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File: 102496_aug96_decls9_0002.txt
Subject: OP DESERT SHIELD 483RD MED DET VS JB 6 AUG 90 16 JAN 91
Unit: ARCENT
Parent Organization: CENTCOM
Box ID: BX000481
Folder Title: COMMAND REPORTS 422SD MED DET VETERINARY SVCS COMMAND REPORT
Document Number: 17
Folder SEQ #: 17
The unit flew from Ramstein AB on three C 141's, mission
numbers A02358, A02359 and A02360. The unit was moved only on a DS
OPORD #13, deployment message. No TDY or other movement orders
were ever received for the unit. All sorties arrived at Dhahran AB
on 11 September, 1990. The first sortie was met by CPT Martinez of
the 248th Med Det and taken to Cement City for residence.
Cement City was a tent city set up on fine powdery sand within
a cement plant. Latrines and shower facilities were unsanitary,
locally fabricated units and all personnel ate MRE's for three
meals a day. With it's daily sand storms, searing heat, unsanitary
conditions and huge fly population Cement City soon became
notorious as the theater "hell hole" for transient troops. Efforts
to improve our living conditions or the sanitation of the City were
rejected by the Camp Commander and we were told that it didn't
matter because units were only supposed to remain there for 3 or 4
days. Thirty nine days latter the 483rd finally moved from Cement
City to collocate with the 44th Med Bde HQ. Living and working
conditions were much better as we lived in a prefab building with
air conditioning at the TV station compound located in Northern
Dammam on the Al Jubail highway. The unit again moved to M&M
Compound with the 44th Med Bde toward the end of November. M&M was
a fairly nice compound with small prefab villas with 4 living areas
and a dining room living room combination. We remained at M&M
Compound for the remainder of Operation Desert Shield and Storm.
one problem which severely hindered the smooth movement of the
unit was that the selected advance party was not sent out earlier
than the main body and therefore could not prepare a site for the
tie was not met by anyone and drove around on
a bus from the 21st Replacement for 6 hours before finally ending
up at Cement City. Upon arrival in theater the temperature was 127
degrees F and acclimatization was a great difficulty for a unit
that had just arrived from 50 degree temperatures in Germany.
II. INITIATION OF MISSIO14 SUPPORT:
Upon arrival in theater the Commander immediately went to
Dragon Base to report into the 44th Med Bde to which we were
attached. Reporting into the TOC the Commander was told by the
operations officer on duty, "we don't want you, we don't need you
and we have no where to put you!". This came as a real shock to a
unit which had been told for over a month that we were desperately
needed in theater and had a huge mission waiting for us.
A. Attached Units:
The unit had little to no work to perform for most of the
first month in country. The only Vet unit on the ground before us,
the 248th, a JA team, did not want to assist us and considered the
entire area their responsibility. This concept was further
supported by the 44th Med Bde which continued to give all
2
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Document 20 f:/Week-32/BX000481/COMMAND REPORTS 422SD MED DET VETERINARY SVCS COMMAND REPORT/op desert shield 483rd med det vs jb 6 aug 9:10119615402310
Control Fields 17
File Room = aug96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-32
Box ID = BX000481
Unit = ARCENT
Parent Organization = CENTCOM
Folder Title = COMMAND REPORTS 422SD MED DET VETERINARY SVCS COMMAND REPORT
Folder Seq # = 17
Subject = OP DESERT SHIELD 483RD MED DET VS JB 6 AUG 9
Document Seq # = 17
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 11-OCT-1996