The First Infantry Division and the U.S. Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm, 1970-1991 (American Military Experience)

This fast-paced and compelling read closes a significant gap in the historiography of the late Cold War U.S. Army and is crucial for understanding the current situation in the Middle East. From the author's introduction: “My purpose is a narrative history of the 1st Infantry Division from 1970 through the Operation Desert Storm celebration held 4th of July 1991. This story is an account of the revolutionary changes in the late Cold War. The Army that overran Saddam Hussein’s Legions in four days was the product of important changes stimulated both by social changes and institutional reform. The 1st Infantry Division reflected benefits of those changes, despite its low priority for troops and material. The Division was not an elite formation, but rather excelled in the context of the Army as an institution.” This book begins with a preface by Gordon R. Sullivan, General, USA, Retired. In twelve chapters, author Gregory Fontenot explains the history of the 1st infantry Division from 1970 to 1991. In doing so, his fast-paced narrative includes elements to expand the knowledge of non-military readers. These elements include a glossary, a key to abbreviations, maps, nearly two dozen photographs, and thorough bibliography. The First infantry Division and the U.S. Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm is published with support from the First Division Museum at Cantigny. This fast-paced and compelling read closes a significant gap in the historiography of the late Cold War U.S. Army and is crucial for understanding the current situation in the Middle East. In the two decades between Vietnam and Desert Storm, the 1st Infantry Division underwent rapid and dramatic change. Faced with institutional collapse, required to adapt rapidly to volunteer manning, and facing a radical change of mission orientation, the Armys post-Vietnam leadership rewrote service doctrine and revised unit organization, training, and leader development for all ranks. As a result, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the 1st Infantry Division began preparing for war though they were not on the announced troop list and then spearheaded the rapid ground attack that swept the Iraqi Army from the battlefield with minimal loss of life. "The First Infantry Division and the US Army Transfromed sheds fresh light and understanding on the combat experiences of soldiers and units in the 1991 Gulf War. Greg Fontenon, an accomplished soldier and historian as well as a veteran of that war, explains how that lopsided victory was rooted in the Army's Renaissance after the Vietnam War. In his expert telling, Fontenot makes clear that understanding the experience of the First Infantry Division in Desert Storm is important to preparing for future armed conflict." -- From jacket Gregory Fontenot. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.