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File: 970107_aug96_decls2_0049.txt
Subject: 8TH TANK BN COMMAND CHRONOLOGY NOV 90 TO MAR 91 12 APR 91
Unit: 8TH TANK BN
Parent Organization: 2 MARDIV
Box ID: BX600007
Folder Title: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY 8TH TANK BN 26 NOV - 31 MARCH 1991
Document Number: 1
Folder Seq #: 5
UNCLASSIFIED'
Concurrent with the training, the company drew all equipment for SWA.
Examples of this were the desert cammies, desert parkas, gas masks, MOPP
suits, etc..l ite
@e a gear was issued, the
Battalion was ready for its move overseas. Charlie Company embarked for
South West Asia from Cherry Point MCAS an 21 December 1991.
B. 22 December 1990 - 31 January 1991
Charlie Company landed in Saudi Arabia along with the rest of the
Battalion on 22 December 1990. We set up camp at Camp 15 outside the Port
of Al Jubail. The company began immediately to pick up their tanks and
equipment. Battalion advance parties i.e. ERP, OPP etc. had already off-
loaded the equipment from the MPF shipping.
The compa:ny immediately set about LTI'ing equipment and checking the
SL-3 components on the tanks. The tedious work of welding the brackets for
the reactive armor was instituted at this time. In retrospect, it was
wasted time. The Battalion never received a sufficient amount of the
plates to cover the vehicles. As a result, the dummy (practice) plates
were what the majority of the company carried into combat. The.tanks also
needed to be painted with the desert sand color. These evolutions were
very time consuming and cut into valuable training time.
As the tanks were ready, the companies began to stage out to-the
Thunderbolt Range complex for training. On 5 January 1991, lst Platoon
moved to the range. On 6 January 1991, 2nd Platoon moved to the range. By
the 14th of January, all of C Company's tanks had moved out to the field.
ij The
company initially focused on platoon level tactics. This was done to allow
the new Platoon Commander's time to wo rk with their units before the
transition into company level operations. Night movement was emphasized.
As time drew closer to fire at the ranges, more emphasis was placed on
tank gunnery and pre-fire checks. The company participated in a Battalion
range on 12 January 1991. Basically, all it entailed was zeroing the main
gun'at 500 meters with a 1600 meter check round being fired. Several days
later the platoons were able to fire the .50 caliber machine guns and the
M6OE2. During the period 13 January 1991 to 15 January 1991, the company
participated in Battalion Fire Support Coordination exercises. These were
designed to test the Battalion's ability to maneuver and was supporting air
and artillery.
Having completed the training, the company set about an intensive PM
stage getting the vehicles ready for the move north. All the suspensions
were lubed and tracks checked. On 19 January 1991, the Battalion then
road marched north approximately 110 miles north and took up a defensive
section 35 miles short of the Kuwait border. The company resumed its
platoon level training at this time with more emphasis on buttoned up
driving. Also, driving with gas masks on. Several Battalion level
exercises were conducted to test the Battalion's.ability to move as a
new
48
UNCLASSIFIED
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Document 60 f:/Week-34/BX600007/COMMAND CHRONOLOGY 8TH TANK BN 26 NOV - 31 MARCH 1991/8th tank bn command chronology nov 90 to mar 91:01029709504317
Control Fields 17
File Room = aug96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-34
Box ID = BX600007
Unit = 8TH TANK BN
Parent Organization = 2 MARDIV
Folder Title = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY 8TH TANK BN 26 NOV - 31 MARCH 1991
Folder Seq # = 5
Subject = 8TH TANK BN COMMAND CHRONOLOGY NOV 90 TO MAR 91
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 = 02-JAN-1997