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.
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Home » Foreign Forces » Panel: First Gulf War Proved the Value of the Reserve Force, Destructive Power of Simple Weapons
Panel: First Gulf War Proved the Value of the Reserve Force, Destructive Power of Simple Weapons
January 14, 2021 9:48 AM
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) Firing a broadside to port with her 16/50 and 5/38 1991. Navy History and Heritage Command Photo
Key to the success of the first Gulf War was extensive use of reservists like Seabees and intelligence in the conflict, three experts from the Center for Naval Analyses said in a press briefing Monday.
Mark Geis, who was an analyst with II Marine Expeditionary Force in Desert Shield/Desert Storm and is now CNA executive vice president, said this total force idea was “a little bit risky [of a] concept,” but all the services “were aggressively pursuing” it in the post-Vietnam era.