Desert Storm Life on the Edge essays

Desert Storm Life on the Edge essays A war to some that many feel came unresolved. United States armed forces recaptured Kuwait the strategic target that we set out for. At what cost did the United States capture that infamous target. A close cousin of mine named Rick Calderon was involved in the Desert Storm war and with his involvement my life personally changed. I remember the day my cousin said he was going to be shipped out into the Persian Gulf, although he was many years older than me, I looked up to him like a dear brother. He came from a home with a single mother raising my cousin and his three younger sisters. He enlisted in the Marines at the age of twenty-two to find guidance in his life and help his struggling mother financially. When the news came that my cousin would be deployed into hostile territory our entire family was petrified with pure horror. He was a lance corporal during the ordeal and served in the 301st infantry division grunts, as most of the armed forces called them. He was deployed within 15 miles of hostile territory in a mobile base outside of Kuwait. During his 7-month stay on Kuwaiti soil he was involved in the some of the first strikes against Iraqi troops. He was originally deployed to maintain order among citizens within surrounding cities although there were many smaller revolts and riots that caused increased tension among troops and Kuwaiti citizens. He for instance felt that the war was for monetary gain among United States politicians. The gain of course was the oil. The true reason for the entire ordeal was that rich deposits of oil straddled the ill-defined border, and Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. Middle Eastern deserts make border delineation difficult and this has caused many conflicts in the region. Rick was involved in restoring order within a Marine compound up the street from where he had been marinating guar ...