Only those naval vessels used for shore bombardment, associated with fixed-wing aviation, or carrying Marine forces are listed. NAVCENT also commanded the afloat Marine forces. VQ-1 and VQ-2: at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Masirah, Oman, and Bahrain: I EA-3B, 1 EP-3E Aries Orion MEF (Middle East Force) USMCMG (US Mine Countermeasures Group) HM-14 Vanguards (Aboard Tripoli, laterNew Orleans and La Salle): 1 MH-53E HM- 15 Black Hawks (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia): 1 MH-53E Middle East Forces Surface Combatant Squadron USS Missouri (BB-63) USS Wisconsin (BB-64) ATF (Amphibious Task Force) Amphibious Group 2 USS Nassau (LHA-4) USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) USS Guam (LPH-9) USS Raleigh (LPD-1) USS Shreveport (LPD-12) USS Trenton (LPD-14) USS Portland (LSD-37) USS Pensacola (LSD-38) USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) USS Manitowoc (LST-1 180) USS Saginaw (LST-1 188) USS Spartanburg County (LST-1 192) USS La Moure County (LST-1 194) with embarked 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (NEB) and Marine Air Group 40: VMA-331 Bumblebees (aboard Nassau): 5 AV-8B RNM-263 Thunder Chickens (aboard Nassau/Iwo Jima/Guam): 3 CH-46E HMM-3 65 Blue Knights (aboard Nassau/lwo Jima/Guam): 3 CH-46E HMH-461 Sea Stallions (aboard Nassau/lwo Jima/Guam): 3 CH-53E HMLA-269 Sea Cobras (aboard Nassau/lwo Jima/Guam): 3 AH-lW, I AH-1T, 1 UH-IN A Battery, 2d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Amphibious Group 3 USS Tarawa (LHA-1) USS Tripoli (LPH-10) USS New Orleans (LPH-11) USS Mobile (LKA-115) USS Vancouver (LPD-2) USS Denver (LPD-9) USS Juneau (LPD-10) USS Anchorage (LSD-36) USS Mount Vernon (LSD-39) USS Germantown (LSD-42) USS Peoria (LST-1 183) USS Frederick (LST-1 184) USS Barbour County (LST-1 195) with embarked 5th MEB, which includes embedded 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable MEU (SOC), and Marine Air Group 50 HMM-265 (aboard Tarawa/New Orleans): 3 CH-46E HMM-268 Red Dragons (aboard Tarawa/New Orleans): 3 CH-46E Detachment, HMH-466 (aboard Tarawa/New Orleans): 1 CH-53E HMLA-169 Vipers (aboard Tarawa/New Orleans: 2 AH-lW, 3 UH-lN HMA-773 (aboard Tarawa/New Orleans): 3 AH-lJ A Battery, 3d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Note: The 5th MEB was landed south of the Kuwait-Saudi border on 24 February to serve as the I MEF reserve. PhibGru 3's Tripoli was tasked to serve as the flagship of the Navy's mine countermeasures force, embarking six MH-53E minesweeping helos from HM-14 Vanguards (elements of HM-15 Blackhawks were also present in theater). This had the effect of overcrowding the remaining decks of PhibGru 3, and eventually obliged Tarawa to send the six AV-8Bs of VMA-513 Det B ashore to Al Jubail (under MARCENT, above) on 15 February. This difficulty was later further exacerbated when New Orleans was tapped to replace the mine-damaged Tripoli. Amphibious Ready Group Alpha Amphibious Squadron 5: USS Okinawa (LPH-3) USS Durham (LKA-114) USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) USS Ogden (LPD-5) USS Cayuga (LST- 1186) with embarked 13th MEU (SOC) and HMM-164 Flying Claymores (Reinforced) (aboard Okinawa): 3 CH-46E, 1 CH-53E, 1 AH-1W Task Force 15841 Marine Expeditionary Force (Afloat) 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (US) 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (US) (Moved to MARCENT control when landed on 24 February) 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (US) Persian Gulf Battle Force CV-41 USS Midway (in Persian Gulf) Carrier Air Wing 5 VFA-151 Vigilantes: 3 F/A-18A VFA-192 Golden Dragons: 3 F/A-18A VFA-195 Dambusters: 3 F/A-18A VA- 115 Eagles: 2 A-6E VA-185 Nighthawks: 1 A-6E, 1 KA-6D VAQ-136 Gauntlets: 1 EA-6B VAW-115 Sentinels: 1 E-2C CV-61 USS Ranger (in Persian Gulf) Carrier Air Wing 2 VF-1 Wolfpack: 3 F-14A VF-2 Bounty Hunters: 2 F-14A VA-145 Swordsmen: 3 A-6E VA- 155 Silver Foxes: 3 A-6E VAQ-131 Lancers: 1 EA-6B VAW- 116 Sunkings: 1 E-2C CV-66 USS America (Left Red Sea 7 February, in Persian Gulf from 15 February) Carrier Air Wing 1 VF-33 Starfighters: 3 F-14A VF-102 Diamondbacks: 2 F-14A VFA-82 Marauders: 3 F/A- 18C VFA-86 Sidewinders: 3 F/A-18C VA-85 Buckeyes: 2 A-6E, 1 KA-6D VAQ- 137 Rooks: 1 EA-6B VAW-123 Screwtops: 1 E-2C CVN-71 USS Theodore Roosevelt (in Persian Gulf) Carrier Air Wing 8 VF-41 Black Aces: 3 F-14A VF-84 Jolly Rogers: 2 F-14A VFA-15 Valions: 3 F/A-18A VFA-87 Golden Warriors: 2 F/A-18A VA-36 Road Runners: 3 A-6E VA-65 Tigers: 2 A-6E VAQ-141 Shadowhawks: 1 EA-6B VAW-124 Bear Aces: 1 E-2C Red Sea Battle Force CV-60 USS Saratoga (in Red Sea) Carrier Air Wing 17 VF-74 Bedevilers: 3 F-14A+ VF-103 Sluggers: 2 F-14A+ VFA-81 Sunliners: 3 F/A-18C VFA-83 Rampagers: 3 F/A- I 8C VA-35 Black Panthers: 2 A-6E, 1 KA-61) VAQ- 132 Scorpions: 1 EA-6B VAW-125 Tiger Tails: 1 E-2C CV-67 USS John F. Kennedy (in Red Sea) Carrier Air Wing 3 VF-14 Tophatters: 3 F-14A VF-32 Swordsmen: 2 F-14A VA-46 Clansmen: 3 A-7E VA-72 Blue Hawks- 3 A-7E VA-75 Sunday Punchers: 2 A-6E, 1 KA-61) VAQ- 130 Zappers: 1 EA-6B VAW-126 Seahawks: 1 E-2C Notes 1. Carrier Air Wings above do not list the air antisubmarine squadron (2 S-3 Vikings) or helicopter ASW squadron (1 SH-311) which would be included with each, as they have little to do with Command Decision scenarios. 2. The Intruder squadrons aboard Midway each had seven real world A6Es and two real world KA-613s. In order to translate them into Command Decision terms, they are taken in aggregate (14 A-613s and 4 KA-6Ds) and then translated into CD terms, and are assigned asymetrically. 3. Each of the five F-14-equipped carriers is shown with an imbalanced number of aircraft in its two squadrons: three in one, two in the other. This is because each carrier carried 20 real world F-14s in two squadrons. Since 10 aircraft would round down to two CD aircraft for a total of four, rather than the five actually present, the imbalanced figures are used. 4. Similarly, each pair of same-type squadrons in AirWing 8 actually has 2.5 CD (10 real world) aircraft. In order to prevent TR from in effect losing 12 real world aircraft, the imbalanced numbers have been imposed. 5. Although commanded by NAVCENT, the naval aviation forces above were coordinated by the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) via the Air Tasking Order (ATO). More Gulf War Introduction Coalition Forces: Joint Forces Command Coalition Forces: CENTCOM US Central Command Coalition Forces: SOCCENT Special Operations Command Coalition Forces: JSOTF Joint Special Operations Task Force Coalition Forces: MARCENT Marine Corps Component Coalition Forces: NAVCENT Naval Component Coalition Forces: CENTAF/9th Air Force: Air Force Component Coalition Forces: EUCOM US European Command Coalition Forces: NATOACE North Atlantic Treaty Org. Allied Command Europe, Mobile Force Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly #4 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com