30 years ago - Desert Storm

[Mmacro]

278463
30 years ago today, at about 3 a.m., I remember getting onto a Blackhawk, wedging myself between my fellow paratroopers and trying to find a comfortable spot to sit on top of crates of .50 cal ammo and TOW rockets.

Then the worlds largest air assault mission lifted off and the invasion of Iraq and liberation of Kuwait began.

About a month ago I found all my old photos from the end of the war as were pulling out of Iraq and it brought back a flood of memories. I scanned them and posted them to Facebook, which ended up triggering a slew of new connections with my former buddies.

We don’t have to wait for Veteran’s Or Memorial Day... So tonight, if you happen to:

have a drink - raise a toast to the men and women that defend our country;
say a blessing over dinner - include our service members well-being in your prayer;
and just generally remember the men and women that are or have served in harms way.

[Three44s]

Yes!

Thank you and all who served in that war!

I have an acquaintance with a former Carrier pilot who flew there and his brother who sailed on a different Carrier but not in that conflict.

They are my top choice for quail hunters on our ranch! One of my small ways of saying thanks!

Three44s

[SeabeeMan]

Thank you for sharing and glad that you were able to reconnect with some buddies!

In reading your post I realized that it is nearly 15 years to the day that I returned from my deployment over there. I don't remember the exact number, but we racked up something like 7000 miles driven over the course of that deployment. Based out of Fallujah and Ramadi, to every corner of Iraq and back and forth through Navistar to Ali Al Salem and Arifjan more times than I can count. I bet we covered a lot of the same territory!

[Vegas Vince]

WELCOME HOME!! from an old Nam vet.

[Handloader109]

Thank you for your service. I had a coworker who went over in the army after you guys had gone in. He said a month in his hazmat suit was pretty dang tough. Waiting on Sadam's gas attack which thankfully didn't come about.

[metricmonkeywrench]

I was with the 1st Mar Div, the little blue triangle with the Red 1 down on the right hand side. In the three "war" days north we wandered thru multiple mine fields, A burning oil field (where we spent the night) and then up to the foot of Kuwait International Airport.

I successfully fired off 15 7.62 rounds before my M-60 fell off the pintle mount...

We did take a half a belt/magazine of something across the back of our vehicle that the folks in the back heard, I was up in the hatch forward of the crane.

In the feller squatting to the right

Sorry for the quality of the photo

278470.

[AndyC]

I remember working in a gun store in Africa when Desert Shield started and watching on TV as Desert Storm kicked off - I was pretty envious but had no idea I'd be there myself a number of years later.

[richhodg66]

I was there in the 3rd ACR, "Brave Rifles". Long time ago. Went over twice more before I was done, '04 and '09.

[Idaho45guy]

30 years. Wow! Doesn't seem like that long ago.

I was in the Navy during Desert Storm, so not much excitement. This is me in the Philippines on the way to the Gulf for Desert Storm...

278504

Felt bad and joined the Army National Guard as a 12B Combat Engineer after I got out of the Navy in anticipation of the next conflict.