436.3
Total MI
Milestones of Chris S Stevenson
Keep going to reach the next milestone!
Mile Marker 6
Did you know? The Persian Gulf crisis was triggered on August 2, 1990 when Iraqi forces invaded neighboring Kuwait with overwhelming forces and subsequently positioned assault elements on the Saudi-Kuwait border. Reportedly, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein decided to invade the small, oil-rich nation in order to pay off debts incurred during Iraq's eight-year war with Iran.
Mile Marker 12
Did you know? On August 7, 1990, President Bush ordered U.S. military aircraft and troops to Saudi Arabia as part of a multinational force to defend that country against possible Iraqi invasion. A major deployment, the largest since the Vietnam War, was underway for Operation Desert Shield that would include units from all four services.
Mile Marker 18
Did you know? In 1990, President Bush ordered the first mobilization of U.S. military reserves in 20 years and declared the call-up "essential to completing our mission" of thwarting Iraqi aggression in the Persian Gulf. Most of those summoned to active duty in the initial mobilization would be Army reservists.
Mile Marker 24
Did you know? Operation Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm—a U.S.-led military operation to expel occupying Iraqi forces from Kuwait and enforce the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
Mile Marker 30
Did you know? The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution allowed the U.S. to use all necessary means against Iraq if it did not withdraw from Kuwait by midnight, January 15th. It was the first time since August 7, 1964, when the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was adopted, that Congress had voted directly for offensive military action.
Mile Marker 36
Did you know? The United Nations Security Council demanded Iraq’s withdrawal by mid-January. On January 16, 1991 when the deadline passed with no action from Iraq, President George H. W. Bush said, “The world could wait no longer,” for U.S. action and summoned American and allied military forces into war.
Mile Marker 42
Did you know? Coalition leaders were worried that Iraqi forces would resort to the use of chemical weapons. Fortunately, those fears turned out to be unfounded.
Mile Marker 48
Did you know? As Iraqi forces retreated from Kuwait, they smashed and set fire to more than 700 Kuwaiti oil-wells, badly polluting the atmosphere and creating crude oil lakes. The well fires burned incredible amounts of oil and took many months to extinguish.
Mile Marker 54
Did you know? With its advanced military technology, including stealth bombers, cruise missiles, “smart” bombs with laser-guidance systems and infrared night-bombing equipment, coalition troops had the upper hand throughout the war. While coalition casualties were in the hundreds, Iraqi losses numbered in the tens of thousands.
Mile Marker 60
Did you know? After the U.S., Saudi Arabia offered up the greatest number of military forces during Operation Desert Storm. Saudi Arabia was also where U.S. land forces gathered during the build-up to Desert Storm. The collaboration was an important dynamic and integral to the operation's overall success.
Mile Marker 66
Did you know? The U.S. Air Force launched more than 100,000 sorties (air missions) and dropped more than 88,500 tons of bombs during Desert Storm. It was one of the most massive and effective air campaigns in history, surpassing even the Berlin Airlift with more than 3,000 airplanes.
Mile Marker 72
Did you know? Despite not being in the war, Israel had the third largest casualty count after Iraq launched Scud missiles at the nation in hopes of drawing the Israelis into the fight. In response, the U.S. and Netherlands deployed Patriot Missile Battalions to intercept Scud missiles and keep Israel from retaliating.
Mile Marker 78
Did you know? Of the 400,000 Americans participating in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 92,990 were Marines, making it the largest number of Marines ever to participate in a single operation.
Miler Marker 84
Did you know? The four main task forces of the 1st and 2d Marine Divisions were called Ripper, Papa Bear, Taro, and Grizzly.
Mile Marker 90
Did you know? I Marine Expeditionary Force had a personnel strength of 92,990 making Operation Desert Storm the largest Marine Corps operation in history.
Mile Marker 96
Did you know? President Bush signed an executive order establishing a Southwest Asia Service Medal for members of the U.S. Armed Forces who participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The medal depicts a desert and sea landscape on the front side with tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, ships, and fixed-wing aircraft. It is suspended from a sand-colored ribbon incorporating the colors of the United States and Kuwaiti flags: red, white, blue, green, and black.
Mile Marker 102
Did you know? Five Marine prisoners of war (POW) were among the 21 POWs who arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. on March 10, 1991. The Marine POWs were freed on March 5th and were transported from Iraq by an International Red Cross aircraft. They were: Lieutenant Colonel Clifford M. Acree, Major Joseph J. Small III, Captain Michael C. Berryman, Captain Russell A.C. Sanborn, and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Guy L. Hunter.
Mile Marker 108
Did you know? On March 14, 1991, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Ahmad Al-Sabah, ended seven months of exile returning to his country 16 days after the final retreat of Iraqi occupiers. Euphoria in Kuwait rose with the return of the newly-liberated country's Emir and so did hopes for democracy.
Mile Marker 114
Did you know? On April 24, 1991, Lieutenant General Walter E. Boomer, Commanding General of the I Marine Expeditionary Force presented the Silver Star medals to five Marines who performed heroic acts in the Persian Gulf: Staff Sergeant Daniel A. Kur, Sergeant Gordon T. Gregory, and Corporals Bryan R. Freeman, Michael S. Kilpatrick, and Bryan K. Zickefoose.
Mile Marker 120
Did you know? On June 8, 1991, Operation Welcome Home paid tribute to every service member who went to Southwest Asia in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Marines from the I Marine Expeditionary Force and all its major subordinate commands marched in the Desert Storm National Victory Parade in Washington, D.C. Two days later, over 1,700 Marines including about 650 reservists, marched down Broadway in New York City's ticker-tape parade.
Mile Marker 126
Did you know? Several months after Operation Desert Storm, Marines were still in Saudi Arabia backloading ammunition and other supplies onto ships headed home. As of mid-July, the Marine Corps had more than 4,500 Marines left in Southwest Asia—2,274 ashore in Saudi Arabia and another 2,257 afloat on ships of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Mile Marker 136
Did you know? General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, United States Army relinquished command of the U.S. Central Command on August 9, 1991 after 35 years of military service, which was capped earlier in the year with the highly successful Desert Storm operation.
Mile Marker 144
Did you know? The first serious ground fighting of Operation Desert Storm broke out when Iraqi troops mounted an attack into Saudi Arabia along a 40-mile front. Iraqi units centered their efforts on Khafji, a deserted port city, but Saudi and Quatari troops, supported by the 1st Marine Division and the anti-Iraq coalition, recaptured the town two days later.
Mile Marker 154
Did you know? By February 14, 1991 the active duty end strength of the Marine Corps was 200,248, including reservists on active duty. It was the first time active duty end strength exceeded 200,000 since fiscal year 1971.
Mile Marker 160
Did you know? After a five-week bombardment of Iraqi command and control targets from air and sea, coalition forces began the ground invasion on February 24 reaching a cease-fire in just four days. In fact, the land campaign is infamously known as the "100-hour ground war."
Mile Marker 166
Did you know? On August 27, 1991, the last Desert Storm participants to leave the Persian Gulf, some 5,000 Marines and sailors, returned home. The ships of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Navy's Amphibious Squadron One had embarked last December to aid in operations in Southwest Asia.
Mile Marker 172
Did you know? General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, United States Army, commanded the U.S.-led alliance of more than two dozen nations and more than 900,000 troops—the largest coalition of allied nations since World War II.
Mile Marker 178
Did you know? Approximately 1,000 women Marines were deployed to Southwest Asia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991.
Mile Marker 184
Did you know? In 1994, the U.S. Secretary of Defense accepted an offer by the Government of Kuwait to award the Kuwait Liberation Medal to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Southwest Asia between August 1990 and April 1991.
Mile Marker 190
Did you know? The coalition built fake bases including Forward Operating Base Weasel to trick Iraqis into defending the wrong area. These camps included computer-controlled radios, smoke generators and loud speakers playing prerecorded tank and truck noises, as well as along with inflatable Humvees and helicopters.
Mile Marker 196
Did you know? Desert Storm was the cheapest war fought in U.S. history. The U.S. Department of Defense estimated the cost of the Gulf War at $61 billion with other countries covering $52 billion of the total.
Mile Marker 202
Did you know? Operation Senior Surprise, better known as “Secret Squirrel,” made history as the longest aircraft combat sortie of its time. Seven B-52 Stratofortresses left Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and flew 14,000 round-trip miles to, for the first time, launch 35 conventional air-launched cruise missiles at strategic Iraqi targets.
Mile Marker 212
Did you know? From start to finish, Desert Storm only lasted 43 days, from Jan. 17 to Feb. 28, 1991. Relentless attacks by the coalition forces in the air and on the ground swiftly drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.
Mile Marker 218
Congratulations on completing your 218 mile tribute journey. Across these many miles, you honored the brave men and women who served our country during the combat operations that occurred three decades ago. Oorah!