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1 - The Black Vault

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PRAETORIAN STARSHIP<br />

--7^*—1^,<br />

■,.. :-^'£JJ^<br />

Figure 44. AFSOC Deployed Locations during Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Source: USAF<br />

Special Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.)<br />

many) could be spread among more special operators.<br />

On 29 November the UN Security Council<br />

authorized the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw<br />

from Kuwait by midnight, Eastern Standard<br />

Time, on 15 January 1991. With the main base at<br />

KFIA operating smoothly and its forward bases<br />

secured, AFSOCCENT was ready for the onset of<br />

war .<br />

By December of 1990 SOCCENT’s Coalition warfare<br />

mission had progressed to a point that an exercise<br />

to validate the capability was finalized. Exercise<br />

Desert Alliance was conducted from 18 to 23<br />

December, with AFSOCCENT aircraft flying 20<br />

sorties supporting SOCCENT’s Coalition units, including<br />

Kuwaiti, French, Egyptian, Saudi, British,<br />

and American forces. <strong>The</strong> exercise placed demands<br />

on both aircrew and maintenance personnel by increasing<br />

the operations tempo to wartime levels.<br />

Photo courtesy of Mike Lavengood<br />

USAF Photo<br />

Photo details construction of underground bunker used<br />

during Desert Storm.<br />

Life at Arar AB was basic at best. Mike Lavengood pictured<br />

on the steps of an underground command bunker.<br />

Note the two MH-60s on strip alert in the background.<br />

348

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