US Marines in the War on Terror

Desert Storm was the largest single operation in Marine Corps history. Nearly 91,000 Leathernecks took part. The 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade arrived on August 14 in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The next day their tanks arrived by ship. Within five days the 7th moved north, ready to fight. 15,248 stopped the fourth largest army in the world from seizing the Saudi oil fields.

The task of retaking Khafji from Iraqi troops fell to the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade's 7th Battalion, composed of Saudi infantry and two Qatari tank companies attached to the task force. These were supported by U.S. Army Special Forces and Marine Reconnaissance personnel. The battle began January 29, 1991 and ended February 1st with Coalition Forces in control of the city.

Marine airpower is unleashed on Iraq. Marines mount small unit special ops. Marine pilots' turkey shoot against the 5th Iraqi Mechanized Division.

The Marines ground war begins. The Marines take 16,000 prisoners in one day. The Reveille Counterattack, Task Force Papa Bear meets the enemy at point blank range and the battle for the Burquan Oil Fields.

The fall of the Al Jaber Airfield and the tank fight at the Kuwait International Airport; the Marines and the fall of Kuwait City.

Marines of the 15th and 26th Expeditionary Unit were the first conventional forces into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in November of 2001. The Marines land in Kandahar. Operation Enduring Freedom had the support of several other nations and operations also took place in the Philippines, Somalia and the Sahara in North Africa against Al-Qaeda forces and supporting groups.