YANKEE AIR PIRATE B2-7 ADA PATRIOT DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia is blessed with modern seaports and airports, as well as a limited number of modern highways that can be used to move troops and materiel. When Operation Desert Shield began in August 1990, however, there was no logistics infrastructure to feed, shelter, and supply a force of the size being assembled. The primary airports of debarkation and embarkation were Dhahran, Riyadh, and King Khalid Military City in Saudi Arabia. The airfield at Dhahran was made the primary airport of debarkation. Of the 7,248 aircraft that arrived in Saudi Arabia between 7 August and 26 March 1991, 6,755 landed at Dhahran.
Clearly understanding the importance of enemy and friendly airpower in the desert, campaign planners in Operation DESERT STORM interrupted the initial airflow of the 82d Airborne Division into theater so that more ADA could be quickly inserted. D-Day for ADA in DESERT STORM was not 24 February 91 when the ground campaign began, but rather August 1990 when B/2-7 ADA (PATRIOT) became operational at Dhahran airbase. Starting with only a theoretical capability against tactical ballistic missiles in August 1990, the requisite software was developed and fielded and 500 new missiles were built by the time the ground campaign began in February. Eight more software upgrades were delivered during the course of DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM.
During DESERT STORM, ADA was involved everywhere, from defending critical assets and activities in the divisions and corps to defending critical assets in Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkey. 10th ADA Brigade from Germany commanded a task force which included Dutch, US and Israeli Patriot batteries in defense of Tel Aviv and Haifa. ADA lieutenants were debriefed at the Israeli Defense Forces "Pentagon" after each Scud attack. As their dependents celebrated Christmas, the soldiers and officers of Task Force 4-43 ADA began loading aircraft at three different locations in Germany. Within twenty nine hours of "wheels up" for the first aircraft, the TF 4-43 ADA was operational in Israel in two locations
The United States Military Training Mission (USMTM) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a joint training mission under the command of Headquarters, United States Central Command, (USCENTCOM) MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The Chief of USMTM also serves as the United States Department of Defense Representative for Saudi Arabia. The USMTM Air Force Division has supporting detachments at Taif, Dhahran, Khamis Mushayt, and Jeddah. Personnel work directly with their RSAF Headquarters counterparts on all logistics, operational, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) issues. In addition, E3A/KE-3A Extended Training Service Specialists (ETSS) personnel provide training and assistance to the RSAF in a variety of flying operations out of Riyadh Air Base. F-15 operations are supported by US Air Force personnel at Dhahran and Khamis Mushayt. RF-5 operations are supported at Taif, while C-130 operations are supported at Jeddah and Riyadh. Detachment Commanders (DETCO) serve as advisors to Saudi Air Base Area Chiefs and supervise ETSS personnel in the area.
Dhahran is located in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom on the Persian Gulf. USMTM personnel work on the King Abdul Aziz Air Base (KAAB). Personnel live on several compounds that are all minutes away from the USMTM work sites on the Air Base. These compounds are only two miles from the US Consulate General and about ten minutes from the Arabian American Company's (ARAMCO) largest community where many Americans reside.

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