Greetings to all Home Base Desert Storm Veterans and your Families.

February 2021 marks the 30^th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. After Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein failed to comply with un resolution 678 to withdraw from Kuwait by 15 January, President H. W. Bush ordered the air offensive to begin 17 January and the ground attack on 24 February. Desert Storm was a stunning and historic military victory achieving a noble mission, the liberation of Kuwait. I share with you the enormous pride in what we did together.

I especially want to reach out to Veterans of the U.S. Army VII Corps I was privileged to command, and to your families. Looking back these 30 years, I am even more proud of what we did together as part of the joint forces team in our 250-kilometer 89-hour attack to liberate Kuwait as part of the coalition. What an honor it was to serve with you, truly life’s great and humbling privilege.

We honor all those men and women of our armed forces who served and fought in Desert Storm and their families who served with their own brand of courage. We honor those who in President Lincoln’s words, “gave that last full measure of devotion.” We honor the Gold Star Families who still bear the pain of their loss.

Desert Storm was national healing. It was trust reunited here in America between our people and our armed forces that had been fractured a generation ago during Vietnam.

That reunited trust is why Home Base is here. Home Base is fulfillment of that trust to be there when our Veterans come home especially for any assistance we can offer in our programs. Desert Storm 30 years ago reunited that trust.

Thank you. God bless our Desert Storm Veterans in this special time, all our Veterans, those who serve today, our families and our Gold Star Families

Fred M. Franks
Gen, U.S. Army (Ret)
Honorary Director Home Base Southwest Florida