HISTORY SLIDES FOR 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION

File: 970313_sep96_decls37_0052.txt
Page: 0052
Total Pages: 96

Subject = HISTORY SLIDES FOR 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION                      

Folder Title = DRAFT COPY OF 101ST ABN DIV AALT OPERATIONS DS-S                                                

Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS 

Unit  = 101ST ID    

Box ID = BX001611

File Cabinet = Week-48 

File Room = sep96_classified    








               "Cry Havoc. Let loose the dogs of war," First Brigade TF

        Commander, Colonel Hill, paraphrased William Shakespeare as

        Hill's brigade thundered towards its landing zone in the largest
                                        149
        air assault attack ever mounted.    Earlier on the morning of 24

        February, the soldiers belonging to First Brigade's air assault

        task force had braced for their encounter with destiny. Even as

        the final preparations for the air assault were under way, a

        heavy fog started blanketing the earth. The resulting poor

        visibility briefly postponed First Brigade's appointment in
              ISO
        Iraq.

               An OH58D Kiowa from the 1-9th Cav Target Acquisition and

        Reconnaissance Platoon was to screen for the pathfinder insertion

        mission. The aircraft (tail number 288) was destroyed as it

        struck the ground in the heavy fog. The crash occured near the

        line of departure at 0330. Both crew members were hospitalized,

        the aerial observer with third degree burns to the back.

               After the Kiowa crash, the division elected to delay the
        pathfinder mission for at least an hour. 152 Eventually the

        division chose to launch the pathfinder mission simultaneous.to

        the 1-101 AATK mission to screen FOB Cobra. Two UH60 Blackhawks

        inserted the pathfinders at 0720. The 1-101 AATK was in position
        screening FOB Cobra shortly thereafter. 153

               Once the landing zone was prepared, the mission returned to

        its planned tempo. Sixty-six UH60A Blackhawks and thirty CH47D

        Chinooks carrying lst Brigade's first air assault lift gracefully

        climbed from the brigade's pickup zone in TAA Campbell. By 0727,



                                         46

Document 96 f:/Week-48/BX001611/DRAFT COPY OF 101ST ABN DIV AALT OPERATIONS DS-S/history slides for 101st airborne division:03069709501938
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-48
Box ID = BX001611
Unit = 101ST ID
Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS
Folder Title = DRAFT COPY OF 101ST ABN DIV AALT OPERATIONS DS-S
Folder Seq # = 127
Subject = HISTORY SLIDES FOR 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION
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 = 06-MAR-1997