01/20/2026
Salute to our members!
ON THIS DAY (1/16/1991) - OPERATION DESERT STORM BEGAN
THE LEAD-UP
On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait, quickly overwhelming the small nation with a force of more than one million troops. Saddam Hussein soon declared that Kuwait no longer existed as an independent country. The international community condemned the invasion, and the United States led the formation of a multinational coalition to defend Saudi Arabia and compel Iraqâs withdrawal from Kuwait.
OPERATION DESERT SHIELD On August 7, 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered U.S. forces to the Persian Gulf, launching Operation Desert Shield. What followed was one of the most rapid and massive military buildups in modern history. Within days, tens of thousands of American servicemembers and vast amounts of equipment were deployed to the region by air and sea to deter further Iraqi aggression and prepare for potential combat.
OPERATION DESERT STORM
After months of diplomatic efforts failed, Desert Shield transitioned to Operation Desert Storm, which began on January 16, 1991, at 7:00 PM Eastern Time (January 17 local time). A U.S.-led coalition launched a six-week air campaign that dismantled much of Iraqâs military infrastructure, air defenses, and command-and-control capabilities. This was followed by a swift, four-day ground offensive that decisively defeated Iraqi forces. Kuwait was liberated on February 26, and a ceasefire was declared on February 28, 1991.
Women played a critical and highly visible role throughout Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Approximately 7 percent of U.S. forces deployed were women, and by the end of the conflict more than 40,000 servicewomen were serving in the Gulfâthe largest deployment of military women in U.S. history at that time. Although women were barred by law from direct combat roles, many served in forward and exposed positions. They operated and maintained aircraft, drove fuel and water tankers, guarded perimeters, repaired jet engines, tracked aircraft and missiles, ran communications centers, performed surgery in field hospitals, conducted medical evacuations, and served as military police, intelligence specialists, meteorologists, and radar operators. One servicewoman even led a company of Chinook helicopters into Iraq during the opening phase of the ground war.
During the conflict, eleven servicewomen lost their lives, four due to hostile action, and two were captured and held as prisoners of war. The American public watched closely as military women performed their duties with professionalism and courage, often under dangerous conditions. Their service during the Gulf War helped shift public perception and played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for women in the Armed Forces. Within two years of the warâs end, Congress repealed restrictions on women flying combat aircraft (1993) and serving aboard Navy combatant ships (1994).
Operation Desert Storm marked a turning pointânot only in modern warfare, but in the history of womenâs military service. The courage, capability, and leadership demonstrated by servicewomen during the Gulf War permanently reshaped the role of women in the U.S. Armed Forces and strengthened their place in our Nationâs history.
