WITH THE I MARINE EXPEDITlONARY FORCE IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM      41

the  mid-west.    Colonel George   E.  Germann,   the    regimental commander,
deployed units in platoon and    company  strength along a 200-mile chain of
locations from Bahrain to Mishab, shifting them promptly as needs changed.
    Major General Richard D. Hearney, who commanded the 2d Marine Aircraft
Wing, most of which had just arrived in-theater, came to Safaniyah as the force
Deputy Commanding General.       Up to this time, General Boomer had not had
the benefit of an aviator general officer on his staff.  In Hearney, he not only
had an experienced flyer--he had been one of the first Harrier pilots--but one
with  an   extensive background   in both aviation and    ground  command   and
control.
    The commander of U.S. Marine Forces Central Command (Rear) remained
at Riyadh   and was  responsible for direct relations    with CentCom.   Major
General Norman E. Ehlert, also an aviator, succeeded Major General Pearson
on 18 January.    IShlert met daily with General Schwarzkopf and the CentCom
to discuss strategy and issues.  The arrangement suited General Schwarzkopf,
who later remarked:  "(W)e talked to each other so much I never made a single
campaign decision that I didn't seek your  [Pearson's and Ehlert's]    views on
     so I was very comfortable . . . that Walt (General Boomer) knew exactly
how I planned to conduct the campaign..................To coordinate amphibious
planning, Major General John J. Sheehan assumed duties as Commander U.S.
Marine Forces Central Command (Forward) on board Vice Admiral Arthur's
flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19).      As will be seen, Sheehan's publicized
presence and provocative title later played a role in General Schwarzkopf's
deception plan.   Lastly, General Boomer redesignated force activities at Camp
Pendleton, California as I MEF CONUS (Continental United States).
    Both of the force's ground combat elements moved north in early January.
General Myatt, newly "frocked"     in the rank of major general, moved his 1st
Marine Division command post from south of Manifah Bay westwards into the
former ArCent area to positions 60 kilometers west of Misbab.      General Keys


    ~he initial dispositions of Col Germann's far-flung command were: Regimental Headquarters
to the Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC) at the Commercial Port of Jubail. The 2d Bn (LtCol
Johnson) deployed Co D to Ammunition Supply Point #1 west of Jubayl, Co E to the port at
Mishab, and Co F to Safaniyah. Wpns Co and a provisional rifle company from H&S Co went
to NAF Jubayl. The 3d Bn (LtCol Guwilliams) deployed H&S Co and Co I to the Ras Al Gahr
desalinization plants, Co G to Shaikh lsa AB, Bahrain Co H to Kibrit (on 31Jan91), Co I to King
Abdul Aziz NB, Jubayl, and Wpns Co to Camp Gray, Jubayl.

     MajGen Pearson's `temporary' assignment as ComUSMarCent (Rear) stretched over five
months.  Before he returned to resume charge of the Marine Corps Research, Acquisition, and
Development Command at Quantico, he flew a number of combat air patrols over the northern
Gulf which included one near engagement with Iraqi fighters near the Kuwait coast on 15
November. He also flew combat missions over Iraq on 17 January.

      `Fwcking' accorded an officer the honor and title of the next higher rank, but without its
pay and allowances. This is often done if an officer was selected for promotion and serving in
a billet for that rank when there was as yet no vacancy in that category on the Lineal List of
Officers.