73 Easting: Episode 2 — Desert Shield

Desert Shield was the tense race to protect Saudi Arabia before Iraqi armor could turn Kuwait’s conquest into a wider Gulf disaster. This episode follows the rapid coalition buildup, from early airborne and airpower deployments to the arrival of heavier forces, ports, depots, fuel systems, and command networks. The focus is not only on diplomacy and deterrence, but on the practical mechanics of defending a desert kingdom against a large mechanized army. Listeners learn how coalition warfare took shape, why logistics mattered as much as tanks, and how a defensive shield gradually became preparation for an offensive campaign. Desert Shield reveals the hidden foundation of Desert Storm: political permission, strategic patience, and the immense labor of moving modern combat power into place. For more military history writing and books, visit MilitaryAuthor.me, and for magazines, galleries, and a massive archive of military photos and video, visit Trackpads.com.