30                                 U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF 1990-1991


                                          Watcrcoior by sgt Charics G. Grow, USMC
On 24 January 1991 ll~e Op Hamnia police station near Khafji  was occupied by
Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Baaahon. 1'~e plumes of smoke were the result of a B-
52 strike near the Al Wafi~ah Oilfleld.

both division commanders to concentrate their screening and reconnaissance
forces at key locations rather than dispersing them along the entire border.
    Typical of most observation posts at the time, OP 4 was occupied by a
platoon from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Following an artillery raid, the
2d Platoon, Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, reoccupied the site and
immediately began its observation of enemy activity at the Iraqi-manned Kuwait
As-Sur police post. The Marines of 2d Platoon were not pleased with their
situation. They had previously been at OP 3, which had hot showers, and some
resented  the  change. The  platoon commander   established     an eight-man
observation post at a bunker set in the berm about 200 meters north of the
building complex. He set tip a second eight-man obse~ation post in the berm
300 meters south and designated an initial rallying point at a horseshoe-shaped
berm behind the post where he located the platoon's three HMMWVs and single
five ton utility truck. He and a six-man team moved into the police station
building. The reconnaissance platoon included two combat engineers to assess
local trafticabil ity and minefields S4
    Echind the police station was Company D, 3d Light Armored Infantry
Battalion, Task Force Shepherd. Observation Post 4's defense was supported
further by a second light armored infantry company, Company B, 1st Light
Armored Infantry Battalion, Task Force Shepherd, located about 25 kilometers
to the south. Also, 10 kilometers to the west, was Company A,       1st Light