20 MAR--This Day in US Military History

2015-03-20T08:44:44-04:00

2003 – (9:34 p.m., 19 March EST) the military invasion of Iraq began.

The invasion of Iraq, led by U.S. army General Tommy Franks, began under the codename “Operation Iraqi Liberation”, later renamed “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, the UK codename Operation Telic, and the Australian codename Operation Falconer. Coalition forces also cooperated with Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the north. Approximately forty other governments, the “U.S.-led coalition against Iraq,” participated by providing troops, equipment, services, security, and special forces, with 248,000 soldiers from the United States, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers and 194 Polish soldiers from Special Forces unit GROM sent to Kuwait for the invasion. The invasion force was also supported by Iraqi Kurdish militia troops, estimated to number upwards of 70,000.
According to General Tommy Franks, the objectives of the invasion were, “First, end the regime of Saddam Hussein. Second, to identify, isolate and eliminate Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Third, to search for, to capture and to drive out terrorists from that country. Fourth, to collect such intelligence as we can related to terrorist networks. Fifth, to collect such intelligence as we can related to the global network of illicit weapons of mass destruction. Sixth, to end sanctions and to immediately deliver humanitarian support to the displaced and to many needy Iraqi citizens. Seventh, to secure Iraq’s oil fields and resources, which belong to the Iraqi people. And last, to help the Iraqi people create conditions for a transition to a representative self-government.”

https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/march-20/

March 20

20 March 1760 - The great fire of Boston destroyed 349 buildings. 1782 - English Prime Minister, Lord North, resigns under pressure from the peace faction in Parliament. He is succeeded by Lord Roc...

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2015 8:47 AM

2015-03-20T08:47:19-04:00

I was up there with the Kurds! Good times!