text: Chapter 2
  Desert Storm: A Decisive Offensive Operation
  On 24 February 1991, after a 38-day major shaping operation by the U.S. Central
  Command air component with land component support, Army forces began one of the
  most decisive land combat operations of modern warfare. Army forces attacked Iraqi
  forces as part of a coalition offensive. XVIII Airborne Corps was in the west with VII
  Corps on its right flank. First (Tiger) Brigade, 2d Armored Division, attacked as part of
  the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the east. Army forces quickly penetrated Iraqi
  defenses, rapidly seizing their objectives. Soldiers used advanced technology that
  allowed vehicle and air crews to acquire and engage targets from beyond the range of
  Iraqi weapons systems. The shock effect of armor and well-trained infantry, coupled
  with overwhelming aviation deep and close attacks, massed indirect fires in depth, and
  responsive sustainment shattered the Iraqi army. XVIII Airborne Corps maneuvered
  100 miles north and 70 miles east into Iraq; VII Corps maneuvered 100 miles north and
  55 miles east. Coalition forces destroyed 3,800 of 4,200 tanks, over half the personnel
  carriers, and nearly all of the 3,000 artillery pieces belonging to the Iraqi Army. Coalition
  forces captured over 60,000 prisoners. After 100 hours of combat, only 7 of 43 Iraqi
  divisions remained combat effective. The coalition had crushed the fourth largest army
  in the world and liberated Kuwait.
  2-83. A shaping operation is an operation at any echelon that creates and preserves conditions for success
  of the decisive operation through effects on the enemy, other actors, and the terrain (ADP 3-0). These
  operations may occur throughout an AO involving various combinations of forces and capabilities. Shaping
  operations set the conditions for the success of the decisive operation by preparing and isolating the
  battlefield, disrupting the enemy’s ability to synchronize forces, deceiving the enemy, and delaying the entry
  of enemy reinforcements to the main battle area. They also set conditions for the success of subordinate
  echelons and their freedom of action. At higher echelons, commanders generally identify more than one
  shaping operation to support the decisive operation. At the operational level, depth and timing distinguish
  shaping operations. Given the operational reach of the joint force, shaping operations extend to, in some cases
  beyond, the limits of the operational area, although the majority of shaping occurs in an AO.
  2-84. A sustaining operation is an operation at any echelon that enables the decisive operation or shaping
  operations by generating and maintaining combat power (ADP 3-0). Sustaining operations are inseparable
  from decisive and shaping operations; they require the same detailed planning and coordination. Proper
  sustainment is necessary to maintain the desired tempo throughout an operation and to set the conditions for
  future operations. A failure to sustain may result in mission failure or an unacceptable loss of personnel and
  materiel in the conduct of operations, thus jeopardizing future missions. Sustaining operations are not limited
  to support areas, they occur throughout the AO.
  2-85. Effective sustainment ensures freedom of action, extends operational reach, and prolongs endurance.
  Because operational reach underpins all maneuver, sustainment is intrinsic to the scheme of maneuver at
  these echelons. The success of sustaining operations is dependent on the supporting and supported
  commanders’ understanding of requirements, capabilities, and priorities.
  2-86. Operational-level maneuver demands anticipation, careful planning, and the synchronization of
  sustainment with operations. Sustainment at this level depends on preparation well before the decisive
  operation occurs and becomes closely linked with shaping operations. In other words, headquarters not only
  shape to set conditions for the decisive operations, they shape to ensure the success of sustaining operations.
  Sustaining operations focus on friendly forces rather than on the enemy or environment. The operational-level
  commander considers the operational reach of the corps in terms of logistics capacity, distribution, evacuation
  and treatment of casualties, and personnel services. Their commander and staff continually—
  * Assess the sustainment posture of the formation.
  * Position and protect sustainment and medical units.
  * Establish priorities of support.