wTH THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM               51


these engagements. Though initially intermittent, fighting between 1st Marine
Division and enemy units continued across the division's front until the seizure
of the Kuwait International Airport seven days later.
   Faced with the prospect of a long foot march by two regiments to their
blocking positions between the two obstacle belts, General Myatt wanted Task
Forces Grizzly and Taro to enter Kuwait several   days ahead of the two
combined arms task forces. Both units occupied their initial positions by 20
February and their outposts were the first to encounter the enemy.
   Immediately upon Task Force Grizzly's arrival at the berm, Colonel Fulks
sent the 3d Platoon, Company C, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, to find a path
through the first obstacle belt. He did not need a large path, just something
wide enough to get his infantry ~h~~~g~~H4 To cover their movement, at 0236 on
21 February, Colonel Fulks requested 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, to fire a total
of 24 rounds at an Iraqi   position near the minefield. Though he risked
advertising the presence of the task force, Colonel Fulks felt confident that the
previous weeks of artillery raids conditioned Iraqi forward units to expect
harassing fire at any point along their line. Iraqi artillery responded in the usual
manner with a single volley that appeared more reflex than aimed.        As it
happened, the volley impacted 100 meters in front of an observation post of 2d
Battalion, 7th Marines. There were no further casualties, and the night again
grew quiet. An hour later, the 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, fired another 24
rounds in support of the probing effort. This time the target was Iraqi infantry.
In spite of the artillery support, an anticipated air strike forced the early return
of the reconnaissance team without having yet found a path through the mine-
field.
   Just before dawn, a frustrated Colonel Fulks moved to the berm with the
headquarters staff preparatory to Task Force Grizzly's planned march intO
Kuwait that evening. Both infantry battalions were already along the berm and
spent the day resting,  checking equipment, and refining plans.   Additional
personnel arrived along with an M60A1 equipped with a track-width mine plow,
accompanied by an AAV equipped with three shot line charges. Their arrival
at the task force headquarters at the last minute, was the result of a significant
effort by the I MEF Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, Colonel Raymond A. List,
to provide as much breaching support to the two divisions as possible.~  Each
task force now had gained the ability to make an explosive breach.
   On 21 February, Task Force Taro became the second task force to occupy
a position near the Saudi berm. Before moving to their sites, both battalions
threw out outposts to turn back or destroy any Iraqi patrols that might have
come into Saudi Arabia. Colonel Admire took the additional step of moving his
antitank platoon HMMWVs into positions along the berm as a precaution against
enemy reconnaissance efforts.
   Task Force X-Ray spent the day moving to assembly area "Micab." There
the 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, awaited the arrival of its transport helicopters.
The unit used this time to prepare vehicles and equipment for the air assault
scheduled for the early afternoon of G-Day.