ANNUAL HISTORICAL REVIEW 3RD BN 502 INF

File: 970313_sep96_decls26_0003.txt
Page: 0003
Total Pages: 5

Subject = ANNUAL HISTORICAL REVIEW 3RD BN 502 INF

Folder Title = 2ND 502ND BRIEFING SLIDES

Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS

Unit = 101ST ID

Box ID = BX001611

File Cabinet = Week-48

File Room = sep96_classified

by road convoy.
The ground at Tactical Assembly Area Campbell was extremely hard and rocky
so digging in was slow. By January 30th, Company C alone reported forty-four
broken entrenching tools, ton broken picks, and a broken shovel. The Engineers
could not provide much help; they broke the ground to a depth of only eighteen
inches, seriously damaging sone of their heavy c-quipmnt.
While at Tact,.cal Assembly Area Campbell, Task Force 3-502 waited and prepared
for the ground war. Only land-line communications were allowed; radio silence was
considered essential. Each company continued to prepare for combat, and sent out
nightly patrols. Many of the soldiers also took advantage of the shower point
close by.
The staff used this time to prepare scenarios for several possibilities.
Three of these plans were division reserve missions. Two of these plans were
reinforcing missions for the First or Third Brigade; the third was a screening
mission along the Saudi Arabia - Iraq border. The staff also produced three plans
for conflict in Iraq. Oie of these plans was to secure Tallil Airfield. The
second involved securing "Objective Gold," an area where the Iraqis had stocked
supplies. The final mission was to move to Forward Operations Base Cobra about
seventy kilometers inside Iraq. This plan would later be executed.
On February 15th, Iraq announced that it would withdraw from Kuwait. Naturally,
the task force rejoiced at such an announcement. However, the next day President
Bush declared the announcerrent,*,a creel hoax," and the conditions were ridiculous.
From February !9th to February 23rd, the Soviet Union hold peace negotiations
with the Iraqis in Moscow. The terms the Soviets presented were unacceptable to
the United Nations, and the talks failed. Task Force 3-502 continued to prepare

for war.
On February 24th, at 4:00 AM, the ground war began. At 1:20 PM, Task Force 3-
502 air assaulted into Forward Operations Base Cobra. At the end of the day, four
hundred and sixty one soldiers had dug in a circular perimeter around their ob-
jective. The next day the remainder of the task force arrived by air and ground.
..ic task force had a fighting strength of eight hundred and three men. The operation
was the largest single air assault in the history of the world.
On February 26th, a Sharnal, or high-wind storm, blew all day, obstructing
vision and making work difficult. Tie task force had received news that Kuwait
City had been seized by United States forces. Invigorated, the task force prepared
to take Tallil Airfield which was near the Euphrates River. At 10:00 PM the mission
changed, and the staff briefed the commander on the now mission at 'Ll:30 PM. This

Document 5 f:/Week-48/BX001611/2ND 502ND BRIEFING SLIDES/annual historical review 3rd bn 502 inf:03069709500827
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-48
Box ID = BX001611
Unit = 101ST ID
Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS
Folder Title = 2ND 502ND BRIEFING SLIDES
Folder Seq # = 195
Subject = ANNUAL HISTORICAL REVIEW 3RD BN 502 INF
Document Seq # = 2
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 = 06-MAR-1997