The 9th Engineers were deployed from Aschaffenburg, West Germany to Saudi Arabia to participate in Operation Desert Shield, which evolved into Desert Storm.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd platoon – D Company, 9th Engineers were the lead element of Task Force 1-41 and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division’s Scouts during the ground offensive – breaching and marking minefields during Day One of the war. Our track vehicles were some of the first to cross into Iraq at zero dark thirty on the first day of the ground offensive. And we continued onward, taking loads of prisoners, and supporting combat operations during the Battle of 73 Easting and the Battle of Norfolk.
Then there were the clearing and denial missions that lasted nearly three months after the last shot was fired. We cleared and destroyed Iraqi ammo dumps, storage facilities, and searched through their abandoned bunkers destroying both military equipment and anything that the Iraqis could use. Anything and everything.
I was a Staff Sergeant – a Squad Leader of a sapper team of seven Combat Engineers to include myself. We were armed to the teeth with an M2 50 cal (SGT Reynolds), an M60 (PFC Zavian Benson/SPC Franks), two M203s (myself and SPC Byrd), and our issued service weapons (PFC Nash and SPC Jones).
But being Combat Engineers, we had a bit more. Stuffed into our M1A1 APC were crates of C4, TNT, shape charges, cratering charges, det cord, blasting caps, and a crate of Bangalore torpedoes strapped to the top of our APC to boot. Those were cool to mess with.
We were some of the first there, and some of the last to leave. These are my photos to include the 9th Engineer yearbook that covered this war and what we did there.
Sappers Lead the Way!
Task Force 1-41 Infantry was a U.S. Army heavy battalion task force which took part in the Gulf War of January – March 1991. It was also known as Task Force Iron and Team Anvil (which included Delta Company 9th Engineers).
Task Force 1-41 Infantry was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Arabian border on 15 February 1991 and conduct ground combat operations in Iraq engaging in direct and indirect fire fights with the enemy on 17 February 1991. It was the spearhead of VII Corps. The Task Force served at the Battle of 73 Easting and the Battle of Norfolk where it was assigned to the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. It engaged and destroyed elements of 11 Iraqi divisions by the end of combat operations. This includes a significant role in the destruction of 4 Iraqi armored brigades at the Battle of Norfolk. Task Force 1-41 Infantry was awarded a Valorous Unit Award for its accomplishments during combat operations.
SSG Bailey’s narrative of Desert Storm and the three day ground war can be found here: Desert Shield to Desert Storm – a Squad Leader’s account
When we deployed from West Germany, I brought my grandfather’s Nikon with me and 6 rolls of film. Here are the photos in order with some explanations of what you are looking at. This is an ongoing project since after nearly 35 years later, these photos got a bit scattered.
Editor’s note: these are my personal photos that have never been published elsewhere and the copyright belongs to me. If you would like a high res photo of any of these without watermarks, please let me know and I will try to abide.
These photos are from the first days of the airwar, and then the three day ground offensive. My platoon was attached to the lead element in the wee hours of Day One, and sapper support of Team Anvil which pushed through Iraqi forces in in the Battle of 73 Easting and the Battle of Norfolk.
Editor’s note: these are my personal photos- if you would like to use any, all you have to do is enquire about a high res non-watermarked photo, and I will try to sort you out. I own the copyright, please respect that. Thanks!
These photos cover the time when Delta Company 9th Engineers was tasked to clear all Iraqi bunkers and buildings and to destroy EVERYTHING that the Iraqi army could use, including civilian vehicles and boats. That was in Iraq. In northern Kuwait we were only allowed to destroy military equipment – not civilian.
We camped on the Kuwaiti side of the border, and convoyed into Iraq each morning to clear more sectors. Going through the bunkers for the next few weeks was a pretty trippy experience.
Editor’s note: these are my personal photos- if you would like to use any, please ask and I’ll see about getting you a high res non-watermarked photo. I own the copyright, and please respect that. Thanks!
This is a continuation of the denial missions and bunker clearing at the aftermath of desert storm. WHo is going to pick up the mess, you? lol
Editor’s note: these are my personal photos – if you would like to use any, please ask and I’ll see about getting you a high res non-watermarked photo. I own the copyright, and please respect that. Thanks!
This is a continuation of the denial missions and bunker clearing – daily trips into Iraq, and returning to our base camp in Kuwait each night.
Editor’s note: these are my personal photos – if you would like to use any, please ask and I’ll see about getting you a high res non-watermarked photo. I own the copyright, and please respect that. Thanks!
Finished up in late April and now heading back to Saudi Arabia for redeplayment back to Aschaffenburg, West Germany.
Still living like homeless people, but we got an upgrade to camp out in the parking garage of King Fahd International Airport:
Editor’s note: these are my personal photos – if you would like to use any, please ask and I’ll see about getting you a high res non-watermarked photo. I own the copyright, and please respect that. Thanks!
This “yearbook” was published by Headquarters – 9th Engineer Battalion when we had returned from the desert.
We were in the midst of enjoying our European vacation. The wall had come down the year prior and everyone was feeling a sense of completion. We were part of the forces that would have defended the Fulda gap if and when the Soviets decided to invade. That never happened.
The Cold War seemed to be ending but…
…Saddam Hussein had the nerve to wreck our peaceful European vacation, and away we went
Many members of the 9th Engineers did not receive this yearbook, so I have scanned and uploaded these pages here – if you served with me in the 9th Engineers and would like a downloadable zip file that contains these – all you need to do is pop me an email and ask.
If you want to view these yearbook pages properly, please don’t forget to click them.
If you were a member of the 9th – or the family member of a 9th Engineer vet, please email me here, and I will send you a link for the entire yearbook download: 9th-eng-download at bryanbailey.com
