WrTH TNE 1ST MARINE DWISION IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM                  9


    Headquarters, 7th Marines
    Headquarters and Service Company, 7th Marines
    1st Battalion, 7th Marines
    2d Battalion, 7th Marines
    1st Battalion, 5th Marines
    3d Battalion, 9th Marines
    3d Tank Battalion
    3d Assault Amphibian Battalion
    1st Combat Engineer Battalion
    3d Battalion,   ith Marines
    Company D, 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion

   Still in California were the Headquarters,    5th Marines,   and three of its
battalions:  2d  Battalion, 5th  Marines; 3d   Battalion, 5th  Marines;  and  2d
Battalion, 9th Marines. Three battalions (3d Battalion, 1st Marines; 1st Battalion,
4th Marines; 1st Battalion, 9th Marines) belonged to the 1st Marines but had
Western Pacific commitments and were not available at that time. That was also
the situation with 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, which was on unit deployment to
Okinawa and would join the division later. Ultimately, all but the 2d Battalion,
9th Marines, deployed to the Kuwait Theater of Operations (KTO).
   As the 1st Marine Division commenced its deployment, General Myatt and
his staff developed Division Op Order 2-90 and published it on 31 August. The
mission given the division required it to deploy to the "CentCom AOR'1 (Central
Command      area)  and  establish command   and   control  capabilities, assume
operational control over available Marine ground forces, and deploy additional
ft~rces from the United States. The division continued the basic mission assigned
to 7th MEB, protecting an area encompassing Jubayl, Aymah, Ras Tannurah,
and Bahrain. General Boomer wanted the division capable of employment as
soon as possible to "attrit and delay' an advancing enemy. Other tasks included
conducting    close  air support  and   interdiction  operations, and  planning
counteroffensive operations to restore the integrity of the Saudi Arabian border.
   The  1st   Marine   Division  underwent  several   reorganizations during  its
deployment to Saudi Arabia. Each reorganization was in response to changing
operational plans, the arrival of additional infantry battalions, and increases in
the number     of tanks,  assault amphibious   vehicles,  and  combat  engineer
equipment. There was a great deal of experimentation within the division as
General Myatt and regimental commanders worked to refine the organization for
combat. The ultimate aim was the eventual creation of task forces that had the
mobility, fire power, and engineer capability to penetrate Iraqi defensive lines
and then defeat enemy mechanized and armored forces.21
   Lieutenant Colonel    Clifford 0.  Myers,   Commanding    Officer,  1st Light
Armored Infantry Battalion,     initiated the designation of task forces  during
Operation Desert Shield     and  Operation Desert Storm.22     In August  1990,
Lieutenant Colonel Myers faced the immediate commitment of the composite
battalion to long-range screening operations. He needed to create a sense of
pride and unit identity among the personnel from both the 3d Light Armored