COMMAND CHRONOLOGY PERIOD 1JAN TO 31JAN91 5FEB91

File: 121096_sep96_decls6_0003.txt
Page: 0003
Total Pages: 7

Subject: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY PERIOD 1JAN TO 31JAN91   5FEB91              

Unit: VMFA 451    

Parent Organization: 2D MAW      

Box  ID: BX600027

Folder Title: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY VMFA 451 JUL 90 - JUN 92                                                     

Document Number:         35

Folder Seq  #:         25






                                    UNCLASSIFIED



       provide two aircraft to supplement the northern Persian Gulf CAP for
       each of the CAP periods during the hours from 0530-1730. The order was
       based on                               that there was an Iraqi Scud
       missile attack aimed at the King Khalid Military City in Saudi Arabia.
       On 16 January, the first two sections launched on these CAP supplement
       hops, but the later flights were not launched due to heavy aircraft
       traffic (U.S. Navy and Canadian Air Force) on the CAP. The remainder
       of the aircrew stood five minute alerts for two hour periods in the
       aircraft on the 4Sl line.


            The Commanding Officer called an all officer's meeting (AOM) for
       is@ee on 16 January. It was at this AOM that he told the squadron that
       it would go on the offensive on the seventeenth with the first brief at
       midnight. For Operational Security (OPSEC) purposes all those who did
       not need to know were told that the operation was just another mirror
       strike in which the actual ordnance would be loaded. Aircrew on day
       one, wave one targeted SCUD shelters at Talil and Qurna. 451 strikers,
       LtCol A.S. Dudley, Maj D.F. Goold, Capt G.L. Thomas, and Capt J.G.
       Zuppan achieved outstanding effects on targets despite marginal weather
       conditions and intense enemy surface to air fire. These were the first
       Marines over Iraq and first Marine bombs to find their targets. The
       Commanding Officer Marine Aircraft Group Eleven (CO MAG 11) later
       directed all participants in day one, wave one be recommended for a
       single mission air medal. With the exception of the Commanding
       Officer, (who had previous combat experience) every VMFA-451 pilot flew
       his first combat sortie on the first day of hostilities.

            With the start of the war, MAG-11 dropped its BARCAP committment
and associated
       support missions. These included SEAD, HVU escort, and Sweep missions.
       At the outset of hostilities, SEAD support was usually provided by at
       least a division (4 airplanes) firing pre-briefed High Speed Anti-
       Radiation Missile (HARM) shots. Soon it became apparent that the
       Iraqi's were unwilling or unable to use their radars to guide SAMS and
       AAA due to jamming and the HARM missile threat. As detected RADAR
       emissions decreased, so did the use of pre-briefed HARM shots. SEAD
       support soon evolved into Target Of Opportunity (TOO) shooters. Target
       of Opportunity shooters would only shoot the HARM missile if emissions
       were detected. HVU CAP missions involved the placement of a combat air
       patrol composed of a section or a division of Hornets in close
       proximity to highly valued EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft. On sweep
       missions, dedicated air to air fighters would fly out in front of the
       strike package setting up CAPs between threat areas and the strikers
       looking for airborne enemy threats. After the first day of the war,
       the largest problem facing Warlord (and MAG 11) combat operations was
       marginal weather. Poor target area weather forced cancellation of many
       Warlord  sorties during the first week. Of the missions that were flown
       several  were late due to SCUD alerts that came in increasing frequency
       causing  the shut down of bomb building operations.

             As the war progressed, MAG-11 emphasis gradually shifted from
       strikes  against strategic targets in Iraq to tactical targets in
       Kuwait. These shorter range strikes were intended to prepare the
       battlefield for Marines and Soldiers who would soon be moving north.


                                     UNCLASSIFIED

Document 7 f:/Week-38/BX600027/COMMAND CHRONOLOGY VMFA 451 JUL 90 - JUN 92/command chronology period 1jan to 31jan91 5feb:12069615400613
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-38
Box ID = BX600027
Unit = VMFA 451
Parent Organization = 2D MAW
Folder Title = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY VMFA 451 JUL 90 - JUN 92
Folder Seq # = 25
Subject = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY PERIOD 1JAN TO 31JAN91 5FEB
Document Seq # = 35
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 = 06-DEC-1996