capacity to use Scuds to deliver chemical warheads added to the psychological impact of the Scud attacks.

         On January 19, the Israeli Government accepted the U.S. offer to deploy Patriots to various positions in Israel to defend against the Scud attacks. The First Patriot batteries, manned by U.S. troops pending training of Israeli technicians, arrived from Europe and were declared operational on January 20, 1991.

         Since the war ended, controversy has erupted surrounding the question of Patriot's effectiveness intercepting and destroying Iraqi Scuds aimed at military facilities in Saudi Arabia and civilian targets in both Saudi Arabia and Israel. In fact, Patriot successfully defended critical military facilities in Saudi Arabia such as ports and airfields, and ensured that the Scuds had a minimal impact on coalition military operations. In Israel, Patriot took on the more demanding job of defending population centers a job for which it was not designed. While its technical success in this role has been questioned, its political impact was decisive in reassuring Israeli leaders of the U.S. commitment to their security, which in turn helped keep the coalition intact by keeping Israel out of the war.

Minehunting on Land and at Sea

         Across the board, U.S. forces were generally unprepared for offensive mineclearing and breaching operations. One of the most serious challenges facing coalition ground forces preparing to enter Kuwait were the layered static defenses along the entire Kuwait - Saudi border. These barriers included extensive minefields, obstacle belts, oil - filled trenches and other man-made barricades designed to stall the expected assault into Kuwait and expose coalition forces to Iraqi heavy artillery fire.

         However, as preparations for offensive operations began, U.S. forces found themselves woefully unprepared to carry out the specialized breaching and clearing operations required to defeat this defensive tactic. Both the Army and Marines lacked the experience, training and the equipment required for the mission.

         As a result, both services were forced to compress into a few months the training, design and fielding of specialized equipment necessary to defeat the Iraqi fortifications. In theater, Marine and Army units began intensive training against dummy fortifications. In the United States, both Army and Marine acquisition systems quickly started designing, fabricating and deploying new mine plows, mine rollers, mine rakes and other equipment. The Armored Combat Engineer ( ACE ) vehicle was used in combat for the first time, as well as the rocket - propelled line charge ( MICLIC ) used to detonate mines explosively. Mine plows and rollers were also developed in the field and purchased from U.S. allies such as Israel.

         One Marine officer said, "We trained seven days a week. We built a sophisticated system of barriers and simulated mine fields. But, we did not have sufficient breaching equipment until our equipment was supplemented by the Israelis, who gave us pretty good stuff ". Another Marine officer added, "Our engineers did not receive most of the newer equipment until the middle of January and had to make do with the older D - 7 dozers and locally fabricated equipment. Most of the newer equipment like the ACE and mine rake arrived too

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