Desert Storm Impact

Hard to believe the 17^th of January will be thirty years since Operation Desert Storm began! The US led coalition’s six week land, air and maritime combat operations to oust Iraqi forces from Kuwait, was remarkable in so many ways.

Some folks debate whether generations are shaped by historical events. I firmly believe they are and that Desert Storm was one of the defining moments for Generation X. That being said, I can only offer concrete evidence about how Desert Storm impacted my life.

I was a senior in high school in January 1991 and at the time, certainly didn’t realize how Desert Storm would shape who I would become. Now as I look back, I think the events of that January really impacted me in a number of ways.

First, growing up in the 80s, the Cold War weighed heavily in American consciousness. Although by 1991 the Cold War had wrapped up, that gnawing fear of our nation facing an unsurmountable enemy in an apocalyptic battle loomed large. Furthermore, confidence in United States ability to wage war remained uncertain after the challenging years the military endured following Vietnam.

The US military instrument of power was tested during limited conflicts post-Vietnam such as Grenada, Operation Just Cause in Panama and air strikes in Libya, but not in a true joint and combined large scale operation such as was about to unfold in Iraq. In January 1991, the US led coalition was squared off against the world’s fourth largest military. The Iraq military was well equipped and combat experienced after a long conflict with Iran.

My biggest fear in January 1991 was Desert Storm would drag on for years and I am certain I was not alone! On the 17^th of January most Americans were glued to the TV as images of anti-aircraft fire streaked skyward over Baghdad unsuccessfully attempting to shoot down coalition aircraft. It became one of the iconic images of the war.

After a few weeks of relentless precision bombing of infrastructure as well as tactical targets, the ground war began. Coalition troops engaged in a decisive and well-coordinated ground campaign that included one of the biggest tank battles since WWII. Within 100 hours, the 4^th largest army in the world was completely defeated.

The specter of the hollow force post Vietnam was gone and our military’s magnificent performance restored some national pride that was lost in the 70’s and 80’s. It certainly helped that most Americans had a front row seat to this heroic struggle. For the first time, but certainly not the last, embedded reporters and camera crews brought almost nonstop real time images of the front line fighting back home to America.

Good had decisively triumphed over evil and it was a great day to be an American. I am confident anyone who was around in 1991 still gets a little choked up when they see images of our Desert Storm heroes with Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” playing in the background!

Desert Storm relieved some of the fears I’d developed growing up about armed conflict and shaped my outlook on foreign policy. Unfortunately, there will always be wars and rumors of wars. In 1991 our nation’s military definitively showed the world America was prepared to answer a challenge.

Desert Storm also shaped my perspective on national level leadership. Near daily televised briefings by General Colin Powell, then serving as Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as General H. Norman Schwarzkopf were not only informative, they were very impressive! The Powell doctrine just made too much sense in my 18 year old brain.  Why hadn’t someone thought of this before?

Even though President George H.W. Bush’s domestic economic policies didn’t bode well in the 1992 presidential elections, few could argue his prosecution of Operation Desert Storm as Commander In Chief was not effective. Important to note, his administration was also simultaneously facilitating other historic foreign policy successes including German reunification and the peaceful breakup of the Soviet Union. President Bush’s personal engagements with world leaders were key to building the extremely successful 34 nation coalition that was victorious during Desert Storm.

The 2020 elections were the first time I voted in my adult life. Not voting was one of the ways I chose to remain apolitical while serving in uniform. But as I reflect back on Desert Storm, maybe I also chose not to vote because at 18 I gained a confidence in national level leadership. Certainly not saying Powell, Schwarzkopf, Bush 41 or the other national level leaders who led America’s involvement in Desert Storm were perfect, but leaders of their caliber are getting harder to find these days…and that’s all I am going to say about that!

Lastly, and most importantly, I think our nation’s decisive victory during Desert Storm probably helped lead me to choose a career in the United States Army. In January 1991 I couldn’t have imagined that just 18 months later I would be signing a contract to join the Army and embarking on an exceptionally rewarding 24 year military career.

When I started Army ROTC in the fall of 1991, most of the cadre and many of my fellow cadets were recently returned Desert Storm veterans.  I was in awe of these heroes! By watching and listening to them, I learned firsthand why Saddam Hussein’s military didn’t stand a chance, he just couldn’t match our people.

The American Soldier, Sailor, Airmen and Marines who fought Desert Storm truly were our best. I developed a deep respect for vets from the era and was honored to join their ranks. Not only did they win back American pride in our military, they shared their knowledge with the next generation of service members who, in a little over a decade, were fighting again in Iraq.

I truly hope the importance of Desert Storm is never forgotten. It had an incredible impact on my life and I suspect on many other members of Generation X. Thank you Desert Storm vets!

The views, opinions and biases expressed in this blog are my own and do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.

Join me next week as I explore more January events that defined a generation!

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