Armchair Dragoons Forums

News:

  • The ACDC returns in 2025!  17-19 January 2025 we'll gather online for a variety of games and chats all weekend long
  • The 2024 Armchair Dragoons Fall Assembly will be held 11-13 October 2024 at The Gamer's Armory in Cary, NC (outside of Raleigh)

News

The ACDC returns in 2025!  17-19 January 2025 we'll gather online for a variety of games and chats all weekend long

Author Topic: 30 (!) Years Ago: Desert Storm starts  (Read 9827 times)

bayonetbrant

  • Arrogance Mitigator & Event "Organizer"
  • Administrator
  • Staff Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 16169
  • Going mad, but at least going somewhere
    • Six Degrees of Radio
on: January 16, 2021, 11:09:34 PM
https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/operation-desert-storm-began-30-years-ago-on-jan-17/JEVH7FJJHBAZ5E3QPMWTAVI6KY/

It was my freshman year of college, watching a war on TV that my dad was deployed to.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2021, 11:21:12 AM by bayonetbrant »

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++

Random acts of genius and other inspirations of applied violence.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Six Degrees of Radio for songs you should know by artists you should love


judgedredd

  • Guest
Reply #1 on: January 17, 2021, 02:50:43 AM
wow. Everything seems to want to remind me how old I'm getting. I saw a music program the other day titled "Was this really a hit 40 years ago"...they were - and didn't they transport me back to feistier times.

Anyway - true story about Desert Storm - or missing it.....

I met my girlfriend - Sharon - back in 1988 (she became my wife in 1993). In 1989 I was told by my unit that I would be posted soon...likely to Germany...but certainly not where I had served that last few years (Colchester Garrison) and not where Sharon lived (also Colchester). So with a chat with Sharon I decided to PVR (Premature Voluntary Release) at a cost of £750 - which she paid.

Everything was signed and I was due out in May 1990.

I found out in something like July or August that my unit was being posted to the Gulf in preparation for war. I had a chat with Sharon and decided I wanted to sign back up to be with my unit.

There was a stumbling block. The Army wanted to sign me up for 3 years. I couldn't sign up, be deployed and be demobbed when I got back. More chats with Sharon and I decided I couldn't do it.

I knew - if I was posted away, the army life and it's ways would get me and regardless of how I felt about Sharon, I'd be unfaithful and I'd lose the woman I fell in love with...so I chose love over war.

I always regretted not going with the lads I had trained with...but I knew - in my heart of hearts - this was the girl and I didn't want to lose her.

I still meet up with the lads who went every year at a reunion that they invite me to. You can't break that Army bond - although apparently you can exchange it for the right woman.

We're still married. I think I chose well. Not sure about her though  ;D

Anyway - my heartfelt respect and admiration goes out to all those who fought in defence against tyranny.



bob48

  • Smeghead.
  • Warrant Officer
  • Lead Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 12331
Reply #2 on: January 17, 2021, 06:40:52 AM
Very sobering. I can remember being pretty much glued to the news channels in order to try and keep track of events.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


Barthheart

  • Patreon Supporters
  • Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 4721
  • Retired curmudgeon
Reply #3 on: January 17, 2021, 08:17:21 AM
I won an office pool on the start date and exact time of the war. Netted me $50.

When it did start I was in a hospital emergency room with a friend. We had been playing squash and he took a ball to the eye, no goggles, yeah stupid. While he was being checked out I watched it all start on the waiting room TV.

PETS - People for the Ethical Treatment of Square corners


Staggerwing

  • Patreon Supporters
  • Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 4412
Reply #4 on: January 17, 2021, 08:37:05 AM
IIRC, I was on volly duty with my town ambulance and we were dropping off a patient at the same ER I worked nights at when one of the doctors at the nurse's station mentioned it that the air war had started. We watched the news on the waiting room TV for a little while after we finished our report to the staff.

Thirty years ago...  and this year it's twenty years ago for 9/11  :o

Vituð ér enn - eða hvat?  -Voluspa


bbmike

  • Warrant Officer
  • Lance Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 7600
    • My Own Worst Enemy
Reply #5 on: January 17, 2021, 09:00:42 AM
I was about 8 months away from starting my current job. Which reminds me, I retire next year!  :o  :biggrin:

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
-Sherlock Holmes

My Own Worst Enemy


judgedredd

  • Guest
Reply #6 on: January 17, 2021, 09:05:10 AM
I was about 8 months away from starting my current job. Which reminds me, I retire next year!  :o  :biggrin:
:bigthumb:

I won an office pool on the start date and exact time of the war. Netted me $50.

When it did start I was in a hospital emergency room with a friend. We had been playing squash and he took a ball to the eye, no goggles, yeah stupid. While he was being checked out I watched it all start on the waiting room TV.

I used to play Squash...my favourite sport before I got fat (loved chocolate more)...I didn't even know people wore glasses playing squash...never seen that.



trailrunner

  • Corporal
  • **
  • Posts: 1076
Reply #7 on: January 17, 2021, 09:40:59 AM
I was working in Los Angeles at the time.  I remember listening to it on the radio in my office.

I had already accepted a job in the DC area, so we were getting ready to move.  I thought it was an exciting time to be moving to the nation's capital and to be routinely going to the Pentagon.  Looking back, it's interesting to see how DS/DS affected DoD.


I’ve spent half my life’s earning on wargames, women, and drink. The rest I wasted.


Martok

  • Patreon Supporters
  • Lance Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 6939
  • Tilting at windmills
Reply #8 on: January 17, 2021, 12:00:42 PM
I remember watching coverage of the war -- mostly after I got home from school, but a couple of our teachers had/let us watch it in class as well.  I was pretty riveted. 




wow. Everything seems to want to remind me how old I'm getting. I saw a music program the other day titled "Was this really a hit 40 years ago"...they were - and didn't they transport me back to feistier times.

Anyway - true story about Desert Storm - or missing it.....

I met my girlfriend - Sharon - back in 1988 (she became my wife in 1993). In 1989 I was told by my unit that I would be posted soon...likely to Germany...but certainly not where I had served that last few years (Colchester Garrison) and not where Sharon lived (also Colchester). So with a chat with Sharon I decided to PVR (Premature Voluntary Release) at a cost of £750 - which she paid.

Everything was signed and I was due out in May 1990.

I found out in something like July or August that my unit was being posted to the Gulf in preparation for war. I had a chat with Sharon and decided I wanted to sign back up to be with my unit.

There was a stumbling block. The Army wanted to sign me up for 3 years. I couldn't sign up, be deployed and be demobbed when I got back. More chats with Sharon and I decided I couldn't do it.

I knew - if I was posted away, the army life and it's ways would get me and regardless of how I felt about Sharon, I'd be unfaithful and I'd lose the woman I fell in love with...so I chose love over war.

I always regretted not going with the lads I had trained with...but I knew - in my heart of hearts - this was the girl and I didn't want to lose her.

I still meet up with the lads who went every year at a reunion that they invite me to. You can't break that Army bond - although apparently you can exchange it for the right woman.

We're still married. I think I chose well. Not sure about her though  ;D

Anyway - my heartfelt respect and admiration goes out to all those who fought in defence against tyranny.

That is indeed a heck of a choice to make, but I agree you chose well.  :bigthumb:  Thanks for sharing that, JD



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


bob48

  • Smeghead.
  • Warrant Officer
  • Lead Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 12331
Reply #9 on: January 17, 2021, 12:20:08 PM
That is amazing, JD.

Respect!

Had a couple of people I worked with who served out there. One  as sergeant in the Para's and another who was an MP in RAF - he later joined the police force after he left the RAF. They both had some interesting stories to tell.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


bayonetbrant

  • Arrogance Mitigator & Event "Organizer"
  • Administrator
  • Staff Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 16169
  • Going mad, but at least going somewhere
    • Six Degrees of Radio
Reply #10 on: January 17, 2021, 12:28:44 PM
We were packing stuff up for me to leave for college
Dad's older brother lives here in Raleigh so we were going to make a family visit/road trip out of it, and get me settled at school while they visited
About 4 days before we were scheduled to leave, Saddam invaded
2 day later the base was locked down

Mom & I had to repack everything to fit into check-thru luggage and buy some plane tickets to get me to school while dad stayed behind and had to prep for a deployment, and we had to make plans for my younger brother to stay with the neighbors for a few days in case dad had to leave before mom got back from dropping me off

I was watching stuff on my room-mates shitty little 5-in b&w TV in our dorm room, and staying up waaaaay too late.

I also had 2 uber-peacenik philosophy professors in the same semester my dad was fighting a war, so that was...  interesting.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++

Random acts of genius and other inspirations of applied violence.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Six Degrees of Radio for songs you should know by artists you should love


BanzaiCat

  • Patreon Supporters
  • Lance Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 6638
  • Puns Puns Puns Puns
Reply #11 on: January 17, 2021, 02:26:55 PM
I was in my second attempt at college, then...I believe it was a Radio/TV/Film class. It was pretty striking being able to see news 24/7 on CNN and the Gulf War really kicked the whole 'news all the time' thing. It's an utterly unfortunate thing now considering the crap they put out there to fill the time, but back then, it was sobering.

It was a great relief to see how well things went. I recall many conversations about how unwell it might go and could blow up into a larger regional conflict, especially if Iraq managed to goad the Israelis into striking. No idea how much of a chance that really was, just recounting the talk and some news stories I remember from back then.

Lots of my high school buddies were deployed to the Middle East. One good friend I had in high school was in the 101st and was one of the first into Iraq.

============================================

Solosaurus Podcast: https://solosaurus.libsyn.com/
(includes Solosaurus Plays)


bob48

  • Smeghead.
  • Warrant Officer
  • Lead Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 12331
Reply #12 on: January 17, 2021, 02:34:21 PM
I remember the relief at seeing how successful the Patriots were at destroying SCUDS.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


Barthheart

  • Patreon Supporters
  • Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 4721
  • Retired curmudgeon
Reply #13 on: January 17, 2021, 08:20:06 PM
... Which reminds me, I retire next year!  :o  :biggrin:

June 30th, 2021 fer me. It's official!   :D

PETS - People for the Ethical Treatment of Square corners


Barthheart

  • Patreon Supporters
  • Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 4721
  • Retired curmudgeon
Reply #14 on: January 17, 2021, 08:22:07 PM

I won an office pool on the start date and exact time of the war. Netted me $50.

When it did start I was in a hospital emergency room with a friend. We had been playing squash and he took a ball to the eye, no goggles, yeah stupid. While he was being checked out I watched it all start on the waiting room TV.

I used to play Squash...my favourite sport before I got fat (loved chocolate more)...I didn't even know people wore glasses playing squash...never seen that.

https://sportscentaur.com/should-you-wear-squash-goggles/

My friends retina is now detached from that one hit... I feel bad about it. But 3 years later playing Ultimate Frisbee he kicked my in the face while making a play and split my lip. 3 stiches inside and 7 outside to reattach, leaving a permanent facial scar. It's a bitch to shave around.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 08:25:29 PM by Barthheart »

PETS - People for the Ethical Treatment of Square corners