The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

The poor Iraqi performance can be attributed to three factors. First, coalition air power completely
dominated Iraqi forces. The Iraqis were denied aerial intelligence and coalition bombing destroyed
their ability to communicate. Further strikes severely weakened their forces and ability to resupply.
Second, Iraqi morale and will to fight was devastated by continued coalition air strikes. Widespread
desertions seriously weakened combat units. Only a few Iraqi units held together for the fight and they
were surprised by the coalition left hook and their lack of intelligence.
Lastly, Saddam Hussein made the mistake of letting UN forces build up. If Iraq had attacked Saudi
Arabia and taken the ports, it would have been extremely hard and potentially very costly to land
forces in Saudi Arabia.
Lessons Lessons Lessons Lessons Lessons Learned Learned Learned Learned Learned
The KC 135R Stratotanker and their crews are the unsung heroes of many air campaigns.
The victory in the Gulf did exactly what UN Resolution 678 called for. The Iraqi’s were expelled
from Kuwait and the Kuwaiti’s returned to their homeland. It is doubtful that an enemy will ever wait
for the United States to great ready for battle again. Iraq did and they lost. A lesson learned may be that
next time, the enemy may not wait.
It was a victory so complete that it helped erase some of the hurt suffered in Vietnam. Moreover, all
the lessons learned in World War II, Korea and Vietnam were not wasted. America learned from them
and it showed in the execution of Operation Desert Storm.
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