10                                     U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991

The  I   MEF   Marine   Air-Ground    Task Force  was MarCent's  operational
command.    Marine forces afloat, principally the 4th, and later the 5th, Marine
expeditionary brigades were under the operational control of Commander, U.S.
Naval Forces Central Command, Vice Admiral Henry H. Mauz, USN, and after
December by Vice Admiral Stanley R. Arthur.
    The Joint Forces and Theater of Operations was commanded by a prince of
the Saudi royal family.    His Royal Highness Lieutenant General Khalid bin
Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, or more simply, Prince Khalid, coordinated all Arab
coalition force operations. There were no formal "host nation" or "status of
forces" agreements normally associated with the deployment of American forces
overseas.   General Boomer placed a high priority on effective relations with
Arab allies and ordered the establishment of liaison and combined training teams
to work with the Saudi forces in the area. There were two Saudi ground forces
in the kingdom: the Royal Saudi Land Forces under the Minister of Defense and
Aviation (MODA) and a separate elite force, the Saudi Arabian National Guard
(SANG).    In the campaign to follow, brigades of both~forces would be on the
Marines' right flank.  For the moment, however, the closest was the 2d SANG
Brigade to the north in the sector between the Marines and southeast Kuwait.
In addition, the Saudis were in the process of establishing a Marine Corps as
part of the Royal Saudi Naval Force at a coastal base near Mishab (Ras Al
Mishab).   A U.S. Marine training team went there as well.s
    With  respect  to  relations  between Central Command   and  its Marine
component, both Generals Schwarzkopf and Boomer later characterized them as
close, constant, and effective.  When the issue of a separate Marine component


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       MajGen Royal N. Moore, Jr., Commanding General, 3d Marine Aircrafl wing