The weapons and strategies employed by the coalition to dislodge the Iraqi army from Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf War. Features combat footage along with interviews with military experts and participants.
@@dogsense3773par for the course, I had an mgs stryker fire a round right next to me with no warning and I had no ear pro and I got it documented, my ets date is in about a year and I’m expecting I wont get shit for it
Proud because the enemy came with a knife against guns and you just had to wait for MLRS, planes, artillery and helicopters to kill people while you sit and wait.
Well said, blessings to a great General. Blessings to his family, and all who served under him. From this Veteran, to all, Thank you for your service, and the unseen service of all family member who also served in their support of their loved ones, who fought.
Amen! The Colonel - My Late-Father - served under him as well (he was LTC at the time) said he was Brilliant, Badass and a great Leader, Officer, Gentleman and Man. Much like I'm guessing yourself and your Brothers-at-Arms! Thank you for your Service and know how proud you/y'all made (and make) us! This was unprecedented! As The Colonel (Operations Shield and Storm - OEF & OIF and General Schwartzkopf said: It's all about the Troops, Training and Their Dedication to Duty! And it's why you, those Serving, those Enlisting, those Retired and those Resting are all Heroes! Thank you, Sir.
It was text book repeat of the German invasion of France 1940. Thiers was to go around the Maginot Line and later turn South to get in behind the line. Ours was start far out to the west to bypass the better prepared areas along the Kuwait border, and then turn right to cut off the enemy retreat. But unfortunately, we stopped short of the coast to let a lot of Republican Guard units get away. Still the execution was well done.
I think the friendly fire is inevitable in any operation of this size. The reason it seemed so prevalent here is that Iraqi resistance was so ineffective that the FF stood out as a major source of casualties where in any other major war such incidents would get lost in the background.
I was 18 at the time, eating McDonald's on the couch and watching it on CNN. All I have to say is hats off to you gulf vets and thank you for kicking ass. And thank you for your service
i was 14 yrs >>living in Kuwait ,for long long time im looking for pictures taken for me with US soldiers in (salmia) any one was in US Military after war end visit salmia area .any one can help me in this ..Thank you
Ramez K. Tamimi you should go to Reddit man. I’m sure someone could at least give you info on the units in that area, if you can give a date or month or something, even better. Hope it works out.
Guy I work with says all that was is an air battle . I said unless you were there like the rest of us I don't want to hear it.hard to believe it will be 30 years in January
We were pressed to move faster. So fast that some BMPs were tracking us with their cannons as we rolled past their fighting positions. They told us that the Iraqis abandoned all the vehicles and to just keep moving. They werent abandoned.
Interesting story about the flag at 6:45, all british tanks and AFVs started hoisting british flags due to fatal friendly fire from the americans on numerous occasions.
I never soldiered under him. I never really got to meet him. I wrote a few letters and got one or two back. But I've read and watched everything I can about him. He's a very smart man, capable of measured and well reasoned thought despite the intensity of the situation. He's truly a man who rises to the occasion rather than shrink from it. He performed things politicians never could; he got MANY Nations to set aside differences in the name of the greater good. He used his resources well and didn't rely on any one particular strategy or weapon or obsess over a specific technology. A very rare human being indeed.
My Combat Engineer Guard Unit got orders for this war. I remember the briefing from the commander gave it was close to what the General said, they were very worried about the initial front line breach, being bogged down while being hit with chemical gas. They were very concerned about this. In the end our orders to be deployed got rescinded and there were no chemicals used . One thing that gets missed is the 80s saw a very rekindled mindset about losing the Vietnam war. We wanted payback. A perfect chance with the collapse of the USSR. And thats exactly what we did. Well done fellas.
It blows my mind when I think of the fact that Washington estimated a total of 30,000 U.S. casualties in the FIRST day of the ground war! Imagine being one of those soldiers/marines when being told by your upper leadership just before going in? Total mind-fuck lol!
They were contracting out hospital beds as far away as Morocco and Tunisia. I was with the 18th Airborne Corps and it didn't exactly make us feel warm and fuzzy to hear that.
The Army 7th Corp fought tank battles at 73 Easting, Medina Ridge and Objective Norfolk. Iraq units in these fights compromised: Tawlkana Mech Division (Destroyed) Mediana Arm Division (Destroyed) Humrabi Arm Division (1 Brigade Destroyed by 18th Airborne Corp) Adan Mot Division (1 Brigade Destroyed) Neb Mot Division (Elements destroyed) 10th Arm Division (Destroyed) 12th Arm Division (Destroyed) 52nd Arm Division (Destroyed) 17th Arm Division (Destroyed)
The only reason we were so successful was because we were trained by the Vietnam Veterans who were still in service. They were calm. They would say all the time, This is going to be great.
I was in that tiger brigade at hood but went to Germany then Saudi . My Brothers from Tiger brigade did an awesome job along the marines I had marine buddies said they would go to war with them again anytime
i was 14 yrs >>living in Kuwait ,for long long time im looking for pictures taken for me with US soldiers in (salmia) any one was in US Military after war end visit salmia area .any one can help me in this ..Thank you
@@arthurc1971 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 1-4.the gospel then go to Amazon and order a book called one book rightly divided by douglas d.stauffer and order timeline charts maps by rose publishing order on Amazon and order the power of faith by Derek prince and order a book called the power of the blood by Andrew Murray...101weapons and spritual warfare by dr.olukoya
We were warned to stay away from knocked out enemy vehicles, especially tanks. Depleted Uranium rounds were used very effectively over there. Nobody knew if DU’s left behind enough residual radiation to cause cancer…?
America has no military power because they always beg all their allies for assistance in their wars. If you were such a super power you wouldn't be begging us brits for help every time you want some sweet oil lol.
@@slayerr4365 Do you really think the UK brings that much firepower to the fight? VII Corps could wipe out your entire country. We thank you for your assistance but don't ever think the US "NEEDS" your help to succeed.
@EchoLeague2 OK. I was just pondering on the passage of time, but we all can see different things in the same thing, and it can often show us a bit about ourselves.
Remember the Iraqi were poorly led they were fighting for someone basically they hated they were in the wrong, most were draftees. The Republican guard fought not very well mind you but you see what happened when we went back there. They were fighting for something else. That's why they're not giving up to this day
I was 18th Airborne. We started keeping prisoners to bury their own dead, including major who shot his Baath Party commissar and led half his battalion “over the hill.” Asked why, he pulled out a photo of a little boy. “I have spent the last ten years at war. I’ve fought Iranians, Kurds and now Americans. This is my son. This photo is old, he barely knows me. I’m tired. I just want to go home to my family.” All these years later, I can still see that man’s face. At times, I wonder what became of him…
It's odd to see yourself..I was 2 years older than you.then..its a very surreal experience that stays with you the rest of your life...my wife wanted to know what it was like in the suck..semper fi...
@@ify105 No, depleted uranium is only mildly radioactive (from which the human body will recover after a short period of time). However, the problem with DU is being a heavy metal it is VERY toxic, and breathing or ingesting its dust from spent munitions is what causes the health problems. The armour of a M1A1HA, M1A2 etc, is a "sandwich" construction whereby the DU is sheathed in composites; as such it has very little chance of vaporizing and therefore poses no real health risks to the crews.
What’s My Name are you trying to invoke Ali here? “What’s my name fight” Whatever his political views were Many I disagree.. He is my boxing idol don’t stain anything he’s ever said. Make your new thing to change my name
I was in 2-29 FA BN from 8ID in Germany. We were put with the VII Corps, under 3AD. I remember 4 days of moving our wedge formation for days on end, stopping to fire, and move again. About midnight on the 4th day we were in sight of the coast road the Iraqi Army retreated north on from Kuwait. I remember lots of burning vehicles at points along the way.
10:34 watched the kid describe how it's still warm in the tank. Depleted uranium is still radioactive so yah the inside of a tank with 41 pounds of uranium is going to feel warm. Lots of guys made that mistake and some were assigned to demolitioning the tanks.
@@acerrulz1053 Armor piercing ammo of tanks and the A-10 that were shooting tanks have uranium shafts. It's called depleted uranium as a sales technique where an unknowing persons says it's not in a reactor anymore so it isn't bad. All uranium is radioactive. When piercing the armor the uranium showers the inside of the vehicle. Inside of vehicle destroyed by that ammo is not the place to go. Uranium or any other radioactive material will give you a warm feeling from the radiation hitting your body. Think of it like a constantly running microwave oven.
@@sheepdog271 Good luck. Commanders should of warned troops. There are some military bases with target vehicles peppered with DU rds. Look, don't touch.
Greetings, some what accurate depending on when and where you where at the time ~ 2nd AD " He'll On Wheels " and 15th EVAC Hosp. and 82nd AB " All The Way " Combat Medic ~ '88 - ' 96
I was @ KKMC, and those Chinooks we're my brothers in arms. Go !!! 6th Cavalry (AC), We hauled, everything beans bullets, bags of fuel, P.O.W's if it went inside or slingload below. Never forget, finding out some guys I know From basic Training in Jackson. didn't live make it back home.
Yes. I often wonder.. What If?? But, that is living in the past. My friend, we have to live in the here and now. We can't change the past. We have to let the past go. God bless you!
No Bush was right. We had put Saddam back in his box. Although he was a evil dictator he could no longer threaten his neighbors but he controlled his country , No ISIS, no insurgents. We had the no fly zone and could just go in and bomb him every once in a while. Bush#2 made a big mistake.
chrischralph2222 So? How does your theory make the outcome of this war any different? By the way Irak’s tactics then were Sovjet Russia tactics. They didn’t work. Oh by the way Russia and China do. Plural.
Ivan The Tanker Oh no? How do you know? They outflanked the enemy. Concentrated their armoured thrust. Punched a hole in the defensive line. Kept the momentum of the attack going at all times and kept on pushing. Never gave the enemy a chance to catch their breath and establish a new integrated front. Sounds like France in May 1940 to me.
These weren't jihadis. They were draftees. This was an invasion of a whole country, not counterterrorism. I doubt you'd be so celebratory if you saw the Iraqi teenagers blown up with your own eyes.
To be fair the tanks they were in were very old and Saddam didn’t give a shit about the Iraqi army so the army was giving up upon just the sight of the marines. The three star says it himself at the end of the video
2003 invasion went down in much the same way. US military has even better toys now but hard to say what the men are like now. i dont think an invasion of Iran for example would go down as easy as some people still think. Iranians would be more motivated to fight than Iraqis ever where.
I was with 1st Mar Reg, my TACP team was among the first allied teams in Kuwait City. The Iraqi's hadn't left yet, the people hadn't come out, and the militia wasn't rounding up collaborators yet. It was eerie an surreal to say the least.
Is it weird that I'm thinking that it was a really nice move for the US/UK/French to do most of the heavy lifting but allow the Kuwaiti's the honour and respect to be the first ones entering their city?
It also got them out of the our way.letting them get there freed our minds up ,by not having to worry about hitting friendly crews driving russian vehicles.
I got chewed out by Boomer in Saudi at a Saudi army PX. In September 90 Whoa, I knew instantly we were going to win. I'd follow that beast to this day, anywhere!
Those 2 smug guys saying “I expected them to fight harder”, while they sit behind and wait for Apache, MLRS, artillery and planes to finish off the enemy. They don’t actually fight but they are smug about it
bpmrox I was a field artillery surveyor 82C and we were out in front of everyone surveying for fire missions ( direction / height) we had a PADS computer in the back behind the seats that was the size of an old TV set from the 60’s with the wood finish. 😂 now they have hand held GPS to do what we did . Unreal. Anyways as part of 7 corps ( Big RED 1) mechanized infantry we were with a British unit and were part of the right hook to fight mostly the republican guard. When we were ahead surveying in front of everyone I kept thinking we were gonna hit a mine and we got a armored vehicle with a huge 8 foot high bulldozer front on it to follow it in case of mines exploding. Then we would go to the rear while everyone else moved up to fire off our coordinates. I was amazed we weren’t exposed to chemical weapons because trying to fight and operate vehicles not to mention shit and eat while wearing the MOPP gear and mask would be hell. The Republican guard we were told were gonna inflict a lot of casualties but even with a lot of explosions near and far we kicked their ass. The prisoners were pathetic to behold. Hungry with very little food or water and just a radio to call in troop positions is what Saddam did to these guys. Drop them off and a lot were bootless too. We gave them slot of our MRE’s and water which I’m very proud of. I don’t think I slept in those 100 hours except cat naps for mere minutes in my HUMVEE with my head against the window. And now add in driving in the dark with no lights and no sleep while your wondering if mines would go off and chemical weapon and republican guard threats as artillery is going off so often that you could drift off for a few winks because you get use to it and next to the MLRS rockets going off one after the other and although it was so one sided it was still very scary and life altering in my life. 100 hours. I can’t imagine the wars that preceded the Gulf war because they were long drawn out events The brief time I was engaged in Iraq and Kuwait taught me a lot about what my priorities were and how good our country has it. Too anyone who served or still do I salute you and stand tall.
@@timsydlowski5208 appreciate your experience. The Iraqi Republican guard nor Iraq regular army was capable of fast moving battles and combined arms tactics like how US forces did. However, the Republican guard soldiers were well trained and motivated to fight with what they had, remember that Republican guard was subjected to day and night bombing by Allied Aircraft for 35 days which included B-52s and despite that they stood their ground, reorganised and put up a fight, compare that to most of the Regular Iraqi army which had a 30% desertion rate over the Air campaign. The resistance by Republican guard units allowed 70% of the Iraqi army and 50% of their armor to escape from kuwait. I can't believe how stupid Saddam was to not withdraw from Kuwait and save the Iraqi army from destruction. The least he could have done is try to resolve it diplomatically and withdraw by asking Kuwait to compensate for the economic Damage caused by Kuwait Oil overproduction and slant drilling which Kuwait was indeed guilty off, that would have atleast caused Arab nations and even UN not to go for war....instead he became arrogant and claimed Kuwait as 19th province of Iraq. Even the Iraqi intelligence gave a bleak outlook to Saddam that the Odds were against Iraq - despite that he ignored the report. See all past Wars and you will notice when the Political leaders ignore Military Generals advice they face defeat. From Stalin in opening phases of Barbarossa to Hitler from 1943 onwards.
@Hammerschlägen M It's not just loyalty...Many Republican guard Commanders although Sunnis were against confronting US military because they knew they had no chance but Saddam was arrogant and militarily immature. The Republican guard also didn't have modern technology tanks like the T-80 or the Upgraded T-72 with ERA which could have had some impact in the battles..neither the Airdefense had the long range S300 systems or Short range Pantsir systems for combatting Coalition Airforce. The Battle was lopsided to begin in every way. One thing to note is that Despite the most intense bombardment in history of modern warfare by B-52s, A-10s and others for 35 days the Republican Guard didn't decimate or collapse- it did stay there and fought....if the US or British forces were also subjected to such level of round the clock bombardment i don't think their Morale would be any better than Republican Guard- this is something missed in the analysis of the war- considering that Had Republican guard had more advanced tanks and Air defense the Coalition would have tough time and would suffer considerably much more casualties.
