years on the assumption that if it could perform against the Soviet threat in Europe, it could perform anywhere. However, Operation Desert Storm provided some examples to the contrary. For instance, the backbone of Army field communications, the Mobile Subscriber Equipment ( MSE ) system, was created for the confined, defensively - oriented European battlefield. Even though it was specifically designed to be mobile, it could not be reconfigured quickly enough to keep up with U.S. forces in the desert. Nor could it operate over these long distances.

Using Groud Contingency Units

          Contingency units from the 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Marine Division formed the backbone of the first defensive ground forces deployed after the invasion of Kuwait. Their fast reaction capability allowed them to be deployed to the theater within days of the Saudi government's decision to allow U.S. troops on their soil.

          However, the 82nd Airborne and the 1st Marine Divisions are only lightly armed and not particularly well suited for the kind of open desert, heavy armor warfare required to counter Iraqi forces. Senior commanders admitted having serious concerns during the early days of the deployment about the ability of these light infantry units to defend credibly against an Iraqi thrust into Saudi Arabia. One Marine officer noted that they considered themselves a mere " speed bump " that only could have slowed the Iraqi armor advance, not stopped it.

          As preparations for the ground war accelerated, it became clear that there was no need to use the 82nd Division's unique ability to conduct a parachute drop. So the division was split into brigades and parceled out to a variety of missions. One brigade was attached to the French 6th Division, while the other two went to assembly areas in rented civilian Saudi buses. There they joined a convoy of trucks to assume a follow-on role during the ground war as motorized infantry support for the 24th Mechanized Division.

          Meanwhile, the 1st Marine Division became part of the Marine force that later crossed Iraqi barriers and minefields into Kuwait to conduct the supporting attack towards Kuwait City. The Division was adequately equipped for this role, which also placed it in a position where it could have joined Marines coming ashore from an amphibious landing. In sum, the 1st Marine Division was employed appropriately during the ground war.

          The employment of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Marine Division during Operation Desert Storm raises two questions, however. The first is the makeup of contingency forces. They must be rapidly deployable, but further consideration must be given to their ground mobility and how they are armed.

          The second question is the match between the size of the contingency forces and their special capabilities. Although sensible uses were found for the 82nd Division, its unique ability was not required. Less than a full division may be able to provide adequate capability to conduct parachute drops in the future.

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