whether wartime or peacetime, you sacrificed for your country and its an honor to be counted in your number.

Thomas

[scarry scarney]

264 Win

Looks like we were at Spang Bang at the same time. Did you ever shoot with the Eifel Combat Pistol Team?

[Scrounge]

507TACCS, USAF, August 15th-March 26th, 6th RSAF HQ, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. My unit ran the air war, basically telling the pilots where to go, and who to shoot when they got there. Aside from the occasional SCUD, worst thing happening at our location was the night shift guard going nuts and shooting at shadows within the compound. Remember the cartoon about the various branches response to their situations? The one where the Air Force guy is sitting there saying "What? NO Cable? This sucks!" Yeah. Those guys. ;) WRM, MSgt, USAF (Ret.) 1973-1997. Also, as the dates show, a Vietnam era veteran, but not a Vietnam veteran, despite having volunteered. What can I say, I was young and dumb.

[horsesoldier]

Thanks for the stories guys, I was in the wrong war! I just wanted to smoke enemy armor. It's cool hearing these stories!

[Oneshot]

I'm one of those who served in Viet Nam (69-70) and Desert Storm (1991). I operated the fuel point on MSR GREEN. told the Army twice was enough and retired on my return to the states

[merlin101]

God bless all of you! I never went any farther than Ft Sill OK. even tho I volunteered, kinda ticked me off at the time but what can I say i was stupid back then!

[r.w.butks]

Bravo Co 2nd AAV Bn 2nd MAR DIV. Hoorah!

[264 Win Mag]

264 Win

Looks like we were at Spang Bang at the same time. Did you ever shoot with the Eifel Combat Pistol Team?

Sorry I did not see this til now. Did not really get into shooting and reloading until quite some time later. I did go to a range with a guy I worked with one time and he may have known about the pistol team. I think his name was Kearny or something like that.

Thomas

[starbits]

We went over 30 Nov 90 as the 1st EOD Group (provisional) to Riyadh. Under us we had 3 control centers with half a dozen or so EOD units under each of them. On 27 Feb 91 one of our control center commanders was killed in a fire fight. I took over his command north of tapline road with subordinate units stretched from MSR Texas almost to Rafha. Later we moved to Kuwait City and wound up living in the Kuwait Education Storage Warehouse. Weirdest thing was a couple days after getting to Kuwait City the Brits decided to throw a party for the EOD from the UK, USA, Australia, and France. Parked a couple blocks from the restaurant and walked through downtown Kuwait City - at night, no street lights, no lights of any kind, no cars, no people, crunching glass from shattered store windows, it was very eerie. Good party though, 7 cases of booze for 21 people, lots of stories.

Starbits

[w5pv]

Thanks to all for your service,I wasn't over there but my son was and I walked on pins and needles for the duration.He was with the 11th Air Assault from Ft Campbell.He was a grunt but was involved.The only thing he has said about it was that all the tanks that were killed there was 4 t0 6 men in them.He use to like to hunt but after his deployment that part of his life disappeared.He came back changed from what he was when he went over.