6 U.S. MARJNES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991 biological, and chemical protection; minefield and obstacle breaching operations; desert survival and navigation; and orientation lectures on Southwest Asia and Iraqi army organization and equipment. The officer course covered much of the same material, and included classes on fire support coordination, the issuance of fragmentary (frag) orders, and exercises in the integrated combined arms staff trainer. Planning for deployment included use of Maritime Prepositioned Squadron 1 (MPS-1), which had a large portion of the equipment which the division would require. Shortly after the invasion of Kuwait, the division began MPS training. General Keys established an MPS planning cell in Headquarters Battalion. Major John M. Byzewski, the Headquarters and Service Company commander, and Captain Robert F. Brown, commanding officer of Truck Company, became MPS-qualified in preparation for the MPS off-load in the port of Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia. The division's advance party, under the command of Colonel McElraft, left from MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, on 4 December and the unloading of the MPS ships began immediately after their arrival at Jubayl, on 6 December 1990.'~ Two of the division's staff sections also needed additional personnel to operate efficiently. The communications section needed 100 trained Marines in various communications specialties. These vacancies were filled by Reservists, but another problem arose as the mobilized units arrived. They frequently reported with only 25 percent of the communications equipment they were authorized. These and other shortages, such as cryptological equipment, were filled even as the division arrived in Saudi Arabia. However, full communications operations did not begin until 24 December, and a fully functional local area network (LAN) did not connect the staff sections' computers until four days after this.~~ The Intelligence Section was also short of personnel, but became fully staffed with the arrival of a detachment assigned from the 2d Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Intelligence Group (SRIG).21 Back at Camp Lejeune, preparations continued at a quick pace. However, there was time for a special ceremony. On 10 December, elements of the 2d Marine Division, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, 2d Force Service Support Group, and 2d SRIG, all commanded by Lieutenant General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., commanding general of II MEF, formed up on W.P.T. Hill Field. More than 24,000 Marines and sailors, active-duty regulars and mobilized Reservists, stood in formation for the largest review in memory at Camp Lejeune. After an address and review by General Alfred M. Gray, Jr., the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Mundy ordered the assembled commanders to `~deploy (their) Marines to Southwest Asia. "~ Many Marines in that formation marched off the field and onto waiting transportation which carried them to Cherry Point for their flight to Saudi Arabia.~ On the 12th the main body of the division began its movement to take its place as part of I MEF.~ As the division began to arrive in theater, there was still much work to be done on its organization. One of the two Reserve infantry battalions, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, which had trained with the division at Camp Lejeune, was assigned to the 1st Marine Division.~ The 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, hadFirst Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |