8TH TANK BN COMMAND CHRONOLOGY NOV 90 TO MAR 91 12 APR 91

File: 970107_aug96_decls2_0056.txt
Page: 0056
Total Pages: 60

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
                    17 Feb    TOW Company was involved in battlefield casualty handling
               16
               drills. Maneuver   training and TOW missile crew drills were performed daily.

               17 - IS Feb    TOW Company planned and executed maintenance days for all TOW
               equipment in the 6th Marine Regiment. All HMMWV'S, radios, small arms, and
               TOW missile systems were prepared for firing. A serialized inventory was
               conducted. Throughout this period, TOW Company continued to requisition TOW
               missiles for all of its TOW launchers to fill out a Basic Allowance (BA) plus
               ,two days of ammo (DOA).

               IS Feb - three Kuwait advisers/interpreters spoke to TOW Company Marines about
               possible actions against the Iraqi army in Kuwait.

               'IQ Pal, - TnW rnmDanV Darticioated in a MAPEX with the battalion. TOW Compan







               2i Feb - TOW Company reconned the Saudi/Kuwaiti border for road march into
               attack positions. Company provided Motor Transport teams to inspect and
               maintain the battalions5s wheeled assets prior to the attack.

                  Feb - TOW Company coordinated and executed test fire of all crew served and
               small arms weapons at berm on the Kuwaiti border.

               23 Feb - TOW Company command units reconned designated breaks in berm and
               attack positions. TOW Company moved forward into attack positions. No repair
               parts had been received through the supply system. To this point, vehicles
               were kept up solely through the initiative of Motor Transport personnel.        All
               TOW systems, small arms, TOW HMMWVsg and command and control vehicles were
               operational and combat ready. TOW Marines were given a final brief on attack
 Anglicao units departure,
               artillery forward observer and forward air controller capability by TOW
               Company was lost. Company commander assumed extra duties as artillery forward
               observer and forward air controller for his company, and properly prepared
               himself or combat action. Discovered "near/far" seabag concept did not work
               due to distances involved in desert operations. Marines would enter the war
               with badly unserviceable gear due to inaccessibility of uniform items in their
               "near" ban (which was eighty miles away at the 2d MarDiv rear area/Kibrit).

               24 Feb    TOW Company attacked Iraqi forces in the Emirate of Kuwait as part of
               the first wave of the 6th Marine Regiment (which led the 2d Marine Division).
               .TOW Company led the battalion through both openings in the border berm. TOW
               Company led all battalion units through both minefield belts. During the
               assault the company moved into defensive positions northwest of the Umm Budair
               oilfield. After maneuvering in front of TOW Company positions, artillery
               strikes were called in to the battalion FSC by the Company Commander. Three
               TOW missiles were fired at dug-in Iraqi soldiers resulting in two destroyed
               ,bunkers, one pipeline destroyed, and forty EPWS. TOW Company personnel
               .continued to capture and process EPWs throughout the night.    At 2000, an Army
               HMMWV ran into the minefield in front of TOW Company positions. Three TOW
               Marines rushed to the soldiers aid: LCpl Walker, LCpl Matias, and LCpl
               Purdie. TOW Company practiced their well honed night resupply operations and


                                                      55
                                                UNCLASSIFIED

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