Reference Entry
OPERATION DESERT STORM GROUND CAMPAIGN
On the night of February 23rd into February 24th, 1991, after weeks of intensive air strikes, coalition ground forces launched the main land offensive of Operation Desert Storm. U.S. Marine divisions attacked into Kuwait from the south, while U.S. Army armored corps and allied units executed a broad “left hook” across the desert into western Iraq to outflank Iraqi forces.
Dated Historical Context
RECORDED MOMENTS IN HISTORY
Desert Storm ground offensive opens overnight
On the night of February 23rd into February 24th, 1991, after weeks of intensive air strikes, coalition ground forces launched the main land offensive of Operation Desert Storm. U.S. Marine divisions attacked into Kuwait from the south, while U.S. Army armored corps and allied units executed a broad “left hook” across the desert into western Iraq to outflank Iraqi forces. Months of planning and rehearsal meant that units moved with speed and coordination, backed by artillery, attack helicopters, and close air support. Iraqi front-line positions, already battered from the air, often crumbled quickly, though pockets of resistance and difficult fighting certainly remained. The campaign liberated Kuwait in a matter of days and demonstrated the effectiveness of modern combined-arms maneuver supported by precision-guided munitions and real-time intelligence. For the U.S. military, Desert Storm became a showcase of the post-Vietnam, all-volunteer force and a reference point for doctrine, training, and public expectations in the decades that followed.
Read the complete weekly DispatchGround offensive in Operation Desert Storm begins
After more than a month of intensive air strikes during Operation Desert Storm, coalition leaders launched the long-awaited ground campaign on February 24th, 1991, to liberate Kuwait and break the Iraqi army. United States Marine units attacked directly into Kuwait alongside Arab partners, driving against entrenched Iraqi formations and minefields that had been weakened by bombardment. To the west, United States Army heavy corps executed a wide “left hook,” sweeping into Iraq to cut off retreat and threaten key supply lines and Republican Guard units. The combined effect was rapid: Iraqi forces began to collapse, surrender in large numbers, or attempt chaotic withdrawals under air attack. The ground war would famously last only about one hundred hours before a cease-fire, but the opening day set the tone, demonstrating how air and ground operations could be tightly integrated for a quick decision. For the United States military, Desert Storm’s ground phase reinforced faith in training, coalition warfare, and new technologies, even as later debates questioned what was left unresolved.
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