Serving Those Who Served
The Lexington Veterans Association brings veterans and community members together in fellowship
to be informed and inspired at our monthly speaker series.
to be informed and inspired at our monthly speaker series.
The Lexington Veterans have returned to
Cary Memorial Library!
Attend in person or via Zoom.
Cary Memorial Library!
Attend in person or via Zoom.
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Coming on May 15, 2023:
"The Great Deception: Operation Desert Storm"
Presented by Bob Lewis, Captain, US Navy, Retired
Join us for our next presentation live at Cary Library and via Zoom webinar! It's free and open to the public.
If you are watching via Zoom, register here to receive a Zoom link.
Coming on May 15, 2023:
"The Great Deception: Operation Desert Storm"
Presented by Bob Lewis, Captain, US Navy, Retired
Join us for our next presentation live at Cary Library and via Zoom webinar! It's free and open to the public.
If you are watching via Zoom, register here to receive a Zoom link.
Bob Lewis
Operation DESERT STORM remains one of the shortest and least costly of America’s military victories. With Iraqi forces reeling from five weeks of air strikes, the ground offensive began on 24 February 1991 and, in less than 100 hours, dislodged Iraqi forces from Kuwait and compelled Saddam Hussein to capitulate.
The decisive advantage in training, armament, and leadership held by US air and ground forces was a key to this victory. Equally important, however, was the role of deception. Bob Lewis, retired US Navy Captain, will examine the development and implementation of the Coalition deception plan, including the plan’s objectives, the ways and means used to achieve its goals, and how well the plan succeeded in misleading Iraqi commanders.
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi military forces attacked Kuwait and quickly took control of that small Persian Gulf state. As justification for the invasion, Saddam Hussein claimed that Kuwait was historically a province of Iraq, a dubious assertion at best. In reality, Iraq’s long and expensive 8-year war against Iran left it with large debts. Saddam was far more interested in debt forgiveness from his allied neighbors, including Kuwait, and control over Kuwait’s large oil reserves to provide an infusion of much-needed capital.
In a matter of days, Iraqi forces seized Kuwait and took position on the Saudi-Kuwaiti border, posing a clear threat to the Saudi oil fields, and actually invading Saudi Arabia for a brief period. The Saudi king requested international support on 6 August and a global coalition led by the United States immediately answered the call.
Saddam attempted to break up the coalition by attacking Israel with SCUD ballistic missiles, hoping to lure Israel into counterattacking Iraq. Several members of the coalition vowed to drop out of the coalition if Israel entered the fray, so it was imperative for the United States to hunt and destroy the SCUDs. The US sent a Patriot Missile battery, along with a skilled U.S. missile crew, to Israel. Reassured that the U.S. was doing its best to destroy the SCUDs, Israel refrained from falling into Saddam’s trap.
The plan for the ground campaign featured a broad Coalition attack on Iraqi units in Kuwait that fixed them in position. At the same time, mobile and lethal armored forces enveloped the Iraqi Army from the west by driving deep into southern Iraq, aiming for the Iraqi Republican Guard divisions, Saddam’s Hussein’s strategic reserve, and Praetorian Guard. This envelopment proved to be the devastating blow that forced the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait and into a headlong retreat northward into Iraq.
Deception played a key role in the way this plan developed. Given the size, capability, and deployment of the Iraqi Army, deceiving the Iraqi chain of command at both the operational and tactical levels became critical to Coalition commanders.
The decisive advantage in training, armament, and leadership held by US air and ground forces was a key to this victory. Equally important, however, was the role of deception. Bob Lewis, retired US Navy Captain, will examine the development and implementation of the Coalition deception plan, including the plan’s objectives, the ways and means used to achieve its goals, and how well the plan succeeded in misleading Iraqi commanders.
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi military forces attacked Kuwait and quickly took control of that small Persian Gulf state. As justification for the invasion, Saddam Hussein claimed that Kuwait was historically a province of Iraq, a dubious assertion at best. In reality, Iraq’s long and expensive 8-year war against Iran left it with large debts. Saddam was far more interested in debt forgiveness from his allied neighbors, including Kuwait, and control over Kuwait’s large oil reserves to provide an infusion of much-needed capital.
In a matter of days, Iraqi forces seized Kuwait and took position on the Saudi-Kuwaiti border, posing a clear threat to the Saudi oil fields, and actually invading Saudi Arabia for a brief period. The Saudi king requested international support on 6 August and a global coalition led by the United States immediately answered the call.
Saddam attempted to break up the coalition by attacking Israel with SCUD ballistic missiles, hoping to lure Israel into counterattacking Iraq. Several members of the coalition vowed to drop out of the coalition if Israel entered the fray, so it was imperative for the United States to hunt and destroy the SCUDs. The US sent a Patriot Missile battery, along with a skilled U.S. missile crew, to Israel. Reassured that the U.S. was doing its best to destroy the SCUDs, Israel refrained from falling into Saddam’s trap.
The plan for the ground campaign featured a broad Coalition attack on Iraqi units in Kuwait that fixed them in position. At the same time, mobile and lethal armored forces enveloped the Iraqi Army from the west by driving deep into southern Iraq, aiming for the Iraqi Republican Guard divisions, Saddam’s Hussein’s strategic reserve, and Praetorian Guard. This envelopment proved to be the devastating blow that forced the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait and into a headlong retreat northward into Iraq.
Deception played a key role in the way this plan developed. Given the size, capability, and deployment of the Iraqi Army, deceiving the Iraqi chain of command at both the operational and tactical levels became critical to Coalition commanders.
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Veterans DayA Veterans Breakfast and a traditional Veterans Day ceremony marked the 2022 Veterans Day observance.
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Thanks to Dinesh Patel, MD, Sue Stering, and volunteers from the Lexington Town Celebrations Committee
for the beautiful photographs included on our website.
for the beautiful photographs included on our website.