AAR 1ST MARDIV IN SWA

File: 970725_dec96_decls34_0116.txt
Page: 0116
Total Pages: 130

Subject = AAR 1ST MARDIV IN SWA

Parent Organization = MCCDC

Unit = WDID

Folder Title = AFTER ACTION REPORT 1ST MARINE DIVISION IN SOUTHWEST ASIA WDID SWA 0073

Document Number = 1

Box ID = BX600145

UNCLASSIFIED

the tan @ s were t-tp I c)adeo w2 th the correct enoineer equipment.
1/7 crossed Fhase Line &lEc@ , the l,uwait/Saudi Arabian border, at
@1117, continued to move past F'haserLinc- Purple, and_arrived at the
att@cl position withOLkt incident one hOLtr earlier than e>:p'ected at
?2c)c).
With H-HOLir con-firmed, the,,Battallon-began moving tgtt@@--Line
T I ,. I .I-
of Departure at C)515, crossing it ,a short while after. About 06()C)
Tiger 3 reported the mineiield close to its front. In fact, the
minefield was further forward than originally perceived. Teams
Mecb and Tani, had to continue forward,past Phase Liee Saber-,.,to
find-the forward trace of the mine+leld. As the sun began to peen
over-the eastern horizon twenty minutes later, both Captain Craig
Baker-and'Captain Mancini had-popped a red.star rluster indicating
that they had fOLtnd the mine+ielde-7-Obstacle-Clearing Detachments
(OCD's) from both teams immediately'-Began their breaching-
procedures, pLtttInO into effect those actions rehearsed hundreds
of times in the previous months.-Team Tant, +ired.their MK58 single
shot -line charae to no effect. - They attempted tospr7ime-it,
manually but coltld-not do so. Captain Mancini.then called one of
ht-stM@1154-3 shot line charges foridard.....It fir-ed-,once, had to be
pri@med manually to detonate, ther@ffollowed in-trakcer,.o+.a mine plow
the length of the first blast, and fired a second time to complete
the breach. Rep-atino an event that would become routine by the
end of B-Day, tt,@- OCD once agair@ sent art engineE-r.,_out to manLtall'/
prime the charms. BL@t when Te6g, Tan@: fired the green and white
s@Isr-combination sionalinc lane 4 clear, only @-4 minutes had
elapsed. The time was 0644
Initially, Team mech ;c@-erried "good to ao" for their aSS8Ltlt
breach on lane -7,. Their one shot line charge, aligned on a C)JC)
degree aZlft,L@th, -fired and detonated as advertised. ZE;Ltt as
waywthrowgbhpr7pgfing.tte/
ttiegr;truc-[,iwhat we,!@llow t3ei evc-,
w&SLM'144oubIL5a@mp- ise?miriei m*Q 91kiLVIcc-LL@eddpp,lr
-tir-4ead. and&-Di I (d 43 Sy
5 U.S.C. 552'@rb
Reacting quickly, Team Mech---shbiftE-d 7(') meter t)@ t)h e I e f t ,
called up a three shot and fired another line charge. After
primina manLLa I 1 Y to detonate, the tant: with mine plow 'proofed the
lane to the enc c@+ the blast waiting until another line shot,
soain manually primed, Could clear the rest of the path of mines.
Lane :@ was open'-d at C)7i.)-/. 1-iger ZN7 then passed through 1/7's
assault breaches enCOLinterinQ no resistance to their front but
reporting a possible position on their right +Iaril,. As 1/7 pushed
through the breach on 7-.rd Tan@.sl heels, Team Tani, established a
SLtPPOrt by +ire position to the so.uth while Team Mech prepared to
envelop from the west. A reco n by fire from Teaff, Mech received no
r C-t Lkrr fire, so 1/7 contir"Lted to attac@, forward.
Shortly thereafter, TFR ordered 1/7 to hold at Phase Line
Rapier- in order- to guard kipper's right flan@ until lasl For-ce
F'E,pc pear becan e++ectina their assault breaches on TFR and 1/7's
rig@-,t fl&n@ Tt-@c Cbfrb&t Irain attested z re--upply of the
Ml,l'@4's, bltt WL' Moved to BF' 17 be+ore it COLT Id be completed.

UNCLASSIFIED