Osprey's US Mechanized Infantry In The First Gulf War
By Rob Folden
ISBN: 978-1-84603-438-1
MSRP: $18.95
Website: www.ospreypublishing.com
One of the shortest wars in US history, the 1990-1991 Operation Desert Storm, aka Gulf War, was a triumph of US military power. In one of the most lop-sided battles in history, US forces were met with little to no opposition from the retreating Iraqi forces. While the air war saw most of the action, US Infantrymen from the Army's mechanized forces were in full gear, hitting the sand with some of the US' newest firepower.
Written by a former US Army Special Forces soldier, US Mechanized Infantrymen in the First Gulf War is an excellent book that follows US infantry soldiers from basic training all the way through deployment to the "sand box" and their return home to the states. After a brief introduction, the author gives a timetable showing the progression of the war. This is followed up by basic training. From there, the book follows the soldiers through their normal Army training, deployment training, and the battle in the desert. The book features 51 photographs [mostly color, as well as several color plates of both uniforms and equipment.
While not an actual reference book for modeling purposes, I did find several photographs and color plates that were of great use as a modeler. A major part of the book is the introduction of the Army's M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Only nine year old at the onset of the conflict, the Bradley proved itself invaluable in the desert terrain for transporting troops. This experience came has come in useful in current times, as we once again wage war in the deserts of Iraq.
As a modeler, my favorite part of the book were the two color plates for the soldier's Battle Dress Uniform [BDU] and the desert BDU's. known as the "Chocolate chip" uniforms. These were particularly nice in that they not only gave a good color reference for the uniforms themselves, but also for the various gear that would have been worn with the uniform. This includes the much hated MOPP gear that was used to combat Iraq's chemical weapons.
Overall I found the book very interesting. Having served in the Army, I found the majority of the information presented to be right on target. From a modeling standpoint, the book is not as useful as others released under the Warriors line. I would classify this more as a historical information book, rather than a modeler's reference. That being said, I would still recommend this to anyone wishing to learn more about the Gulf War. I would also still recommend it to any modelers out there working on ODS subjects, as even the text in the book does give some details that will help. My thanks to Osprey Publishing for providing the review sample.