OP DESERT SHIELD 483RD MED DET VS JB 6 AUG 90 16 JAN 91

File: 102496_aug96_decls9_0016.txt
Page: 0016
Total Pages: 20

Subject: OP DESERT SHIELD  483RD MED DET  VS  JB  6 AUG 90 16 JAN 91     

Unit: ARCENT      

Parent Organization: CENTCOM     

Box ID: BX000481

Folder Title: COMMAND REPORTS 422SD MED DET  VETERINARY SVCS COMMAND REPORT                                   

Document Number:         17

Folder SEQ  #:         17








               Upon retrograde movement of units and subsistence back to
         Dhahran around the middle of March the workload at all warehouses,
         in specific the 289th (Al Gosaibi), increased drastically.        Al
         Gosaibi was initially selected as the primary turn in point for all
         operational rations. The 321 MMC was tasked with orchestrating the
         retrograde movement of operational rations and initially set up a
         policy that each unit would turn their excess rations into the unit
         they drew them from. This policy didn't last long as the units who
         were to accept the rations were themselves getting ready to
         redeploy.   This meant that Al Gosaibi, 295th DSU and 227th GSU
         which was later taken over by the 209th S&S were all tasked to
         receive rations turned in'by all services.

               There was a theaterwide excess of MRE's and B rations which
         could not be consumed by units within the theater.      In addition
         there was considerable confusion as to the ownership of the
         operational rations.    ARCENT foodservice and Veterinary Offices
         both believed that all excess rations in theater except UBL's and
         POMCUS belonged to the Saudi government, as they had paid for all
         operational rations entering the theater. The final determination
         of the ownership of operational rations was not made by the end of
         this report period.    Because of this excess of rations and the
         possible Saudi ownership of the operational rations we made a
         determination with the USDA and ARCENT foodservice that only new
         rations in condition code A should be put in storage at Al Gosaibi
         to be utilized as POMCUS or to replace old or damaged UBL'S. Older
         rations with unknown storage history, damaged and dirty rations
         would not be accepted back into storage and instead were destroyed
rity issued, turned over to
         the Saudils or used for international aid programs depending on the
         product condition.

               All Air Force units in theater turned in excess operational
         rations to a central warehouse at Dammam port (Warehouse #34). New
         MRE's in excellent condition were placed in 67 milvans and shipped
         to Oman as prepositioned AF stock. The remainder of the warehouse
         was separated by item, date of pack and manufacturer and inspected
         to determine condition code. These rations were to be given to the
         Army for disposition.     All operational rations which were not
         suited for long term storage were placed on immediate issue or
         condemned depending on the condition.

               Guidance on disposition of returning rations from ARCENT
         foodservice was almost nonexistent and led to great difficulty in
         performing our mission. Inspectors had no idea on how to inspect
         the rations and there were an inadequate number of inspectors to
         perform complete inspections on all rations.

               Near the end of the reporting period a means to issue some of
         the excess MRE's was found when permission to use the rations for
         humanitarian aid was approved. MRE's were shipped from Al Gosaibi
         and the AF Warehouse to Turkey by C5 then airdropped into Iraq to
         feed the millions of starving Kurdish refugees. Additional rations
         were flown to Kuwait and southern Iraq to feed refugees.

Document 20 f:/Week-32/BX000481/COMMAND REPORTS 422SD MED DET VETERINARY SVCS COMMAND REPORT/op desert shield 483rd med det vs jb 6 aug 9:10119615402310
Control Fields 17
File Room = aug96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-32
Box ID = BX000481
Unit = ARCENT
Parent Organization = CENTCOM
Folder Title = COMMAND REPORTS 422SD MED DET VETERINARY SVCS COMMAND REPORT
Folder Seq # = 17
Subject = OP DESERT SHIELD 483RD MED DET VS JB 6 AUG 9
Document Seq # = 17
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 11-OCT-1996