A Soldier’s story
By Sgt. 1st Class Ramon Delgado
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — The year was 1983 and Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States of America.
It was during this inauspicious time when a young man by the name of Richard Armstrong walked into a recruiting office and enlisted in the Army.
Armstrong was sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic combat training and advanced individual training to become a motor transport operator, or 88M.
After training, he was assigned to the 131st Transportation Company, based in Williamstown, Pennsylvania. In 1990, Armstrong, now a sergeant, deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield.
Now, 31 years later, after a break in service, Armstrong is once again deployed to Kuwait.
Then to now
The Iraqi army invaded Kuwait in August 1990 with the aim of annexing the country. In November of that year, Armstrong arrived in Saudi Arabia with the 131st Trans. Co.
Their mission was hauling 120mm ammunition for M1 tanks. The Soldiers of 131st Trans. Co. were in theater for less than three months when the ground war began on Feb. 24, 1991.
With the beginning of Operation Desert Storm, the 131st's mission changed. Instead of hauling ammunition they were now hauling prisoners of war by the trailer load.
“The Iraqi prisoners where so desperate to get out of Kuwait that they were hanging on to the side of the trailers,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said once President George H. W. Bush announced a ceasefire, he and a group of Soldiers from the 131st Transportation Co. took a day to explore the aftermath of the war. He said they took a lot of pictures, one of which has always stood out.
The picture showed Armstrong standing in front of the bombed out Sheraton Hotel in Kuwait City.
Today Armstrong is deployed with the 1067th Composite Truck Company, 389th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and is working as an 88M at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
Armstrong said that since he was back in Kuwait, it would be nice to get another picture of himself standing in front of the same hotel.
Armstrong had the opportunity to do so on Mar. 31, 2022.
Now at 56 years old, and nearing the end of his career, Armstrong said, “Having these two pictures side-by-side on my wall will be awesome.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2022 09:52 |
| Story ID: | 419504 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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