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Arkansas Military History Journal A Publication of the Arkansas National Guard Museum, Inc. Vol. 10 Summer 2016 No. 3 OPERATION DESERT STORM Arkansas Citizen Soldiers Respond to the Call 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Brigadier General Keith A. Klemmer Ex-Officio Vice Chairman Major General (Ret) Kendall Penn Ex-Officio Secretary Dr. Raymond D. Screws (Non-Voting) Ex-Officio Treasurer Colonel Damon N. Cluck Board Members Ex-Officio. Major James Holifield Ex-Officio. Captain Barry Owens At Large – Lieutenant Colonel Clement J. Papineau, Jr. At Large – Chief Master Sergeant Melvin E. McElyea At Large – Major Sharetta Glover Major Matthew Anderson (Non-Voting Consultant) Deanna Holdcraft (Non-Voting Consultant) Museum Staff Dr. Raymond D. Screws, Director/Journal Editor Erica McGraw, Museum Assistant, Journal Layout & Design Incorporated 27 June 1989 Arkansas Non-profit Corporation Cover Photograph: Post Card found in the Arkansas National Guard Museum Collection (2008.08) - Desert Storm, 21 December 1990—Operation Desert Storm. Message from the Editor My Take on Desert Storm from Afar For those of us old enough to remember the Gulf War, or Desert Storm, as many of us know it, it was a new kind of war and much of this had to do with the fact that it was televised daily 24/7 on CNN. Many of us watched and admired General Norman Schwarzkopf and General Colin Powell as they gave their daily briefings to the press. And many of us learned new phrases such as “scud missile.” But it was also the first patriotic war that many of us could remember. I was born in 1961, and my reference for a war was Vi- etnam, an extremely unpopular war that was depicted as such during the nightly evening news. When the most trusted man in America, Walter Cronkite, said America was losing in Vietnam, people believed him. Of course, World War II was a patriotic war for the United States, but it was not televised. And Korea took place in the early 1950s during the infancy of T.V., and had little media impact. And not long after the war began much of the reporting was relegated to the inside pages of many newspapers. But in the early 1990s, we could watch American fighters bombing their targets almost as soon as they happened. We said it looked like a video game. In Vietnam, we fought against communism, but most didn’t identify that with an individual, however evil Americans viewed that ideology. But in Desert Storm, our evil enemy was an individual – Saddam Hussein. And Americans could understand that fight. Finally, in the end, the war end- ed before it could become unpopular with Americans. Before we could take a second breath it was over, and during the next several months we welcomed our troops back as true heroes. WE WON! In Vietnam, many Americans viewed it as a defeat, and the fighting continued for years, and when we left in 1973, we hadn’t won. And two years later, Saigon fell to the communists and I don’t remember most Americans con- cerned enough to care. So Desert Storm was different for us. We could again feel proud of our troops, and, I think, Americans began to reevaluate our troops who fought in Vietnam and better appreciate their service to the United States. And THAT mission is still ongoing. Dr. Raymond Screws Editor/Arkansas National Guard Museum Director Message from the Chair We celebrate the 25th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm this year. We dedicate this edition of the Ar- kansas Military History Journal to the men and women who answered the call and performed with distinction and honor throughout both Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, and follow-on operations, often called the "Gulf War." My memories of the Gulf War started with a phone call on a Saturday morning about a week prior to the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade's mobilization in November 1991. The caller was LTC William D. Wofford, my battalion commander in the 5-206th Field Artillery. He told me about the alert and stated that he had a few slots open and asked if I would like to mobilize with the brigade. I told him, "Give me a little time to think about it." Later that day, LTC Wofford called back. He wasn't calling about my deci- sion, but with instructions to be at the 2-142nd armory in Fort Smith on the following Monday, two days lat- er. By May of 1991, when the brigade redeployed, I had seen and done more that I could have ever imag- ined. I had the good fortune of being assigned as a battalion and brigade liaison officer, which ultimately led to an assignment with the British 1st Armoured Division Artillery. It was there that I met Ian Durie, the Divi- sion Artillery commander, at the onset of the Corps artillery preparatory fires, next to his Warrior track. He offered me a cup of hot tea from his canteen cup as we watched the vast array of artillery firing for the next hour. For a 26 year-old Captain from Arkansas, this was the start of a big adventure. Ian Durie would ulti- mately make Major General, then became an Anglican minister and outspoken opponent of war after retiring from the military. Reverend Durie died in a car wreck in Romania in 2005, at the age of 60. Such is the rich history borne out of our American experiences in war. BG Keith A. Klemmer Arkansas National Guard Museum Foundation Chair Table of Contents Arkansas’ Big Guns in the Gulf.......................................................................................... 6 100 Hours with Light TACFIRE ......................................................................................... 11 148th EVAC .................................................................................................................... 17 Arkansas Units Mobilized for Operation Desert Shield/Storm ........................................ 32 Welcoming Home Our Arkansas Soldiers and Airmen .................................................... 37 Featured Artifact: Howitzer Self-Propelled, M110A2 ...................................................... 40 Featured Photograph ..................................................................................................... 43 Arkansas' Big Guns in the Gulf From the Official After Action Report Records Originally Published in the Arkansas Military Journal Winter 1992 Edition Available for Review at the Arkansas National Guard Museum t 151415 Novem- all the unit equipment was COL Linch to keep the brigade ber 1990 the alert painted desert sand and rail- together as a unit and acclimate notice was re- loaded. The equipment was personnel to the harsh desert ceived that the shipped by train from the MOB environment. At this time the A142d Field Artillery Brigade, station to Houston and Galves- brigade was given the mission comprised of HHB, 1-142d ton, TX between 11-15 Decem- to provide general support rein- FA, and 2-142d FA, would be ber 1990. The brigade task or- forcing (GSR) fires to the 1st federally mobilized in sup- ganization at this time was as port of Operation Desert follows: 142d FA BDE com- Infantry Division (Mech). The Shield. On the same day COL prised of 1-142d FA (M203, brigade used what haul capaci- Charles L. Linch assumed SP); 1-158 FA (MLRS) OK ty it had to transport ammuni- command of the brigade. Six ARNG; 2-142d FA (M203, tion for other units within the days later on the 21st of No- SP); E/333 TAB vember the brigade received (AC) Ft Lewis, WA. the federal mobilization or- HHB, 142d Bde and der. There were 1140 person- the brigade quarter- nel assigned to the brigade ing party departed upon notification. Activities the MOB station for at home station included an Dhahran, Saudi ini-tial POM (preparation for Arabia from 14 to overseas movement) and a 16 January 1991 and showdown inspection of cloth- arrived during 15 to ing. On 23 November the ad- 20 January. The vance party departed for the quartering party ar- mobilization station and on the rived at King Fahad The Arkansas National Guard used T-55 Tanks near Kuwait City following day, the brigade de- International Air- close the highway that linked Kuwait City with Al Basrah, Iraq. ployed 985 personnel to the port on 15 January mobilization station, Fort Sill, at the "MGM Grand Hotel," or 1st ID DIVARTY until the Oklahoma. During the period Khobar towers, Dammam, Sau- howitzers and MLRS launchers from 25 November to 15 De- di Arabia. There was a total of arrived at port. While at FAA cember 1990 the 142d FA Bde 1481 personnel deployed from HAWG, late in the evening of 4 was validated by the mobiliza- the MOB station. This figure February, 1-142d fired a warn- tion station. The validation pro- included attached units and ing shot at a local intruder at- cess consisted of POM, NBC unit replacements received at validation testing/training, and tempting to drive into their ar- MOB station. The brigade de- individual and crew served ea. The terrorist threat level weapons qualification. The bri- parted the "MGM Grand Hotel" was high and internal security gade also received mission criti- on 29 January and arrived at was primary in importance. cal equipment which included FAA (forward assembly area) On 7 February, Cpt. John Light TACFIRE (LTACFIRE), HAWG, over 314 miles away, Brady was placed in command VINSON secure devices, FM the following day. 1-158 ar- of HHB, 142d. On the same day radio multiplexers, Metro rived at FAA HAWG on 3 Feb- the Brigade received its first MDS, EPSON laptop com- ruary. FAA HAWG was located "mail call." The lack of mail to puters, photocopy machines, approximately 10 km west of this point had been a real mo- and others. Training high- Hafar Al Batin. COL Linch rale detractor. On 13 February lights included LTAC-FIRE later cited two reasons for de- the Cape Capella arrived at port operator training and CPX, parting the MGM prior to the NBC, MDS, and unique am- and by 15 February thirteen am- port arrival of the howitzers munition characteristics train- munition carriers arrived at ing.

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