COMMAND CHRONOLOGY FOR THE MONTH OF FEB 1991 26 FEB 91

File: 100896_aug96_decls6_0030.txt
Page: 0030
Total Pages: 34

Subject: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY FOR THE MONTH OF FEB 1991   26 FEB 91        

Unit: GSG-1       

Parent Organization: 1ST FSSG    

Box ID: BX600011

Folder Title: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY GENERAL SUPPORT GROUP 1 FEB 1991                                             

Document Number:         21

Folder SEQ  #:         54













             California based dental companies arrived in Saudi Arabia 17-20
             August and immediately began doing what they had to do to support
             the Marines. Several clinics were established and emergency
             dental treatment commenced. A second wave of gung-ho DT's arrived
             with our company from Hawaii early September. Four different
             companies, many different attitudes: some did not want to be
             here, some were scared, some were glad to be a part of history,
             some complained about the heat, some complained about the food,
             but they all combined and molded into one efficient and effective
             Dental Detachment that provided dental treatment to every branch
             of the U.S. Armed Forces, Saudis, British, and Bahrainians for
             three months.

                 The Commander-in-Chief decided to send in more troops. A
             third wave of Dental Technicians with a detachment from 3 Camp
             Lejune area dental companies arrived during the Christmas season
             (most Christmas Day). More DT's arrived two days prior to the
             outbreak of hostilities with the last detachment from Camp
             Pendleton. 7 Dental Companies are represented in the Detachment.
             Additional DT's arrived not as part of any detachment and were
             immediately augmented into Medical Companies shortly after.

                 Suddenly, DT's are in high demand. We need DT's to drive
             buses; DT's to reinforce Medical Companies; DT's to Collecting
             and Clearing companies; DT's volunteering to drive tactical
             USMC vehicles. Up behind the front lines, we have DT's standing
             tall as sentry guards of medical companies, DT's standing by as
             litter bearers and decon teams, DT's serving food at the galley,
             DT's incinerating human waste, DT's sucking spit and treating
 and DT's doing anything to help out with the
             overall mission ..... get the job done and we all go home. After
             all is said and done, and everyone has gone home, a big question
             will be asked, 'What is a Dental Technician?"

                                      DTC Pat Esquibel
                                    (21st Dental Company]
                                Direct Support Command Chief

                 Here we are entering month six in Saudi Arabia, although much
             closer to Kuwait than before. Instead of being in the *rearm at
             the comfortable camp we first established as Dental Headquarters,
             I and other dental technicians and dentists are playing front line
             'Combat Dental' and augmenting the medical personnel in the
             Surgical Support Units (SSLt's) and Collecting and Clearing
             Companies (CCC's), 'as required", or where interest strikes the
             DT's such as Wards, CSR, Combat Stress Center, Medical Regulating,
             and OR's. The Dental Technician's primary responsibility is
             DECON. Yes, that's right, to decontaminate and provide first aid
             to chemical casualties. We all had basic training on how to
             decontaminate ourselves when we were back in garrison and went

Document 34 f:/Week-34/BX600011/COMMAND CHRONOLOGY GENERAL SUPPORT GROUP 1 FEB 1991/command chronology for the month of feb 1991 2:1004961340379
Control Fields 17
File Room = aug96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-34
Box ID = BX600011
Unit = GSG-1
Parent Organization = 1ST FSSG
Folder Title = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY GENERAL SUPPORT GROUP 1 FEB 1991
Folder Seq # = 54
Subject = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY FOR THE MONTH OF FEB 1991 2
Document Seq # = 21
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 = 04-OCT-1996