Reflections Of The Start Of Air War
 

(I posted this one time before on the History Channel web site, like a many other of my DS experiences, and thought I would repost it here to share with my new Brothers, since I now will call this home...I will do this with some others later).
Posted on HC 24 Jan 03

I was thinking back to the start of the air campaign during Desert Storm. I was lucky enough to be on guard detail that night at the Al Jubail Trailer Park Complex.
I think I was more interested in the Complex than anything. Our area was in the rear (before we moved to Khobar Towers). The living compartments, trailers, were out by the motor pool area and the guard tower was to the rear of the trailers.
This complex/compound was a gated complex that had a subdivision included. Still, to this day, I do not understand the importance of the Saudi's who lived in this place.
There was a separation wall/retainer between the trailers and the greater area which were homes, a tennis court, a repair garage, a clubhouse, a small camera place, a store, a library, kfc and hardee's.
Once you made it through the heart of the complex you moved forward to another garage area, a mess hall (where CNN was always on), and our ambulance parking grounds and three office/warehouses (taken over by upper Command - I think it was 22nd SUPCOM). It was a neat system of arrangement.
On the outside of the Wall (the road was 50-100yards away from the motor pool). To the south, desert and a highway (distanced) and to the east, open land that from time to time the Phillipino's would throw tents out and camp (I guess to feel safe).
ANYWAY, when the air campaign started I was on watch and started seeing all the action of the planes taking off and then watching as the afterburner's kicked on and then they vanished into the night horizon. And, then, the Phillipino's would be yelling, "We love you USA". Fun to remember that night.

I guess its time to stop lurking and post. We stopped at Al-Jubail incoming and out-going I don't remember any resteraunts, but I do remember the whole chickens wrapped in foil. We had already left tent city in Al-Jubail. ( I think thats where we were) Two weeks in the field pos. up near the southern border when all the sudden planes were coming in and going out ammo was passed out the next morning planes coming in would drop those flares, and we could see the horizon glowing and the ground shake like thunder. Everything in the company took on a different tone. the OOrahs got a little quieter and more bibles became visible.training lost that "fun" feel even the birds were hitting it harder we knew what was coming i guess.

Start of Air War
 

We were sitting closer to the Iraq border at a place called Vadelia. I was on the night shift at our CombatSupportHospital and was standing outside taking a break from work when all of a sudden, planes started flying overhead in big groups. We were so far out of the loop, that we didn't even know what was happening. It wasn't until the following morning, when we were able to pull in the BBC, that we heard that the air war had started.

Right after that, we received word that we were moving out. Moved to a spot about 11 km from the Iraqi border. Could see the bomb flashes from the berm at night.

plum...I bought a shortwave radio just to listen to the BBC. Wife thinks I am crazy but it is fun to listen and then "walk down memory lane".

Welcome to the site.

Trav

On watch during Tomahawk firing. Really lit up the sky.

I don't remember where we were at.

I use the radio now, when the air war started I was in a tent in cement city on the outskirts of Damman, Saudi Arabia.

Trav

My unit was in Dharahn at the start of the air war phase.Myself and one other were on gate guard that night.We were used to seeing the 2 out 2 in but that nite we were watching the sky because there hadn't been any planes up in quite some time.After about an hour or so it was quite a few large groups of aircraft going out and none returning.I don't know how many groups went out but after I switched out and went to bed the guys that took over told us at chow that the whole time they were on duty they kept going over.That morning at chow we heard them all come back.

I was in al-Jubail in the warehouses waiting for our Bradleys to arrive from Bremerhaven. At about 2 am (local) my LT shook me awake and said to get in MOPP4. While I was getting onto the nasty useless suit, my troops kept asking me what was happening (as if someone came to me in my dreams and briefed me). I answered that someone had probably attacked someone. (I'll admit I was a little angry that something was happening and I was miles from the front). We all went back to sleep in MOPP4.