A quarter century ago, warplanes from a coalition of 34 nations began bombing targets in Iraq and Kuwait at the kick-off of Operation Desert Storm on Jan. 17, 1991.

On Aug. 1, 1990, Iraq invaded and annexed Kuwait, prompting six months of negotiations from the international community for Iraq to leave, which Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein refused. The first shots were fired by Apache attack helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), destroying anti-aircraft guns and radar dishes, creating a hole in Iraqi air defenses which hundreds of Allied aircraft used to attack the enemy.

During Operations Desert Shield including operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia and Desert Storm, Fort Detrick, while thousands of miles from the battlefield, was still involved. Fear of nuclear, chemical or biological attack from Iraq on the troops was a real fear. The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases provided the DOD with expert advice, vaccines and drugs to ensure an effective medical response if a medical defense were required, as well as training and equipping six special laboratory teams for rapid identification of potential biological agents.

Also during the conflict, Company B, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at Fort Detrick, had a mission of reconnaissance and security in support of a Marine Air/Ground Task Force and received the Meritorious Unit Citation for its service during Operation Desert Storm.

The war would last until February 28, when a cease-fire was announced in Kuwait. Allied and Iraqi forces suspended their attacks as Iraq pledged to accept all United Nations resolutions concerning Kuwait.