WrrH THE I MARINE EXPEDIrIONARY FORCE IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM        29


As reinforcements began to flow in and displace northwards, virtually every
truck in the kingdom was thrown into some kind of use regardless of its age or
mechanical condition.    By February, Taylor had managed to obtain 1,414
assorted trucks, although at any given time only 30-50 percent of these were
operational. While most were tractor-trailer combinations, there were also some
50 colorfully decorated 104on lorries which the Marines dubbed "circus trucks."
To transport unit personnel, the Saudi government commandeered on behalf of
the force the first of 214 city and interurban buses belonging to the Saudi Public
Transport Corporation.   To minimize wear and tear on tactical vehicles, 105
rental cars were eventually put in service in the rear areas.  As part of the allied
effort, the governments of Japan and Germany also donated a number of
four-wheel-drive passenger   vehicles in  the form of Toyota Landcruisers,
Mitsubishis, and Jeep Cherokees, some of which would see service in combat.
The MarCent share was 465 and I MEF received its first allotments of these in
November.   The whole civilian vehicle operation itself was generically termed
"Saudi Motors."   Fortunately, fuel supplies were good.       There were plentiful
supplies of locally refined  kerosene-based Jet Al   fuel,      normally used  in
commercial airliners, which powered aircraft and vehicles alike.~
   Another logistics issue arising during the buildup was ammunition. To speed
In-country stockpiling during November, ammunition was off-loaded from four
ships including three vessels assigned in support of the 4th Marine Expeditionary
Brigade.  General Schwarzkopf's established goal was 60 days of ammunition
for offensive operations. By 22 November, the force had attained 30 days of
ammunition.   To maintain flexibility for future operations, the practice of
ammunition container "unstuffing," the breaking down of loads, ceased.        To
manage competing requests for ammunition, Colonel List established a single
point of contact in the office of the I MEF ammunition officer.           Finally,
additional forward ammunition storage points were built by SeaBees in the
northern MarCent area to sustain future offensive operations.           Each was
intended to provide Marine forces with ten days of ammunition.
   Among other duties, the I MEF comptroller, Colonel Robert W. Hansen,
oversaw the complicated tasks of leasing of vehicles and facilities.   Nothing in
his training or background prepared him for the methods of doing business in
the Middle East.  For a start, Hansen felt that Saudi businessmen did not really
seem to understand the concept of leasing equipment.  Instead, they preferred
to buy items with a single cash payment.  Marine Corps regulations prohibited
the purchase of major items of equipment with Operations and Maintenance
funds, and the duration of the force's stay in-country could not be properly
estimated. Initially, there were few alternatives to expensive leases whereby the
entire cost of items, principally vehicles, were amortized over rather short terms
of 90 to 180 days. Hansen soon brought over contracting officers who initiated
competitive bidding which greatly reduced leasing costs.
   On 1 November 1990, the Government of Saudi Arabia assumed all financial
obligations incurred by MarCent for in-country facilities, fuel, food, domestic
transportation, and water.  Further, the Saudis directly reimbursed the U.S.
Treasury the $10-12 million spent in October in these areas, mainly for leases