The Road to Safwan: The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 ...

Safwan 199
Soon the division tactical command post arrived and established
itself about 400 meters to the east. It now became the focal
point of a massive, corps-directed effort to prepare the airfield for
a high-profile show as CENTCOM, the Third Army, and VII
Corps sent truck after truck of personnel and equipment to this
once obscure airfield. BG Carter and LTC Wilson were quite concerned
since it seemed as though things were arriving with no
plan. Concerned that the show would fail, Wilson directed Morrison
to get over to the runway and “organize things.” 49
Morrison headed down to the airfield and found a disaster
with the remains of the war everywhere and a growing group
of soldiers from higher commands standing around looking
confused. He grabbed an M-88 tank retriever and began directing
it to haul away broken vehicles, metal containers, and trash
of all kinds off the runway so the command could start landing
C-130 aircraft full of supplies. Everyone was quite startled as
the M88 set off a number of the bomblets that were reminders
from the recent campaign. Around midnight a flight of CH-47
helicopters arrived carrying supplies and the first question
from the pilots was “did the soldiers have any souvenirs to
trade?” The HHT commander and his driver, Specialist Dave
Hall, watched the increasingly confused process. Finally Morrison
began unloading the new tents, stoves, and porta-johns and
began bringing some order to the runway. Around 0300 he fell
asleep in his HMMWV, as some sense of order emerged among
the crates of equipment and food. 50
Over the next thirty-six hours the brigade’s soldiers transformed
the airfield. The corps commander sent another CH-47
cargo helicopter full of tents, tables, chairs, and communications
gear. Truck convoys from the 2nd (Corps) Support Command
and the 21st (Theater) Support Command arrived with,
among other things, refrigerated vans containing fresh meats,
fruits, and vegetables. Also in the convoy were a large mess tent
and other equipment and furnishings to bring the site to a level
fitting for a well-publicized, international conference. Before it
was all over, most of the squadron got themselves a good steak
meal and a can of “near beer” (non-alcoholic). 51
The protocol for the meeting was carefully scripted, rehearsed,
and constantly revised. The general plan was for