Feb. 14 - 21, 1991
Movement from TAA Thompson and Operations in FAA Garcia
After completing pre-combat training, inspections and
preparations in TAA Thompson, home for the last six weeks, the
division's march to victory began with a 150-kilometer westward
move to FAA Garcia. At the time of the march to Garcia the
division was working under the planning assumption that G-Day
(the anticipated start of the allied ground offensive) would be
on or about Feb. 21. Shifting the division west was expected to
accomplish three things: reposition the division to its eventual
attack sector, contribute to the theaterwide deception plan
designed to fix Iraqi forces in Kuwait and to rehearse division,
brigade and battalion battle formations as well as command and
control procedures over a distance similar to the plan of attack.
On Feb. 14, the move started with 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry crossing Main Supply Route (MSR) Sultan, the road from Hafr Al Batin to Riyadh at 5:36 a.m. Using well-marked routes set up by the 16th Engineer Battalion and guided by military policemen from the 501st and 218th Military Police companies, the cav squadron led the 1st, 3rd and 4th Brigades, Force Artillery and DISCOM over the northern crossing sites, while 2nd Brigade, the Division Main Command Post (DMAIN) and elements of 141st Signal Battalion crossed further south.
After completely closing into Staging Area (SA) Mac, just north of King Khalid Military City (KKMC), the division prepared for the rehearsal phase of the move. 1st AD moved out early on Feb. 16 behind the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and south of 3rd Armored Division with all battalions practicing movement to contact battle drills and movement techniques. The entire move to FAA Garcia took two days with the division making another crossing of an MSR (the Tapline Road west of Hafr Al Batin) and closing into the FAA on Feb. 18. Commanders at all levels conducted after action reviews and refined movement plans and other key warplanning factors.
With the final G-Day determination not yet made, allied attack helicopter feints and artillery raids kept the Iraqis guessing about operations over the next several days. Iron Soldiers used time available in FAA Garcia to continue pre-combat preparations, conduct rehearsals and get some rest before the expected attack. The division's combat support soldiers from the DISCOM and forward support battalions continued to build up supplies and equipment in Log Base Echo, about 25 kms east of the division's main body in Garcia.
