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

Deployment 35
15. Their task was to conduct the initial reconnaissance of the
squadron’s assembly area and to arrange for the arrival and reception
of the main body in Saudi Arabia. They crammed their
personal gear and supplies into the executive officer’s HMMWV
and tied it down inside the aircraft. Flying through Torrejon,
Spain, where they had some maintenance problems, they arrived
in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on December 17. 14
The squadron cased its colors, signifying its formal departure
from the United States, in a ceremony on December 18.
This was another milestone in preparation for departure for
war and was reminiscent of a similar affair in October 1965
when the division had headed for Vietnam. Conducted on the
parade ground just outside the squadron headquarters on a
cold and blustery day, it was attended by families and friends
of the troopers, as well as local businessmen and dignitaries
who wanted to show their support for the cavalrymen.
The preparation for traveling to a strange part of the world
and combat included more than just shipping equipment and
training units. There was also a need to prepare new troopers
mentally for combat. Senior leaders usually accomplished this
by counseling and advising their younger troopers. For example,
SGM Ken Shields gathered the S3 Section soldiers together
in mid-December and talked with them about doing their jobs,
of being afraid in combat, and of his desire to bring them all
home. The young, eighteen- to twenty-five-year-old soldiers
were riveted in place by what he had to say. For the first time
war was no longer just a prospect and training a game; it was
real and the young looked to the veterans for advice and to
bring them through it all. Similar scenes took place across the
division that week.
As Christmas approached, MG Rhame encouraged unit
commanders to grant as much leave as possible for the soldiers,
as long as it did not interfere with the deployment.
Everyone wanted a few quiet days with family before departure.
Wilson authorized a three-day holiday for the squadron
and many soldiers spent their Christmas in the local area.
Some made quick trips back home to say their final goodbyes. 15
Families went through the motions of trying to make the
Christmas celebration as normal as possible, but it was not