“A
line has been drawn in the sand.”
-- President George Bush
Nov. 9,1990 - Feb. 14,1991
From deployment
to operations in TAA Thompson
Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. Spearheaded by three
heavy divisions of elite Republican Guards (RGFC) and supported
by infantry and special forces, the Kuwaiti Army proved no match
for Saddam's mobile forces. The Iraqi Treasury was low; Kuwait
and Iraq controlled 25 percent of the world's oil reserves.
Conquest, in short, was an Iraqi quick-fix for being short on
cash. Ultimately, Iraq annexed Kuwait, calling it the
"nineteenth province." The United States responded
immediately to this threat to vital national interests.
Iraq threatened the world's access to oil. Saddam's brutal annexation undermined the President's vision of "a new world order," only recently possible with the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. Also, only the U.S. could mobilize and sustain the combat power and world support to oppose Iraq.
At the request of Saudi Arabia, President Bush dispatched U.S. military forces to protect its borders. While naval units concentrated in the Persian Gulf, the President committed American ground and air forces from all services. The Rapid Deployment Force, led by the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed immediately, followed in due course by the 101st Airborne Division, the 1st Cavalry Division (including the Tiger Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division), and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Marine combat units, Air Force combat and support squadrons, and Army logistical units, including Army Reserve and National Guard, deployed.
After the President's swift commitment, 24 nations -,Arab, European, Asian, South and North American - also sent soldiers to the growing Multinational Coalition. (MNC). The United Nations complemented the military moves with a total blockade of Iraq, prohibiting key goods from flowing into the country. Iraq's weakened economy suffered ,even mote, and the erosion of Iraq's combat power had begun by mid August.
Iraq responded defiantly to international pressure and prepared for the long-term defense of Kuwait. The RGFC consolidated north of the Kuwait border after relief by regular army armored and mechanized divisions. Iraqi regular army infantry divisions streamed into Kuwait, reaching 330,000 soldiers and 24 divisions in the KTO by the end of September 1990.
1st Armored Division observed the coalition deployment, but focus remained -on individual and collective training. While 1st and 3rd brigades successfully conducted rotations at the Combined Arms Maneuver Training Center (CMTC) at Hohenfels, intelligence soldiers analyzed the KTO. Rumors continued to suggest a larger U.S. deployment to the KTO even while the "build down" of units in Europe dominated the news.