This monograph presents an account of operations by the embarked Marine units under the operational control of the Commander, Naval Forces, Central Command, in the Persian Gulf from August 1990 to May 1991. It tells the story of the 4th and 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEBs) and the 13th and 11th Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) which comprised the Marine Forces Afloat during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The term "Marine Forces Afloat" was chosen carefully because although each of these units served in the same theater of operations, they remained separate entities capable of rapidly integrating into a single force or breaking away to conduct independent operations as the situation required. The Marine Forces Afloat came into existence early in Operation Desert Shield when the seaborne 4th MEB joined the forward-deployed 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in the North Arabian Sea in mid-September. These Marines were later joined by the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade during what would eventually become the longest continuous shipboard deployment by a brigade-sized force in Marine Corps history. For those Marines, the major events of Desert Shield were a series of large amphibious exercises, maritime interdiction operations, and a daring evacuation of the American Embassy at Mogadishu, Somalia. During Operation Desert Storm the U.S. amphibious threat created a strategic distraction that kept Saddam Hussein's attention focused away from the main attack; Marine Aircraft Group 40 flew the first-ever fixed-wing combat strike off an amphibious assault ship; the 13th MEU made two landings; the 4th MEB conducted amphibious demonstrations off the coast of Kuwait; and the 5th MEB participated in ground combat ashore. On its way home the 5th MEB joined Operation Sea Angel, the international humanitarian effort to assist Bangladesh in dealing with the devastation of Cyclone Marian. Invasion and Response * Central Command * Geography of the Persian Gulf * The KTO * The Iraqi Threat * America's Amphibious Forces * Raiders of the Lost ARG * Background * Special Operations * Organization of the 13th MEU(SOC) * Training and Deployment * Embarkation of the 4th MEB * Ordered to the Persian Gulf * Deployment Plans * Task Organization * Embarkation Issues * Aviation Issues * Supply Issues * 4th MEB Moves to the Persian Gulf * The 4th MEB Departs * Communications Enroute * Ship Configuration Issues * Intelligence Issues * Movement to the North Arabian Sea * The Situation in Saudi Arabia * Desert Shield Amphibious Forces * Initial Desert Shield Amphibious Plans * 4th MEB Contingency Plans * Blue-Green Operational Issues * 4th MEB Plans and Training * Operational Issues * Amphibious Plans * Training Issues * Exercise Sea Soldier I * Exercise Sea Soldier II * Combined Training * 4th MEB Logistics * Background * Force Sustainment * Maintenance and Repair * Reconfiguration of Shipping at Jubayl * Maritime Interdiction Operations * Multinational Interdiction Operations * 13th MEU(SOC) Interdictions * 4th MEB Interdictions * 4th MEB Amphibious Exercises * The 13th MEU(SOC) Departs * Imminent Thunder * Training at Al Hamra * Sea Soldier III * Assembling the 5th MEB * Background * Activation Issues * Manpower Issues * Force Structure * The 5th MEB Mounts Out * Operation Eastern Exit * Crisis in the Horn of Africa * Command and Control * The Evacuation Force * Predeployment Issues * Planning Operation Eastern Exit * The Situation in Mogadishu * Super Stallions to the Rescue * The Marines Arrive * Inside the Compound * The Final Exit * Finale * Consolidation of the Marine Forces Afloat * 5th MEB Embarks * Training in Transit * Link-up at Sea * Command Relationships * Exercise Sea Soldier IV * Desert Storm Amphibious Plans * The Situation * The First Offensive Plan * The Home Front * The Al Faw Options * Desert Storm Plans * Iraqi Coastal Defenses * Ras Al Qulayah Plan * MarCent Forward * Ash Shuaybah Plan