AFTER ACTION REPORT ON DEPLOYMENT TO SOUTHWEST ASIA

File: 110596_sep96_decls2_0004.txt
Page: 0004
Total Pages: 14

Subject: AFTER ACTION REPORT ON DEPLOYMENT TO SOUTHWEST ASIA             

Unit: 22D SUPCOM  

Parent Organization: ARCENT      

Box ID: BX005554

Folder Title: ARMY EOD IN DESERT STORM VOL 4 543 EOD TEAM EODCT                                               

Document Number:          1

Folder SEQ  #:          4







        AFFU-543
        SUBJECT-. After Action Reoort on DeDlovment to Southwest Asia


        detachment commander. Some units chose to remain as a unit and farm out
        resoonse teams in the classical sense. One unit. the 60th EOD. ran
        fraomented o.oerations +or weeks on end. the teams  livina with other units
        and rotatine everv so manv davs. The 142nd used a rear detachment which
        remained wi@h the DISCOM rear'. while the reSDonse teams and CP worked out
        a+ a forward location. One unit. the 14th E6D. moved with the 24th ID
        (Mech) and SDent eiaht davs movina and not settina u.o a tent or cam.o until
        thev reached their farthest obieciive.
          At times after the around war. two or more units banded toc3ether to
        oer+orm a larae-scale mission such as destrovina Iraoi ASP's and bunker
        complexes. Once in Kuwait. all EOD units. reaardiess of which control
        thev fell under. operated and took taskinas from the EOD 0  'aerations Cell.
        This cell was a ioint/international effort made UD Of British. Canadian.
        French. and Kuwaiti EDD.
          Units adapted the wav thev ODerated to the mission and situation at
        hand. At one t)oint shortiv after the cease-fire. the 543rd had units
        stretchina the entire breadth a+ the theater a+ ODerations. from Kuwait in
        the east to the far left flank of the XVIII ABN  Coros in the west. and
        L-verv olace in between including the VII CorDS area.


        4. MOVEMENT. The 543rd moved four times and set uD ooerations in three
        locations. First was a reaulation convov to Kind Khal)'.d Militarv Citv
        (KKMC). comolete with convov clearance. @P escort. and convov commander.
        We were the second of two serials led bv the XVIII ABN Corcs'Rear CP.
        This movement was a complete disaster  from the becinnina. Fuel ooints
        ere not known. the route was unfamiliar to evervone (as oooosed to
te). and we ended"UD oettina lost
        and sdendina the niaht alonaside the hiahwav because it took so Iona (29
                                                7
        hours). This movement was made about nine davs orior to the start of the
        air war. We collocated with the 20th Encineer Bricade (Airborne) HQ.
          The second took us from KKMC northwest to Loa Base Charlie. which
        straddled the Saudi/Iraai border. We made this move on our own (us and
        the 75th EDD) with no outside interference. We had two commercial 10-ton
        trucks that we contracted. plus two flat-bed trucks which we arranaed +rcwa
        a local transportation unit'. This move was made eleven davs Drior-to the
        start of the around war and took about seven hours. We had no oroblems.
        aside from losina a rim an one a+ the 10-tons. We lived inside the 28th
        Combat SUDDort HOSDital compounds
          We moved +ram Loa Base Charlie to Kuwait Citv. Aoain. we moved bv
        Ourselves (us. 64th and 75th EOD) and experienced no oroblems. The move
        took eiaht hours and was well-madoed. an advance oartv havina taken the
        route earlier. All the EDD units lived inside a   hltoe warehouse belonaina
        to the Kuwait Ministrv of Education.
          Lastlv. we traveled from Kuwait Citv back down south to the Dhahran.
        Saudi Arabia area. This move was laraelv administrative and took about
        seven hours.


        5. VEHICLES. I have several views on the tvnes of vehicles an EOD unit
        or control rea.uirL-. The hardest thina about this debate is to set)arate
        what'DeDDle think will work from what has actuallv been used and tested in
        the field. Case in point is the HMMWV ambulance. Manv sav this     is the

Document 14 f:/Week-42/BX005554/ARMY EOD IN DESERT STORM VOL 4 543 EOD TEAM EODCT/after action report on deployment to southwest a:1104960912415
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-42
Box ID = BX005554
Unit = 22D SUPCOM
Parent Organization = ARCENT
Folder Title = ARMY EOD IN DESERT STORM VOL 4 543 EOD TEAM EODCT
Folder Seq # = 4
Subject = AFTER ACTION REPORT ON DEPLOYMENT TO SOUTHWEST A
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 04-NOV-1996