The First Gulf War 1990-91 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 2 August 1990

In doing so, Saddam Hussein might have expected condemnation from the surrounding Arab countries when he invaded Kuwait, but never that the US would respond in the way it did and be able to build a coalition of 34 countries.

Answer: 7 August 1990

The response had been setup by the Carter administration to protect American strategic interests in Saudi Arabia from invasion.

Answer: United States Central Command

USCENTCOM covers Kuwait and surrounding Middle East countries from Egypt to Kazakhstan and Syria to Pakistan.

Answer: General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.

As Commander of Central Command, which included Kuwait, President H.W. Bush placed him in command of the American led coalition.

Answer: Lieutenant General Charles A. Horner

General Horner went from Desert Storm back to Commander of Ninth Air Force at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. In 1992 General Horner became Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Space Command, as well as Commander USAF Space Command at Peterson AFB, Colorado.

Answer: USS Independence and USS Eisenhower

The USS Independence was on normal deployment in the Indian Ocean and was moved into the Persian Gulf; the USS Eisenhower was at the end of its normal six month deployment in the Mediterranean but moved into position for Combat Air Patrol operations.

Answer: USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin

These big boys were used to fire Tomahawk Missiles and shell Iraqi positions to give the illusion that a Marine amphibious assault on Kuwait City was coming at any time; this held several Iraqi units away from the main US armor thrust from the southwest called the "Left Hook."

Answer: 1st Tactical Fighter Wing; F-15C Langley AFB, VA

The 1st TFW had been on alert since 1 August 1990. The first group took off fully armed, along with aerial tanker support on 7 August 1990, flew non-stop to Saudi Arabia (15-hours), landing at Dhahran at 1600 local time and began standing Combat Air Patrol alert within four hours of arrival.

Answer: Alert Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division

The 82nd Airborne Division's ready Brigade which is always on alert for anywhere in the world.

Answer: Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF)

In emergency conditions by order of the President the US Air Force can call up civilian airlines and cargo aircraft to augment their ability to meet airlift needs. During Desert Shield CRAF was activated in August 1990 and operated until May 1991. This was the first time it was used since it was created in 1952.

Answer: 90 percent

Because of the heavy airlift support requirements to fly long distances with over sized cargo it took 90 percent (110 aircraft) to successfully meet mission requirements; it also required 80 percent of the C-141B aircraft to ensure operational mission requirements were met.

Answer: 15th of January 1991

On 29 November 1990, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 678 which gave Iraq until 15 January 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait and empowered coalition forces to use "all necessary means" to force Iraq out of Kuwait after the deadline.

Answer: F-117A Stealth Fighter

The F-117A flew over multiple missions high threat targets over Baghdad at night without being picked up on any Iraqi radar.

Answer: 3

One each of: US Navy A-6E Intruder, US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, and US Marine F/A-18C Hornet.

Answer: E-3A Sentry AWAC

The E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control aircraft were some of the first to arrive in Saudi Arabia, and had four aircraft airborne at all times from the beginning of the air war to its end.

Answer: A-10A Thunderbolt II

The A-10A suffered five downed aircraft and 12 damaged during the Air War; the FA-18C had three shot down and seven damaged; A-6E lost three to enemy fire and five damaged, and the AV-8B suffered five aircraft shot down and three damaged.

Answer: 40

Iraq's Air Force Lost the following in air-to-air comabt: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger suffered 8 aircraft lost, followed closely by the Mirage F.1EQ with 7 lost and the MiG-29 Fulcrum with 5.

Answer: F-15C Eagle

The F-15C was credited with downing 34 Iraqi aircraft for an 82 percent ratio of all engagements, without a loss. I must also note that the F-14 Tomcat, carrying the AIM-54C Phoenix missile with a range of over 100nm, well out of range of any air-to-air missile Iraq could engage the F-14s with. Because of this long range threat the Iraqi aircraft would break off and leave the area, possibly into other patrolling coalition aircraft's operating areas

Answer: 3

Two F-15C pilots were credited with three air-to-air victories: Captain's Bob Hehemann and Thomas Dietz, both of the 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Bitburg AB, Germany; several others scored two each.

Answer: Khafji

The Battle of Khafji took place between 29 January and 1 February 1991. It included the Iraqi 1st and 5th Mechanized and 3rd Armored Divisions (all understrength from continuous coalition air strikes); the Iraqi force was met by US Marines, Army Rangers, Saudi National Guard, and two Qatari tank companies, which drove the Iraqis back; the coalition forces received continuous air and Marine artillery support.

Answer: AC-130H Spectre

This AC-130H Spectre Gunship was struck by an Iraqi surface to air missile (SAM).

Answer: Scud-B

The Scud missiles fired by Iraq were Soviet upgrades to the German World War II V-2. They could carry a standard conventional high-explosive, fragmentation, nuclear 5 to 80 kiloton, or chemical VX warheads, but had a relatively short range (150-300km). Several Scuds fired were intercepted by US Patriot Surface-to-air missile batteries.

Answer: 24 February 1991

President Bush had given another chance to withdraw from Kuwait by 23 February 1991, but Saddam Hussein again refused and the ground war began in earnest the following day.

Answer: Highway of Death

Named after the hundreds of vehicles and personnel attempting to withdraw from Kuwait City to Basra on Highway 8, they were located by Marine aircraft which destroyed the head of the column and then the tail, the highway became a shooting gallery.

Answer: Battle of 73 Easting

Named after a north/south line on a coordinate grid map the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Black Horse) was leading a four division front of VII Corps when it made contact with the unsuspecting right flank of the Tawakalna Division's 18th Mechanized Brigade on 26 February 1991, destroying nearly 100 tanks and several other armored personnel carriers while suffering only a single M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle damaged.