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Introduction

It is now almost one year after I and most of the others have returned from Operation Desert Storm. I thought it might be fun to take the time to record some of the events that occurred to me. My story in no way is unique but it is a story that might be interesting to my family years from now. I regret not having started this when the memory was fresher in my mind but I will start now.

Prelude

DST began for me as it did for the rest of the nation on August 2, 1990. My squadron, HMH-464 had been scheduled for several months to participate in Exercise Teamwork - Bold Guard in the fall of 1990. In August we had embarked the squadron aboard USS NASSAU, LHA-2, for Type Commander's Amphibious Training (TCAT). We were there for a period of about 7 days to complete day and night deck landing qualifications (DLQ's). On August 2 we heard the news that Iraq had invaded Kuwait. This news didn't mean much to us at the time, however, within 24 hours it appeared that this was a significant event and that we might be involved in the response to it. On Aug 4 we TCAT was prematurely ended and we began off loading HMM-263, the CH-46 squadron also embarked, and VMA-??? the AV-8B squadron. After assisting in the off load, we moved ourselves back to our home base at Marine Corps Air Station, New River.

As soon as we arrived, it was apparent that things were not business as usual. There was a great deal of activity within both MAG-26 and MAG-29 and preparations were already underway for what would appear to be major unscheduled deployments. I was soon decided that two CH-46E squadrons, one CH-53E squadron and one AH-1T/UH-1N squadron would be immediately deployed to the Persian Gulf. HMM-263 and HMM-365 were to deploy aboard USS GUAM. HMH-461 was to deploy aboard USS IWO JIMA and HMLA-269 was to deploy to Saudi Arabia via C-5.

As HMH-461 began preparing for their deployment it became quickly apparent that they would not be able to deploy as a fully manned, 16 aircraft CH-53E squadron without augmentation of both helicopter and manpower. HMH-464 was quickly tasked with providing eight operational aircraft, 89 maintenance personnel and 18 pilots to HMH-461. As planning progressed, the Commanding Officer of HMH-464, LtCol Rick Klinker decided that he would send his most senior and experienced people on the detachment, starting with himself.

On Saturday, August ?? the designated personnel from HMH-464 reported to HMH-461 for duty. LtCol Dan Mosler, Commanding Officer of HMH-461, told the assembled officers to go to the shop that they had been working in, see who was senior and the senior man was the department head. Again it became quickly apparent that HMH-464 people were senior. On Sunday, LtCol Klinker, after talking with Col McCorkle, the MAG-29 Commander, that we would have to reevaluate the list of officers to be transferred to HMH-461. It was felt that, even though we would be transferring all but four of our aircraft, there would be no one left behind to get those aircraft ready in case they were needed for follow on deployment. Consequently, I and a number of other officers were dropped from the list. We were all disappointed as it seemed that we would not be able to participate in what seemed at that point to be imminent combat.

HMH-461 sailed aboard USS IWO JIMA and USS TRENTON on 17 August. As soon as they left we set about reconstituting what was left of HMH-464. We were short aircraft, mechanic and pilots and it seemed at that point as though there was not much chance that we would see Kuwait.

Throughout September, October and November we worked to put together a squadron. We trained as best we could with what we had and gained some ground.

In November I was assigned as part of a group of officers organized at Cherry Point to study requirements for following deployments. At that point, more than half the Second Marine Aircraft wing was deployed. The Marine Corps had been directed to deploy further forces and we were tasked to look at the training requirements for follow on forces.

Late in November it began to look as though HMH-464 would be part of the follow on forces. The squadron now had eight aircraft and enough pilots and mechanics to man them. We began to anticipate deploying sometime around Christmas. MAG-26 was consolidating all the remaining New River helicopter assets and was planning to deploy as a Marine Aircraft Group along with it's headquarters and support elements. HMH-464 was transferred to MAG-26 in mid December.

On December 19, 1990 the squadron had a change of command. LtCol Ralph Tice relieved LtCol Klinker as the Commanding Officer.

The squadron stood by as plans were made to deploy MAG-26 via C-5. The schedule fluctuated every day. By the end of December we had all eight aircraft staged at Cherry Point torn, down and ready for C-5 load. Preparing a CH-53E for air transport is a substantial undertaking. The main rotor blades and rotor head must be removed. The main transmission must be removed. The auxiliary fuel tanks must be removed and the tail pylon removed. Two CH-53E aircraft fit aboard a C-5 with only inches to spare. The crew normally rides on the upper deck above the cargo compartment.

We were fortunate to be able spend Christmas at home. My mother and father came from South bend to spend the Holiday with us. I didn't know how long the deployment was going to be. I told Suzette and the rest of the family that we should expect it to be a year. I realistically felt that it could be that long and thought that we should be prepared for it.

We were finally assigned a fly day of January 4, 1991. The squadron had sent a small advance party ahead to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the arrival of the main body. Major Don House led the advance party. The rest of the squadron was broken down into four teams, each team accompanying two aircraft.

Deployment

On 4 January 1991 at 1400 Suzette, Paul and Diane took me to the squadron. Our bus to Cherry Point was scheduled to leave at 1600. We were scheduled for a departure aboard C-5 at 0200 the next morning.

We took some pictures around the house before we left. It was a sad moment. The trip to the Air Station was about 20 minutes. I was the senior man and the leader of our team. Getting organized at the hangar was difficult. Families were there to say good by. I said good by to Suzette, Paul and Diane and boarded the bus.

The trip to Cherry Point was very quiet. We were leaving for an undetermined period of time and going into an operation which no one could predict the outcome.

When we arrived at Cherry Point we were taken to a large warehouse where Marines were being staged for deployment. The building was full of Marines and their gear as they organized and waited for their flights to be called. Outside the building C-5's and large chartered aircraft such as Boeing-747's and DC-10's were staged in the Cherry Point fuel pits. The embarkation procedure was chaotic with flights being canceled, delayed and rescheduled. The C-5 were to be on arrived several hours late. As soon as it arrived, our load team proceeded to the C-5 to begin the process of loading our two CH-53E's. The load went smoothly in spite of the fact that it was in the middle of the night and the temperature was only in the high thirties.

We departed Cherry Point about 0400 on 5 January. We flew directly to Westover AFB in Massachusetts. We arrived just at daybreak and it was bitterly cold, about 10 degrees when we got off the aircraft and were bussed to the terminal. The terminal was set up to handle large numbers of troops and had been designated an aerial point of embarkation. We were taken to an Air Force mess hall where we had breakfast.

About 0900 we departed MA bound for Torahon, Spain. The flight lasted about 7 hours and we arrived at Torrehon about 2000 local time in Spain. Torrehon had also been set up as a way station for troops transiting to the gulf. We were taken to a large hangar that was filled with several hundred cots. There were portable showers and a continuously open mess tent. We spent about six hours at Torrehon and we were off again for the seven hour flight. Our destination was Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Arrival

We arrived in Jubail about 0900 local time. When the door opened we were in for a shock. Jubail looked to me like another planet. It was completely barren sand. The wind was blowing at a steady 30 knots and it was in the mid 40's. A cold bitter sand storm was blowing.

As we disembarked, we were met by major House and his advance party members. The load crew stayed with the aircraft and began unloading the helicopters. Meanwhile I and some of the others began walked, carrying our gear in the sand storm to a staging area adjacent to the aircraft parking area. The maintenance crews were to billeted at the airport at Jubail. The rest of us were to be transported to a location called F Camp about a thirty minute drive from the airport.

F Camp

We boarded a dilapidated Saudi bus at the Jubail airport and drove to F Camp. Along the way I was struck by the barren landscape. The highways were modern four lanes that were comparable to an interstate highway. There was very little traffic on the road and what traffic there was were all military vehicles.

F Camp was a large tent city on the outskirts of Jubail Several thousand tents were set up on concrete pads and the CB's were still laying concrete. MAG-26 was billeted in a block of tents. I put my gear in a tent with 10 or 12 other officers.

For the next several days we stayed at F Camp, making the daily bus trip to the airport to make preparations for our anticipated move from Jubail. MAG-16 had taken over the passenger terminal at Jubail. We went to many situation briefings.

Life was Spartan at F Camp. The mess hall was about a one mile walk across a wadi. There were some plywood commodes at the end of each block of tents. There was also a portable shower open after supper. The wait for the shower was usually about 45 minutes.

As more and more of MAG-26 arrived, Jubail became a huge helicopter parking lot. We were hosted by HMH-462. Major Dave Johnson acted as my introduction to Saudi Air Ops. I lived in Camp F and took the bus each day to the Juabail Airport. At the airport I received briefings each day with either the Third Marine Aircraft wing or with MAG-26. During one particularly sobering briefing, MajGen Royal Moore, CG of 3d MAW said that this war would be a tough nut but that we couldn't afford to lose this one for the American people. I was left with the feeling that the outcome of this effort was not predetermined.

We worked on learning the course rules, the rules of engagement, and familiarized ourselves with the SPINS or Special Instructions. These were instructions that came out daily, weekly and monthly and covered a variety of classified and nonclassified subjects.

The weather was cold and quite wet. During one three day period it rained almost continuously and everything turned to mud. The maintenance crews were slowed somewhat by the inclement weather. One by one, the aircraft were tested and ready for our next move to Ras Al Ghar.

Ras Al Ghar

Within about 15 days of our arrival, and in spite of the inclement weather, we were ready to move to our initial operating base at Ras Al Ghar, Saudi Arabia. RAG is located about 30 miles south of Jubail, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. It was formerly a large sea terminal. There was a pier that stretched 2.5 miles into the water. Two miles north was the largest desalinization plant in Saudi Arabia. This plant produced most of the water for Riyahd. The plant was huge, an imposing site both day and night. It had six tall distinctive smoke stacks. Located a mile west was a large ammunition bunker that served the AV-8's at King Abdul Aziz Airfield (the soccer stadium). RAG itself was a very large truck terminal. There were large light stanchions throughout which bathed it in an eerie glow all night. A part of the parking lot had been marked as a takeoff and landing area.

There were already two CH-53E squadrons there when we arrived. HMH-465 and HMH-466 had been in Saudi Arabia since August. They had settled into something of a routine and had constructed an elaborate camp.

We lived in tents pitched on the asphalt parking area. This was our first opportunity to set up the tents we were to live in for the duration of the deployment. As the Operations Officer, I was given one of the CP (Command Post) tents. Although it was given to me, I asked Major Don House to move into the tent with me. This proved to be a good decision since Don and I became even better friends than we were before and it was good to have a room mate. The CO has a tent to himself and the XO, major Jim Lenderman had the AMO, major Jack Suter move in with him. Sergeant Major Duran was in the last CP tent. The rest of the Officers were in two GP (General Purpose) tents and the troops were in six more GP tents. Four more GP tents were erected next to the flight line for the maintenance shops.

Ras Al Ghar was on the Persian Gulf and there was a very long pier, about 2.5 miles long there. The runway was a marked off area between light stanchions. The fuel pits and the "control tower" (really just a shack with a hole cut for a window) were on the other side of the landing area from where we stayed.

There was a shower tent about 1/4 of a mile at the other end of the camp. It was never too crowded and the water was generally hot.

Only the evening meal was prepared in the camp. Breakfast was trucked in from King Abdul Aziz, lunch was MREs. The dinner was pretty good, usually it was hot and there was plenty to eat. We waited in line in the dark and went through the mess tent and carried our trays back to our tents to eat or we ate in the mess tents. After the bombing started, we took our meals back to our tents and listened to the nightly briefing on Armed Forces Radio.

RAG was a difficult place to work out of because we were tasked by MAG-26 who was still located at Jubail. The communications between Jubasil and RAG was not at all reliable. began as a field phone patched into the Marine switch board. The line was frequently down and getting communication was altogether very poor. Later in our stay we installed a UHF radio that somewhat improved communication but it was still unreliable.

Most of the time we would receive the next days missions at 2-3 in the morning. We kept a duty officer sleeping in the ready room tent where the phone was located. If we were lucky we would get the missions after midnight. The duty officer would take the information and come wake me up (every night). I would review the missions, then if there were any questions, wake the CO and tell him what we were doing. Then I would coordinate with the maintenance department to be sure that the aircraft were ready to go for the morning missions.

The missions we flew from RAG were normally very long. Typically we would take off early in the morning and fly from RAG to ???. This was about 125 miles and took about an hour to get there. Most of our missions involved externaling material from ??? to ????. Many days involved up to nine hours in the cockpit and many, many externals moved a short distance (less than 25 miles). After completing in the ??? area we flew the hour back to RAG. This was a typical day.

At RAG we constructed bunkers. Because we were on an asphalt slab, we had to construct above ground bunker. SgtMaj Duran supervised construction and everyone participated. We filled many sandbags. The bunker were constructed by filling 55 gallon drums with sand and setting them up in a rectangle. Sand bags were laid out at the ends in an L shape to provide a protected entrance and more sandbags were laid across the top for overhead cover.

While in RAG we were subjected to SCUD alerts several times almost every night. When the siren went off we had to quickly get out of our sleeping bags, put on flack jacket, helmet, gas mask and get our weapons and move to the bunkers. We would get into the bunkers and take roll to make sure we had everyone accounted for. We would wait until the all clear was passed and then go back to our tents. Frequently we would not be back for 20 minutes when the siren would go off again and we would have to go to the bunkers again. While we were in RAG no SCUDs came any where near us but we took the alerts seriously because we were strategically located just a mile from the biggest desalt plant in Saudi Arabia and very near to one of the largest marine ordnance bunkers in the country.

SCUD alerts

siren

tent living

showers

meals

nightly briefing on radio

flying

frags

operations

NBC preparations

weekly meeting at Jubail

weather

intel

training

Lonesome Dove

The War

Jubail

Homeward Bound

Arrival

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Dates from 91 calendar

4 Jan - depart NCA 1600/arrive NKT 1700

5 Jan depart NKT 0300 - arrive Westover Mass 0500

Depart westiver 0900 - arrive Torejon, Spain 2100 (local)

6 Jan depart Torjon Spain 0100 local - arrive Jubail, SA 0900 local on # 2 acft. # 4 act arrive 1940.

11 JAN - call home - move to Ras Al Ghar, SA

12 Jan 2 acft Jubail to Ras Al Ghar

13 Jan call home

16 Jan - all acft at RAG - 1900 course rules brief

17 Jan - start limited frags

21 JAN mtg at Jubail

3 Feb call home

5 Feb 6.5 logistics flight

8 Feb letters to Gaulin, Suzette, Dave & Lorraine, Comito, Rangus, Wallace, mom and dad

15 Feb move to Lonesome Dove - led 6 acft flight

17 Feb all 8 acft at LD

17 May - return from SWA