'Most Successful War of the 20th Century:' What the US Did Right in Desert Storm USAF aircraft of the 4th Fighter Wing (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) fly over Kuwaiti oil fires, set by the retreating Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. (U.S. Air Force) 18 Jan 2021 In the late summer of 1990, the forces of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein were poised on the Saudi border, having just overrun Kuwait. U.S. troops scrambled to get ashore and fall in on their gear, overcoming chaos at the Saudi ports. Five months later, on Jan. 17, 1991, U.S.-led coalition bombings of Hussein's Iraq began, and Operation Desert Shield -- a six-month buildup of troops and defensive mission -- became the kinetic Operation Desert Storm. It was the start of what has been described by the Government Accountability Office as "perhaps the most successful war of the 20th Century."