Intratheater Ground Transportation Operations During Desert Shield and Desert Storm : A Personal Experience Monograph

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm presented a tremendous challenge to ground transportation capabilities. Millions of gallons of fuel, hundreds of thousands of troops, thousands of tons of ammunition and other supplies, thousands of tanks, combat vehicles, and artillery pieces had to be moved hundreds of miles from the Seaports of Debarkation (SPOD) to Forward Logistics Bases within the theater of operation to support execution of the war. Without question, U.S. and Coalition forces achieved an overwhelming victory during Operation Desert Storm and ground transportation played a vital role throughout the operation. In the pages that follow, Lieutenant Colonel Paul L. Willis recounts his experience planning and coordinating ground transportation operations during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.