6                               U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991


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                                          P~inting by Sgt Charies G. Grow, USMC
 Marine ai.nWervman begins anoll~er day in Saudi Arabia, Januaiy 1991.

 At the time of Op Order 003's writing, the main battle area was so close to
 Jubayl that no faliback positions existed.~Hopkins informed1~the ground force that
 there would be no withdrawal. There was nowhere to go.
    The completion of 7th MEB's deployment no sooner ended than it was
 followed by the almost immediate arrival of the 1st Marine Expeditionary
 Brigade, Maritime Prepositioning Squadron 3, and the remaining elements of the
 1st Marine Division. They encountered a less frantic atmosphere, and in a short
 time the 1st Marine Division completed its deployment with the successftil
 incorporation, called "compositing," of the ground elements of the 1st and 7th
 MEBs. General Boomer subsequently remarked that fl~e rapid establishment of
 Marine combat power  in Saudi Arabia cost the    Iraqis      their window  of
 opportunity fi~r a successful invasion of Saudi Arabia.16 With its passing, the
 initiative shi-fted to the allies.

                Organizing and Deploying the Division

    Not since the Vietnam conflict had an entire Marine division deployed
 overseas. The deployment of the division required organizational changes. In
 the summer of 1990, the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton was gathered
 around a nucleus of three infantry regiments totaling 12 battalions. They were
 supported by one regiment of artillery, one tank battalion, one assault amphibian