After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the United Nations intervened with a stern resolution warning Iraq to withdraw or United States and U.N. forces would drive them out. Iraq refused, and Operation Desert Storm began.

During the operation, Marines accomplished a wide range of missions:

From the air, Marine pilots used fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft to destroy Iraq’s air and naval forces, anti-air defenses and ballistic missile launchers.

The 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions broke through Iraq's southern border while 8000 Marines kept the Iraqi army distracted in the north.

On Iraqi soil, Marines crossed minefields, barbed-wire obstacles, booby traps, and fire trenches while under attack from Iraqi artillery. With precise air operations, tenacious amphibious assaults and versatile land tactics, the Marines led one of the most successful assaults in modern warfare.