by Duke Doering
During Operation Desert Storm the 730th Medical Company deployed 133 Soldiers, 65 from the Headquarters unit in Winner, SD and 68 Soldiers from Detachment 1 stationed in Vermillion, SD.
On March 13, 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, the 730th Medical Company displayed just how compassionate the soldiers of the United States can be.
Just three weeks earlier, on February 23, the 730th Medical Company’s 2nd Platoon was attached in support of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) and charged through the breach with them from Saudi Arabia into Iraq. During the 70 miles traveled the first day of the ground war they treated five American and 50 enemy soldiers. The 1st and 3rd platoons moved into Iraq the next day, with the 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment. The United States and allied forces had liberated Kuwait after 100 hours, the ground war was halted on February 27, 1991. On March 2nd Iraq accepted the conditions for a permanent cease-fire. After a busy and remarkable two weeks the 730th pulled out of Iraq and was sent back to Saudi Arabia on March 6th.
On March 13, during this cease-fire, the 730th was sent for their second entry into Iraq. Their mission this time was to provide medical aid to Iraqi civilians in what became known as “Operation Care”, and also to support the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR).
The unit treated 1,046 civilians and 186 U.S. Military personnel. The medics also treated numerous babies and children for dehydration and illness. Many of these children lived because of the 730th Medics.
Upon the units return from “Operation Care” Colonel R.I. Porter, Commander of the 730th Medical Company said, “Be assured that every one of these people is like my own! There is not another medical unit in the country that looks and functions as well as ours.”
It goes without saying that the South Dakota National Guard began its response to the coronavirus pandemic just as soon as the earliest threats in Wuhan, China, began to surface. It is ready and waiting to spring into action whenever the Governor and President determine that the time for activation is necessary.