After the Storm

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jarad A. Denton
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  "The people of the State of Kuwait send a message of heartfelt appreciation and of peace and friendship to you. Your profound belief in the principles of freedom and human dignity returned Kuwait to its rightful place among the family of nations.

Our prayers go to you, the families of those who have fallen to liberate our country. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifices your loved ones made for our freedom."

It was Jan. 15, 1991 when Saddam Hussein ignored the United Nations ultimatum to remove his troops and a United States-led coalition was sent in to drive him out. U.S. President George Bush deployed American forces to Saudi Arabia almost six months afterwards, and urged other countries to send their own forces to the scene.

An array of nations joined the coalition. The great majority of the military forces in the coalition were from the United States, with Saudia Arabia, the United Kingdom and Egypt as leading contributors, in that order.

Twenty years later, veterans of that conflict look back on their experiences during Desert Storm and how their time in the desert impacted the life they lead now.


· People, places and things: Lt. Col. Gregory Friedland, 28th Bomb Wing judge advocate and former U.S. Army helicopter pilot, recounts his time forging lasting bonds with the soldiers he served with during Desert Storm.

· St. Elmo's fire: Master Sgt. Kenneth Barker, 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron vehicle NCO in charge and former C-5 Galaxy crew chief, shares two stories from Desert Storm that will stay with him forever.

· The young captain: Mark Schlichte, 28th Bomb Wing inspector general and former B-52 Stratofortress pilot, discusses the perspective he gained from viewing the war as a young captain.