DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW

File: 102896_jun96_decls6_0007.txt
Page: 0007
Total Pages: 64

Subject: DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW                                   

Box ID: BX001608

Unit: 101ST ID    

Parent Organization: XVIII CORPS 

Folder Title: DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C                                                    

Folder SEQ  #:         83

Document Number:          2








           DSIT-AE-103: COL Roy E. Beauchamp


           headquarters and preparing our battalions to deploy, we were
           receiving people and equipment simultaneously and then at
           the same time deploying ourselves to Saudi Arabia.
                The initial deployment of the group was on 2 October,
           the advance party which went over with me; and the remainder
           of the group flowed into the theater then throughout the
           remaining month of October. We had almost all of the units
           from the group deployed. The only ones who did not deploy
           from the group were one company from the 20th Engineer
           Battalion, the 41st (Engineer] (Medium Girder Bridge)
           Company did not deploy. And the 20th Replacement Detachment
           did not deploy. But both those units played a key role in
           continuing to support the division and the group while we
           were at Saudi Arabia. The 20th Replacement Detachment still
           was deeply involved in processing replacements for shipment
           to theater, and the 41st then carried the bulk of the
           installation support functions that had been spread around
           to other units while we were deployed. So while they did
           not deploy, they played a very significant role in
           supporting the division while we were over there--deployed.
           So we began our deployment to the theatre on the 2d of
           October. Prior to that, we had shipped equipment to Fort
           Jacksonville during the month of September. That was
           completed at the very latter part of September. We moved
           all of our equipment by rail.

           MAJ HONEC: Did you have any problems with rail movement?

           COL BEAUCHAMP: No, it went very smoothly. Of course we
           were our own support activity. There was nobody here to
           push us out at that point in time except the installation
ery cooperative, very
           helpful in that regard--doing the last minute things '. the
           maintenance and so forth. And we had then to do for
           ourselves as we had helped others do at that time. It was a
           major effort. The soldiers saw what needed to be done.
           They responded magnificently to that challenge and they
           understood intuitively how important this was and how
           critical it was to the overall effort. And I'm happy to
           tell you that we went through all this deployment with no
           ... some very dangerous work, long hours during the months
           of August and September, and had no serious injuries or
           damage to property. And we had some of the most hazardous
           operations you can imagine. We loaded equipment on.trains
           in blinding rainstorms. we were doing it at night after a
           road march of some twenty miles out to the railhead, because
           we couldn't bring trains into the post at the time.
                So the deployment effort from Fort Campbell was the
           first major challenge that we had.



                                        4

Document 64 f:/Week-22/BX001608/DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C/desert shield-storm interview:10019616504029
Control Fields 17
File Room = jun96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-22
Box ID = BX001608
Unit = 101ST ID
Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS
Folder Title = DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C
Folder Seq # = 83
Subject = DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW
Document Seq # = 2
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 = 01-OCT-1996