When and Where it happened

Operation desert shield/storm took place on August 2, 1990. The American troops were sent within Iraq, Kuwait, and outlying areas of Saudi Arabia. There were multiple battles in those countries. Operation Desert shield/storm happened between August 2, 1990 and March 8, 1991 when the first US forces combat unit returns home. Almost all of the battles were aerial. The ground combat took place within Iraq, Kuwait, and the outer areas of Saudi Arabia. Saddam Hussein had been making threats to Kuwait for a long time but on August 2, 1990 he actually invaded Kuwait and took control. The United States did not take long before they reacted and defended Kuwait. Most of the troops were sent near the Saudi Arabia border. There were about 200,000 American soldiers in Saudi Arabia by September of 1990.