Amphibious Deception in the Gulf War
Amphibious Deception in the Gulf War John S. Naylor – February 18, 2026 ——— Remember when the Marines stormed the beaches as Kuwait City in February of 1991 to kick off Operation Desert Storm? Neither do I. For good cause. On December 1, 1990, the 7,500 Marines and sailors of 5 th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (5 th MEB) [1] boarded the ships of Amphibious Group Three (PHIBGRU-3) and departed Southern California bound for the Persian Gulf. This task force numbered thirteen ships, the largest assembly of amphibious shipping mustered since the Korean War. After nearly two decades’ recovery from American involvement in Vietnam, the service was once again tasked with its raison d’être, amphibious operations. [2] USS MOUNT VERNON LSD-39 Already afloat in the Gulf were 13 th MEU(SOC) [3] aboard Amphibious Squadron 4, diverted from a WestPac cruise, and the east coast 4 th MEB [4] , aboard the ships of Amphibious Group 2. On the ground in Sa...