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January 15, 2016 Desert Wings 7
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7Zenty¿Ye years sinFe Desert StorP
Jan. 17 marks the 25th anniversary of the start of Operation mate Planning Group, developed broadcast, the Tactical Information Broadcast Service and
Desert Storm. concepts incorporated into Opera- communication satellites.
tion Desert Storm’s air campaign.
On the morning of Aug. 2, 1990, Iraq invaded nearby Ku- The planners advocated viewing Space integration was vital to the coalition kill chain ac-
wait. In less than four hours, Iraqi forces occupied the capital, the enemy as a system, rather than cording the Air Force.
Kuwait City, and Iraqi president Saddam Hussein soon an- JURXSVRUVSHFL¿FPLOLWDU\XQLWVDQG
nexed the country as the 19th province of Iraq. sought to physically paralyze that More than 60,830 Total Force Airmen were deployed in
system with an air campaign against support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, with more than 48,000
In response, the U.S. government initiated Operation Des- ¿YH³ULQJV´RUHVVHQWLDOFHQWHUVRI Reserve Airmen recalled to support home station requirements.
ert Shield on Aug. 6 to deter and contain potential attacks gravity: leadership, organic essen-
against neighboring countries. By Aug. 21, the United States tials, infrastructure, population and Editor’s note: Information for this article provided by Air
KDGEDVHG¿JKWHUDWWDFNUHFRQQDLVVDQFHHOHFWURQLFZDUIDUH ¿HOGHGPLOLWDU\IRUFHV Force Historical Support Division and the Air Force Test Cen-
airlift, and tanker aircraft in the Gulf region. ter History 2f¿ce
Disrupting the command and con-
At the end of November, the United Nations Security Coun- trol of enemy forces and convincing
cil passed Resolution 678 authorizing member states, coop- enemy commanders that they could
erating with the government of Kuwait, to use “all necessary not achieve their goals at a reason-
means” to enforce a prior resolution that demanded that Iraq able cost were key elements of the
withdraw unconditionally from Kuwait. strategy. The planners also sought
to achieve effects by convincing
On Jan. 12, 1991, Congress authorized the use of U.S. the enemy to take desired actions,
armed forces against Iraq, pursuant to Resolution 678. When as opposed to victory through a
the U.N.’s Jan. 15 deadline for withdrawal passed, President strategy of annihilation or attrition.
George H. W. Bush signed a national security directive autho-
rizing U.S. military action. Desert Storm marks the first
FRQÀLFWLQKLVWRU\WRPDNHFRPSUH-
Then, on Jan. 17, 1991, (Jan. 16 in the United States), the hensive use of stealth and space systems support capabilities
largest air campaign since World War II was launched to en- against a modern, integrated air defense.
force the resolution that demanded Iraq’s withdrawal from
Kuwait. 86IRUFHVEURXJKWQHZZHDSRQVWRWKH¿JKWLQFOXGLQJ
stealth aircraft, global positioning devices and precision guided
By the end of the day, Iraq was well on the way to defeat. technologies — these proved essential in neutralizing Iraq’s
The attacks drove Saddam Hussein and his leadership under- more than 700 combat aircraft, “state-of-the-art” air defenses,
ground, heavily damaging critical military support networks and anti-aircraft artillery pieces.
such as command and control, communications and intelli-
gence capabilities, integrated air defenses and power genera- Coalition air, ground and naval forces were greatly aided
tion. and made more combat lethal due to employment of space
technology such as weather satellites, US LANDSAT multi-
For the Air Force, the initial phase air campaign sought air spectral imagery satellites, GPS, early warning satellites,
superiority. It used an arsenal of more than 30 aircraft types tactical receive equipment and related applications satellite
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Force to gain and maintain control of the air domain.
A group of HQ U.S. Air Force planners, dubbed the Check-
DOD announces changes to military awards, decs
by Lisa Ferdinando decoration, to recognize service members who Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air were posthumous, he said. There may have
DOD News use remote technology to directly impact com- Force Cross and Silver Star Medal recommen- been a perception that only a fallen service
bat operations dations since Sept. 11, 2001, for actions in member could receive the nation’s highest
The Pentagon has made a number of chang- Iraq and Afghanistan. military award for valor, he said.
es to the military decorations and awards $GRSWLRQRIDFRPPRQGH¿QLWLRQRI0HUL-
program to ensure service members receive torious Service Under Combat Conditions There are approximately 1,000 Silver Star $IWHUWKH'HIHQVH'HSDUWPHQWFODUL¿HGWKH
appropriate recognition of their actions, ac- to determine eligibility for personal combat and 100 service cross recommendations under “risk of life” portion for the Medal of Honor’s
cording to a statement released Jan. 7. awards UHYLHZWKHRI¿FLDOVDLG:KLOHWKHUHLVDSRV- criteria in 2010, all 10 recipients have been
sibility a medal could get upgraded, no service living, he noted. The review is to ensure that
The changes come after a long and deliber- Service cross, Silver Star review member will have the award downgraded, he no one deserving of a higher honor has been
DWHUHYLHZDGHIHQVHRI¿FLDOWROGUHSRUWHUVLQ To “ensure that those service members said. RYHUORRNHGWKHGHIHQVHRI¿FLDOVDLG
D-DQEDFNJURXQGEULH¿QJ7KHQ'HIHQVH
Secretary Chuck Hagel initiated the review in who performed valorously were recognized 7KHGHIHQVHRI¿FLDOQRWHG³XQXVXDO0HGDO The results of the reviews are due to the
2014 to improve the military awards program DWWKHDSSURSULDWHOHYHO´WKHGHIHQVHRI¿FLDO of Honor awards trends,” as a one reason for secretary of defense on Sept. 30, 2017, he
E\KDUQHVVLQJOHVVRQVOHDUQHGIURPFRQÀLFWV said that Defense Secretary Ash Carter has WKHUHYLHZ7KH¿UVWVHYHQ0HGDORI+RQRU said.
LQ,UDTDQG$IJKDQLVWDQWKHRI¿FLDOVDLG directed the military departments to review awards for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan
“He wanted to ensure that we’re appropri- Desert High student appointed to USAFA
ately recognizing our service members for
WKHLUVHUYLFHVDFWLRQVDQGVDFUL¿FHV´WKHGH- Congressman Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., 23rd District, an- McCarthy designated one princi-
IHQVHRI¿FLDODGGHG nounced his nominations to the United States Service Academies
Jan. 8. pal nominee for each academy that
The Pentagon statement points out key
changes to the decorations and awards pro- One Desert High School student, Garron Ireton, received a ZLOO¿OORQHRI¿YHVORWVDIIRUGHG
gram: Presidential nomination to the United States Air Force Academy
in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was offered an appointment and to him as a member of Congress
,PSOHPHQWDWLRQRIQHZJRDOVDQGSUR- accepted.
cesses to improve timeliness of the Medal of at each academy. He also nominat-
Honor and other valor awards Though the number of presidential nominations available to
FKLOGUHQRIFDUHHURI¿FHUDQGHQOLVWHGSHUVRQQHORIWKHDUPHG ed a slate of competing alternate
6WDQGDUGL]DWLRQRIWKHPHDQLQJDQGXVH forces is unlimited, only 100 candidates may be appointed with
of the Combat Distinguishing Device, or “V” these nominations each year. nominations for each academy that
device, as a valor-only device to ensure un-
ambiguous and distinctive recognition for For the past three years, Garron has earned awards at the Kern will be ranked according to their
preeminent acts of combat valor County Science Fair. He is a California Boys State Delegate and
Antelope Valley Press Future Leader. He has served as the Air competitiveness by the Academy
&UHDWLRQRIDQHZFRPEDWGHYLFHWREH )RUFH-527&JURXSFRPPDQGHUDQGDVVTXDGURQÀLJKWFRPPDQGHU
represented by a “C” worn on the relevant in Civil Air Patrol. After graduating from the USAFA, he hopes to Admission Board and selected for
decoration, to distinctly recognize those ser- EHFRPHD¿JKWHUSLORWDQGODWHUDWHVWSLORWDQGDVWURQDXW
vice members performing meritoriously under admission at the academy’s discre-
the most arduous combat conditions The selection process for the United States Service Academies
is competitive with many 23rd Congressional District high school tion.
,QWURGXFWLRQRID³UHPRWHLPSDFWV´GHYLFH students apply for consideration each year.
VLJQL¿HGE\DQ³5´WREHZRUQRQWKHUHOHYDQW Each candidate was interviewed
by McCarthy’s Academy Interview Courtesy photograph
Committee and the selections were
submitted to the congressman.
Among the 2015 Academy Committee members were Brig. Gen.
Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander, and Cam Martin,
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, External Affairs di-
rector.
