PREFACE

In 1994, the DIA Director instructed the DIA History Office to begin writing historical products not only for the DIA user, but also for consumers outside of the Agency. Beginning in 1997, therefore, many historical publications, some short and others book-length, will become available at the classified and unclassified levels in support of the DIA mission. They will serve the dual purpose of documenting historical events and informing the non-DIA reader of the significance of the Agency's contributions to our country's national security.

The Agency has established, as one of the highest priorities in completing these publications, a comprehensive history of DIA's role in supporting DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. The task of preparing this history involved researching over a million pages of documentation and other primary source material. In addition, it required conducting many interviews with people who were key to the effort as well as seeking additional documentation. DIA plans to publish this book-length illustrated narrative, in classified and unclassified versions in 1997.

This chronology is one of the by-products of the history and it will be included in the final publication. Pictures, drawings, charts, and maps have been added to make it more meaningful. I have also appended a DIA organizational chart and glossary to sort the unavoidable acronyms and abbreviations. This work is meant to be a chronology of Defense Intelligence support to DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, not a detailed description of those events.

As with each of the forthcoming publications, this chronology strives to meet the needs of the planner, analyst, researcher, student, and manager. With these primary users in mind, its purpose is to learn and set forth the lessons that are important to intelligence, and particularly the Defense Intelligence Agency as a Combat Support Agency. To insure a comprehensive, balanced, and accurate treatise, I solicited the assistance of individuals and source materials both inside and outside the Agency.

I completed this chronology in a six-month period while researching and writing the first five chapters of the forthcoming book. This effort would not have been possible without the help and guidance of a number of people. First and foremost on that list is Deane Allen, the DIA Historian, who first conceived this project in August 1990. He assisted and advised me throughout the early stages of my research and writing, and deserves a great deal of the credit. Over the past six years he saved many of the critical documents and records that were vital to this undertaking.

A number of other people have been especially generous in agreeing to interviews and taking the time to comment on my early drafts. These include Roy Apseloff, Jim Claxton, Mel Geiger, John Moore, Dr. William Mussen, COL James Ritchey and Ed Valentine. In my own office, I have benefitted greatly from the advice of Curtis Utz and the assistance of Mirlin Toomer. This publication would not have been possible without the hard work and patience of Andrea Flowers, Monique Evans, and Barbara Smith in the Office for Publications. I would also be remiss in not mentioning the valuable support of MG John A. Leide, John T. Berbrich, John J. Sloan, James W. Lucas, Hans Pawlisch, LTC Steve E. Dietrich, and Don Lenker. Special thanks go to BG David A. Armstrong in the JCS History Office for his support of this project.

Brian G. Shellum
Deputy DIA Historian

 

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