178                                   U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 19901991


                                  liogistics

    The raid force carried only essential items, including only enough artillery
ammunition for one mission. Medical evacuation (MIEDEVAC) helicopters were
on strip alert.  Two assault amphibian vehicles (AAVS) were part of the raid
force; one carried the FDC, and one was a MEDEVAC vehicle.
    To reduce the chance of breakdown, the raid force used heavy equipment
transporters (HETs) to move the tracked vehicles from the initial battalion posi-
tion in the vicinity of Al Qaraah to the final assembly area. The 1st Force Serv-
ice Support Group (1st FSSG) provided the HETs, and although their operators
weren't specifically trained for such a tactical mission, they performed very
well.
    Special care had to be taken, however, because some of the tractors were
commercial vehicles provided by the Saudis. They had no blackout systems, so
the raid force had to disconnect electrical wires to prevent the inadvertent
illumination of a brake light or the honking of a horn at a time when the enemy
could detect it.
    On   18 January, 5/11   moved from its position 30 kilometers south of
Safaniya, Saudi Arabia, to the vicinity of Al Qaraah (see Figure 3). Al Qaraah
was to later become quite a busy place, occupied by most of 1st Division and
a sizeable combat service support detachment.        However, when 5/11 first
arrived, there were only empty revetments built by-Seabees in anticipation of the
coming "population explosion. " We were very glad to see the revetments
because of the security they provided.  At the time, there were no other units
in the vicinity except TF Shepherd, which was screening to the north.      The
remainder of the division was still at least 75 miles to the southeast.
    We settled into the revetments, made liaison with TF Shepherd and waited
for our first mission. It came on 23 January.

                                 The Raids

                      Raid 1: The Police Post at Qalamat

    The target was an Iraqi infantry brigade CP near Al Manaqish.     To range
the targets, the battery had to be near the border, in this case, very close to the
Kuwaiti border police post at Qalamat, which was occupied by Iraqi troops.
Because of the possible threat from the police post, Battery Q (M198) was added
to the raid force to fire on enemy positions closest to Battery S.
    After midnight, both batteries moved out under LAI screen for their firing
points.  Battery Q stopped, laid the howitzers and waited for Battery S to oc-
cupy its position near the berm that marked the border.    Battery S started fir-
ing as soon as possible after arriving in position.  The first rounds went down
range at 0053, just seconds off the time estimated in the plan.  Battery Q fired
as soon as it saw Battery S's muzzle flashes. A 5/11 forward observer posted
on top of the berm spotted enemy activity at another location and quickly shifted
Battery Q's fires.