One of the most striking features of Operation Desert Storms aftermath was the facility with which American soldiers transitioned from offensive warfare to humanitarian relief. Throughout history our soldiers - and the civilians who accompany them - have been quick to assist populations in need, whether the victims of natural disaster, military operations, or calculated oppression. The increasing number of noncombat military operations in recent years underscores the significance of this rehabilitative role of the American soldier. Not since World War II had U. S. Army soldiers and civilians played as large a role in rebuilding a foreign nation as they did in Kuwait after the Gulf War. After Desert Storm tells the compelling story of how the Army helped to bring a proud but battered country back to life. Our soldiers found themselves performing such diverse roles as repairing police cars, rebuilding damaged power systems, restoring the water supply, and feeding zoo animals. In the process they touched the lives of every Kuwaiti resident, forging bonds of trust and contributing immeasurably to stability in the region. Though immensely successful, the Kuwaiti recovery operation was not perfect; After Desert Storm highlights key lessons learned. The reconstruction of Kuwait clearly demonstrated that post-hostilities activities can be as important as conflict itself, and that military leaders must plan carefully for such a recovery mission if they are to capitalize fully on battlefield success. After Desert Storm illuminates appropriate roles for American soldiers and civilians in a post-hostilities environment. We would be wise to take its lessons to heart. John S. Brown Brigadier General, United States Army Chief of Military History

CMH 70-59. Gives the structure and sense of order to the complex story of how Kuwait recovered in record time from the devastating effects of a seven month occupation by Iraqi troops, in large part through the efforts of the United States Army. Presents the operation both topically and chronologically.

Provides an account, from the point of view of the U.S. Army forces employed, of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War, from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait to the withdrawal of coalition forces from southeastern Iraq. It focuses on the Army's part in this war, particularly the activities of the Headquarters, Third Army, and the Army Forces Central Command (ARCENT). It looks especially at the activities of the VII Corps, which executed ARCENT's main effort in the theater ground force schwerpunkt -- General Schwarzkopf's "Great Wheel." This is not an official history; the author speaks in his own voice and makes his own judgments. Maps.

After DESERT STORM: The U.S. Army and the Reconstruction of Kuwait records the U.S. Army's pivotal nation-building role in a post-hostilities environment in Kuwait. Janet A. McDonnell, taking both a topical and chronological approach to a complex story of the largest civil-military recovery operation since World War II, chronicles how both soldiers and civilians, working alongside Kuwaiti volunteers, helped to bring a proud but battered Kuwait and its infrastructure back to life within nine months. To capitalize fully on battlefield success today, military leaders must also plan carefully for similar recovery missions. There is much to learn in this fine thought-provoking account.

CMH Publication 70-30. Edited by Frank N. Schubert and TheresaL. Kraus. Discusses the United States Army's role in the Persian Gulf War from August 1990 to February 1991. Shows the various strands that came together to produce the army of the 1990s and how that army in turn performed under fire and in the glare of world attention. Retains a sense of immediacy in its approach. Contains maps which were carefully researched and compiled as original documents in their own right. Includes an index.