Combat· Gulf War (Op DESERT SHIELD/STORM)
Op DESERT STORM Air War
The air war that opened Operation DESERT STORM began the destruction of Iraq's military machine before the ground assault.
Marine aviation joined the massive coalition air campaign, striking Iraqi airfields, command centers, artillery, armor, and the defensive positions facing the Marine sector, while also flying the close air support and battlefield interdiction missions that would prepare the way for the ground attack. Marine fixed-wing squadrons and attack helicopters operated from land bases and from ships in the Gulf, pounding the Iraqi units dug in along the Kuwaiti border and degrading their ability to fight. Over weeks of relentless bombardment, the air campaign shattered Iraqi morale and cohesion, with thousands of soldiers deserting or surrendering even before coalition ground forces advanced. For the Marines, the air war both contributed to the theater-wide campaign and specifically shaped the battlefield their divisions would soon assault, softening the defenses they would have to breach.
Record no. 726