[captain_dave]

I was in the Army over in Germany then, in a Main Support Bn Light Maint Co. The author must have been in a different Army. Where I was excessive drinking was not celebrated, drug use would get you a dishonorable discharge, and damaging local property would get you an Article 15 with loss of rank, pay, etc. plus you'd pay for what you damaged. There were plenty of majors and colonels more interested in their next promotion than the welfare of their soldiers.

I don't think there was ever any doubt what the outcome of Desert Storm was going to be. To me it was obvious that we'd sweep in a broad flanking maneuver. The Iraqis probably knew that, too, but they were trapped in having to hold on to Kuwait. The political situation and the terrain defined the campaign. Iraq lost because their army was two generations behind the US Army. They fought as best they could but I think they knew they would lose.

[Oatka]

To me it was obvious that we'd sweep in a broad flanking maneuver. The Iraqis probably knew that, too, but they were trapped in having to hold on to Kuwait.

I read that after the war one of our officers was talking with his Iraqi counterpart. When the flanking maneuver was brought up, the Iraqi asked how we did it since "even we get lost out there".

The officer then told him about GPS and he nodded and said, "Oh, I see, your generals had the latest tech equipment". Our guy said something like, "Our generals? Hell, our platoon leaders had them!". The Iraqi put his hand over his mouth and kept saying "Oh My!, Oh My!" as he finally realized what he had been up against.

[fr_freak]

I was 11m in Germany and went to Desert Storm. My experience lines up with yours pretty well.