Office of Air Force History

Gulf War Air Power Survey: Chronology of the Gulf War (Volume 5 of 6 Part 2 of 2) Office of Air Force History

Publisher Marketing: This chronology outlines many of the principal events of clear, direct, and tangible relevance to the planning and conduct of theater air operations during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. It begins in the months prior to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, on 2 August 1990, and ends with events immediately following the ceasefire on February 28, 1991. To enhance an understanding of contemporary perceptions of the pace and significance of these events, the most authoritative data and analysis available at the time were selected, with no post mortem analysis of their objectivity or accuracy. Further, while major national and international political events of the conflict were unquestionably relevant to air operations, they are covered in other sources and, thus, are enumerated only in the barest form. Once again, this chronology is not offered as a general data-pool of the conflict but rather as a tool for grasping the constituent elements of air war planning and operations at the theater and service component command levels (USENTCOM and USCENTAF). Entries have been categorized according to the following scheme: Background Events: Relevant domestic and international political events. Leaders: Assignments, movements, and activities of top U. S. military leaders. Scud War: Scud and anti-Scud operations. Intelligence: Contemporary reports of Iraqi military and political capabilities, actions and intentions. Air Order of Battle: Force summaries and key unit arrivals and movements in the theater. Ground Order of Battle: Force summaries and key arrivals and movements in the theater. Support Activities: Movements and mission activities of maintenance, civil engineer, communications, intelligence, logistics, weather, staff and other support organizations and systems. Medical: Movements and activities of USCENTAF and theater medical units and facilities. Civil Engineers: Movements, activities and reports of civil engineer units and organizations in support of air operations. Security: Movements, activities and reports of USCEWAF Security Police and other organizations providing ground security for air operations and bases. Logistics: Movements, activities and reports emanating from supply and transportation units and organizations (USENTCOMN4, USTRANSCOM, MAC, etc.) Planning: Planning criteria and actions in support of air operations. Air Operations: Flying training and combat operations events and statistics. Other Activities: Non-flying activities and operations of importance to air operations.