WITH THE 2D MARINE DWISION IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM                75


                                     Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 0789 12 91
On 14 March 1991, the author srn~uls at the entrnnce to lane "Blue 3,  where he
participated in breach control group operations.

    The cost to the division was six killed in action, and 38 wounded, none as
the result of friendly fire. There were also three non-battle deaths and 36
non-battle wounded. Such light casualties should serve to enhance the value of
the final victory won by the division, for they indicate the existence of two
important factors. The first was the high morale and training of the Marines,
sailors, and soldiers. The second was that this conflict, perhaps more than any
other in recent memory, was fought properly on all levels: strategic, operational,
and tactical.
    Shortly after the ceasefire, while the division was still in Kuwait, Brigadier
General Sutton rightly remarked that the Marine Corps should not seek too many
lessons from a war that lasted only four days. It is certainly true that the Persian
Gulf War was unique in many ways, and will not cause any textbooks to be
rewritten. Sometimes, the real lessons learned are those which reaffirm the
classic principles by which wars and battles have always been won. In this
sense, the truest lesson to be garnered from the 2d Marine Division is that the
execution of this campaign is a validation of the thought and training developed
by the Marine Corps over the past several years.
    The current FMFM-1 Warfighting manual states that "Maneuver warfare is
a warfighting philosophy that seeks to shatter the enemy's cohesion through a
series of rapid, violent, and unexpected actions which create a turbulent and
rapidly deteriorating situation with which he cannot cope. i2~  The division's
actions fit this definition in every major point. The division deceived the Iraqis
about the place of its attack; its psychological operations affected the enemy's
will to resist; American elements moved more quickly against Iraqi defenses