UNITED STATES NAVY IN DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM

Along with massive amphibious exer- played a major role in the quick allied victory.
cises, embarked Marines responded to calls
for assistance from maritime interception force SUPPORT FOR THE TROOPS: THE
warships. Marines aboard the five ships of GROUND WAR. During the weeks prior to
ARG ALFA were among the first combat troops "G-day," Marine units, including artillery, re-
placed aboard uncooperative kaqi tankers connaissance and combined arms task forces,
during maritime intercepts in the early days of were busy disrupting Iraqi defensive posi-
DESERT SHIELD. Along with Navy SEALs, tions. Marine artillery and Army multiple-
fleet Marines backed up boarding and search launch rocket systems, using Air Force air-
teams composed of surface sailors and Coast borne spotters as well as Marine forward and
Guard law enforcement detachment person- aerial observers and dandestine recon teams
nel during hostile boardings. inside enemy territory, had enormous success
with artillery raids and roving gun tactics.
Amphibious forces also played a major Coalition air forces pounded the enemy day
role in mine countermeasures operations. and night. Naval gunfire from the battleships
Helicopters performing airborne mine coun- MISSOURI and WISCONSIN provided the
termeasures used versatile amphibious flight "Sunday punch" that helped soften up the
decks inside the mine-infested waters off the future battlefield.
Kuwaiti coast. USS TRIPOLI, LASALLE, NEW
ORLEANS and other amphibious ships acted On the night of 23 February, Marine
as home base for the MH-53E mine sweeping units all along the Kuwait border moved into
helicopters. Marine AH-lW Cobras acted as final attack positions and waited for the order
armed escorts. The largest mine-dearing ef- to commence the ground offensive. Real-time
iort since World War II enabled the battleships and near-real-time tactical reconnaissance were
to pummel Kuwait's shorelinewithnaval gun- provided by Navy and Marine Corps UAVs
fire. and Navy F-14s equipped with the tactical air
reconnaissance pod system (TARPS). The
The amphibious presence grew larger deadline set by President Bush for Iraq to get
following President Bush's 8 November deci- out of Kuwait had expired.
sion to nearly double U.S. forces in theater.
The 13 ships of PHIBGRU THREE arrived Iraq had no "eyes "over the battlefield
from three West Coast ports with nearly 15,000 with which to observe the allied strategy. While
Marines of the 5th MEB embarked to join the the United States and its coalition partners
amphibious task force. unleashed General Schwarzkopf's `~ail Mary"
play, the Iraqis were convinced that the battle
As the ground war commenced, nearly would be joined at the center of their defensive
17,000 Marines stood ready aboard the largest lines along the Saudi-Kuwait border, and by
combined amphibious assault force since since amphibious assault.
the Inchon landing in Korea. Only then did the
Sailors and Marines of the amphibious force What the Iraqis could not realize was
learn that their warfighting skills would not be that the allies had secretly moved two entire
immediately required as they had expected. corps of American forces (the Army's 7th and
But their preparation had not been in vain. It 18th), supported by British and French divi-
was at the core of the deceptive tactics which sions, far to the west in one of the largest and

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