The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Desert Shield and Desert Storm: U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990-1991 - Defense of Eastern Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, CentCom, SCUDs, Khafji, Al Jaber, Heliborne

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this unique monograph is an account of the activities of the Marines and units of the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing in support of the I Marine Expeditionary Force's efforts to liberate Kuwait. This document is part of a series of official Marine Corps histories that cover Marine Corps operations in the Gulf War.

On 2 September 1990, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing took command of Marine aviation forces ashore from a Marine composite aircraft group, which had hurriedly been moved to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield. The wing would grow to be the largest deployed in Marine Corps history. It would fly more than 10 different types of aircraft from eight airfield sites that required laying more than 4.5 million square feet of ramps, landing, and taxiing areas. In addition, the wing and its support groups would construct six 3,000-man base camps and establish a Marine Air Command and Control System that would operate across four countries in a joint and combined arena. When Operation Desert Storm began, the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing was ready and provided more than 18,000 fixed-wing and helicopter sorties in support of I Marine Expeditionary Force's mission of ejecting Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Desert Shield Begins * Background and Alert * The 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Readies MAG-70 * Internal and External Deployment Constraints on FMF Aviation * Marine Air Control and Marine Wing Support Group Issues * Aircraft Basing and Tanker Support * Initial Marine Air Operations in the Gulf Region * The Defense of Eastern Saudi Arabia and Bahrain * 15 August-8 November * Liaison with CentCom and CentAF * Air Power Theory * The Arrival and Beddown of MAG-70 * Initial Air Operations in Theater * Maritime Prepositioning Shipping (MPS) Offload Issues * Initial MWSS Efforts in Theater * The Establishment of the MACCS * The 3d MAW Stands Up * Compositing and Reorganization * Joint Air Doctrine Issues * Operations and Training * Aviation Logistics * The Seabees and Expansion of Wing Support * The Maturing Theater, September-November 1990 * End Strength Cap and Rotation Plans * The Planned Relief of the Afloat 4th MEB * II MEF and 2d MAW Replacement Considerations * Helicopters and Task Force Cunningham * Tactical Air Operations and Training in the Fall * Late Desert Shield * Early November 1990 - Early January 1991 * The Shift from the Defensive (November) * President's Reinforcement Announcement * 3d MAW Reinforcement Challenges * 2d MAW Builds the Augmentation Force * The 4th MAW Call-Up * Exercises Imminent Thunder and Devil Dog I * Preparing the Strategic Air Campaign * Rotary-Wing Training and Operations * Supporting the Shift North * The 3d MAW Air Command and Control System * The Concept of the Helicopter Tactical Air Command Center (HTACC) * Developing the Marine Offensive Plan * Reinforcements Begin to Arrive * Desert Storm: The Air Campaign * The Eve of the Storm * Heliborne Assault Training * The Evolving I MEF Offensive Plan * JFACC Apportionment Issues * JFACC Targeting Control, and 'Kill Boxes' * The 3d MAW Battle Plan * The Storm Begins * The First Hours * The Early Days of the Air Campaign * The Impact of SCUDs * ATO Issues * 'Opting Out' of the ATO * The Battle for Khafji and Its Fallout * Air Support for Artillery Raids * Marine Air in the Battle of Khafji * Fratricide Issues and Preventative Measures * Al Jaber Mission Planning * Early February, Phase II of the Air Campaign * The Breach is Shifted Again/Al Jaber is Scratched * Targeting and Intelligence Issues * The Aviation Ordnance Shortage * "Fast" FACs and Isolating the KTO * I MEF Swings West Again * Middle February, Phase III of the Air Campaign * Preparing the Battlefield * Planning for Task Force X-Ray * Final MACCS Adjustments-Establishment of the HTACC-Airborne DASC * Planned Attack Helicopter Employment/AV-8B FARP * 3d MAW Gains Control of HIDACZ 8 and 9