On 11 September 2001, terrorists, master minded by Osama bin Laden, attacked
the United States in four separate instances.
|
|
|
On 18 September, as a result of these incidents, President George W. Bush
declared war on those countries who harbored terrorists and defined the
military retaliations as Operation INFINITE JUSTICE. The origins of the name
can be traced back to the 1998 Operation INFINITE REACH airstrikes against
Osama bin Laden's facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan in response to the
bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
On 18 September, the 1st Cavalry Division unfurled the guidon of the unit that
was to become the first element representing the beginning of the change over
of the Division organization to the FORCE XXI restructuring configuration. "C"
Troop, 10th Cavalry Regiment was activated and assigned to the 1st
"Ironhorse" Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division as their Reconnaissance
Troop. In addition to the process of activating "C" Troop, the Division
restored the organizational continuity of a piece of its history. When the 1st
Cavalry Division was initially activated on 13 September 1921, the 10th
Cavalry Regiment was among the first cavalry regiments assigned to it.
On 20 September, George W. Bush, in a Joint Session of Congress, outlined the
initial military objectives of Operation INFINITE JUSTICE, Following the
address of President, the Army began preparation for "sustained land combat
operations".
On 25 September, following the protest of Muslim groups on the basis that
their faith teaches that Allah is the only one that could provide "infinite
justice", the designation of Operation INFINITE JUSTICE was changed to
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
|
|---|
On 07 October, just four weeks after the terrorist attacks, the first official
US and allied airstrikes was launched on al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and
military installations of the Taliban regime inside Afghanistan. The carefully
targeted actions were designed to destruct terrorist training camps and
infrastructure within Afghanistan and disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a
terrorist base of operations. Early combat operations included a mix of air
strikes from land-based B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers; carrier-based F-14 and
F/A-18 fighters; and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from both US and
British ships and submarines.
Local forces worked with the US led coalition in the air and on the ground in
the subsequent weeks to unseat the ruling Taliban, smoke out and capture of
al-Qaeda leaders leading to the cessation of terrorist activities in
Afghanistan and minimization of their ability to spread their terrorism
throughout the world.
On 08 October, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13228 that
established the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council
within the Executive Office of the President to be headed by the Assistant to
the President for Homeland Security, Tom Ridge. The mission of the Office was
to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national
strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks.
In addition, the Office was assigned the duty to coordinate the efforts of the
executive branch to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to,
and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States. In future efforts
in carrying out these duties, the Office will often rely upon the capabilities
of the 1st Cavalry Division for support.
Throughout the history of the 1st Cavalry Division, it has had the ability to
transition through the seamless integration of the methods of war fighting and
improvements in armament technology. This attribute is founded upon the
evolution of Division Commanders and subordinate units with experienced
noncommissioned and commissioned personnel who continuously upgrade their
management of waring skills.
|
|
Upper Left: On 10 October, the Noncommissioned Officers and soldiers of the
1st Cavalry Division participated in a colorful Change of Command Ceremony, at
Cooper Field, Ft. Hood, Texas, in which Major General David D. McKiernan
relinquished his command to Major General Joseph F. H. Peterson. The flag was
flown at "half staff" in memory to the victims of the 911 attack. The next
assignment for Major General McKiernan, who had assumed the command of the 1st
Cavalry Division in October 1999, will be as the Deputy Chief of Staff for
Operations, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, DC. Major
General Joseph F. H. Peterson came from Ft. Stewart, Georgia where in his last
assignment, he served as Commanding General, 3rd Infantry Division
(Mechanized).
Upper Right: The Color Guard presents the Colors of the Subordinate Units and
the Division to the Outgoing and Incoming Commanders of the 1st Cavalry
Division.
By October 20, US and Coalition forces had destroyed virtually all Taliban air
defenses and had conducted a highly successful direct action mission on the
residence of Mullah Omar in the middle of the Taliban capital, Qandahar.
During this time frame Special Forces detachments linked up with Anti-Taliban
leaders and coordinated operational fires and logistics support on multiple
fronts. Twenty days later, the provincial capital of Mazar-e Sharif fell. In
rapid succession, Herat, Kabul, and Jalalabad followed.
On 16 November, the 1st Cavalry Division deployed the advance party of a
Brigade Combat Team, known as Task Force "Blackjack", to Kuwait in support of
Operation DESERT SPRING.
On 29 November 2001 anti Taliban forces in Afghanistan captured their biggest
known trophy to date, a top al-Qaeda operative, Ahmed Omar Abdel Rahman, who
is the son of an extremist Muslim cleric convicted in 1995 of conspiring to
blow up New York landmarks.
Ahmed Omar Abdel Rahman, was a high-profile figure in Osama bin Laden's
terrorist training camps in Afghanistan was a important and popular figure in
al-Qaeda. He had been widely used in recruiting for the network, because he
was believed to be carrying on the work of his father, Omar Abdel Rahman, the
so-called Blind Sheik who is being held in one of the highest-security federal
prisons in the United States. The father remains an enormously influential
figure in the jihad, or holy war, movement even as he languishes behind
bars.
By mid - December, the Qandahar Airport was secured and the Taliban
capital was in the hands of Anti-Taliban forces. Within weeks the Taliban and
Al-Qaida were reduced to isolated pockets of fighters. On 22 December, General
Franks traveled to Kabul to attend a ceremony marking the inauguration of the
Afghanistan interim government
With the immediate problem of dealing with the Afghanistan cells requiring
less resources, more attention could be devoted to the methodical tasks of
investigation and identification of other world wide terrorist cells spread in
as many as thirty-four countries.
On 02 April 02, 2002 the Pakistani government turned over the most senior
al-Qaeda member that has been captured since September 11 to the United
States. Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaeda leader, was captured in a series of raids
in Lahore and Faisalabad, Pakistan, last week. Abu Zubaydah was shot three
times by the Pakistanis while trying to escape and he is undergoing medical
treatment in an undisclosed location.
Zubaydah is thought to be a 30-year-old Palestinian and operational commander
of al-Qaeda. For years, he had been in charge of recruiting, training and
travel for al-Qaeda and is one of Osama bin Laden's key lieutenants. His
capture was valuable since he is suspected of continuing to plan further
terrorist attacks and of being responsible for establishing al-Qaeda cells
round the world.
On 18 June 2002 Moroccan authorities detained al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubair,
nicknamed "the bear", one of the three or four most senior leaders of Osama
bin Laden's group captured since 11 September. Morocco authorities had
detained another senior al-Qaeda operative, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, of Syrian
descent and according to the German reports, a German citizen, He is believed
to have recruited Mohamed Atta, suspected ringleader of the 11 September
hijackers, in Germany.
Officials indicated that Abu Zubair was an associate of top al-Qaeda leader
Abu Zubaydah who is in US custody after being captured in Pakistan. Zubair
ran guest houses in Afghanistan for people coming and going to the al-Qaeda
training camps located in Afghanistan. He was involved in assigning them to
missions and was "very knowledgeable" about al-Qaeda operations.
During the week of 08 July 2002, the Office of Homeland Security initiated a
series of defensive preparation efforts, Exercise Clear Skies I, a joint
service and inter-agency operation that was conducted for three days under
the command of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and
involved units from NORAD, Air Force, Navy, Army, Customs Service, Federal
Aviation Administration and the Secret Service. The portions of the tests
that involved the Army utilized the Sentinel, the services most advanced air
defense radar system, integrated with the Avenger and Linebacker air-defense
missile systems. The Avenger uses Stinger anti-aircraft missiles mounted on
a Humvee, and the Linebacker is a tank-mounted version of the system.
|
|---|
On 12 September, in an address to the General Assembly of the United Nations
in New York City, President George W. Bush outlined the progress that has been
made in Afghanistan and other areas of the world in the war on terrorism.
Additionally he identified, through an intensive intelligence gathering
operation, one regime that possessed all terrorist dangers, in their most
lethal and aggressive forms, exactly the kind of aggressive threat the United
Nations was born to confront - Iraq.
Over the years, Iraq had provided safe haven to terrorist organizations such
as Abu Nidal, whose terrorist actions carried out more than 90 terrorist
attacks in 20 countries that killed or injured nearly 900 people, including
twelve Americans. Iraq had also continued to finance terror, giving assistance
to groups that use terrorism to undermine Middle East peace and was a threat
to the world community.
In closing, President George W. Bush said "We must choose between a world of
fear and a world of progress. We cannot stand by and do nothing while dangers
gather. We must stand up for our security, and for the permanent rights and
the hopes of mankind. By heritage and by choice, the United States of America
will make that stand. And, delegates to the United Nations, you have the power
to make that stand, as well."
|
|---|
In early September, Fire Support Elements of 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense
Artillery (ADA) along with staff officers of the 32nd Army Air Missile Defense
Command (AAMDC) deployed to the National Capitol Region to support the
multi-layered air defense military exercise, This exercise integrated fighter
and support aircraft, radar and ground-based air defense systems and
communication links, including those of the Sentinel radar, Avenger
Antiaircraft Missile Weapon System, and Stinger Man Portable missile systems
of the 4th Battalion, 5th ADA.
On 09 September, the operation was upgraded as Operation CLEAR SKIES II and
was scheduled to end on 14 September. However, on 10 September, in response to
elevated security threats, the Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld approved the
transition of the exercise into a live operation NOBLE EAGLE - loading the
launchers with live missiles to provide an extra layer of defense for the
anniversary of the 11 September attack on the United States, which included a
large outdoor ceremony at the Pentagon attended by President George W.
Bush.
On 11 September, while citizens of the world contemplated the events
surrounding the first anniversary of the September attacks on the United
States, the Renegades of the 4th Battalion, 5th ADA Regiment, 1st Cavalry
Division turned their portable short range air system, the eyes of the
Sentinel and striking force of the Avenger, skyward to protect the nation's
capitol.
The urban environment required innovative solutions to issues like force
protection, terrain management, and movement of personnel and visitors.
Additionally the soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 5th ADA successfully handled
the extra stresses and pressures related to being a highly visible part of a
high profile operation.
Many of the Washington area's monuments were visible from the tactical Avenger
and Stinger team locations and were constant reminders to the soldiers that
they are deployed in the nation's capital for an important reason.
On 18 September, one week after the Pentagon activated the network of
antiaircraft missiles to defend Washington DC against another potential
terrorist attack, the operation was evaluated as being able to meet the
potential threat and the missiles were deactivated and removed. Following a
debriefing, the 4th Battalion, 5th ADA returned to Ft. Hood, TX.
On 20 September, the 1st Cavalry Division unfurled the guidon of the unit that
become the second element representing the beginning of the change over of the
Division organization to the FORCE XXI restructuring configuration. "D" Troop,
9th Cavalry Regiment was activated and assigned to the 2nd "BlackJack"
Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division as their Reconnaissance Troop. In addition to
the process of reactivating "D" Troop, the Division restored the
organizational continuity of a piece of its history. In the post Vietnam War
era, on 21 July 1975, the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry, which had been
redesignated as a lineage unit of "D" Troop, was relieved from assignment to
the 1st Cavalry Division.
On 01 November, in activation ceremonies held at the Grey Wolf Headquarters
building, the 1st Cavalry Division unfurled the guidon of the unit that had
been designated to become the third element representing the continuation of
the change over of the Division restructuring organization to the FORCE XXI
configuration. "F" Troop, 9th Cavalry Regiment was activated and assigned to
the 3rd "GreyWolf" Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division as their
Reconnaissance Troop.
On 08 November, in response to the presentation of President George W. Bush
on 12 September, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved
Resolution 1441 that demanded reinstatement of unfettered access for UN
inspectors to search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq "or suffer the
consequences".
During the period of 14 to 22 November, elements of the 4th Battalion, 5th ADA
built on the after action findings of the Washington DC deployment and
participated in additional Integrated Inter Agency System Intrusion Detection
and Threat Response Tests which were held in the areas surrounding Crawford,
TX.
On 22 November 2002 a senior al-Qaeda leader, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri,
described as the terror network's chief of operations in the Persian Gulf and
a key planner in the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen was
captured and turned over to US officials. Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a confidant
of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was arrested "a few weeks ago" in an
undisclosed foreign country and handed over to US authorities.
He was captured eight months after the arrest by FBI and CIA agents in
Pakistan of Abu Zubaydah, al-Qaeda's overall operational planner and a top
member of bin Laden's inner circle, and the 03 November death of Qaed Salim
Sinan al-Harethi, a key al-Qaeda operative, killed when a missile fired from
a CIA Predator drone hit his car in Yemen. Considered an explosives expert,
al-Nashiri is believed by authorities to have directed and arranged financing
for the Cole attack and to have made the bomb used to blow a hole in the side
of the destroyer while it was tied at the port of Aden in Yem
On 25 November, President George W. Bush signed into law creating the Cabinet
level Department of Homeland Security - a move that set into motion the
largest reorganization of the federal government in more than half a century.
Tom Ridge, who had been director of the White House Office of Homeland
Security for nearly a year, was nominated to lead the organization. The new
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was charged to carry out three primary
missions: Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the
vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimize the damage from
potential attacks and natural disasters.
Existing agencies that would be placed under the department's authority are:
Immigration and Naturalization Service; US Coast Guard; Customs Service;
Border Patrol; Federal Emergency Management Agency; Secret Service;
Transportation Security Administration; and the border inspection part of
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
|
|---|
On 03 January 2003, on a visit to Ft. Hood, TX President George W. Bush met
with members of the 1st Cavalry Division. He was greeted with cheers of
"Hoo-ah!" from the 4,000 camouflage-clad soldiers waving American flags. In an
address, President Bush indicated that they may soon be called into combat
"to secure our country and keep the peace. If so, America will act
deliberately, decisively and will prevail, because we've got the finest
military in the world,"
On 15 January, the reality of the "Digital Battlefield" loomed on the horizon
as elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation
Regiment, 68th Chemical Company and supporting detachments (slice) of the
615th Aviation Support Battalion and 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery
Regiment received orders to prepare for deployment to SouthWest Asia, under
the control of US Central Command, Tampa, FL. One of the first units to be
equipped with the AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter, the 1st Battalion,
227th Aviation has the primary mission to seek out and destroy enemy armored
vehicles. The troopers of the 68th Chemical Company are specialists in
detecting Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) weapons on the battlefield
and the decontamination of soldiers and equipment in the event of a chemical
attack and exposure.
 |
|---|
On 19 January, the Morrisville, NC based 1st Battalion, 130th Aviation
Regiment, North Carolina Army National Guard, held a farewell ceremony for
activated soldiers and their families, having received their mobilization
orders only 10 days before on 09 January. Equipped with AH-64A Apache
milti-mission attack helicopters, the "Panthers" of the 1st Battalion, 130th
Aviation, are being assigned to the Aviation (Warrior) Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division at Ft Hood TX. They will replace the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation
Regiment, which is currently deployed to Southwest Asia.
Operating out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport in central North
Carolina, the battalion usually serves with the 18th Airborne Corps assigned
to Ft. Bragg, NC. The deployment to Ft. Hood, TX was made in two moves, the
first on 21 January, from Raleigh to Ft. Bragg, NC where they were mobilized
and all equipment received a readiness inspection check. The second move was
made following the receipt of final destination deployment orders issued on 05
March, Their equipment was shipped separately to Ft. Hood, TX and on 19 March,
personnel flew from Ft. Bragg, NC to Ft. Hood, TX. where they began training
with other units of the Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and at some
time in the near future, if the Division is deployed, they will deploy with
them.
On 20 January, "F" Company, 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, currently
assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, received orders to deploy along with the
4th Infantry Division to southwest Asia. "F" Company is an Air Traffic Control
(ATC) asset of the 18th Airborne Corps out of Fort Bragg NC. Their mission
will be to provide air traffic control support for the 4th Infantry Division
in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
As a tactical ATC unit, they control air traffic in the air space of the
division and also operate the divisional airfield. Along with providing ground
control approach radar they also provide mobile tower operations at any
tactical airfield. Primarily composed of air traffic controllers, it also
includes all of the normal support specialties like mechanics, administration
clerks and other support elements. With assistance of the 1st Cavalry
Division, preparations to deploy was completed in two weeks. During those two
weeks, the soldiers worked 14 to 16-hour days, but finishing quickly allowed
the troopers extra time to go home and take care of all of their personal
matters before deploying,
|
|---|
On 24 January, Secretary Tom Ridge was sworn in as the Secretary of the
Department of Homeland Security by Vice President Dick Cheney who administered
the oath of office. He became the first secretary of the new Cabinet agency,
facing the daunting task of pulling together a massive new agency while
defending the nation against terrorism.
The fifteenth Cabinet-level agency of the government was formed from the
merger of twenty-two federal agencies with 170,000 employees and followed a
drawn-out debate on Capitol Hill. It was the largest reorganization of the
federal government since the Defense Department was created in 1947.
On 06 February, Secretary of State Colin Powell met with the UN Security
Council and, in a highly anticipated and strongly worded speech, offered a
steady stream of raw intelligence that included intercepted telephone calls,
satellite photographs, diagrams, and eyewitness accounts, accused Iraq of
harboring and hiding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
He described Saddam's regime in lucid, incriminating tones, as a country that
houses large stocks of chemical and biological weapons that have been tested
on human beings as well as the possession of a small network of elusive mobile
weapons labs transported by truck and rail, and possesses an active nuclear
weapons program. Summarizing, he indicated that allowing the military capacity
of Iraq to evolve, even "for a few months," was no longer an option and the
UN must enforce the punitive actions of Resolution 1441.
On 07 February, the Attorney General, John Ashcroft, announced the increase of
the national threat level from "Yellow" to "Orange," indicating the
possibility of a "high risk of terrorist attacks." The level was raised in
part because of a high amount of "chatter" being intercepted by various
intelligence agencies.
On 11 February, one of the first elements of the 1st Cavalry Division to
receive deployment orders, the 68th Chemical Company, began movement to the
US Central Command located in Kuwait.
In response to the increase of the threat level change to "Orange", Fire
Support Elements of the 4th Battalion, 5th ADA redeployed to the national
capital and by 12 February all of their equipment was in position and
integrated into the defense system communications network. Since that
movement, they have remained there on station, carrying out their assigned
precautionary and prudent defense mission.
Despite heavy commercial and military air traffic in the immediate region, the
soldiers of 4th Battalion, 5th ADA continue to be at a high state of alert and
motivation. Relying on previous training for confidence in the success of
this mission, they remain composed and continue to calmly man their
strategically located positions ready to respond should the situation
warrant.
On 14 February the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment arrived at Camp
Udari, Kuwait and was attached to Task Force 11th Aviation operating under
the command of the US Army V Corps.
On 01 March 2003 a key al-Qaeda leader, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and two others
were arrested allowing authorities to recover a huge amount of information
about al-Qaeda at the house in Pakistan. The information included computers,
disks, cell phones and documents that authorities believe will provide names,
locations and potential terrorist plots of al-Qaeda cells in the United States
and around the world. Mohammed also was believed by US officials to have
details about the group's finances.
The only al-Qaeda capture that approaches the magnitude of Mohammed's was that
of Abu Zubaydah who was turned over to US authorities last April. Zubaydah
more than once provided information that sent American security officials
scurrying to provide warnings to cities and sectors of the economy, knowing
all the while that he could be lying.
Officials believe Mohammed can detail how the 11 September was put together,
answering long-standing questions about the plot's origins.
On 01 March, the 1st Cavalry Division received orders to prepare for
deployment and begin preparations for an overseas assignment to support the
global war against terrorism. No details about the final destination of the
Division was given, other than they would be under the control of US Central
Command, Tampa, FL. area of operations, which includes the Middle East,
Central Asia and parts of Africa.
Since the beginning of the year and in anticipation of the deployment, the 1st
Cavalry Division had trained hard to improve its soldiering skills, weapon,
equipment and maintenance readiness, and individual physical fitness and
readiness. The overall vision and plan of the Division was to ensure effective
and total preparation for war, no matter what mission is assigned.
The announcement came as the United States continued its buildup of troops in
the Persian Gulf region for a possible invasion of Iraq. Currently more than
100,000 American service members were mustering along the Iraqi border and in
the Persian Gulf.
Nearly 17,000 troopers are assigned to the four maneuvering brigade and
command combat teams of the Division. Two other units, the 1st Battalion,
227th Aviation Regiment and the 68th Chemical Company had previously deployed
to SouthWest Asia in February.
An essential element of deployment readiness is the evolution of the 1st
Cavalry Division to the Force XXI configuration, the 1st and 2nd Brigades had
completed their transition to the new digital battlefield systems of the XXI
Army. The 3rd Brigade is scheduled to begin the transition process and will be
finished before its deployment overseas.
The digitized systems of the equipment and command posts of the 1st Cavalry
Division allows information to be passed quickly through the chain of
command. The combination of communication and computer systems that make up
the backbone of the system give the individual soldiers of the Division the
situational awareness the Army has desired.
On 16 March, in a last-minute effort at diplomacy, President George W. Bush,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
will search for a way to win UN backing for using force to disarm Iraq when
they confer at a meeting on an Airforce base at LaJes on the Island of
Terceira in the Azores archipelago located in the eastern-Atlantic. The last
minute talks were "an effort to pursue every last bit of diplomacy" in the
face of fading hopes for approval of a UN war resolution against Iraq.
|
|---|
As President George W. Bush and allied leaders gathered at the Sunday summit,
more than 250,000 troops gathered in the Persian Gulf area poised to strike
if and when the President gave the word. At a press conference, following
their meeting, it was announced that they agreed to make one final attempt
to win world backing.
Saying in closing, - "Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world", Bush urged
other nations to support "the immediate and unconditional disarmament" of the
Iraqi leader. France, Germany, Russia and China have opposed an additional
United Nations resolution to set an ultimatum for the Iraqi leader to disarm
as other efforts to win the votes of uncommitted nations at the UN Security
Council faltered in the recent days.
On 17 March, the day following the Azores summit, President George W. Bush
delivered a final ultimatum Monday night to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein: exile
or war - decide by Wednesday night (the 19th). "Saddam Hussein and his sons
must leave Iraq within 48 hours," Bush said during a prime-time address to the
nation. "Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict, commenced at
a time of our choosing." In support of his decision, Bush detailed the prior
12 years of failed diplomatic attempts of the UN to disarm Iraq following the
Persian Gulf War. In closing, he said "The UN Security Council has not lived
up to their responsibilities in carrying out the consequences of Resolution
1441. We must act alone !.
Iraqi officials said Saddam would not leave. "He will stay in place like a
solid rock," Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf told the al
Jazeera television service. As Bush spoke, federal authorities elevated the
domestic terror threat level of the nation to high (orange) from elevated
(yellow) and announced the implementation of an enhanced security program
called Operation LIBERTY SHIELD.
Elements of Operation LIBERTY SHIELD, aimed at heading off "multiple attacks",
against US targets worldwide, includes:
|
|---|
As of late Monday, 17 March, there were 225,000 allied troops, the bulk from
the Unites States, in the region. With the deadline nearing, the advance
elements of the ground forces were repositioning closer to the line of
departure along the northern border of Kuwait. Each passing day allows the
soldiers to train and better acclimate to the desert terrain and environment.
An additional 80,000 to 100,000 ground forces will be integrated into the
operations before the ground assault is initiated.
The "Coalition of the Willing", countries that backs the United States in the
invasion, included some 40 nations who publicly indicated their support and 15
other nations, for one reason or another, who do not wish to be publicly
identified. The majority of the nations named do not have a direct combat
role, but have allowed the United States to base troops on their soil and/or
given permission for US aircraft to overfly their territories. Others have
offered expertise in dealing with unique battlefield threats, such as
detecting and identifying agents employed in biological or chemical
attacks.
As you journey through the history of the 1st Cavalry Division and its
assigned elements, you may find it interesting enough to send a message to
your friends and extend them an invitation for the opportunity to review the
rich history of the Division. We have made it easy for you to do. All that is
required is for you to click on the Push Button below, fill in their eMail
addresses and send.
| The TITLE and URL of this WebSite are automatically read, formatted and entered into your standard eMail form. |
|
Note - The eMail Message is processed and transmitted On-Line to the
addressee(s) via your Internet Provider. |
 Need a gift for an Alumni of the 1st Cavalry Division? |
|---|
eMail Your WebSite Comments.
Return to "MyOwnPages"©.
Revised 02 Sep '09 SpellChecked
